METHOD OF DEFINING A GAME ZONE FOR A VIDEO GAME SYSTEM

• US 20090284553A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Parrot SA
• Original Assignee: Parrot SA
• Inventors: Seydoux, Henri
• Application Number:
  US12/446,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284553A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 1/22 Colour tops

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of defining a game zone for a video game system. The system comprises a remotely-controlled vehicle (1) and an electronic entity (3) for remotely controlling the vehicle (1), the method comprising the following steps: acquiring the terrestrial position of the vehicle (1) via a position sensor (37) arranged on the vehicle (1); transmitting the terrestrial position of the vehicle (1) to the electronic entity (3); establishing a connection between the electronic entity (3) and a database (17) containing aerial images of the Earth; in the database (17), selecting an aerial image corresponding to the terrestrial position transmitted to the electronic entity (3); downloading the selected aerial image from the database (17) to the electronic entity (3); and incorporating the downloaded aerial image in a video game being executed on the electronic entity (3).

Claims

1. A method of defining a game zone (B) for a video game system (1, 3), the system comprising a remotely-controlled vehicle (1) and an electronic entity (3) used for remotely controlling the vehicle (1), the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

acquiring the terrestrial position of the vehicle (1) via a position sensor (37) arranged on the vehicle (1);

transmitting the terrestrial position of the vehicle (1) to the electronic entity (3);

establishing a connection between the electronic entity (3) and a database (17) containing aerial images of the Earth;

in the database (17), selecting an aerial image corresponding to the terrestrial position transmitted to the electronic entity (3);

downloading the selected aerial image from the database (17) to the electronic entity (3); and

incorporating the downloaded aerial image in a video game being executed on the electronic entity (3).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the video game being executed on the electronic entity (3) is a circuit game, the incorporation of the aerial image in the game comprising positioning a virtual circuit (57) on the downloaded aerial image to enable a game to be implemented that involves the remotely-controlled vehicle (1) on the real terrain corresponding to the aerial image.

3. A method according to claim 2, the positioning of the virtual circuit (57) on the aerial image including adapting the virtual circuit (57) to the aerial image, in particular by shifting, rotating, pivoting, and/or scaling the circuit.

4. A method according to claim 3, the virtual circuit (57) being positioned in such a manner that its starting line is situated close to the location of the aerial image corresponding to the real position of the vehicle (1).

5. A method according to claim 4, the adaptation of the circuit by rotation being performed by rotation about the center of the starting line.

6. A method according to claim 4, the adaptation of the circuit by scaling conserving the starting line as an invariant point.

7. A method according to claim 4, further including shifting the starting line by causing the representation of the circuit to slide over the starting line.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the video game being executed on the electronic entity (3) is a circuit game, incorporation of the aerial image in the game comprising a step consisting in drawing a virtual circuit (57) on the downloaded aerial image by connecting predefined circuit elements, such as straight lines, turns, a finish line, in order to enable a game to be implemented that involves the remotely-controlled vehicle (1) on the real terrain corresponding to the aerial image.

9. A method according to claim 8, including a step of adapting predefined circuit elements to the aerial image, in particular by scaling or moving them in translation or in rotation.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the video game being executed on the electronic entity (3) is a circuit game, the incorporation of the aerial image in the game including a step of defining a virtual circuit (57) on the downloaded aerial image by defining discrete points of passage in a three-dimensional space so as to enable a game to be implemented involving the remotely-controlled vehicle (1) on the real terrain corresponding to the aerial image.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of moving points of passage by scaling, or by movement in translation or in rotation, in particular in order to define a three-dimensional circuit.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the incorporation of the aerial image in the video game comprises creating a perspective image having five faces, the ground (45) of the perspective image corresponding to the aerial image and the walls (47) of the perspective image corresponding to synthesized images at infinity.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the remotely-controlled vehicle (1) is a terrestrial vehicle, in particular a race car or a tank, or an aerial vehicle, in particular a quadricopter.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic entity (3) is a portable unit, in particular a portable game console or a mobile telephone.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein communication between the electronic entity (3) and the remotely-controlled vehicle (1) takes place by short-range radio transmission (5), in particular by Bluetooth or WiFi protocol.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the database (17) forms part of a computer network (11), in particular the Internet, and the connection between the electronic entity (3) and the database (17) takes place via a wireless local area network (9).

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor (37) is a module of a satellite positioning system, in particular a GPS module.

18. A method according to claim 2, the virtual circuit (57) being positioned in such a manner that its starting line is situated close to the location of the aerial image corresponding to the real position of the vehicle (1).

19. A method according to claim 5, further including shifting the starting line by causing the representation of the circuit to slide over the starting line.

20. A method according to claim 6, further including shifting the starting line by causing the representation of the circuit to slide over the starting line.