A toy vehicle track system of the present application includes electrical connections between the track pieces that allow a central hub, referred to herein as a “portal piece,” to communicate with any track pieces included in the track system. In order to ensure that the portal piece can quickly and accurately identify track configurations that are built, the toy vehicle track system implements a communications protocol that supports communications between any two pieces of track. Based on these communications, the portal piece can determine an orientation, a track type, and a position of any track pieces attached, whether directly or indirectly, to the portal piece. The portal piece can then transmit this information to an electronic device executing an application associated with the track system to allow for digital play on a digital version of the track configuration (among other digital play modes).

An information providing apparatus according to an aspect includes an acquirer configured to acquire traveling history of a vehicle, and an information provider configured to provide information on an anthropomorphic character correlated with information related to the vehicle. The information provider gives or grows the anthropomorphic character on the basis of the traveling history acquired by the acquirer.

A computerized method for controlling a target-motion device based on motion of a first source-motion object. The method has the steps of: capturing motion-related data at the first source-motion object, the motion-related data representing the mootion of the first source-motion object; processing, at the first source-motion object, the motion-related data by converting captured motion-related data from a first format to a second format; transmitting the processed motion-related data to a server; forwarding, by the server, the processed motion-related data to the target-motion device; and moving at least a portion of the target-motion device based on at least the processed motion-related data.

Method and system for generating virtual encounters. For example, the method includes determining first real-world driving characteristics based upon first real-world telematics data of a first real-world user, generating a first virtual map based upon first real-world geolocation data, presenting the first virtual map in a virtual game, generating first virtual encounters based upon the first real-world driving characteristics and first real-world environmental data, applying the first virtual encounters to the first virtual map for a first virtual character to experience, determining second real-world driving characteristics based upon second real-world telematics data of a second real-world user, generating a second virtual map based upon second real-world geolocation data, presenting the second virtual map in the virtual game, generating second virtual encounters based upon the second real-world driving characteristics and second real-world environmental data, and applying the second virtual encounters to the second virtual map for a second virtual character to experience.

It is determined whether execution is to be carried out in a first mode or in a second mode, according to a user's selection operation. In the first mode, a movement of a player object is controlled according to the user's movement operation, and a movement of a non-player object is automatically controlled. Positions of the player object and the non-player object are changed according to the user's position changing operation such that a relative positional relationship between the player object and the non-player object for use in the second mode is a first positional relationship. In the second mode, movements of the player object and the non-player object are automatically controlled while maintaining the first positional relationship.

It is determined whether execution is to be carried out in a first mode or in a second mode, according to a user's selection operation. In the first mode, a movement of a player object is controlled according to the user's movement operation, and a movement of a non-player object is automatically controlled. Positions of the player object and the non-player object are changed according to the user's position changing operation such that a relative positional relationship between the player object and the non-player object for use in the second mode is a first positional relationship. In the second mode, movements of the player object and the non-player object are automatically controlled while maintaining the first positional relationship.

An in-vehicle performance device is an in-vehicle performance device that performs a game that is played by an occupant in a vehicle, and includes a motion detector configured to detect a motion of the occupant irrelevant to driving the vehicle, a display configured to display an image visually recognizable by the occupant, and a display controller configured to display a response image according to the motion of the occupant on the display on the basis of the motion of the occupant detected by the motion detector, and output a result of a game based on a predetermined rule.

An in-vehicle performance device is an in-vehicle performance device that performs a game that is played by an occupant in a vehicle, and includes a motion detector configured to detect a motion of the occupant irrelevant to driving the vehicle, a display configured to display an image visually recognizable by the occupant, and a display controller configured to display a response image according to the motion of the occupant on the display on the basis of the motion of the occupant detected by the motion detector, and output a result of a game based on a predetermined rule.

A computer implemented method of controlling an interactive hybrid environment representing a motorised sporting event at a track is described. The interactive hybrid environment includes representations of real and virtual vehicles on the track. The method comprises receiving a stream of real sensor data, the real sensor data comprises: real kinematic data of a real vehicle on the track, the real kinematic data being captured by infra-red sensors at the track, and real control data regarding the control of the real vehicle by a driver, the real control data being captured by vehicle sensors and obtained via telemetry systems from the real vehicle; determining the position and kinematic behaviour of the representation of the real vehicle within the interactive hybrid environment using the real kinematic data; using the real control data and the real kinematic data to create a black box determination of the position of the real vehicle on the track based on the real control data; receiving a stream of computer-generated control data which is obtained by user interaction with a computer presenting the interactive hybrid environment to the user and capturing the user inputs to control kinematic behaviour the representation of the virtual vehicle; and determining the position and kinematic behaviour of the representation of the virtual vehicle within the interactive hybrid environment by using the black box determination and the computer-generated control data.

A computer implemented method of controlling an interactive hybrid environment representing a motorised sporting event at a track is described. The interactive hybrid environment includes representations of real and virtual vehicles on the track. The method comprises receiving a stream of real sensor data, the real sensor data comprises: real kinematic data of a real vehicle on the track, the real kinematic data being captured by infra-red sensors at the track, and real control data regarding the control of the real vehicle by a driver, the real control data being captured by vehicle sensors and obtained via telemetry systems from the real vehicle; determining the position and kinematic behaviour of the representation of the real vehicle within the interactive hybrid environment using the real kinematic data; using the real control data and the real kinematic data to create a black box determination of the position of the real vehicle on the track based on the real control data; receiving a stream of computer-generated control data which is obtained by user interaction with a computer presenting the interactive hybrid environment to the user and capturing the user inputs to control kinematic behaviour the representation of the virtual vehicle; and determining the position and kinematic behaviour of the representation of the virtual vehicle within the interactive hybrid environment by using the black box determination and the computer-generated control data.