Portable game display and method for controlling same

• US 20010038378A1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vega Vista, Inc.
• Inventors: Zwern, Arthur L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,445,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A virtual computer monitor is described which enables instantaneous and intuitive visual access to large amounts of visual data by providing the user with a large display projected virtually in front of the user. The user wears a head-mounted display containing a head-tracker, which together allow the user to position an instantaneous viewport provided by the head-mounted display at any position within the large virtual display by turning to look in the desired direction. The instantaneous viewport further includes a mouse pointer, which may be positioned by turning the user'"'"'s head, and which may be further positioned using a mouse or analogous control device. A particular advantage of the virtual computer monitor is intuitive access to enlarged computer output for visually-impaired individuals.

Claims

1. A device for assisting a computer user in playing a game on a portable electronic device, said portable electronic device have a display output comprising:

a portable electronic device having a display output;

a display device coupled to said display output, said display device including an instantaneous viewing window;

a visual interface device resident on said portable electronic device, said visual interface device providing a game screen whose size is larger than said instantaneous viewing window provided by said display;

a tracking device for sensing motion of said portable electronic device, converting a sensory input generated by motion of said portable electronic device into a tracking data, and inputting said tracking data into a signal processing device, said signal processing device resident on said portable electronic device for interpreting said tracking data for determining which portion of said game screen will be displayed within said instantaneous viewing window at a particular point in time; and

a game screen navigation device responsive to said sensory input, said game screen navigation device useful for assisting said computer user in navigating said game screen;

whereby said computer user can view any portion of said game screen.

2. The device as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said electronic device is a cellular phone.

3. The device as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said electronic device is a portable computer.

4. The device as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said electronic device is a PDA.

5. The device as recited in

claim 1

, wherein said electronic device is a hand-held game unit.

6. A computer implemented method for assisting a user in the control and operation of a game being played on a computer system having a portable display device, said computer implemented method comprising the steps of:

equipping a user with a portable display device coupled to a computer system;

mapping visual feedback generated by said computer system into a game screen suitable for display via said portable display device;

displaying a certain portion of said game screen via said portable display device;

tracking movement of said portable display device; and

updating said certain portion of said game screen in a manner correlated to said tracked movement of said portable display device, said updated characteristics including virtual position of said displayed certain portion,

wherein said computer system is display driven in that a primary source of feedback for interacting with said computer system is visual feedback generated by said computer system, said visual feedback intended for display upon any display screen coupled with said computer system.

7. The computer implemented method for assisting a user in the control and operation of a game being played on a computer system having a portable display device as recited in

claim 6

, wherein a set of controls corresponding to a set of pre-programmed game commands is correlated to said tracked movement of said wearable display device.

8. The method as recited in

claim 7

, wherein said updating of said certain portion of said game screen changes according to said set of pre-programmed game commands.

9. The computer implemented method for assisting a user in the control and operation of a game being played on a computer system having a portable display device as recited in

claim 6

, comprised of an additional step of updating said certain portion of said game screen in a manner correlated to said tracked movement of said wearable display device, said updating step including virtual position of said certain portion and virtual magnification of said displayed certain portion.

10. The computer implemented method for assisting a user in the control and operation of a game being played on a computer system having a portable display device as recited in

claim 6

, wherein the step of mapping said visual feedback into said game screen includes a substep of performing spatial field compression to reduce a required motion of said portable display device necessary for redirecting said displayed certain portion from one location within said game screen to another location within said game screen.

11. The computer implemented method for assisting a user in the control and operation of a game being played on a computer system having a portable display device as recited in

claim 6

, wherein said visual feedback generated by said computer system includes multiple application windows, of which one is said game screen.

12. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 11

further comprising the steps of:

monitoring a real scene in real space and time;

capturing images of said real scene; and

displaying within a first window of said multiple application windows said captured images of the real scene.

13. A computer system particularly well-suited for use by a low-vision user, , said computer system running a computer game program, said computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a random access memory (RAM);

a wearable display device;

a motion-tracking device operable to track movement of said wearable display device;

a visual interface device resident within said computer system and executing upon said CPU, said visual interface device operable to;

a) map said visual feedback generated by said computer system into a game screen suitable for display via said wearable display device;

b) continuously display a certain portion of said game screen within said wearable display device such that said low-vision user can view said certain portion of said game screen corresponding to a portion of said game screen which is located within a line of sight of said low-vision user; and

c) adjust a magnification of said game screen in accordance with input from said low-vision user,

wherein said computer system is display driven in that a primary source of feedback for interacting with said computer system is visual feedback generated by said computer system, said visual feedback intended for display upon a display screen coupled with said computer system

14. The computer system as recited in

claim 13

, wherein said visual interface device further operates to update said wearable display device such that said certain portion displayed maintains said correspondence with said portion of said game screen which is located within said line of sight of said low-vision user.

15. The computer system as recited in

claim 13

, wherein said visual interface device further operates to update said wearable display device such that said certain portion displayed maintains said correspondence with a set of game commands, which correspond to a set of head movements of said low-vision user.

16. A computer system as recited in

claim 13

further comprising:

a video camera coupled to said computer system;

a real-time imagery device implemented upon said computer system, said real-time imagery device operable to utilize said video camera in order to a) monitor a real scene in real space and time, b) capture images of said real scene, and c) provide said captured images of said real scene somewhere within said game screen.

17. A computer implemented method for assisting a user in the control and operation of a computer system having a display screen coupled with a computer system, said computer executing a computer game, the computer implemented method comprising the steps of:

equipping said user with a portable display device coupled to said computer system;

mapping visual feedback generated by said computer system and intended for display upon a display screen into a game screen suitable for display by said portable display device;

continually displaying a certain portion of said game screen within said portable display device such that said user can view said certain portion of said game screen;

tracking motion of said portable display device including discrete motion gestures initiated by said user;

and wherein when said tracked motion corresponds to a request for a special discrete command, performing said special discrete command.

18. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said detected motion is a motion towards said user and said special discrete command is an increase in magnification of said displayed certain portion of said game screen.

19. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 18

wherein said degree of increase in magnification is a function of acceleration of said detected motion.

20. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said detected motion is a motion away from said user and said special discrete command is an decrease in magnification of said displayed certain portion of said game screen.

21. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 20

wherein said degree of decrease in magnification is a function of said acceleration of said detected motion.

22. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said detected motion is a particular motion and said special discrete command is a command which corresponds to a particular command of said game program being executed on said computer.

23. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is upward.

24. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is downward.

25. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is to said user'"'"'s left.

26. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is to said user'"'"'s right.

27. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is a rotation left motion.

28. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is rotation right motion.

29. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is rotation of the top of said electronic device towards said user.

30. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is rotation of the bottom of said electronic device towards said user.

31. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is rotation of the left side of said electronic device towards said user.

32. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said particular motion is rotation of the right side of said electronic device towards said user.

33. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said detected motion is an abrupt motion.

34. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 22

, wherein said detected motion is a shaking motion of said portable device and said particular command is said equivalent of a restart game command.

35. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

, wherein a neutral display position is the image presented when said device is not in motion, and said special discrete command includes a step of setting a current field of view to the neutral position.

36. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said portable display device and said portable control device are formed as a single unit.

37. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said portable display device and said portable control device are separate devices.

38. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said computer system is housed within said portable display device.

39. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said computer system is housed within a portable control device.

40. The computer implemented method as recited in

claim 17

wherein said computer system is remote from said portable display device.