METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING A COLLISION BETWEEN SUBJECTS

• US 20150265920A1
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Yun-jung
• Granted Patent: US 10,130,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/42 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 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 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/251 involving models

Abstract

An apparatus for executing a computer game are provided. The apparatus includes an output unit configured to transmit a first image generated based on a form of a first user participating in the computer game and a second image generated based on a form of a second user participating in the computer game to a display apparatus, and a control unit configured to predict a possibility of a collision between the first user and the second user, and to control transmitting warning information indicating the possibility of the collision to the display apparatus via the output unit, according to a result of the predicting.

Claims

1. An apparatus for executing a computer game, the apparatus comprising:

an output unit configured to transmit a first image generated based on a form of a first user participating in the computer game and a second image generated based on a form of a second user participating in the computer game to a display apparatus; and

a control unit configured to predict a possibility of a collision between the first user and the second user, and to control transmitting warning information indicating the possibility of the collision to the display apparatus via the output unit, according to a result of the predicting.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a first area, which includes a farthest point reachable by a part of the first user as the first user moves in a certain area, and

determines a second area, which includes a farthest point reachable by a part of the second user as the second user moves in a certain area.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit determines that there is a possibility of a collision between the first user and the second user if the first area and the second area overlap with each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit predicts a moving path of the first user and a moving path of the second user, and determines the first area and the second area by further considering the predicted moving paths.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the moving paths are predicted based on details of the computer game.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image each comprises an image generated by an external camera.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the warning information comprises an image output from the external display apparatus or sound output from the external display apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit pauses the execution of the computer game if it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between the first user and the second user.

9. A method of executing a computer game, the method comprising:

generating a first image based on a form of a first user participating in the computer game;

generating a second image based on a form of a second user participating in the computer game;

transmitting the first image and the second image to a display apparatus;

predicting a possibility of a collision between the first user and the second user; and

transmitting warning information indicating the possibility of the collision to the display apparatus based on a result of the predicting.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a first area, which includes a farthest point reachable by a part of the first user as the first user moves in a certain area; and

determining a second area, which includes a farthest point reachable by a part of the second user as the second user moves in a certain area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the warning information if the first area and the second area overlap with each other.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising predicting a moving path of the first user,

wherein the determining of the first area comprises determining the first area by further taking into account the predicted moving path.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the moving path is predicted based on details of the computer game.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first image and the second image each comprise an image generated by an external camera.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the warning information comprises an image output from the external display apparatus or sound output from the external display apparatus.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising pausing the execution of the computer game if it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision between the first user and the second user.

17. An apparatus for executing a computer game, the apparatus comprising:

an output unit configured to transmit a first image generated based on a form of a user participating in the computer game and a second image generated based on a form of at least one subject located near the user to a display apparatus; and

a control unit configured to predict a possibility of a collision between the first user and the subject, and to control transmitting of warning information indicating the possibility of the collision to the display apparatus via the output unit according to a result of the predicting.

18. An apparatus for executing a computer game, the apparatus comprising:

an output unit configured to transmit a first image generated based on a form of a user participating in the computer game and a second image generated based on a form of at least one subject located near the user to a display apparatus; and

a control unit configured to set a danger zone based on external input information, and, when the control unit determines that the user enters the danger zone, to control transmitting warning information, indicating a possibility of the entering by the user, to the display apparatus via the output unit.

19. An apparatus for executing a computer game, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit configured to receive an input of an image signal; and

a control unit configured to control setting of a first area corresponding to a first object and a second area corresponding to a second object wherein the first object and the second object are included in the image signal, to measure a distance between the first area and the second area, and to output a predetermined message if a value of the measured distance is less than a predetermined value.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first area comprises a farthest point reachable by a part of a first subject as the first subject moves in a certain location, wherein the first subject corresponds to the first object, and

the second area comprises a farthest point reachable by a part of a second subject as the second subject moves in a certain location, wherein the second subject corresponds to the second object.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the control unit predicts a moving path of the first subject and a moving path of the second subject, and determines the first area and the second area by further considering the predicted moving paths.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the moving paths are predicted based on details of the computer game.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control unit pauses the execution of the computer game if the measured distance has a value less than the predetermined value.