Electronic game utilizing photographs

• US 20080291216A1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: World Golf Tour, Inc. (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: World Golf Tour, Inc. (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Montgomery, David, Nelson, Chad M., Cheng, Yuchiang, Gorrow, Phil, Castelnuovo, David
• Application Number:
  US12/154,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291216A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

The present disclosure includes, among other things, methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing an electronic game utilizing photographs.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a real world surface in a two-dimensional photographic image of a physical terrain and assigning the real world surface a surface type, the surface type used to determine an effect of the real world surface on the virtual object; and

determining a simulated interaction of the virtual object in relation to a model of the physical terrain and the real world surface based on the assigned surface type.

2. The method of claim 1 where the interaction is friction.

3. The method of claim 2 where the surface type is grass and the friction is similar to a golf ball rolling on the grass.

4. The method of claim 3 where the grass is dry grass.

5. The method of claim 3 where the grass is wet grass.

6. The method of claim 3 where:

the photographic image includes a green, a fairway and rough of a golf coarse; and

assigning to the real world surface a surface type includes assigning to a first real world surface a first surface type, assigning to a second real world surface a second surface type and assigning to a third real world surface a third surface type, the first surface type being grass in the rough and the second real world surface type being grass on the green and the third real world surface type being grass on the fairway.

7. The method of claim 1 where the surface type is sand and the interaction is slowing or stopping rolling movement of the virtual object.

8. The method of claim 1 where the surface type is water and the interaction is causing the virtual object to disappear from a view of the virtual object.

9. The method of claim 1 where the surface type is water and the interaction is causing the virtual object to be placed in a predetermined location.

10. The method of claim 1 where the surface type is concrete.

11. The method of claim 1 where the interaction is bouncing.

12. The method of claim 1 where identifying the real world surface in the photographic image includes using edge detection on the photographic image to delineate the real world surface.

13. The method of claim 1 where the real world surface includes one or more real world objects.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the real world surface on the physical terrain based on the location of the real world surface in the photographic image.

15. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a real world surface in a two-dimensional photographic image of a physical terrain and assigning the real world surface a surface type, the surface type used to determine an effect of the real world surface on the virtual object; and

determining a simulated interaction of the virtual object in relation to a model of the physical terrain and the real world surface based on the assigned surface type.

16. The program product of claim 15 where the interaction is friction.

17. The program product of claim 16 where the surface type is grass and the friction is similar to a golf ball rolling on the grass.

18. The program product of claim 17 where the grass is dry grass.

19. The program product of claim 17 where the grass is wet grass.

20. The program product of claim 17 where:

the photographic image includes a green, a fairway and rough of a golf coarse; and

assigning to the real world surface a surface type includes assigning to a first real world surface a first surface type, assigning to a second real world surface a second surface type and assigning to a third real world surface a third surface type, the first surface type being grass in the rough and the second real world surface type being grass on the green and the third real world surface type being grass on the fairway.

21. The program product of claim 15 where the surface type is sand and the interaction is slowing or stopping rolling movement of the virtual object.

22. The program product of claim 15 where the surface type is water and the interaction is causing the virtual object to disappear from a view of the virtual object.

23. The program product of claim 15 where the surface type is water and the interaction is causing the virtual object to be placed in a predetermined location.

24. The program product of claim 15 where the surface type is concrete.

25. The program product of claim 15 where the interaction is bouncing.

26. The program product of claim 15 where identifying the real world surface in the photographic image includes using edge detection on the photographic image to delineate the real world surface.

27. The program product of claim 15 where the real world surface includes one or more real world objects.

28. The program product of claim 15, further comprising determining a location of the real world surface on the physical terrain based on the location of the real world surface in the photographic image.

29. A system comprising:

a display device;

a machine-readable storage device including a program product; and

one or more processors operable to execute the program product, interact with the display device, and perform operations comprising;

identifying a real world surface in a two-dimensional photographic image of a physical terrain and assigning the real world surface a surface type, the surface type used to determine an effect of the real world surface on the virtual object; and

determining a simulated interaction of the virtual object in relation to a model of the physical terrain and the real world surface based on the assigned surface type.