Object Illumination in a Virtual Environment

• US 20070236485A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Trepte, Forrest
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/60 Shadow generation

Abstract

Methods and systems for displaying an image as a virtual representation of an object based upon detected external light are described. An illustrative computer-implemented method includes steps of detecting the ambient light of an environment, such as a room, at a display surface. Data representative of the detected ambient light is processed to determine a direction of the detected light with respect to the display surface. An image is displayed on the display surface as a virtual representation of an object based upon the detected ambient light. Shadowing affects may be displayed to create the appearance that the virtual representation of the object casts a shadow on the display surface. Physical objects placed against or near to the surface of the display surface may also have images displayed on the display surface corresponding to shadows created by the ambient light.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a display surface, coupled to one or more of said processors, and configured to display a computer-generated image;

a light detection mechanism configured to detect ambient light external to the display surface and to generate data representative of the detected ambient light; and

one or more memories,

wherein the one or more memories stores computer-executable instructions for causing the one or more processors to;

process the data to determine a direction of the detected ambient light; and

display the computer-generated image of an object on said display surface based upon the processed data.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the display surface is a horizontal surface.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer-generated image of the object includes a virtual shadow corresponding to a shadow created by the object with respect to the ambient light external to the display surface.

4. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a camera, positioned behind the display surface, configured to detect the location of a physical object, on top of the display surface, with respect to the display surface, wherein the computer-generated image of the object includes a computer-generated image of a virtual shadow corresponding to a shadow created by the physical object with respect to the ambient light external to the display screen.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the light detection mechanism includes at least one camera positioned behind the display surface, wherein the display surface is further configured to allow light to pass through to the at least one camera.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the at least one camera is configured to detect data corresponding to a direction of the detected ambient light and the at least one light sensor is configured to detect data corresponding to an intensity of the detected ambient light.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the light detection mechanism further includes at least one light sensor embedded in the display surface.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer-generated image of the object includes a virtual shadow.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer-generated image of the object includes a virtual beam of light.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more memories stores computer-executable instructions for further causing the one or more processors to render the processed data within a computer-gaming environment.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the data representative of the detected ambient light is a brightness of the detected ambient light.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the light detection mechanism includes a plurality of pixels in rows and columns, wherein data representative of the detected ambient light at a first pixel is used for to affect the rendering of a second pixel.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the light detection mechanism includes a plurality of pixels in rows and columns, wherein data representative of the detected ambient light at the plurality of pixels is used to generate a shadow map for rendering a shadow effect at a particular time.

14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer-generated image of the object includes shading one or more surfaces of a virtual object.

15. One or more computer-readable media, storing one or more computer-executable instructions for performing the following steps:

detecting ambient light with respect to a display surface, the ambient light being external from the display surface;

processing data representative of the detected ambient light to determine a direction of the detected ambient light; and

displaying, on the display surface, an image as a virtual representation of an object based on the detected ambient light.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, further including computer-executable instructions for detecting the location of a physical object, on top of the display surface, with respect to the display surface, wherein the computer-generated image of the object includes a virtual shadow corresponding to a shadow created by the physical object with respect to the ambient light external to the display surface.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the computer-generated image of the object includes a virtual shadow corresponding to a shadow created by the object with respect to the ambient light external to the display surface.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the step of processing data includes steps of processing data corresponding to the direction of the detected ambient light and processing data corresponding to an intensity of the detected ambient light.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein data representative of the detected ambient light at a first pixel is used for rendering a shadow affect at a second pixel on the display surface.

20. A method for changing a gaming environment of a gaming system, the method comprising steps of:

detecting ambient light external to a gaming system; and

changing a gaming environment of the gaming system based on the detected ambient light.