Play System Representing a Character

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a play system representing a character, including multiple distinct physical play units for representing the same character simultaneously, while establishing and preserving the impression that, independent of the physical play units, the character itself has a genuine and unique existence of its own. The invention provides for this property of the play system by permitting only a single play unit to fully represent the dynamic components of the character at any given time. Enabled status can be reversibly transferred from one play unit to another by user command.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A play unit that forms part of a play system of a user, the play system representing a character, the play unit comprising:
 a character dynamic component that performs at least one action of the character, the action selected from a group consisting of:
 an audio effect, 
 a visual effect, and 
 a mechanical motion; 
   a communication device for communicating with other play units of the play system; and   a computing device operative to:
 control the character dynamic component; 
 enable the character dynamic component upon receiving an enabling signal via the communication device, and 
 send an enabling signal via the communication device upon disabling the character dynamic component. 
   
     
     
         2 . The play unit of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a user interface for receiving user commands for at least one of:
 interacting with the play unit when the character dynamic component is enabled;   disabling the character dynamic component; or   sending a request for the enabling signal, via the communication device, to an alternate play unit of the play system.   
     
     
         3 . The play unit of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a device-writable and device-readable non-transient storage device that stores a status of the play unit, and wherein the status is set to enabled when receiving the enabling signal and is set to disabled when disabling the character dynamic component. 
     
     
         4 . The play unit of  claim 3  wherein the computing device is operative to control a plurality of character dynamic components, and wherein all character dynamic components are disabled when the play unit has disabled status. 
     
     
         5 . The play unit of  claim 1 , wherein the play unit is a general-purpose computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The play unit of  claim 5 , wherein the play unit is a handheld computing device that includes a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         7 . The play unit of  claim 1 , embodied as a doll that serves as a physical effigy of the character. 
     
     
         8 . The play unit of  claim 7 , wherein the doll comprises a physical actuator for performing a mechanical motion as an action of the character. 
     
     
         9 . A play system representing a character, the play system comprising a first play unit and a second play unit, the first play unit including:
 a character dynamic component that performs at least one action of the character, the action selected from a group consisting of:
 an audio effect, 
 a visual effect, and 
 a mechanical motion; and 
   a computing device operative to:
 control the character dynamic component; 
 enable the character dynamic component upon receiving an enabling signal from the second play unit, and 
 send an enabling signal to the second play unit upon disabling the character dynamic component. 
   
     
     
         10 . The play system of  claim 9 , wherein the computing device of the first play unit comprises a user interface for receiving user commands for at least one of:
 interacting with the first play unit when the character dynamic component is enabled;   disabling the character dynamic component; or   sending to the second play unit a request for the enabling signal.   
     
     
         11 . The play system of  claim 9 , wherein the computing device of the first play unit comprises a device-writable and device-readable non-transient storage device that stores a status of the first play unit, and wherein the status is set to enabled when receiving the enabling signal from the second play unit and is set to disabled when disabling the character dynamic component. 
     
     
         12 . The play system of  claim 11 , wherein the computing device of the first play unit is operative to control a plurality of character dynamic components, and wherein all character dynamic components are disabled when the respective play unit has disabled status. 
     
     
         13 . The play system of  claim 9 , wherein the first play unit is a general-purpose computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The play system of  claim 13 , wherein the general-purpose computing device is a handheld computing device that includes a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         15 . The play system of  claim 9 , wherein the first play unit is embodied as a doll that serves as a physical effigy of the character. 
     
     
         16 . The play system of  claim 15 , wherein the doll comprises a physical actuator for performing a mechanical motion as an action of the character.