System and method for uniquely identifying physical trading cards and incorporating trading card game items in a video game

• US 10,086,266 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Linden, John P., Watkins, III, James R., Medeiros, Ryan H., Pasteris, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US14/883,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20160361628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/02 Cards; Special shapes of cards card-printing methods B41K, B41M
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2425 Scanners, e.g. for scanning regular characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0072 Indicating values other than scores, e.g. handicap, initial settings, coefficients

Abstract

A system and method for uniquely identifying physical trading cards and/or incorporating trading card game items in a video game is provided. In certain implementations, a unique code that identifies a trading card may be obtained. A graphical representation of the unique code may be generated based on a graphical coding scheme. The graphical representation of the unique code may comprise at least a part of: (1) a depiction of a game item that is usable in the video game; or (2) a border of the trading card. Content associated with the depiction of the game item may be obtained. The trading card may be generated based on the content associated with the depiction of the game item and the graphical representation of the unique code such that the generated trading card depicts the game item and the graphical representation of the unique code.

Claims

1. A method of detecting and validating a trading card for use with a video game, the method being implemented in a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, an image;

detecting, by the computer system, a trading card candidate present in the image;

detecting, by the computer system, a version icon candidate on the detected trading card candidate;

determining, by the computer system, whether the version icon candidate matches a valid version icon;

identifying, by the computer system, based on a determination that the version icon candidate matches a valid version icon, a trading card set version that is indicated by the matching valid version icon;

obtaining, by the computer system, based on the identified trading card set version, a graphic coding scheme for decoding a graphical representation of a unique trading card identification code present on the trading card candidate;

obtaining, by the computer system, a unique trading card identification code candidate based on the graphic coding scheme;

determining, by the computer system, whether the unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of a set of unique codes associated with the identified trading card set version, wherein the set of unique codes comprises unique codes that respectively identify valid trading cards; and

identifying, by the computer system, the trading card candidate as a valid trading card responsive to a determination that the unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of the set of unique codes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the computer system, a user with the valid trading card.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the computer system, a user with the unique code that matches the unique trading card identification code candidate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling, by the computer system, based on the identification of the trading card candidate as the valid trading card, a user of a video game to access a game item depicted on the valid trading card.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the game item comprises at least one of a character in the video game, an in-game accessory in the video game, or a power in the video game, and wherein, based on the enabling, at least one of the character, the in-game accessory, or the power is made available for use in the video game by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding, by the computer system, a virtual trading card to a virtual card collection associated with a user, wherein the virtual trading card corresponds to the valid trading card.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the computer system, one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape;

wherein the trading card candidate is detected based on the one or more matching objects.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the version icon candidate is detected based on information indicating a predefined version icon location.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying, by the computer system, a relative location of the version icon candidate based on information indicating a predefined version icon location;

identifying, by the computer system, a relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape;

reorienting, by the computer system, the trading card candidate based on the relative location of the version icon candidate and the relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape; and

processing, by the computer system, the reoriented trading card candidate based on the graphic coding scheme to obtain the unique trading card identification code candidate.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying, by the computer system, a relative location of the version icon candidate based on information indicating a predefined version icon location;

identifying, by the computer system, a relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape; and

identifying, by the computer system, based on the relative location of the version icon candidate and the relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape, a relative location of a graphical representation of the unique trading card identification code candidate;

wherein the unique trading card identification code candidate is obtained based on the relative location of the graphical representation of the unique trading card identification code candidate and the graphic coding scheme.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing, by the computer system, the trading card candidate based on the graphic coding scheme to obtain an error detection code candidate;

applying, by the computer system, based on the error detection code candidate, error correction to the unique trading card identification code candidate to obtain another unique trading card identification code candidate responsive to a determination that the unique trading card identification code candidate does not match a unique code of the set of unique code; and

determining, by the computer system, whether the other unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of the set of unique codes associated with the identified version.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the computer system, a user of the computer system with instructions relating to troubleshooting the receiving of the image.

13. A system for detecting and validating a trading card for use with a video game, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed by the one or more physical processors, causes the computer system to;

receive an image;

detect a trading card candidate present in the image;

detect a version icon candidate on the detected trading card candidate;

determine whether the version icon candidate matches a valid version icon;

identify, based on a determination that the version icon candidate matches a valid version icon, a trading card set version that is indicated by the matching valid version icon;

obtain, based on the identified trading card set version, a graphic coding scheme for decoding a graphical representation of a unique trading card identification code present on the trading card candidate; and

obtain a unique trading card identification code candidate based on the graphic coding scheme;

determine whether the unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of a set of unique codes associated with the identified trading card set version, wherein the set of unique codes comprises unique codes that respectively identify valid trading cards; and

identify the trading card candidate as a valid trading card responsive to a determination that the unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of the set of unique codes.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

associate a user with the valid trading card.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

associate a user with the unique code that matches the unique trading card identification code candidate.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

enable, based on the identification of the trading card candidate as the valid trading card, a user of a video game to access a game item depicted on the valid trading card.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the game item comprises at least one of a character in the video game, an in-game accessory in the video game, or a power in the video game, and wherein, based on the enabling, at least one of the character, the in-game accessory, or the power is made available for use in the video game by the user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

add a virtual trading card to a virtual card collection associated with a user, wherein the virtual trading card corresponds to the valid trading card.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

detect one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape;

wherein the trading card candidate is detected based on the one or more matching objects.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the version icon candidate is detected based on information indicating a predefined version icon location.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

identify a relative location of the version icon candidate based on information indicating a predefined version icon location;

identify a relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape;

reorient the trading card candidate based on the relative location of the version icon candidate and the relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape; and

process the reoriented trading card candidate based on the graphic coding scheme to obtain the unique trading card identification code candidate.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

identify a relative location of the version icon candidate based on information indicating a predefined version icon location;

identify a relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape; and

identify, based on the relative location of the version icon candidate and the relative location of each of the one or more objects present in the image that match a predefined reference shape, a relative location of a graphical representation of the unique trading card identification code candidate;

wherein the unique trading card identification code candidate is obtained based on the relative location of the graphical representation of the unique trading card identification code candidate and the graphic coding scheme.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer system is further caused to:

process the trading card candidate based on the graphic coding scheme to obtain an error detection code candidate;

apply, based on the error detection code candidate, error correction to the unique trading card identification code candidate to obtain another unique trading card identification code candidate responsive to a determination that the unique trading card identification code candidate does not match a unique code of the set of unique code; and

determine whether the other unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of the set of unique codes associated with the identified version.

24. A computer program product for detecting and validating a trading card for use with a video game, the computer program product comprising:

one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable tangible storage devices that, when executed, causes a computer to;

receive an image;

detect a trading card candidate present in the image;

detect a version icon candidate on the detected trading card candidate;

determine whether the version icon candidate matches a valid version icon;

identify, based on a determination that the version icon candidate matches a valid version icon, a trading card set version that is indicated by the matching valid version icon;

obtain, based on the identified trading card set version, a graphic coding scheme for decoding a graphical representation of a unique trading card identification code present on the trading card candidate; and

obtain a unique trading card identification code candidate based on the graphic coding scheme;

determine whether the unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of a set of unique codes associated with the identified trading card set version, wherein the set of unique codes comprises unique codes that respectively identify valid trading cards; and

identify the trading card candidate as a valid trading card responsive to a determination that the unique trading card identification code candidate matches a unique code of the set of unique codes.