Golfing game including object sensing and validation

• US 5,860,648 A
• Filed: 09/05/1996
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rlt Acquisition Inc.
• Inventors: Kroeckel, John G., Lad, Jayash J., Kelly, Matthew F., Petermeier, Norman B., Kelly, Bryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/697,961
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 273/108.2, 273/371, 473/151, 473/152, 473/153, 473/155, 473/157, 473/159, 473/160
• US Class Current: 273/108.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0043 Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2067/065 used tossed devices of different sizes giving different degrees of difficulty for fitting in or over a target
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/02 Special golf games, e.g. miniature golf or golf putting games played on putting tracks; putting practice apparatus having an elongated platform as a putting track
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/345 Ball return mechanisms; Ball delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0208 the projectile being connectable to the target, e.g. using hook and loop-type fastener, hooks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3297 Fairground games, e.g. Tivoli, coin pusher machines, cranes

Abstract

An arcade game including an object sensor for detecting a playing piece directed by a player. A target field including at least one target receives the directed playing piece, and the sensor determines the identity and a position of the playing piece. A scoring mechanism provides a game score based on a distance between the final resting position of the playing piece and one of the targets. In a described embodiment, the playing piece is a golf ball putted by the player toward a target hole. A removal mechanism removes the playing piece from the target field so that the player may retrieve the playing piece. The sensor includes a visual sensor, such as a video camera, and a digital processor for examining recorded images of the target field to validate the playing piece, determine a final position of the playing piece, and determine the distance between the playing piece and the target. Target field images can also be examined to determine and validate the trajectory of the playing piece. The sensor and digital processor also compensate for changing lighting conditions.

Claims

1. A game apparatus comprising:

a target field for receiving a playing piece directed by a player, said target field including a target;

a sensor for determining a distance of said playing piece from said target after said playing piece engages said target field; and

a scorer coupled to said sensor and operative to provide a game score, wherein said game score is based, at least in part, on said distance from said playing piece to said target.

2. A game apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensor determines a final position of said moving playing piece at rest, and wherein said distance is determined from said playing piece at said final position to said target.

3. A game apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said sensor includes a visual sensor that determines a final position of said moving playing piece by detecting visible light.

4. A game apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensor determines a path of said playing piece on said target field, and wherein said distance is determined as the distance between said target and a closest point to said target on said path of said playing piece.

5. A game apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said distance of said playing piece to said target is determined by recording an image of said target field and detecting said playing piece and said target in said image.

6. A game apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said target field includes a plurality of individual targets, and wherein said scorer provides a game score based on a distance between said playing piece and one of said individual targets.

7. A game apparatus as recited in claim 3 further comprising a removal mechanism for moving said playing piece from said target field when a game on said game apparatus is over.

8. A game apparatus as recited in claim 7 further comprising a playing field extending from said game apparatus to said player, wherein said playing piece is directed on said playing field before said playing piece reaches said target field.

9. A game apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said playing piece is a ball.

10. A game apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said playing piece is a golf ball that is directed by said player using a golf club.

11. A game apparatus as recited in claim 5 further comprising an award dispenser for dispensing an award to a player based on said game score.

12. A golfing game apparatus comprising:

a playing field on which a player directs a ball, said playing field including a player end and a target end;

a target field provided at said target end of said playing field, said target field including a target;

a sensor operative to record an image of said target field and of said ball directed by a player onto said target field, said sensor detecting a final rest position of said ball on said target field and a distance of said ball from said target by examining said recorded image; and

a scorer coupled to said sensor operative to modify a game score based on said distance from said final position of said ball to said target.

13. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said target field includes a plurality of targets, wherein said ball can be directed toward any one of said plurality of targets.

14. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said plurality of individual targets include a plurality of frames or apertures positioned on said target field that each form a circular target for said ball, and wherein said game score is increased independently of said distance to said target when said ball has a final position within one of said frames or apertures.

15. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein each of said individual targets includes a light source operative to selectively highlight said individual targets to said player.

16. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said sensor includes a video camera that records said image of said target field and a digital processor for processing and analyzing said recorded image.

17. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said sensor includes a digital processor operative to determine and analyze said final position of said playing piece and relay said final position and distance to said scorer.

18. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said sensor includes a video camera and charge coupled device coupled to said video camera operative to detect and record an image of said moving playing piece and record an image of said final position of said playing piece.

19. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said scorer increases said game score value when said directed ball has a final resting position engaged with one of said plurality of targets.

20. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said game score is based on a distance between said playing piece and one of said plurality of targets selected by said player, and further comprising a target selection device for said player.

21. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said player directs a plurality of balls to said target field, and wherein said game score is based on a plurality of distances, each of said distances being between one of said balls and a nearest target to said ball.

22. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said digital processor and said sensor analyze the identity of said playing piece to determine when said playing piece is valid for said game apparatus.

23. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein said scorer provides said game score only when an identity of said playing piece is valid.

24. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 15 further comprising a removal mechanism operative to remove said playing piece from said target field such that said player may retrieve said playing piece.

25. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein said removal mechanism includes a sweeper arm which moves over said target field to push said playing pieces from said target field.

26. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein said removal mechanism includes a lifter that lifts at least a portion of said target field such that said playing piece is forced away from said target field by gravity.

27. A golfing game apparatus as recited in claim 24 further comprising an extra ball dispenser operative to store and dispense additional balls onto said target field when said ball directed by said player is permanently removed from play.

28. A method for playing a game having an object sensor, the method comprising:

providing a target in a target field at which a player is to direct a playing piece;

sensing a final resting position of said playing piece in relation to said target, wherein said final resting position is sensed by comparing portions of said target field to a predetermined image; and

providing a game score based upon a distance of said playing piece at said final resting position from said target.

29. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein said providing a target includes providing a target field having a plurality of individual targets.

30. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein said sensing a final resting position of said playing piece includes recording an image of said target field and comparing said image of said target field to said predetermined image.

31. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein said predetermined image portrays a valid playing piece used for said game.

32. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein said sensing a final resting position of said object includes detecting an intensity of said playing piece in said image of said target field, wherein said intensity of said playing piece is over a threshold intensity to be detected as a playing piece.

33. A method as recited in claim 32 wherein said playing piece is determined to be in a final position that provides a game score by recording a plurality of images of said target field and by finding a plurality of said images in which an image of said playing piece has not changed position.

34. A method as recited in claim 32 wherein said playing piece is detected when said portion of said image of said target field that corresponds to said predetermined image equals said predetermined image within a threshold percentage and when said portion has an intensity over said threshold intensity.

35. A method as recited in claim 34 wherein said image of said target field is composed of pixels, and wherein said predetermined image is a mask pixel map.

36. A method as recited in claim 33 wherein said image of said target field is examined to determine an identity of said playing piece, wherein said game score is provided only when an identity of said playing piece is valid for said game apparatus.

37. A method as recited in claim 36 further comprising sensing a trajectory of said playing piece as said playing piece is directed towards said target and modifying said game score only when said trajectory of said playing piece is within predetermined spatial constraints.

38. A method as recited in claim 36 wherein said method is performed by a plurality of players using a plurality of playing pieces, wherein each player is associated with a playing piece having a different identity from other playing pieces of said plurality of playing pieces.

39. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein said player directs a plurality of said playing pieces to said target field.

40. A method for sensing an object directed onto a target field during a game, the method comprising:

providing a target on a target field at which an object is directed by a player;

periodically recording an image of said target field;

determining a position of said playing piece on said target field by examining at least one of said recorded images of said target field; and

determining a distance between said object and said target by examining at least one of said recorded images of said target field.

41. A method as recited in claim 40 wherein said determining a position of said playing piece includes determining when said object has stopped moving when engaged with said target field by examining one of said recorded images of said target field, and wherein determining a distance includes determining a distance between said object and said target when said object has stopped moving.

42. A method as recited in claim 41 wherein said determining when said object has stopped moving includes comparing a plurality of recorded images of said target field.

43. A method as recited in claim 40 wherein said determining a position includes determining a trajectory of said object on said target field by examining a plurality of said recorded images.

44. A method as recited in claim 43 wherein said determining a distance includes determining a distance between said target and a position of closest approach of said object to said target.

45. A method as recited in claim 42 wherein said recorded image includes a plurality of pixels, each of said pixels having an intensity, and wherein said detecting said object in said recorded image includes scanning said pixels to check for pixels having an intensity in a predetermined range corresponding to said valid playing piece.

46. A method as recited in claim 40 further comprising verifying that said object is a valid playing piece for use with said game apparatus, and wherein said determining a distance is only performed when said object is a valid playing piece.

47. A method as recited in claim 46 wherein said verifying when said object is a valid playing piece includes comparing said recorded image of said target field with a predetermined image of said object.

48. A method as recited in claim 47 wherein said recorded image includes a plurality of pixels, and wherein said predetermined image of said object is a mask pixel map stored in memory.

49. A method as recited in claim 48 wherein said examining said image includes utilizing an image enhancing process to provide said image in a higher resolution.

50. A method as recited in claim 42 further comprising determining when an ambient light around said target field changes, and compensating for said changed ambient light in said determining when said object has stopped moving and said determining a distance.

51. A method as recited in claim 46 further comprising providing a plurality of targets, and further comprising receiving a designation of one of said targets, wherein said distance is determined between said object and said designated target.