Electronic game utilizing photographs

• US 20080291220A1
• 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, Cheng, YuChiang, Nelson, Chad M., Gorrow, Phil, Castelnuovo, David
• Application Number:
  US12/154,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291220A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/632
• 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:

receiving a two-dimensional photographic image of a physical terrain and a first discrete shape associated with the image, the first discrete shape associated with a location in the image and a distance value;

displaying a virtual object moving along a trajectory in the image, where a part of the two-dimensional trajectory overlaps with the location of the first discrete shape; and

obscuring some or all of the virtual object when the virtual object overlaps with the location of the first discrete shape and has a distance value greater than that of the first discrete shape.

2. The method of claim 1 where:

the image is associated with a plurality of discrete shapes, including the first discrete shape and a second discrete shape, and the first discrete shape having a greater distance value than the second discrete shape; and

displaying the virtual object moving along a trajectory in the image includes obscuring a part of a first discrete shape with the virtual object when the first discrete shape has a greater distance value than the virtual object and obscuring the virtual object when the virtual object has a distance value greater than a distance value of the second discrete shape.

3. The method of claim 1 where the image is associated with a plurality of mask layers, each mask layer having a discrete shape and where each mask layer is assigned a priority in a hierarchy.

4. The method of claim 1 where the first discrete shape represents the ground.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a display angle to display an image where the virtual object is visible.

6. The method of claim 5 where the part of the trajectory that overlaps with the first discrete shape is a landing spot.

7. The method of claim 1 where the first discrete shape is a shape of a real world object in the image.

8. The method of claim 1 where displaying comprises:

mapping a three-dimensional trajectory of the virtual object in relation to a model of the physical terrain to the two-dimensional trajectory.

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

receiving a two-dimensional photographic image of a physical terrain and a first discrete shape associated with the image, the first discrete shape associated with a location in the image and a distance value;

displaying a virtual object moving along a trajectory in the image, where a part of the two-dimensional trajectory overlaps with the location of the first discrete shape; and

obscuring some or all of the virtual object when the virtual object overlaps with the location of the first discrete shape and has a distance value greater than that of the first discrete shape.

10. The program product of claim 9 where:

the image is associated with a plurality of discrete shapes, including the first discrete shape and a second discrete shape, and the first discrete shape having a greater distance value than the second discrete shape; and

displaying the virtual object moving along a trajectory in the image includes obscuring a part of a first discrete shape with the virtual object when the first discrete shape has a greater distance value than the virtual object and obscuring the virtual object when the virtual object has a distance value greater than a distance value of the second discrete shape.

11. The program product of claim 9 where the image is associated with a plurality of mask layers, each mask layer having a discrete shape and where each mask layer is assigned a priority in a hierarchy.

12. The program product of claim 9 where the first discrete shape represents the ground.

13. The program product of claim 9, further comprising changing a display angle to display an image where the virtual object is visible.

14. The program product of claim 13 where the part of the trajectory that overlaps with the first discrete shape is a landing spot.

15. The program product of claim 9 where the first discrete shape is a shape of a real world object in the image.

16. The program product of claim 9 where displaying comprises:

mapping a three-dimensional trajectory of the virtual object in relation to a model of the physical terrain to the two-dimensional trajectory.

17. 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;

receiving a two-dimensional photographic image of a physical terrain and a first discrete shape associated with the image, the first discrete shape associated with a location in the image and a distance value;

displaying a virtual object moving along a trajectory in the image, where a part of the two-dimensional trajectory overlaps with the location of the first discrete shape; and

obscuring some or all of the virtual object when the virtual object overlaps with the location of the first discrete shape and has a distance value greater than that of the first discrete shape.

18. The system of claim 17 where:

the image is associated with a plurality of discrete shapes, including the first discrete shape and a second discrete shape, and the first discrete shape having a greater distance value than the second discrete shape; and

displaying the virtual object moving along a trajectory in the image includes obscuring a part of a first discrete shape with the virtual object when the first discrete shape has a greater distance value than the virtual object and obscuring the virtual object when the virtual object has a distance value greater than a distance value of the second discrete shape.

19. The system of claim 17 where the image is associated with a plurality of mask layers, each mask layer having a discrete shape and where each mask layer is assigned a priority in a hierarchy.

20. The system of claim 17 where the first discrete shape represents the ground.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising changing a display angle to display an image where the virtual object is visible.

22. The system of claim 21 where the part of the trajectory that overlaps with the first discrete shape is a landing spot.

23. The system of claim 17 where the first discrete shape is a shape of a real world object in the image.

24. The system of claim 17 where displaying comprises:

mapping a three-dimensional trajectory of the virtual object in relation to a model of the physical terrain to the two-dimensional trajectory.