Vehicle entertainment and Gaming system

• US 20080311983A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: McManus, Michael, Koempel, Jeremy, Lim, Seung Chan
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

An entertainment system is for a vehicle and includes a vehicle environment sensor apparatus that captures data indicative of the vehicle'"'"'s environment and that generates a vehicle environment data feed. A video game console is electronically coupled to the vehicle environment sensor apparatus and has an application program interface. The video game console receives the vehicle environment data feed, operates a game medium, and generates a video output signal based on both the game medium and the vehicle environment data feed. At least one controller is communicatively coupled to the video game console and directs the operation of the game medium. A display unit communicatively coupled with the application program interface receives the video output signal and displays images dependent upon the video output signal.

Claims

1. An entertainment system for a vehicle, said entertainment system comprising:

a vehicle environment sensor apparatus, said vehicle environment sensor apparatus being configured to capture data indicative of the vehicle'"'"'s environment and generate a vehicle environment data feed;

a video game console electronically coupled to said vehicle environment sensor apparatus and having an application program interface, said video game console being configured to;

receive the vehicle environment data feed;

operate a game medium; and

generate a video output signal based on both the game medium and the vehicle environment data feed;

at least one controller communicatively coupled to said video game console and adapted to direct the operation of the game medium; and

a display unit communicatively coupled with said application program interface and configured to;

receive the video output signal; and

display images dependent upon the video output signal.

2. The entertainment system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle environment sensor apparatus includes a camera, said camera being configured to capture images of the vehicle'"'"'s environment.

3. The entertainment system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle environment sensor apparatus includes a navigational system, said navigational system providing three-dimensional mapping of a location of the vehicle.

4. The entertainment system of claim 3 wherein said navigational system is adapted to communicate with global positioning system satellites to obtain the three-dimensional mapping.

5. The entertainment system of claim 1 wherein said application program interface is configured to generate an audio output signal based on at least one of the game medium and the vehicle environment data feed, the system further comprising an audio unit electronically coupled to said video game console and configured to receive the audio output signal.

6. The entertainment system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has passenger seats, said entertainment system further including a tactile stimulation device electronically coupled to said video game console and adapted to be coupled to one of the passenger seats and to provide a passenger in the one passenger seat with a tactile sensation, said tactile stimulation device being configured to receive a tactile stimulation signal from said application program interface and provide the tactile sensation in response to the tactile stimulation signal.

7. The entertainment system of claim 1 wherein said video game console includes a wireless communication device.

8. The entertainment system of claim 1 wherein said application program interface is adapted to receive and read an audio storage medium.

9. The entertainment system of claim 1 including a plurality of vehicle environment sensor apparatuses configured to generate a plurality of vehicle environment data feeds, the video output signal being based on more than one of the vehicle environment data feeds.

10. An entertainment system for a vehicle, said entertainment system comprising:

means for capturing and transmitting environmental data related to the vehicle'"'"'s environment;

an electronic module electronically coupled to said capturing means, said electronic module being configured to;

receive the environmental data;

operate an entertainment medium; and

generate a video output signal based on both the entertainment medium and the environmental data; and

a display unit communicatively coupled with said electronic module and configured to;

receive the video output signal; and

display images dependent upon the video output signal.

11. The entertainment system of claim 10 wherein said capturing means includes a camera configured to capture images of the environment external to the vehicle.

12. The entertainment system of claim 10 wherein said capturing means includes a GPS navigational system configured to provide three-dimensional mapping of a location of the vehicle.

13. The entertainment system of claim 10 wherein said capturing means includes a plurality of vehicle environment sensor apparatuses configured to generate a plurality of vehicle environment data feeds, said video output signal based on more than one of said plurality of vehicle environment data feeds.

14. The entertainment system of claim 10 further including an audio unit electronically coupled to said electronic module, said electronic module being configured to generate an audio output signal based on at least one of said entertainment medium and the environmental data, said audio unit receiving the audio output signal.

15. The entertainment system of claim 10 further including a head unit adapted to receive and read an audio medium, said electronic module being electronically coupled to said head unit.

16. A method of operating an entertainment system for a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

capturing images of the vehicle'"'"'s environment;

providing an entertainment medium including graphic image data;

combining the environmental images and the graphic image data to form a composite video output signal; and

displaying composite graphic images, the composite graphic images being dependent upon the composite video output signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the capturing, combining and displaying steps are performed in real-time.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said entertainment medium includes video game software.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising the further step of calculating playing parameters of the video game software, said calculating being dependent upon the environmental images.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising the further steps of:

identifying discrete objects in the environmental images; and

extracting discrete object images from the environmental images, said combining step including combining the discrete object images and the graphic image data to form the composite video output signal.