SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CYBER TRAINING OF MARTIAL ART ON NETWORK

• US 20120052947A1
• Filed: 07/10/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sang Bum Yun
• Original Assignee: Sang Bum Yun
• Inventors: Yun, Sang Bum
• Granted Patent: US 8,282,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0015 Dancing
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system and method for virtual martial arts sparring using a network. The system includes a user terminal, a network server, data management means, and a network administrator terminal. The user terminal accesses the Internet to exchange user information with a network server, receives sparring partner information to retrieve and select a discipline, a grade, an area and sex-specific sparring conditions, receive sparring progress information according to the selected sparring condition, and perform a sparring function. The network server includes user information management means, sparring partner information management means, sparring progress information management means, image information management means. The data management means includes a user information database (DB), a sparring partner information DB, a sparring progress information DB, and an image information DB, and inputs and outputs the information. The network administrator terminal accesses the network server to exchange network administrator information, and manages the system.

Claims

1. A system for virtual martial arts sparring using a network, comprising:

a user terminal configured to access the Internet to exchange user information with a network server, receive sparring partner information to retrieve and select a discipline, a grade, an area, and sex-specific sparring conditions, receive sparring progress information according to the selected sparring conditions to execute a corresponding sparring program, and perform a sparring function by exchanging a user motion image, a sparring partner motion image, and a signal representative of a hit;

a network server configured to comprise user information management means for receiving user information from the user terminal and comparing the user information with previously stored information to allow a user to log in, sparring partner information management means for transmitting the sparring partner information to the user terminal and updating and managing grade, area, and sex information and sparring records on a sparring partner, sparring progress information management means for transmitting the sparring progress information to the user terminal and updating and managing a sparring sequence, winning and deduction point information, victory and defeat information, and ranking information, image information management means for receiving the user motion image transmitted from the user terminal, performing an update with the user motion image, and managing the user motion image, and communication means for exchanging information with the user terminal;

data management means configured to comprise a user information database (DB) for storing the user information, a sparring partner information DB for storing the sparring partner information, a sparring progress information DB for storing the sparring progress information, and an image information DB for storing the user motion image, and configured to input and output the respective pieces of information in response to a request from the network server; and

a network administrator terminal configured to access the network server to exchange network administrator information and manage the system;

wherein the user terminal comprises;

an input unit configured to receive the user information to allow the user to log in and select the discipline, grade, area, and sex-specific sparring conditions;

a motion recognition unit configured to detect a movement speed, a distance, a position, and an angle of the user to recognize a user motion;

a position detector configured to detect a position of the user'"'"'s feet on a plane;

a data storage unit configured to store the sparring program in accordance with the discipline, grade, area, and sex-specific sparring conditions corresponding to the selection of the input unit and store the user information and an evaluation result;

a controller configured to execute the sparring program stored in the data storage unit according to the selection of the input unit, determine a user motion in three-dimensional (3D) space with reference to the user motion recognized by the motion recognition unit and the position of the user'"'"'s feet detected by the position detector, compare the user motion in 3D space with a sparring partner motion received from the network server to determine an effective attack value, calculate corresponding points to accumulate winning or deduction points, generate the user motion image and the sparring partner motion image using a previously stored virtual character, generate a user hit reaction image and a sparring partner hit reaction image using a virtual character of the sparring partner according to the determined effective attack value, and generate the signal representative of a hit according to the determined effective attack value;

a main image display unit configured to display the user motion image and the sparring partner motion image of the controller;

a hit representation unit configured to generate physical vibrations or a physical impact in response to the signal indicative of a hit from the controller and apply them to the user'"'"'s body; and

a communication unit configured to exchange the user information, the sparring partner information, the sparring progress information, the signal representative of a hit, and the motion images with the communication means of the network server and transfer the pieces of information, the signal representative of a hit, and the motion images to the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sparring progress information management means determines, records, and manages sparring rankings according to area, age, and sex.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein an area of the user terminal is checked based on an Internet protocol (IP) address of the user allocated by an Internet service provider (ISP).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises:

a login key configured to receive the user information and allow the user to log in; and

a sparring condition selection key configured to select at least one from among the discipline, grade, area, and sex-specific sparring conditions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion recognition unit comprises a plurality of motion capture cameras configured to detect movement of a plurality of markers attached to the user'"'"'s body using infrared photography to recognize the user motion.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion recognition unit comprises at least one of a geomagnetic sensor configured to sense a direction of terrestrial magnetism, an acceleration sensor configured to sense an acceleration by accelerating a piezoelectric material, and a gyro sensor configured to sense an angular acceleration based on a vertical force of a rotating angle,

wherein the at least one of the sensors is attached to the user'"'"'s body or clothing.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the position detector comprises a resistive touchpad configured to measure the position of coordinates pressed by the user'"'"'s feet, having a predetermined area, and formed of two panels stacked to generate a resistance at a pressed portion.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a program execution module configured to execute the sparring program stored in the data storage unit in accordance with the discipline, grade, area, and sex-specific sparring conditions selected by the input unit;

a motion determination module configured to determine the user motion in 3D space with reference to the user motion recognized by the motion recognition unit and the position of the user'"'"'s feet detected by the position detector;

a comparison module configured to determine whether the user motion and the sparring partner motion received from the network server overlap each other in a predetermined space;

a determination module configured to determine the effective attack value according to movement speed, distance, position, and angle of the respective motions, calculate the corresponding points, and accumulate the winning or deduction points when the comparison module determines that the user motion and the sparring partner motion overlap each other;

an image generation module configured to generate the user motion image and the sparring partner motion image as a main image using the previously stored virtual character, and generate the hit reaction images using the virtual character of the sparring partner according to the effective attack value determined by the determination module; and

a hit representation module configured to generate and output the signal representative of a hit according to the effective attack value.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the image generation module further generates an effect image and a background image according to the user motion image of the main image display unit, and comprises a background image display unit configured to display the effect image and the background image on a flat panel display (FPD) module.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller further comprises:

a sound generation module configured to generate sound effects and background music according to the main image, the effect image, and the background image generated by the image generation module; and

a sound output unit configured to output the sound effects and the background music generated by the sound generation module using a speaker.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the main image display unit comprises:

3D glasses worn by the user; and

a 3D image display module configured to display a 3D image to be three-dimensionally viewed via the 3D glasses on a screen.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the main image display unit comprises a hologram image display module configured to display successive 3D images by generating interference fringe patterns using a principle of holography.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the main image display unit comprises a head mounted display (HMD) module configured to be put on the user'"'"'s head and to display a realized image on an HMD screen.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the user, wherein the controller generates the user motion image using the image captured by the user image capturing unit.

4. (canceled)

16. A method for virtual martial arts sparring using a network, comprising:

receiving, at user information management means of a network server accessing the Internet, user information from a user terminal, and comparing the user information with information previously stored in a user information database (DB) to allow a user to log in;

receiving, at the user terminal, sparring partner information, and selecting and transmitting discipline, grade, area, and sex-specific sparring conditions, reading, at sparring progress information management means, sparring progress information according to the selection from a sparring progress information DB and transmitting the sparring progress information to the user terminal, and executing, at the user terminal, a sparring program according to the sparring progress information;

detecting, at a motion recognition unit of the user terminal, a movement speed, a distance, a position, and an angle of the user to recognize a user motion, detecting, at a position detector, a position of the user'"'"'s feet on a plane, and determining, at a controller, a user motion in three-dimensional (3D) space with reference to the user motion recognized by the motion recognition unit and the position of the user'"'"'s feet detected by the position detector;

generating, at the controller of the user terminal, a user motion image using a previously stored virtual character according to the user motion, transmitting the user motion image, receiving a sparring partner motion image from the network server, displaying the user motion image and the sparring partner motion image as a main image together with a background image on a main image display unit, and generating and outputting sound according to the main image and the background image;

determining whether the user motion and a sparring partner motion received from the network server overlap each other in a predetermined space, and when the user motion and the sparring partner motion overlap each other, determining an effective attack value according to movement speeds, distances, positions, and angles of the respective motions, generating and displaying a hit reaction image using a virtual character of a sparring partner according to the determined effective attack value, and exchanging a signal representative of a hit according to the effective attack value to operate a hit representation module; and

calculating corresponding points according to the effective attack value to accumulate winning or deduction points, transmitting corresponding sparring partner information and corresponding sparring progress information to update a sparring partner information DB and the sparring progress information DB, and displaying an evaluation result on a screen.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein an area of the user terminal is checked based on an Internet protocol (IP) address of the user allocated by an Internet service provider (ISP).

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the recognizing the user motion comprises attaching a plurality of markers to the user'"'"'s body and detecting motions of the markers using infrared photography using a plurality of motion capture cameras to recognize the user motion.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the recognizing the user motion comprises sensing a direction of terrestrial magnetism using a geomagnetic sensor attached to the user'"'"'s body or clothing, accelerating a piezoelectric material and sensing an acceleration using an acceleration sensor, or sensing an angular acceleration based on a vertical force of a rotating angle using a gyro sensor, to recognize the user motion.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the displaying the main image comprises further generating, at the controller, an effect image and the background image, and displaying, at a background image display unit, the effect image and the background image on the screen.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the outputting the sound comprises generating, at the controller, sound effects and background music according to the user motion image and the sparring partner motion image, and outputting, at a sound output unit, the sound effects and the background music using a speaker.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the displaying the main image comprises displaying a 3D image viewed through 3D glasses worn by the user on the screen using a 3D image display module, displaying successive 3D images by generating interference fringe patterns based on a principle of holography using a hologram image display module, or putting a head mounted display (HMD) module on the user'"'"'s head to display a realized image on an HMD screen.