AUTOMATED ENHANCEMENTS FOR BILLIARDS AND THE LIKE

• US 20110022202A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Obscura Digital LLC
• Original Assignee: Obscura Digital LLC
• Inventors: Threlkel, Travis, Lundback, Niklas, Mason, Steve, Harville, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,616,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/92
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 15/20 Scoring or registering devices

Abstract

Position data is generated. The position data describes a respective current position of each of one or more billiard game objects in relation to a billiard table having a playing surface. A state of a billiards game being played is determined based on the position data. One or more perceptible effects associated with the determined state of the billiards game are selected. The one or more perceptible effects are produced in connection with the billiards game.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

generating position data describing a respective current position of each of one or more billiard game objects in relation to a billiard table having a playing surface;

determining a state of a billiards game being played based on the position data;

selecting one or more perceptible effects associated with the determined state of the billiards game; and

producing the one or more perceptible effects in connection with the billiards game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting a start-of-game event based on the position data, and in response to a detection of the start-of-game event the producing comprises producing an event-specific perceptible effect associated with a start of a billiards game.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting comprises determining whether a static arrangement of billiard balls on the playing surface matches a prescribed pattern of racked balls.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising establishing a respective identity of each of one or more of the billiard balls;

and wherein the detecting comprises detecting a type of billiards game being played on the billiards table based on the established identities of the one or more billiard balls, and wherein the selecting of the one or more perceptible effects is based at least in part on the detected type of game being played

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting a scoring event based on the position data, and in response to a detection of the scoring event the producing comprises producing an event-specific perceptible effect associated with a score of a billiards game.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising capturing images comprising the playing surface, and tracking a score of the billiards game being played based on analysis of the captured images.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the producing comprises displaying the tracked score of the billiards game on the billiard table.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising establishing a respective identity of each of one or more of the billiard balls;

and wherein the detecting comprises detecting the scoring event based on the established identities of the one or more billiard balls.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting a billiard game rules violation event based on the position data, and in response to a detection of the rules violation event the producing comprises producing an event-specific perceptible effect associated with a billiards game rules violation.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising capturing images comprising the playing surface, and automatically ascertaining a type of a billiards game being played on the billiard table based on an evaluation of one or more of the captured images.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting comprises, based on the analysis of one or more of the captured images, detecting an occurrence of a rule violation event corresponding to a failure to comply with a rule of the ascertained type of billiards game.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying comprises selecting event-specific imagery associated with the detected rule violation event, and displaying the selected event-specific imagery on the billiard table in response to the detection of the event.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising establishing a respective identity of each of one or more of the billiard balls;

and wherein the detecting comprises detecting the game rules violation event based on the established identities of the one or more billiard balls.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting an end-of-game event based on the position data, and in response to a detection of the end-of-game event the producing comprises producing an event-specific perceptible effect associated with an end of a billiards game.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, in response to the detection of the end-of-game event, the producing comprises displaying on the billiard table imagery comprising one or more advertisements.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising establishing a respective identity of each of one or more of the billiard balls;

and wherein the detecting comprises detecting the end-of-game event based on the established identities of the one or more billiard balls.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing images comprising the playing surface and ascertaining a type of a billiards game being played on the billiard table based on an evaluation of one or more of the captured images;

and wherein the determining comprises determining the state of the billiards game based on the ascertained type of billiards game being played.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the producing comprises displaying on the billiard table imagery associated with the determined state of the game.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the producing comprises producing an audible sound associated with the determined state of the game.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing images comprising the playing surface;

and wherein the determining comprises detecting an end-of-shot event based on the captured images.

21. The method of claim 20, in response to a detection of the end-of-shot event, the producing comprises displaying on the playing surface imagery relating to one or more advertisements.

22. Apparatus, comprising:

a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions; and

a data processor coupled to the computer-readable medium, operable to execute the instructions, and based at least in part on the execution of the instructions operable to perform operations comprising

generating position data describing a respective current position of each of one or more billiard game objects in relation to a billiard table having a playing surface,

determining a state of a billiards game being played based on the position data,

selecting one or more perceptible effects associated with the determined state of the billiards game, and

producing the one or more perceptible effects in connection with the billiards game.

23. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed by a computer to implement a method comprising:

generating position data describing a respective current position of each of one or more billiard game objects in relation to a billiard table having a playing surface;

determining a state of a billiards game being played based on the position data;

selecting one or more perceptible effects associated with the determined state of the billiards game; and

producing the one or more perceptible effects in connection with the billiards game.