FIELD OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNIQUE

The disclosed technique relates to games and toys in general, and to construction set toys, in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNIQUE

Children of all ages can benefit from the challenge of building different objects or structures with toy building sets. For some it may be an educational experience and for others a therapeutic hobby. The building units of some building toys known in the art, such as Lego™, are designed with specific types of buildable models in mind, and may require the additional purchase of different types of units if alternative features are desired. The use of specialized building units with specific capabilities or elaborate features is considered by some individuals to be against the spirit of creativity afforded by more basic building units, and is therefore sometimes avoided. Basic building units known in the art may be restricted in their ability to connect to other units, such as being only able to connect to a limited subsection of units or being only able to connect from certain directions, and therefore lack the flexibility and functionality required to build certain types of elaborate models. Such building toys may also lack the ability to allow a user to design ahead of time a selected model to be built with the building units and to allow the user to select desired characteristics and otherwise adapt the model to his/her specifications.

U.S. Patent Application 2007/0178800 to Kim, entitled "Toy blocks" discloses toy blocks into which other blocks can be easily inserted on sides of each configured block. The toy blocks include hexahedral blocks where convex projections are formed on at least one side while concave grooves inserted into the convex projections are formed on the remaining side.

U.S. Patent No. 5,098,328 to Beerens, entitled "Building blocks with six face symmetry" discloses building blocks for use as toys which have six identical faces and interlock by one, two or four quarters of each face. On each of the six faces of the building there are provided four quartered sections, two of which are projecting with respect to the broadest plane of the face and two of which are recessed with respect to the same plane. Each of the projecting quarters of each face have a hole of a predetermined dimension in the center thereof, and each of the recessed quarters have a peg extending therefrom. The blocks may be connected by either one, two or four quarters of each face with the complementary quarters of a second block. An unlimited number of blocks may be connected to form complete structures as desired.

U.S. Patent No. 4,629,192 to Nichols, entitled "Interlocking puzzle blocks" discloses a building puzzle block that includes an elongated body portion in the form of a rectangular parallelepipedon. Spheres are attached to the body portion along edges thereof and at spaced distances. An equal number of receiving sockets are formed at spaced distances. An equal number of receiving sockets are formed at spaced distances on the edges of the body portion for interconnecting the blocks with other similar blocks.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNIQUE

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed technique, there is thus provided a building unit coupleable with at least another such building unit, for building a structure. The building unit includes at least one conjugate mating component coupleable along a coupling direction to a complementary conjugate mating component on another such building unit, where the coupling direction projects orthogonally to at least one face of a rhombicuboctahedron. The building unit may include eighteen conjugate mating components, each orthogonal to a respective square face of a rhombicuboctahedron. The conjugate mating component and the complementary conjugate mating component may include: a projection and an inlet; a spherical protrusion and a complementary spherical indentation; a convex sphere and a complementary concave sphere; a convex ellipsoid and a complementary concave ellipsoid; an elevated shape and a complementary indented shape; and a first surface and a second conjugate surface. The conjugate mating component and the complementary conjugate mating component may include nine projections and nine inlets, or alternatively, five projections and thirteen inlets. The coupling mechanism between the conjugate mating component and the complementary conjugate mating component may include: magnetism; Velcro; adhesives; symmetric hermaphroditic components; snap-fit components; hooks; fasteners; and components manufactured from shape-memory alloys. The building unit may be generally shaped as a rhombicuboctahedron; a sphere; and a star. The conjugate mating component may rotate relative to its complementary conjugate mating component. The coupling direction may be: vertical; horizontal; and diagonal. The structure may be a scalable lattice structure. The structure may be a biomorphic model. The building unit may be composed from a material that includes: a plastic; a shape- memory alloy; a metal; and a child-safe material. The building unit may be further coupleable with an enhancing component. The enhancing component may include: an electrical component; a mechanical component; a light-emitting diode (LED); a speaker; a sensor; a movable component; a component providing a visual indication; and a component providing an audible indication. The building unit may be movable. At least one of the conjugate mating component and the complementary conjugate mating component may include a hole that extends from the respective face through an interior portion of the building unit. The building unit may include a solid core and hollow interior regions. The structure may be designed or configured using a computer-implemented program. A set of building units may be color-coded, such that each of the building units in the set is a unique color that designates a unique configuration of the mating components of the respective building unit.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed technique, there is thus provided a method for building a structure from a plurality of building unit. The method includes the procedure of coupling at least one the building units with at least another of the building units, each of the building units including at least one conjugate mating component coupleable along a coupling direction to a complementary conjugate mating component on another of the building units, where the coupling direction projects orthogonally to at least one face of a rhombicuboctahedron.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed technique will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 A is a perspective front view illustration of a building unit, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 1 B is a perspective side view illustration of the building unit of Figure 1 A;

Figure 1 C is a top view illustration of the building unit of Figure

1 A;

Figure 1 D is a bottom view illustration of the building unit of Figure 1 A;

Figure 2A is top view illustration of a two-dimensional lattice structure composed of a configuration of building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 2B is a top perspective view illustration of the lattice structure of Figure 2A;

Figure 3A is top view illustration of a two-dimensional lattice structure composed of a configuration of building units, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique; Figure 3B is a top perspective view illustration of the lattice structure of Figure 3A;

Figure 4A is a perspective view illustration of interconnected building units having ball-and-socket conjugate mating components, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 4B is a close-up view illustration of a connection region between building units depicted in Figure 4A;

Figure 4C is a sectional view illustration of an exemplary ball- and-socket conjugate mating configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 4D is a sectional view illustration of an exemplary ball- and-socket conjugate mating configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 4E is a top view illustration of an exemplary ball-and- socket conjugate mating configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 4F is an isometric view illustration of a building unit shaped resembling a star, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 4G is an isometric view illustration of a building unit with hollow inlets, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique; Figure 5A is a top perspective view illustration of an exemplary model composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 5B is a side perspective view illustration of an exemplary model composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 5C is a top perspective view illustration of an exemplary structure composed of multiple color-coded building units, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 6A is a perspective view of a superman model composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 6B is a close-up front view of the head of the superman model of Figure 6A;

Figure 6C is a close-up side view of the head of the superman model of Figure 6A;

Figure 7A is a perspective view of a salamander model composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 7B is a second perspective view of the salamander model of Figure 7A; Figure 8A is a schematic illustration of multiple views of a building unit with two projections and sixteen inlets, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 8B is a schematic illustration of multiple views of a building unit with five projections and thirteen inlets, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 8C is a perspective view illustration of a turtle model composed of the building units of Figure 8B, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 8D is a perspective view illustration of a Halo™ video game character model composed of the building units of Figure 8B, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 9A is a screen capture image of a color configuration module of an application used to design and configure models to be built from building units, operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique;

Figure 9B is a screen capture image of a library module of the application of Figure 9A;

Figure 9C is a screen capture image of an image recognition and reconstruction module of the application of Figure 9A; Figure 9D is a screen capture image of a distribution module of the application of Figure 9A;

Figure 1 0A is a perspective view illustration of a cartoon robot model composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique; and

Figure 1 0B is a perspective view illustration of a soccer player model composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The disclosed technique overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a novel basic building unit that can be used for building a variety of toy models. The building unit is generally structured in a rhombicuboctahedron shape, which enables it to be connected to other such building units at different angles and directions, allowing for building a wide variety of different structures with the building units, ranging from basic to more advanced models.

Reference is now made to Figures 1 A, 1 B, 1 C and 1 D. Figure 1 A is a perspective front view illustration of a building unit, generally referenced 1 00, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 1 B is a perspective side view illustration of the building unit 1 00 of Figure 1 A. Figure 1 C is a top view illustration of the building unit 1 00 of Figure 1 A. Figure 1 D is a bottom view illustration of the building unit 1 00 of Figure 1 A. Building unit 1 00 is generally shaped as a rhombicuboctahedron, which is an Archimedean solid having eight (8) triangular faces and eighteen (1 8) square faces, defining a total of twenty-four (24) vertices with one triangular face and three square faces meeting at each. Building unit 1 00 includes nine projections, referenced 1 20-1 28, and nine inlets, referenced 1 30-1 38, residing as shown on the 1 8 square faces of unit 1 00 (i.e., each of the square faces of unit 1 00 includes either a projection or an inlet). Each inlet 1 30-1 38 of a unit 1 00 is able to couple with a conjugate projection 120-128 on another unit 100. Correspondingly, each projection 120-128 of a unit 100 is able to couple with a conjugate inlet 130-138 on another unit 100. Projections 120-128 are generally configured to interlock with inlets 130-138 to form a secure linkage. Accordingly, the conjugate mating components (i.e., a projection and an inlet) on two units can connect one unit to another from different directions: vertically (i.e., from above or below), horizontally (i.e., from in front, behind, or the side), as well as diagonally (i.e., in one of eight diagonal directions relative to the reference axes of a three-dimensional coordinate system). Building unit 100 can also be described as embodying three orthogonal "girdles", where each girdle encircles a respective circumference: x-girdle 141, y-girdle 142 and z-girdle 143. In particular, projections 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 127, 128 and inlet 138 are disposed along x-girdle 141; projections 123, 124, 125, 126 and inlets 132, 133, 134, 135 are disposed along y-girdle 142; and projections 120, 125, 126 and inlets 130, 131, 136, 137, 138 are disposed along z-girdle 143. It is appreciated that the particular configuration of projections 120-128 and inlets 130-138 enables multiple building units 100 to be connected recursively with one another to build scalable lattice structures with a repeating pattern.

In accordance with other embodiments of the disclosed technique, a building unit may include a different number of projections and inlets and/or may have projections and inlets that are arranged differently from the configuration described above for unit 100 (as depicted in Figures 1 A, 1 B, 1 C and 1 D). A building unit of the disclosed technique may also include an unequal proportion of projections to inlets, may include no projections or inlets at all, may include only projections (i.e., no inlets), or may include only inlets (i.e., no projections), such as for units designated as edge or corner pieces. In addition, a building unit of the disclosed technique may include conjugate mating components (projections or inlets) disposed on the triangular faces of the rhombicuboctahedron structure, rather than or in addition to being disposed on the square faces. In general, a building unit of the disclosed technique may have any number of projections and inlets, arranged in any suitable permutation along the respective girdles or on any of its rhombicuboctahedron faces.

The building unit of the disclosed technique may be manufactured from many different types of materials, such as: plastics, shape-memory alloys, metals, and the like. For example, the building unit may be manufactured from child-safe and baby-safe materials, allowing its use as a toy for children. The building unit may be manufactured using any suitable manufacturing process known in the art, including casting each unit from a single mold. The building unit may be any suitable size. The building unit may be provided in a wide spectrum of colors. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique, a set of building units are color coded such that each color designates a unique configuration of projections and inlets for the respective unit (i.e., defining the particular number, permutations and arrangement of projections and inlets on that unit). Different colors can also define and enhance the appearance of structures built with the building units.

Reference is now made to Figures 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B. Figure 2A is top view illustration of a two-dimensional lattice structure, generally referenced 200, composed of a configuration of building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 2B is a top perspective view illustration of the lattice structure 200 of Figure 2A. Figure 3A is top view illustration of a two-dimensional lattice structure, generally referenced 300, composed of a configuration of building units, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 3B is a top perspective view illustration of the lattice structure of Figure 3A. The building units composing lattices 200 are configured like building unit 1 00, although it is appreciated that building units having alternative configurations of projections and inlets may also be used to build the same or similar lattice structures. Lattices 200 and 300 are examples of two different types of scalable lattices that can be built by connecting units of the disclosed technique in certain ways. Lattice structure 200 includes a substructure 250 composed of units 21 0, 21 2, 21 8 and 220 that are interconnected and aligned uniformly to form a square perimeter. Accordingly, lattice structure 200 can be considered to be composed of multiple such substructures arranged in a periodic pattern. For example, units 21 4, 21 6, 222 and 224 are interconnected to form another substructure equivalent to substructure 250. Similarly, lattice structure 300 includes a substructure 350 composed of units 31 0, 31 2, 31 8 and 320, in which interconnected units 31 0 and 31 2 are respectively connected at 45 degree diagonals to interconnected units 31 8 and 320, to form a substantially parallelogram perimeter 350. Accordingly, lattice structure 300 can be considered to be composed of multiple such substructures arranged in a periodic pattern. For example, units 31 4, 31 6, 322 and 324 are interconnected to form another substructure equivalent to substructure 350. It is understood that lattice structures 200 and 300 represent exemplary embodiments of structures that can be built using the building units of the disclosed technique, and that alternative connection configurations can result in different types of lattices or other structures.

Reference is now made to Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E. Figure 4A is a perspective view illustration of interconnected building units having ball-and-socket conjugate mating components, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 4B is a close-up view illustration of a connection region between building units depicted in Figure 4A. Figure 4C is a sectional view illustration of an exemplary ball-and-socket conjugate mating configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 4D is a sectional view illustration of an exemplary ball-and-socket conjugate mating configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 4E is a top view illustration of an exemplary ball-and-socket conjugate mating configuration, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the disclosed technique. Referring to Figure 4A, units 402, 406 and 408 are connected to one another. In particular, unit 402 is connected to unit 406 from a vertical direction, while unit 404 is connected to unit 406 from a horizontal direction. Each of units 402, 406, 408 includes projections that are embodied by spherical protrusions, also referred to herein as "balls" (such as ball 41 2 of unit 402), and inlets that are embodied by complementary spherical indentations, referred to herein as "sockets" (such as socket 41 4 of unit 402). Units 402 and 406 are connected at connection surface 408, by a ball residing on a bottom surface of unit 41 0 plugging into a conjugate socket residing on a top surface of unit 41 2 to form a secure linkage. Similarly, units 404 and 406 are connected by a ball residing on a left surface of unit 406 plugging into a conjugate socket residing on a right surface of unit 404 to form a secure linkage. Accordingly, each of the balls and the sockets are adapted to form complementary mating components. It is noted that the balls may be shaped and sized such that a ball residing on a first unit does not substantially interfere with another ball residing on a second unit after a connection has been formed between the two units. Referring to Figure 4B, it can be seen at region 420 that ball 422 on unit 404 is adjacent to ball 424 on the connected unit 406, where balls 422 and 424 are substantially perpendicular to one another. However, there remains a gap between ball 422 and ball 424, ensuring that a full and secure connection can be formed between the two units (404, 406) without interference.

The ball and socket components may be embodied in various ways. Referring to Figure 4C, a first exemplary ball-and-socket configuration 430 includes a ball 432 and a double-walled socket 434, where the region surrounding the socket indentation (on a square face of the unit) is composed of two solid layers 434A and 434B separated by a gap. As a result, the relatively flexible inner wall 434A grips onto ball 432 during its insertion into socket 434 until it latches into position, providing a "snap-fit" type of connection. Referring to Figure 4D, a second exemplary ball-and-socket configuration 440 includes a ball 442 and a socket 444 designed such that there is a small gap (at region 446) with respect to the edge of socket 444 at the lower perimeter of the ball surface after their connection, e.g., due to the curvature of ball 442. As a result, friction is generated at region 446 during the insertion of ball 442 into socket 444, providing a stable grip of ball 442 by the wall of socket 444 for secure latching. Referring to Figure 4E, a third exemplary ball-and-socket configuration 450 includes a ball (not shown) and a socket 454, with a plurality of teeth 456, 458, 460, 462 disposed around the inner perimeter of socket 454, and a plurality of release channels 464, 466, 468, 470 disposed around the outer perimeter of socket 454. A ball is latched into socket 454 by being urged past the layer of teeth 456, 458, 460, 462, which provides a secure "snap-fit" engagement. The connection can be disengaged by depressing one of the release channels 464, 466, 468, 470 while retracting the ball from socket 454, allowing the ball to pass through the layer of teeth 456, 458, 460, 462.

In general, each of the projections (e.g., balls) on every building unit of the disclosed technique is capable of forming a secure linkage with each of the inlets (e.g., sockets) on every other building unit of the disclosed technique. For example, all the projections and all the inlets are substantially the same size and shape, and are adapted to form conjugate mating pairs with every other complementary component, allowing connections between building units from every direction. The connections axes along which units are connected are orthogonal to the faces of a rhombicuboctahedron structure.

In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique, the conjugate mating components (projection, inlets) of a building unit may be rotatable relative to each other about their connection axis, similar to how beads on a necklace can rotate about the necklace cord. The relative rotation between connected units can be used to provide certain features to objects or structures built from the units. For example, an arm or leg of a doll may be pivotable at such a connection.

It is noted that additional forms of projections and inlets are also within the scope of the disclosed technique. Other examples of conjugate mating components include: a convex sphere and a concave sphere pair, a convex ellipsoid and a concave ellipsoid pair, an elevated shape and its conjugate indented shape pair, a first surface and a second conjugate surface, and the like. It is further noted that instead of a "latching" type connection between complementary conjugate mating components (such as the ball-and-socket embodiments depicted of Figs. 4C, 4D and 4E) disclosed, other connection mechanisms and methods are also within the scope of the disclosed technique, such as: magnets, Velcro, adhesives, symmetric hermaphroditic components with identical conjugate pairs, snap-fit components, hooks, fasteners, components manufactured from shape-memory alloys, and the like.

A building unit of the disclosed technique may be shaped as a rhombicuboctahedron, or alternatively may be a different three-dimensional solid shape while having projections and inlets disposed on its surfaces that substantially correspond to the square or triangular faces of a rhombicuboctahedron. For example, the building unit may be substantially spherical or substantially star-shaped. Reference is made to Figure 4F, which is an isometric view illustration of a building unit, generally referenced 480, shaped resembling a star, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. The projections and inlets on the surfaces of unit 480 substantially correspond to the faces of a rhombicuboctahedron. A building unit of the disclosed technique may also be hollow, partially or entirely. For example, the inlets of a building unit may be embodied by a hole that extends from the unit face through at least a portion of the unit interior. Similarly, the projections of a building unit may extend into the unit between opposing faces of the unit. The building unit may also include a solid core, with or without hollow regions that surround the core. Reference is made to Figure 4G, which is an isometric view illustration of a building unit, generally referenced 490, with hollow inlets, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. The triangular faces of unit 490 include inlets that are entirely hollow, such that the inlet hole extends substantially into the unit interior.

Reference is now made to Figures 5A, 5B and 5C. Figure 5A is a top perspective view illustration of an exemplary model, generally referenced 500, composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 5B is a side perspective view illustration of an exemplary model, generally referenced 530, composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 5C is a top perspective view illustration of an exemplary structure, generally referenced 560, composed of multiple color-coded building units, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the disclosed technique. Referring to Figure 5A, section 51 0 of model 500 is in a ring formation, demonstrating how building units of the disclosed technique are connectable at 45 degree angles in order to form a substantially circular shape. Referring to Figure 5B, model 530 is shaped to resemble a four-legged animal, such as a cat or dog. In accordance with the disclosed technique, objects composed of building units may include static units and/or dynamic (i.e., movable) units. For example, model 530 may include dynamic units 532 and 534, representing the "legs" of the animal, providing model 530 with the capability to "walk" when units 532, 534 are actuated. The dynamic units may be embodied by an internal motor and drive gear mechanism, or other similar mechanisms and components known in the art. Referring to Figure 5C, structure 560 is composed of different color-coded building units, referenced 552 (green), 554 (yellow), 556 (red) and 558 (blue), where each color designate a unique unit configuration (defining the particular number, permutations and arrangement of projections and inlets on that unit). For example, structure 560 includes a bottom layer composed of blue and yellow units aligned in complementary directions, and a top layer composed of red and green units aligned in complementary directions, to form a three-dimensional lattice arrangement.

The building unit of the disclosed technique is intended primarily as a toy or recreational item for children, such as to provide amusement and to promote creativity, although may generally be used by any person of any age and for any purpose. The building unit of the disclosed technique allows for the construction of a wide variety of different types of models. Reference is now made to Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, 7A and 7B. Figure 6A is a perspective view of a superman model, referenced 600, composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 6B is a close-up front view of the head of the superman model of Figure 6A. Figure 6C is a close-up side view of the head of the superman model of Figure 6A. Figure 7A is a perspective view of a salamander model, referenced 600, composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 7B is a second perspective view of the salamander model of Figure 7A. Superman model 600 and salamander model 700 are examples of the countless types of different models that can be built using the building units of the disclosed technique, including various biomorphic models. Supplemental enhancing components can also be added to the models, to provide aesthetic or functional enhancements. For example, salamander model 700 includes eye components 702, a ridged back component 704, webbed feet components 706, and a tail component 708. These enhancing components may include conjugate mating components such that they can connect directly to the building units. The enhancing components may also include various features, such as the capability of rotating, shifting positions, opening and closing, and the like. For example, the eye components 702 of salamander model are depicted in a closed state in Fig. 7A and in an open state in Fig. 7B. Furthermore, eye components 702 may be rotated about their connection axes (not shown), giving the effect of the salamander model 700 looking around in different directions. Similarly, tail component 708 may shift position, giving the effect of the salamander model 700 wagging its tail. An alternative example of such features is rotatable wheels on a model car. Enhancing components can also include electrical or mechanical components such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), audio speakers, computer processing units, sensors, and the like, to provide features such as flashing lights, sounds or speech, and/or other visual or audio indications. The enhancing features may be integrated directly into a building unit of the disclosed technique, rather than being limited to separate enhancing components, (e.g., a building unit may include a built-in LED). Such electrical or mechanical enhancing components may be electrically operated, such as battery operated or receiving mains power via a wall socket, may be rechargeable, or may be powered using alternative means known in the art. It is noted that the spacing between connected units allows for electrical wires to be threaded within the body of the model. Enhancing components may also be activated via sensors. For example, a flashing light on a model may be activated to turn on upon detection of a darkness threshold level via a light sensor integrated with the model. Alternatively, a body part may be activated to move upon detection of a tactile reflex via a touch-sensitive sensor, such as the tail component 708 of salamander model 700 activated to wag upon being petted.

According to an embodiment of the disclosed technique, a building unit may include a larger number of inlets than projections, to allow for greater interconnectivity and a more straightforward assembly of different model structures, particularly for beginner users. Reference is now made to Figures 8A and 8B. Figure 8A is a schematic illustration of multiple views of a building unit, generally referenced 720, with two (2) projections and sixteen (1 6) inlets, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 8B is a schematic illustration of multiple views of a building unit, generally referenced 740, with five (5) projections and thirteen (1 3) inlets, constructed and operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the disclosed technique. The top row of Figure 8B depicts a front view, a back view, and a left-side view of unit 740, respectively, while the bottom row of Figure 8B depicts a top view, a bottom view, and an isometric view of unit 740, respectively. The five projections are disposed on five square faces of building unit 740 in a particular configuration along its respective girdles (x-girdle, y-girdle, z-girdle). Building unit 740 allows for building various structures more easily, as compared to building unit 1 00 (Figure 1 A) for example, since the lower number of projections in unit 740 results in a far lower likelihood of two projections from connected units interfering with one another. Building unit 740 can be used to construct various types of models, ranging from very basic configurations to more advanced models. Reference is made to Figures 8C and 8D. Figure 8C is a perspective view illustration of a turtle model, generally referenced 760, composed of the building units 740 of Figure 8B, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 8D is a perspective view illustration of a Halo™ video game character model, generally referenced 780, composed of the building units 740 of Figure 8B, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosed technique.

A computer application can be used to create a 3D model of building units from scratch, to simulate the model, and to configure preexisting models. The application may provide a list of components and instructions for how to build a selected model from building units and (optional) enhanced components. Various characteristics of the model, such as the color, texture, shape and size of the model, may be configured, e.g., via user input, and the instructions and list of components may be adjusted accordingly. Reference is made to Figure 9A, which is a screen capture image of a color configuration module, referenced 800, of an application used to design and configure models to be built from building units, operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Color configuration module 800 depicts a color chart 804, from which a user may select desired colors to apply to different portions of the superman model 802 that is being designed. The models may be enhanced or provided with added features by the selecting suitable enhancing components. Reference is made to Figure 9B, which is a screen capture image of a library module, referenced 81 0, of the application of Figure 9A. Library module 81 0 depicts a menu 81 4 of available components that can be applied to a vehicle model 81 2 being designed. For example, a user can select specific wheels (shown) for car model 81 2, a propeller for a helicopter model, eyes and whiskers for a cat model, and the like. Additionally, the application may be used to improve or otherwise configure a pre-existing model. For example, a user may add his/her name onto the side of a truck model being designed. Furthermore, the application may allow the user to select and order building units and/or enhancement components required in order to build particular models, while taking into account current inventory.

The application may also design a model based on an image provided by the user, such as a photograph of a person. Reference is made to Figure 9C, which is a screen capture image of an image recognition and reconstruction module, referenced 820, of the application of Figure 9A. Image recognition and reconstruction module 820 receives an image 822 that is uploaded to the application. Module 820 proceeds to process image 822 and to extract the profile of a person, based on which it generates a simulated 3D model, with a model specification which includes a list of components and building instructions. The user may then adapt the model specification, such as by specifying a desired color resolution (e.g., 8-bit, 1 6-bit), desired dimensions (e.g., approximate range of building units required; height, width or thickness limitations), and the like.

Simulated models may be saved as digital files and distributed using online distribution methods known in the art, which include: email, social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook, and the like. Reference is made to Figure 9D, which is a screen capture image of a distribution module, referenced 840, of the application of Figure 9A. Distribution module 840 depicts a menu 844 with different options for enabling a user to distribute online a superman model 842. The application may operate on any suitable platform, such as a personal computer, laptop, mobile phone, handheld device, and the like. The application may incorporate a web portal, which can be used to design, configure or personalize a model for ordering online, or to allow different users to interact with one another.

The models can be physical representations of real people or virtual characters, such as: celebrities, athletes, musicians, television or film stars, and the like. Reference is made to Figures 1 0A and 1 0B. Figure 1 0A is a perspective view illustration of a cartoon robot model, generally referenced 900, composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Figure 1 0B is a perspective view illustration of a soccer player model, generally referenced 910, composed of connected building units, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technique. Soccer player model 910 may be designed to resemble a particular athlete (e.g., soccer player Lionel Messi). Model 910 is incorporated with an alarm clock, and may be provided with various enhancements and features, such as: an illuminated LCD screen that displays different animations (e.g., soccer goals), and a speaker that provides voices and sound effects (e.g., play-by-play and scoring announcements). Different models of the disclosed technique may also be adapted to communicate and/or otherwise interact with one another.

In accordance with the disclosed technique, a method for building a structure from a plurality of building units includes the procedure of coupling at least one building unit with at least another building unit, each of the building units including at least one conjugate mating component coupleable along a coupling direction to a complementary conjugate mating component on the other of the building units, where the coupling direction projects orthogonally to at least one face of a rhombicubocatehedron.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the technique is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove.