APPARATUS FOR ADAPTING VIRTUAL GAMING WITH REAL WORLD INFORMATION

• US 20130065692A1
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps, Steelseries Hq
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Hq
• Inventors: Aronzon, Michael, Hawver, Bruce, Grever, Arnie
• Granted Patent: US 9,155,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• 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 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8023 the game being played by multiple players at a common site, e.g. in an arena, theatre, shopping mall using a large public display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

A server device that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a memory and a processor. The processor can identify first and second players present at first and second physical locations, to identify first and second boundary and topographical information of the first and second physical locations, to map the first and second boundary and topographical information of the first and second physical locations to a virtual gaming space, to capture first and second position and orientation information for the first and second players, to map the first and second position and orientation information to the virtual gaming space, to generate first and second virtual players corresponding to the first and second players, and to transmit to first goggles information representative of the second virtual player for display superimposed onto a transparent viewing apparatus for viewing of the virtual gaming space. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A server device, comprising a memory coupled to a processor, wherein the processor is operable to:

identify a first player physically present at a first physical location and a second player physically present at a second physical location, wherein the first and second physical locations comprise disparate locations;

identify first boundary and topographical information of the first physical location and second boundary and topographical information of the second physical location;

map the first boundary and topographical information of the first physical location and the second boundary and topographical information of the second physical location to a virtual gaming space;

capture first position and orientation information for the first player at the first physical location and second position and orientation information for the second player at the second physical location;

map the first position and orientation information for the first player and the second position and orientation information for the second player to the virtual gaming space to generate a first virtual player corresponding to the first player and a second virtual player corresponding to the second player; and

transmit to first goggles of the first player information representative of the second virtual player, wherein the first goggles present the second virtual player superimposed onto a transparent viewing apparatus for viewing of the virtual gaming space.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

generate the second virtual player corresponding to the second player by way of adapting at least one captured image of the second player.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the information representative of the second virtual player comprises streaming video of the second virtual player.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

detect a stimulation at an input function of the first goggles while monitoring the first goggles in use;

retrieve an action associated with the input function; and

transmit the action to an application associated with a virtual game.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

capture activation and targeting information for a first gaming accessory of the first player physically present at the first physical location;

map the activation and targeting information for the first gaming accessory to the virtual gaming space to generate a virtual activation and targeting for the first gaming accessory;

determine a virtual effect within a virtual game from the virtual activation and targeting of the first gaming accessory; and

transmit to the first goggles information representative of the virtual effect.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the activation and targeting information comprises sensory data derived from at least one of a gyroscope, a compass, an accelerometer, a level detector, a diode array, a global positioning system detector, an infrared detector, or an antenna.

7. The server of claim 5, wherein the processor is operable to

detect a stimulation at an input function of the first gaming accessory while monitoring the first gaming accessory in use;

retrieve an action associated with the input function; and

transmit the action to an operating system associated with the virtual game.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

capture movement information for a physical accessory of the first player physically present at the first physical location;

map the movement information for the physical accessory to the virtual gaming space to generate a virtual movement for the physical accessory;

determine a virtual effect within a virtual game of the virtual movement for the physical accessory; and

transmit to the first goggles information representative of the virtual effect.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

control deployment of a plurality of first physical objects at the first physical location and a plurality of second physical objects at the second physical location according to a selectable configuration.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is operable to:

generate a plurality of virtual objects distributed within the virtual gaming space; and

transmit to the first goggles information representative of the plurality of virtual objects, wherein the first goggles display the plurality of virtual objects superimposed onto the transparent viewing apparatus for viewing the virtual gaming space.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to:

identify a portion of the plurality of virtual objects that virtually obstructs at least a part of the second virtual player from first virtual player; and

superimpose the identified portion of the plurality of virtual objects over the displayed second virtual player.

12. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

identify a computer player that is playing at a computing device communicatively coupled to the server;

map virtual position and orientation information for the computer player to the virtual gaming space to generate a third virtual player; and

transmit to the first goggles information representative of the third virtual player, wherein the first goggles display the third virtual player superimposed onto the transparent viewing apparatus for viewing the virtual gaming space.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable to:

detect a stimulation at an input function of the computing device while monitoring the computing device in use;

retrieve an action associated with the input function; and

transmit the action to an application associated with a virtual game.

14. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

receive a request for communications between the first player and at least one other player;

responsive to the request, initiate a communications link between the first player and at least one other player;

receive first messages from the first player and the at least one other player; and

transmit second messages to the first player and the at least one other player.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the first messages are sent from the first player by way of at least one of the first goggles or a first gaming accessory of the first player and wherein the second messages are received by the first player by way of at least one of the first goggles or the first gaming accessory of the first player.

16. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

identify a computer-controlled player generated by a virtual game;

map virtual position and orientation information for the computer-controlled player to the virtual gaming space to generate a third virtual player; and

transmit to the first goggles information representative of the third virtual player, wherein the first goggles display the third virtual player superimposed onto the transparent viewing apparatus for viewing the virtual gaming space.

17. The server of claim 1, wherein the first position and orientation information for the first player is captured from at least one of the first goggles, clothing worn by the first player, or a first gaming accessory of the first player, and wherein the first position and orientation information for the first player comprises sensory data derived from at least one of a gyroscope, a compass, an accelerometer, a level detector, a diode array, a global positioning system detector, an infrared detector, or an antenna.

34. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

identify an action at a physical location of a first player device associated with the first player;

map the action to the virtual gaming space to generate a virtual action for the first virtual player;

determine a virtual effect of the virtual action of the first virtual player; and

transmit to the first player device information representative of the virtual effect.

36. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

capture second position and orientation information for a second player at the physical location;

map the second position and orientation information for the second player to the virtual gaming space to generate a second virtual player;

transmit to a first player device associated with the first player information representative of the second virtual player, wherein the first player device displays the second virtual player in a virtual structure corresponding to the virtual game space; and

transmit to a second player device associated with the second player information representative of the first virtual player, wherein the second player device displays the first virtual player in a virtual structure corresponding to the virtual gaming space.

37. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

receive the first position and orientation information for a first player from at least one of a first player device associated with the first player, a goggle, clothing, or a gaming accessory, wherein the first position and orientation information for the first player device comprises sensory data derived from at least one of a gyroscope, a compass, an accelerometer, a level detector, a diode array, a global positioning system detector, an infrared detector, or an antenna.

38. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

initiate a plurality of wireless communications links between a first player device associated with the first player and a plurality of wireless devices in the virtual gaming space;

receive a plurality of wireless signal strength readings at the first player device corresponding to each of the plurality of wireless communication links in the virtual gaming space; and

determine the first position and orientation of the first player according to the plurality of wireless signal strength readings.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions to:

identify a first player device physically present at a physical location;

identify boundary and topographical information of the physical location;

map the boundary and topographical information of the physical location to a virtual gaming space;

generate a virtual structure corresponding to the virtual gaming space;

capture first position and orientation information for the first player device at the physical location;

map the first position and orientation information for the first player device to the virtual gaming space to generate a first virtual player corresponding to the first player device; and

transmit to the first player device information representative of the virtual structure and of the first virtual player, wherein the first player device presents the first virtual player in the virtual structure.

19. The storage medium of claim 18, comprising computer instructions to:

generate the first virtual player corresponding to the first player by way of adapting at least one captured image of a first player associated with the first player device.

20. The storage medium of claim 18, comprising computer instructions to:

identify an action of the first player device at the physical location;

map the action of the first player device to the virtual gaming space to generate a virtual action for the first virtual player;

determine a virtual effect of the virtual action of the first virtual player; and

transmit to the first player device information representative of the virtual effect.

21. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein the processor is operable to:

detect a stimulation at an input function of the first player device while monitoring the first player device in use;

retrieve an action associated with the input function; and

transmit the action to an application associated with a virtual game.

22. The storage medium of claim 18, comprising computer instructions to:

identify a second player device physically present at the physical location;

capture second position and orientation information for the second player device at the physical location;

map the second position and orientation information for the second player device to the virtual gaming space to generate a second virtual player corresponding to the second player device;

transmit to the first player device information representative of the second virtual player, wherein the first player device displays the second virtual player in the virtual structure; and

transmit to the second player device information representative of the first virtual player, wherein the second player device displays the first virtual player in the virtual structure.

23. The storage medium of claim 22, comprising computer instructions to:

receive a request for communications between the first player device and the second player device;

responsive to the request, initiate a communications link between the first player device and the second player device;

receive first messages from the first player device and the second player device; and

transmit second messages to the first player device and the second player device.

24-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A goggle apparatus, comprising a memory coupled to a processor, wherein the processor is operable to:

detect first position and orientation information relative to first boundary and topographical information of a first physical location for a first player physically present at the first physical location and wearing the goggle apparatus;

receive information representative of a virtual player at a virtual gaming space corresponding to a mapping of second boundary and topographical information of a second physical location and the first boundary and topographical information of the first physical location, wherein the virtual player corresponds to second position and orientation information for a second player physically present at a second physical location; and

present the virtual player superimposed onto a transparent viewing element for viewing of the virtual gaming space.

30. The goggle apparatus of claim 29, wherein the processor is operable to:

transmit the first position and orientation information for the first player to a server device.

31. The goggle apparatus of claim 29, wherein the processor is operable to:

receive streaming video of the virtual player from a server device.

32. The goggle apparatus of claim 29, wherein the processor is operable to:

send a request to a server device to initiate a communications link between the goggle apparatus and at least one other player device;

capture first messages from the first player;

transmit the first messages to the at least one other player device by way of the server device; and

receive second messages from the at least one other player device by way of the server device.

33. The goggle apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first position and orientation information for the first player comprises sensory data derived from at least one of a gyroscope, a compass, an accelerometer, a level detector, a diode array, a global positioning system detector, an infrared detector, or an antenna.

35. The server device of claim 32, wherein the processor is operable to:

detect a stimulation at an input function of the first player device while monitoring the first player device in use;

retrieve an action associated with the input function; and

transmit the action to an application associated with a virtual game.