A METHOD OF RECOGNIZING OBJECTS IN A SHOOTER GAME FOR REMOTE-CONTROLLED TOYS

• US 20100178966A1
• Filed: 02/13/2008
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Parrot SA
• Original Assignee: Parrot SA
• Inventors: Seydoux, Henri
• Application Number:
  US12/526,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178966A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/2
• 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 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• 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 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• 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: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of recognizing objects for a video shooter game, the system comprising a first remote-controlled vehicle (51) having an on-board video camera (25), a second remote-controlled vehicle (53), and an electronic video display entity serving to remote control the first vehicle (51).

Claims

1. A shot validation method for a video game system, the system comprising:

a first remote-controlled vehicle (51) including an onboard video camera (25);

a second remote-controlled vehicle (53); and

an electronic video display entity (35, 37) serving to remotely control the first vehicle (51);

the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps;

displaying the image delivered by the on-board camera on the video display of the electronic entity (100);

displaying virtual cross-hairs (43) that are movable in the video image (101);

detecting a command to fire a virtual shot being input into the electronic entity (102);

acquiring the position A of the virtual cross-hairs (43) in the video image (103);

recognizing the second remote-controlled vehicle (53) in the video image (104); and

if recognition fails, invalidating the virtual shot (105);

or

if recognition succeeds;

a) acquiring the position B of the second vehicle (53) in the video image (106);

b) comparing the position A with the position B (107);

c) in the event of A and B being identical, validating the virtual shot (108);

or else

d) in the event of A and B being different, invalidating the virtual shot (109).

2. A method according to claim 1, the second vehicle (53) being recognized by recognizing distinctive elements arranged on the second vehicle, namely LEDs.

3. A method according to claim 2, the LEDs:

being arranged to form a specific pattern;

flashing at a determined frequency;

having specific colors; and

/or

having colors that vary over time;

in order to facilitate recognizing the second vehicle (53).

4. A method according to claim 2, recognition of the LEDs including measuring their total brightness in order to enable a fraction of the second vehicle (53) that is visible to be recognized as a function of the measured brightness value.

5. A method according to claim 1, further including a step of predicting the movement of the second vehicle (53) in the video image, on the basis:

of a measurement of the movement of the first vehicle (51); and

/or

of the earlier movement of the second vehicle (53) in the video image.

6. A method according to claim 1, the vehicles (51, 53) having sensors, in particular position sensors, to track their movements, and telecommunications means for enabling said movements to be transmitted, position B of the second vehicle (53) in the video image (106) being recognized on the basis of information from the sensors as transmitted by the vehicles (51, 53).

7. A method according to claim 1, the positions measured by the sensors being used as initial conditions for recognition algorithms in the video image (106).

8. A method according to claim 2, including an analysis step consisting in considering that the second vehicle (53) passes behind a real obstacle when the recognition of distinctive elements in the video image (106) indicates a sudden disappearance of the second vehicle (53).

9. A method according to claim 1, including an alternative step of validating a shot, in the event of indirect shooting, the shot being validated by simulating the trajectory of a virtual projectile and its impact at the position B of the target vehicle (53) in the video image (106).

10. A method according to claim 3, recognition of the LEDs including measuring their total brightness in order to enable a fraction of the second vehicle (53) that is visible to be recognized as a function of the measured brightness value.

11. A method according to claim 3, including an analysis step consisting in considering that the second vehicle (53) passes behind a real obstacle when the recognition of distinctive elements in the video image (106) indicates a sudden disappearance of the second vehicle (53).

12. A method according to claim 4, including an analysis step consisting in considering that the second vehicle (53) passes behind a real obstacle when the recognition of distinctive elements in the video image (106) indicates a sudden disappearance of the second vehicle (53).