Method of operating a video gaming system

• US 10,500,482 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Performance Designed Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Performance Designed Products LLC
• Inventors: Lavache, Steve, Baxter, Richard, Roberts, Thomas John
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US15/585,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20170319959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36, 463 37, 463 49- 53
• 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 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/006 Filter holders
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/23 for the control of the colour G02F1/03 - G02F1/21 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A method of operating a video game system can include applying an optical filter in a field of view of a camera to filter out visible light and allow the camera to view non-visible light directed at a display screen positioned within the field of view of the camera. The method can also include processing the video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify a location of a non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera that is projected onto the display screen by a light targeting peripheral unit. The method can also include calculating the location of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera as a proportion of one or more dimensions of the field of view of the camera and translating the location of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera onto a location on the display screen.

Claims

1. A method of operating a video game system, comprising:

applying an optical filter in a field of view of a camera to filter out visible light and allow the camera to view non-visible light directed at a display screen positioned within the field of view of the camera;

processing a digital video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify a location of a non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera that is projected onto the display screen by a light targeting peripheral unit;

calculating the location of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera as a proportion of one or more dimensions of the field of view of the camera;

translating the location of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera onto a location on the display screen; and

initiating a recalibration of the camera to recalculate a boundary of the display screen in the field of view of the camera if a motion of the camera above a threshold amount is sensed with a motion sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the optical filter includes mechanically positioning the optical filter in the field of view of the camera.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the optical filter includes turning on an electronically switchable optical filter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the digital video feed from the camera includes continuously processing the video output feed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing is performed at least in part by the camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing is performed at least in part by a console of the video game system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the location of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera onto the location on the display screen includes applying the proportion of said one or more dimensions of the field of view of the camera to corresponding dimensions on the display screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein translating includes translating the location of the non-visible light dot onto the location on the display screen irrespective of the size of the display screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the display screen is a television.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-visible light dot is an infrared light dot.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein processing includes searching in the digital video output feed the location of the non-visible light dot continually projected by the light targeting peripheral unit, and recording the position of the non-visible light dot upon actuation of an actuator of the light targeting peripheral unit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein processing includes searching the digital video output feed from the camera for the non-visible light dot that is projected by the light targeting peripheral unit onto the display screen upon actuation of an actuator of the light targeting peripheral unit.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify a location of a non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera includes filtering out intensity values of non-visible light below a predetermined threshold value.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the digital video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify a location of a non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera includes filtering out non-visible light having a density of pixels below a threshold value.

15. A method of operating a video game system, comprising:

mechanically positioning an optical filter in a field of view of a camera to filter out visible light and allow the camera to view non-visible light directed at a display screen positioned within the field of view of the camera;

searching a digital video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify a location of a non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera that is projected onto the display screen by a light targeting peripheral unit;

calculating the location of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera as a proportion of one or more dimensions of the field of view of the camera;

translating the location of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera onto a location on the display screen; and

initiating a recalibration of the camera to recalculate a boundary of the display screen in the field of view of the camera if a motion of the camera above a threshold amount is sensed with a motion sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the display screen is a television.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-visible light dot is an infrared light dot.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-visible light dot is continually projected by the light targeting peripheral unit onto the display screen and searching includes tracking in the digital video output feed the location of the non-visible light dot and recording the position of the non-visible light dot upon actuation of an actuator of the light targeting peripheral unit.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-visible light dot is projected by the light targeting peripheral unit onto the display screen only upon actuation of the trigger, and searching includes searching in the digital video output feed the location of the non-visible light dot and recording the position of the non-visible light dot upon actuation of the actuator of the light targeting peripheral unit.

20. A method of operating a video game system, comprising:

positioning an optical filter in a field of view of a camera to filter out visible light and allow the camera to view non-visible light directed at a display screen positioned within the field of view of the camera;

searching a digital video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify a location within the field of view of the camera where a non-visible light dot is absent upon actuation of an actuator of a light targeting peripheral that projects non-visible light onto the display screen;

calculating the location within the field of view of the camera where the non-visible light dot is missing as a proportion of dimensions of the field of view of the camera;

translating the location of the absence of the non-visible light dot within the field of view of the camera onto a location on the display screen by applying the proportion of said dimensions of the field of view of the camera to corresponding dimensions on the display screen; and

initiating a recalibration of the camera to recalculate a boundary of the display screen in the field of view of the camera if a motion of the camera above a threshold amount is sensed with a motion sensor.