Patent ID: 8157611

Claim:
A method of interacting with an action figure, comprising: a. providing a hand-held base unit having a processor, a first antenna, an infrared receiver, control keys, and an output device that emits a sound or an image; b. providing a base station having a controller, the base station further including an infrared transmitter and a second antenna that are coupled to the controller, the base station providing an environment for interaction with an action figure and having a functional feature related to the interaction with the action figure; c. providing the action figure having a memory which stores data relating to the action figure, and a third antenna; d. communicating the data in the form of communication signals from the memory to the third antenna, then from the third antenna to the second antenna, then from the second antenna to the infrared transmitter, then from the infrared transmitter to the infrared receiver, and then to the processor; and e. presenting an activity instruction from the base unit, the activity instruction being based on the communication signals received, wherein the activity instruction is broadcast on the output device of the base unit and instructs a user to cause the action figure to enact a real-life activity involving the environment of the base station; f. providing a storage device that is removably coupled via electrical contacts to a port of the base unit, the storage device having a fourth antenna, and a memory which stores instruction data; g. communicating the communication signals from the third antenna to the fourth antenna and then to the processor at the base station; h. communicating instruction data from the memory of the storage device in the form of instruction signals to the processor at the base unit; and i. presenting the activity instruction based on the communication signals and instruction signals received.