Visual feedback system for optical guns

• US 20030078105A1
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zeroplus Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zeroplus Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hao, Cheng Chiu
• Application Number:
  US10/189,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078105A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/51
• 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 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen

Abstract

The invention provides a visual feedback system installed between a game host system and an optical gun. It is used to extract a bullet falling point signal or bullet coordinate signal sent from the optical gun to the game host. If the extracted signal is a bullet falling point signal, a control circuit then uses the horizontal synchronous signal H_sync and the vertical synchronous signal V_sync of the video frequency signal to compute the coordinates of the bullet. The coordinate data are sent to an image synthesis circuit, which combines an aiming point cursor on the corresponding coordinate data with the video signal transmitted from the game host and outputs the synthesized image on the display screen.

Claims

1. A visual feedback system connecting between a game host system and an optical gun device for generates a bullet coordinate signal according to a bullet falling point signal extracted from the optical gun device, the visual feedback system comprising:

a communication interface, which is connected between said game host and optical gun device through a parallel interface;

a control circuit, which receives the bullet falling point signal or the bullet coordinate signal through said communication interface, computes the bullet coordinate signal, and outputs the bullet coordinate data corresponding to the bullet coordinate signal;

an image synthesis circuit, which receives an video signal from the game host and the bullet coordinate data, synthesizes a predetermined cursor during the time that corresponding to the bullet coordinate data on said video signal, generating a image synthesis signal containing the cursor, and outputs the image synthesis signal to said screen; and

a switch, which is connected to said image synthesis circuit, switching said image synthesis circuit so as to synthesis different types of cursors on said video signal.

2. The visual feedback system of claim 1, wherein said game host system is a TV game host.

3. The visual feedback system of claim 1, wherein said game host system is a computer game system.

4. The visual feedback system of claim 1, wherein said image synthesis circuit stores the cursor in a memory.

5. The visual feedback system of claim 1, wherein said image synthesis circuit is connected to a brightness adjustment knob for adjusting the brightness of the cursor on the screen.

6. The visual feedback system of claim 1, wherein said image synthesis circuit is connected to a transparency adjustment knob for adjusting the transparency of the cursor on the screen.

7. The visual feedback system of claim 1, wherein said image synthesis circuit generates gray-level or color images.

8. The visual feedback system of claim 1, wherein said control circuit uses said image synthesis circuit to obtain the horizontal synchronous signal and the vertical synchronous signal of the video signal for computing the bullet coordinate signal.

9. An optical gun visual feedback system connected to a game host system, which comprises:

a communication interface, which is in signal communications with the game host system;

a photo receiver, which receives a bullet falling point signal generated on a screen;

a control circuit, which receives the bullet falling point signal or the bullet coordinate signal, computes the bullet coordinate signal, outputs the bullet coordinate data corresponding to the bullet coordinate signal, and transmits the bullet coordinate data to the game host system through the communication interface;

an image synthesis circuit, which receives an video signal from said game host system, receives the bullet coordinate data from said control circuit, and synthesizes a predetermined cursor at the position corresponding to the bullet coordinate signal on the image data, generating a synthesized video signal containing the cursor, and outputs the synthesized image to the screen; and

a switch, which is connected to said image synthesis circuit, switching said image synthesis circuit so as to synthesis different types of cursors on the video signal.

10. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said game host system is a TV video game host.

11. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said game host system is a computer game system.

12. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said image synthesis circuit stores the cursor in a memory unit.

13. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said image synthesis circuit is connected to a brightness adjustment knob for adjusting the brightness of said cursor on the screen.

14. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said image synthesis circuit is connected to a transparency adjustment knob for adjusting the transparency of said cursor on the screen.

15. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said image synthesis circuit generates gray-level/color images.

16. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said optical gun device is a wired or wireless optical gun device.

17. The optical gun visual feedback system of claim 9, wherein said optical gun device contains a synchronous separation circuit, which separates the video signal from said game host system into a horizontal synchronous signal and a vertical synchronous signal for the control circuit to compute the bullet coordinate signal.

18. A wireless visual feedback system operating in combination with a game host system and a wireless optical gun device, the optical gun device extracting a bullet falling point signal generated on a screen and sending out a bullet coordinate signal wirelessly, the wireless visual feedback system comprising:

a wireless receiver, which receives said bullet coordinate signal from the wireless optical gun device;

a control circuit, which receives the bullet coordinate signal and outputs the bullet coordinate data corresponding to the bullet coordinate signal;

an image synthesis circuit, which receives an video signal from the game host system and the bullet coordinate data from the control circuit, synthesizes a predetermined cursor during the time that corresponding to the bullet coordinate data on the video signal, generating a image synthesis signal containing the cursor, and outputs the synthesis video sigrial to said screen; and

a switch, which is connected to the image synthesis circuit, switching said image synthesis circuit so as to synthesis different types of cursors on the video signal.

19. The wireless visual feedback system of claim 18, wherein said game host system is a TV video game host.

20. The wireless visual feedback system of claim 18, wherein said game host system is a computer game system.

21. The wireless visual feedback system of claim 18, wherein said image synthesis circuit stores the cursor in a memory.

22. The wireless visual feedback system of claim 18, wherein said image synthesis circuit is connected to a brightness adjustment knob for adjusting the brightness of said cursor on the screen.

23. The wireless visual feedback system of claim 18, wherein said image synthesis circuit is connected to a transparency adjustment knob for adjusting the transparency of said cursor on the screen.

24. The wireless visual feedback system of claim 18, wherein said image synthesis circuit generates gray-level or color images.

25. The wireless visual feedback system of claim 18, wherein said optical gun device contains a synchronous separation circuit, which separates the video signal from said game host system into a horizontal synchronous signal and a vertical synchronous signal for the control circuit to compute the bullet coordinate signal.