Method for establishing a functional relationship between input and output functions

1. A method for varying play with electronic toys by establishing, with a processing device, a functional relation between a control input and a controllable function for the electronic toys, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface including a display area, the display area having a boundary that is smaller than that of the graphical user interface;

selecting a first user-interface element from a set of user-interface elements, and positioning said first user-interface element within the display area, the first user-interface element representing a graphical representation of a first electronic toy configured to generate the control input;

selecting a second user-interface element from a set of user-interface elements, wherein the second user-interface element represents a second electronic toy configured to perform the controllable function in response to a control signal;

physically connecting at east one of the first and second electronic toys with a plurality of construction toy elements;

re-positioning said first user-interface element at a first position within the display area and/or re-positioning said second user-interface element at a second position within the display area, at a distance from the first user-interface element such that the first and second user-interface elements do not touch or overlap one another; and

issuing to the second electronic toy, responsive to the control input of the first electronic toy, the control signal, wherein the control signal is a function of the control input and the distance between the first and second positions relative to one another within the boundary of the display area, and wherein a strength or degree of the control signal is affected by the distance between the first and second positions relative to one another, and wherein the second user-interface element is combinable with one or more user-interface elements such that the second interface element and the one or more user-interface elements influence each other at respective degrees represented by their respective proximity to each other to vary the control signal, and thus the controllable function to enhance play with the first and second electronic toys.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second user-interface elements are connected by a connector user-interface element representing: a functional connection between the input signal of the first electronic toy and the controllable function; and a physical connection between the first and second electronic toys.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein positioning the first and/or the second user-interface element comprises receiving a user input indicative of a functional connection between the input signal of an input device of the first electronic toy and the controllable function, and providing an indication that the first and second user-interface elements are functionally connected with each other.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein positioning the first and second user-interface elements comprises:

initially positioning the first and second user-interface elements in a predetermined initial spatial relationship with each other;

responsive to the first and second user-interface elements being positioned in the predetermined initial spatial relationship with each other, establishing a functional relationship between the input signal of the input device and the controllable function; and

re-positioning at least one of the first and second user-interface elements resulting in the first user-interface element being positioned at the first position and the second user-interface element at the second position at a distance from the first position.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controllable function comprises one or more of speed at which a motor is driven, volume or pitch of a sound, and intensity or color of a light.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein: the first electronic toy includes at least one button, a slider control, a distance sensor, a microphone and/or a display; the second electronic toy includes a display, a speaker, and/or a drive motor; and at least one of the first and second electronic toys includes coupling studs and a cavity for selective engagement of the coupling studs.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second electronic toys are integral in a single housing.