A Galaxy of play in the palm of your hand
FORCELINK 1.0:
The Forcelink ecosystem was an original concept designed to allow kids to engage more interactive figure and vehicle play. Utilizing near field communication (NFC) the wearer can wirelessly transmit through their hand, activating various sounds, effects in addition to the ability to wirelessly transfer power to vehicles to activate lights. Armed with an accelerometer, the game play is controlled via gestures and movements with the object. The result is an immersive play mechanic with deep routed story telling.
Forcelink 1.0: Compatible with
65 Figures
7 Vehicles
1 Playset
Forcelink Chipset:
Inside of each figure was a uniquely identifiable NFC chipset. The chips were able to be recognized by the bands in order to access a character tree from the device’s dialogue matrix. Each character required an ABS torso to house the NFC chipset. Despite some of the smaller character sizes and the robust wall thicknesses to the chip surrounds, we were able to maintain all of the accurate proportions at the 3.75” figure scale.
FORCELINK 2.0:
In its second iteration, we introduced a social aspect to the band, enabling an even deeper level of play and recognition. Utilizing Bluetooth, the device was now APP compatible, along with the ability to be paired to a second Forcelink, enabling the two devices to link, share, and battle. This involved a massive undertaking for script writing, to establish all the possible combinations of dialogue that could take place. Each figure introduced in 2.0, featured character-specific interactions, so the dialogue would be unique based on each figure that it interacted with.
Forcelink 2.0: Compatible with
129 Figures
13 Vehicles
3 Playsets
Patent Approved
Motion and toy detecting body attachment
Patent number: 11045738
A wearable player body attachment having a master processor, an acceleration detecting motion subsystem for associated motions, a tag reader/antenna subsystem input to recognize unique play object identifiers of toy objects held at the player's hand, and an audio subsystem issuing verbal announcements and sound effects outputs associated with sequences of detected motions. The body attachment queries a database with the toy identity and recognized motions and produces sensory detectible outputs. The database is stored as a matrix table for many figures or vehicles, detects and recognizes specific motions for associated sounds with the action figures toy vehicles, and accessories.
Type: Grant
Filed: December 11, 2017
Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
Assignee: Hasbro, Inc.
Inventors: Steven Unruh, Samuel Bowditch Smith
