Interactive game pieces using touch screen devices for toy play

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for facilitating an interaction using first and second peripheral devices and related structures. Each of the first and second peripheral devices have a plurality of touch points for touching a touch surface of a touch-sensitive system. According to an exemplary embodiment, a method comprises detecting a plurality of contemporaneous touches on the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system. One of the first and second peripheral devices is identified based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to the plurality of touch points of one of the first and second peripheral devices. In some embodiments, orientation of the one of the first and second peripheral devices can be determined based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to the plurality of touch points of the one of the first and second peripheral devices.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for identifying one or more of a plurality of peripheral devices including a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device using a touch-sensitive system having a processor and a touch surface, each of the first and second peripheral devices having a plurality of touch points for touching the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system, the method comprising:
 detecting, using the processor, a plurality of contemporaneous touches on the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system; and   identifying, using the processor, one of the first and second peripheral devices based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to the plurality of touch points of one of the first and second peripheral devices.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein identifying the one of the first and second peripheral devices is based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to one of two touch points of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising determining the orientation of the one of the first and second peripheral devices based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to the plurality of touch points of the one of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising performing an interaction using the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the interaction is based on the relative orientation of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the interaction is based on the identity of one of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the interaction is based on the position of the first peripheral device with respect to the second peripheral device. 
     
     
         28 . A touch-sensitive system for identifying one or more of a plurality of peripheral devices including a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device, each of the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device having a plurality of touch points, the touch-sensitive system comprising:
 a touch surface;   a processor, the processor being configured to:
 detect a plurality of contemporaneous touches on the touch surface; and 
 identify one of the first peripheral device and second peripheral device based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to the plurality of touch points of the one of the first peripheral device and second peripheral device. 
   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is configured to identify the one of the first and second peripheral devices is based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to one of two touch points of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the orientation of the one of the first and second peripheral devices based on the plurality of contemporaneous touches as compared to the plurality of touch points of the one of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is configured to perform an interaction using the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the interaction is based on the relative orientation of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the interaction is based on the identity of the identified one of the first and second peripheral devices. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the interaction is based on the position of the first peripheral device with respect to the second peripheral device. 
     
     
         35 . A peripheral device for use with a touch-sensitive system having a touch surface, the peripheral device comprising:
 a plurality of touch points configured to contact the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system;   the plurality of touch points further configured to provide information to the touch-sensitive system for identifying the first peripheral device.   
     
     
         36 . The peripheral device of  claim 35 , wherein the identifying distinguishes between the plurality of touch points of the peripheral device and a plurality of touch points of another peripheral device. 
     
     
         37 . The peripheral device of  claim 35 , wherein the plurality of touch points are further configured to provide information to the touch-sensitive system for determining the orientation of the first peripheral device. 
     
     
         38 . The peripheral device of  claim 35 , wherein the information provided to the touch-sensitive system comprises at least one distance between any of the plurality of touch points. 
     
     
         39 . The peripheral device of  claim 35 , comprising a touch lead configured to provide a grounding path between at least one contact region and at least two of the plurality of touch points. 
     
     
         40 . The peripheral device of  claim 35 , comprising a touch lead configured to provide a grounding path between a touch switch and at least one of the plurality of touch points.