Physical interaction device for personal electronics and method for use

Abstract

The present disclosure describes, among other things, a device that may include an exterior shell including at least one of an open cell foam, a closed cell foam, a foamed resin, and an inflatable bladder. The device may include a personal electronic device receptacle configured to removably receive a personal electronic device. The device may be configured to substantially enclose and protect the personal electronic device within the personal electronic device receptacle during physical activity including at least one of rolling the device, throwing the device, kicking the device, and striking the device against another object, and enable interaction with the personal electronic device while the personal electronic device is substantially enclosed within the device.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor of a mobile computing device, from one or more external sensors located within a physical interaction-enabling device, sensor data, wherein
 the sensor data is collected during physical activity of a user with the physical interaction-enabling device, wherein the physical activity comprises at least one of throwing, kicking, dropping, striking, or rolling the physical interaction-enabling device, and 
 the sensor data is received in real time; 
   determining, by a processor of the mobile computing device, motion data regarding a movement of the physical interaction-enabling device;   generating, by the processor, a response to the motion data, wherein
 the response comprises at least one of graphic, audio, tactile, and video output; and 
   causing, by the processor, the response to be presented to the user.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising, after determining the motion data:
 estimating, by the processor, a behavior of the user based in part upon the motion data, wherein generating the response to the motion data comprises generating the response based at least in part upon the behavior of the user.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor data comprises the motion data. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein causing the response to be presented to the user comprises providing the response to a second device in communication with the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second device comprises a remote display. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of motion, velocity, and geographic reference. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing information regarding the behavior to a second computing device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein providing information regarding the behavior to the second computing device comprises storing the information regarding the behavior to a storage media, wherein the storage media is accessible to each of the mobile computing device and the second computing device via a network. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the information regarding the behavior is provided to the second computing device in real time. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the physical interaction-enabling device is one of an imaginative play toy, weight training exercise equipment, combat-training exercise equipment, balance and coordination training exercise equipment, and sports game equipment. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising, prior to causing the response to be presented to the user, identifying the physical interaction-enabling device. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein identifying the physical interaction-enabling device comprises reading an identifying marker upon the physical interaction-enabling device. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the identifying marker comprises one of a bar code and an RFID chip. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the identifying marker uniquely identifies the physical interaction-enabling device. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein generating the response to the behavior comprises generating the response based in part upon a type of the physical interaction-enabling device, wherein identifying the physical interaction-enabling device comprises identifying a type of the physical interaction-enabling device. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein determining the motion data comprises determining the motion data based in part upon the type. 
     
     
         37 . A system comprising:
 a physical interaction-enabling device comprising one or more sensors, wherein
 the physical interaction-enabling device is configured to protect one or more of a user interacting with the physical interaction-enabling device and a surroundings of the physical interaction-enabling device during physical activity involving the user; and 
   a memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor of a mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to:
 receive, from the one or more sensors, sensor data, wherein
 the sensor data is collected during physical activity of the user with the physical interaction-enabling device, wherein the physical activity comprises at least one of throwing, kicking, dropping, striking, or rolling the physical interaction-enabling device, and 
 the sensor data is received in real time; 
 
 determine motion data regarding a movement of the physical interaction-enabling device; 
 generate a response to the motion data, wherein
 the response comprises at least one of graphic, audio, tactile, and video output; and 
 
 cause the response to be presented to the user. 
   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer, a positioning sensor, an orientation sensor, a global positioning sensor, and a gyroscope. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the instructions comprise a multi-player game, the instructions further causing the processor to:
 generate a second response to the motion data; and   cause the second response to be presented to a second user at a second computing device.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , the instructions further causing the processor to:
 receive, from the second computing device, information regarding a behavior of the second user; and   cause feedback to be presented to the user responsive to the information.   
     
     
         41 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor of a mobile computing device to:
 receive, from one or more external sensors located within a physical interaction-enabling device, sensor data, wherein
 the sensor data is collected during physical activity of a user with the physical interaction-enabling device, wherein the physical activity comprises at least one of throwing, kicking, dropping, striking, or rolling the physical interaction-enabling device, and 
 the sensor data is received in real time; 
   determine motion data regarding a movement of the physical interaction-enabling device;   correlate the movement data with an anticipated activity of a user interacting with the physical interaction-enabling device;   generate feedback to the anticipated activity, wherein
 the feedback comprises at least one of graphic, audio, tactile, and video output; and 
   cause the feedback to be presented to the user.   
     
     
         42 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein at least a portion of the feedback is presented to the user via at least one of the one or more external sensors.