Methods for Shape Detection Correlated With Position Detection and Systems for Processing the Same

• US 20130072301A1
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mallinson, Dominic S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera

Abstract

A shape object, methods, and systems for using the shaped object in interactive computer gaming is disclosed. The shape object includes a line segment having a length that extends between a first end and a second end, and the line segment is flexible into a plurality of positions, where each of the plurality of positions define a shape of the line segment. The shape object further includes an optical fiber integrated along the line segment and an interface connectable to the line optical fiber of the line segment. The interface is at the first end of the line segment. The interface includes a circuit for communicating optical signals to the optical fiber, where the circuit is configured to identify the shape and changes in the shape of the line segment over time. Further included is a circuit for wirelessly transmitting the shape of the line segment to a computer that is remote from the line segment. The first end of the line segment is configured for placement at a known separation to a tracked object that is separately tracked in three dimensional space.

Claims

1. A shape object, comprising:

a line segment having a length that extends between a first end and a second end, the line segment being flexible into a plurality of positions, each of the plurality of positions defining a shape of the line segment;

an optical fiber integrated along the line segment;

an interface connectable to the line optical fiber of the line segment, the interface being at the first end of the line segment, the interface including,

a circuit for communicating optical signals to the optical fiber, the circuit being configured to identify the shape and changes in the shape of the line segment over time; and

a circuit for wirelessly transmitting the shape of the line segment to a computer that is remote from the line segment;

wherein the first end of the line segment is configured for placement at a known separation to a tracked object that is separately tracked in three dimensional space.

2. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the line segment is configured for integration into clothing or for attachment to clothing of a user.

3. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the line segment includes one or more biometric sensors, the biometric sensors defined to obtain a condition of the user at one or more locations along the line segment, the biometric sensors producing sensor data that is communicated to the computer by a circuit of the interface.

4. The shape object of claim 1, wherein line segment includes a plurality of light emitting devices, the light emitting devices being arranged along the length of the line segment and are configured to illuminate at different intensities based on a position along the length or at specific locations along the length based on the position.

5. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the circuit for wirelessly transmitting the shape of the line segment to the computer is a wireless transmitter circuit with an antenna.

6. The shape object of claim 5, wherein the circuit is a Wi-Fi™

device, a Bluetooth™

device, an infrared (IR) device, or a radio communication device.

7. The shape object of claim 1, interface includes an inertial sensor, the inertial sensor defined to sense motion data of the interface or the line segment, the motion data being communicated to the computer by the circuit for wirelessly transmitting the shape to the computer.

8. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the line segment is located along at least one arm of a user.

9. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the line segment is located along at least two arms of the user.

10. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the line segment is located along limbs of a user.

11. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the line segment is woven into fibers of a clothing item.

12. The shape object of claim 1, wherein the computer is either local or remotely located, the computer being configured to receive the shape of the line segment while processing position data of the tracked object, the first end of the line segment being placed at the known separation to the tracked object enable the computer to correlate the changes in the shape of the line segment to a position in three dimensional space.

13. The shape object of claim 12, wherein the computer is configured for execution of computer game instructions, and the changes in shape of the line segment are associated to a user'"'"'s game character in a rendered scene of a game, the user'"'"'s game character being an image of the user, an avatar of the user, or an object controlled by the user.

14. The shaped object of claim 12, wherein the tracked object is a motion device having a trackable object at one end.

15. A system for interfacing with a game computer program, comprising:

(a) a computer having a radio transceiver, the computer being connected to an image capture device for capturing an interactive space in front of the image capture device;

(b) a shape object defined by,

a line segment having a length that extends between a first end and a second end, the line segment being flexible into a plurality of positions, each of the plurality of positions defining a shape of the line segment;

an optical fiber integrated along the line segment;

an interface connectable to the line optical fiber of the line segment, the interface being at the first end of the line segment, the interface, the interface including a circuit for communicating optical signals to the optical fiber, the circuit being configured to identify the shape and changes in the shape of the line segment over time, and a circuit for wirelessly transmitting the shape of the line segment to the computer that is remote from the line segment; and

(c) a tracked object, the tracked object having a transceiver for communicating data to and from the computer, independent of the shape communicated by the circuit of the interface, and the first end of the line segment is configured for placement at a known separation to the tracked object, the tracked object being tracked in three dimensional space by the computer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the line segment is configured for integration into clothing or for attachment to clothing of a user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the line segment includes one or more biometric sensors, the biometric sensors defined to obtain a condition of the user at one or more locations along the line segment, the biometric sensors producing sensor data that is communicated to the computer by a circuit of the interface.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein line segment includes a plurality of light emitting devices, the light emitting devices being arranged along the length of the line segment and are configured to illuminate at different intensities based a position along the length or at specific locations along the length based on the position.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the circuit for wirelessly transmitting the shape of the line segment to the computer is a wireless transmitter circuit with an antenna, and the circuit is one of a Wi-Fi™

device, a Bluetooth™

device, an infrared (IR) device, or a radio communication device.

20. The system of claim 15, interface includes an inertial sensor, the inertial sensor defined to sense motion data of the interface or the line segment, the motion data being communicated to the computer by the circuit for wirelessly transmitting the shape to the computer.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the line segment is attachable along at least one arm of the user, at least two arms of the user, at least the limbs of the user, at least the head of the user, at least one clothing item of the user, at least one strap, or a combination thereof.

22. A method for detecting a shape of a shape object worn by user, comprising:

detecting shape data of a line segment that extends along a length between a first end and a second end, the line segment being flexible into a plurality of positions;

receiving the shape data of the line segment at a computer wirelessly;

identifying a position data of a tracked object, the tracked object being located within a known separation of the first end of the line segment;

correlating the position data of the tracked object to the first end of the line segment, such that movement of the first end of the line segment is continuously correlated to current position data of the tracked object; and

rendering a graphical representation of the tracked object and the line segment to a display during interactivity with a computer program executed by a processor of the computer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the graphical representation renders movement of an object of the computer program.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the object is one of a game character, a game object, an avatar of the user, an animated character, or an animated input device.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving biometric data wirelessly from one or more locations along the line segment, the biometric data including one or more of heart rate data, muscle data, or brain activity data.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving inertial data wirelessly from one or more locations along the line segment, the inertial data providing a motion profile of at least one position on a user'"'"'s body.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing light illumination instructions to the line segment to cause one or more light emitting devices, at one more positions along the line segment, to illuminate in intensity, color, or rate.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the known separation is a relative position between the tracked object and an interface of the line segment.