Image capture apparatus and method

• US 6,139,432 A
• Filed: 04/21/1999
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Mikio, Tanaka, Keisuke, Shiimori, Yoshiko, Teshima, Atsushi, Haneda, Norihisa, Kawaoka, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/295,339
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 463/32, 463/33, 463/34, 463/30, 463/36, 463/46, 463/47, 463/47.5, 463/53, 463/56, 463/57, 273/406, 273/148 R, 273/148 B, 273/440, 273/451, 273/460, 396/661, 345/419, 345/420, 345/421, 345/358, 345/108, 345/109, 345/501, 345/955, 702/130, 702/131, 702/138
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0096 using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• 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 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 : according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 : for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 : for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 : Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 : involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 : 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

A game player is allowed to punch a punching ball and the shape of a captured image is transformed in conformity with the punching force applied to the ball. An image is captured by a camera or memory card reader. The player punches the punching ball, causing the shape of the captured image to be transformed. The larger the acceleration of the punching ball when it is punched, the greater the transformation in the shape of the captured image. The transformed image is displayed on a display unit and may be printed if desired. The player can experience a game more realistic than one in which the shape of a computer-graphics image is transformed.

Claims

1. An image capture apparatus comprising:

image capture means for capturing an image;

sensing means for sensing at least one of a command from a player and a physical quantity relating to a characteristic of the player;

image shape/color transformation means for subjecting image data, which represents the image captured by said image capture means, to at least one of shape transformation processing and color transformation processing on the basis of at least one of the command and physical quantity, which has been sensed by said sensing means, in such a manner that the image will be subjected to at least one of shape transformation and color transformation; and

output means for outputting the image data that has been processed by said image shape/color transformation means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means is a display unit for displaying an image that is at least one of a shape-transformed image and color-transformed image represented by the image data that has been subjected to at least one of the shape transformation processing and color transformation processing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein degree of shape transformation of a shape-transformed image or degree of color transformation of a color-transformed image is displayed on said display unit while being gradually enlarged.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying an image captured by said image capture means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

first storage means for storing image data representing at least one of a last captured image, which represents an image captured last by said image capture means, and a last shape-transformed image that has been transformed by said image shape/color transformation means; and

first control means for controlling said shape/color transformation means, based upon at least one of the command value and physical quantity sensed by said sensing means, so as to apply shape transformation processing to the image data, which has been stored in said first storage means, that represents at least one of the last captured image and last shape-transformed image.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image capture means captures a color image, and said apparatus further comprises:

second storage means for storing image data representing at least one of a last captured image, which represents an image captured last by said image capture means, and a last color-transformed image that has been transformed by said image shape/color transformation means; and

second control means for controlling said shape/color transformation means, based upon at least one of the command value and physical quantity sensed by said sensing means, so as to apply color transformation processing to the image data, which has been stored in said second storage means, that represents at least one of the last captured image and last color-transformed image.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image shape/color transformation means further includes decision means for deciding, based upon at least one of the command value and physical quantity sensed by said sensing means, a description statement representing one type of processing from among image-processing description statements in which there are set forth a plurality of description statements representing at least one of image-data shape transformation processing and color transformation processing;

the image captured by said image capture means being subjected to at least one of shape transformation and color transformation based upon the description statement that has been decided.

8. An image capture apparatus comprising:

image capture means for capturing an image;

punching-force sensing means for sensing a value relating to punching force;

image shape transformation means for subjecting image data, which represents the image captured by said image capture means, to shape transformation processing on the basis of the punching force, which has been sensed by said punching-force sensing means, in such a manner that the captured image will be transformed in shape; and

output means for outputting the image data that has been subjected to shape transformation processing by said image shape transformation means.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said punching force sensing means includes:

direction sensing means for sensing direction in which the punching force is applied; and

magnitude sensing means for sensing magnitude of the punching force;

said image shape transformation means transforming the shape of the image in a direction that corresponds to the direction sensed by said direction sensing means and enlarging degree of shape transformation of the image captured by said image capture means, wherein the larger the magnitude of the punching force, the more the degree of shape transformation is enlarged.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image capture means captures images of two different frames, and said punching force sensing means includes:

first punching force sensing means for sensing punching force in connection with one image of the images of the two different frames; and

second punching force sensing means for sensing punching force in connection with the other image of the images of the two different frames; and

said image shape transformation means includes;

first image shape transformation means for subjecting the image data, which represents the image captured by said image capture means, to shape transformation processing on the basis of the punching force sensed by said first punching force sensing means, in such a manner that the shape of said one image is transformed; and

second image shape transformation means for subjecting the image data, which represents the image captured by said image capture means, to shape transformation processing on the basis of the punching force sensed by said second punching force sensing means, in such a manner that the shape of said other image is transformed.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image capture means captures a first image from a first player and a second image from a second player;

said punching force sensing means includes;

first punching force sensing means for sensing a value relating to punching force of the first player; and

second punching force sensing means for sensing a value relating to punching force of the second player; and

said image shape transformation means includes;

first image shape transformation means for shape-transforming image data, which represents the second image captured by said image capture means, on the basis of the punching force sensed by said first punching force sensing means, so as to transform the shape of the second image; and

second image shape transformation means for shape-transforming image data, which represents the first image captured by said image capture means, on the basis of the punching force sensed by said second punching force sensing means, so as to transform the shape of the first image; and

said output means includes;

a first display unit for displaying, to the first player, the second image whose shape has been transformed by said first image shape transformation means; and

a second display unit for displaying, to the second player, the first image whose shape has been transformed by said second image shape transformation means.

12. An image capture apparatus comprising:

color-image capture means for capturing a color image;

body-temperature measurement means for measuring a value relating to body temperature;

image color transformation means for subjecting image data, which represents the color image captured by said color-image capture means, to color transformation processing on the basis of the body temperature, which has been measured by the body-temperature measurement means, in such a manner that the captured color image will be transformed in color; and

output means for outputting the color image data that has been subjected to color transformation processing by said image-color transformation means.

13. An image capture apparatus comprising:

color-image capture means for capturing a color image;

alcohol sensing means for sensing a value relating to alcohol content in breath;

image color-transformation means for subjecting color image data, which represents the color image captured by said color-image capture means, to color transformation processing on the basis of the value relating to alcohol content, which has been sensed by said alcohol sensing means, in such a manner that the captured color image will be transformed in color; and

output means for outputting the color image data that has been subjected to color transformation processing by said image-color transformation means.

14. An image capture apparatus comprising:

color-image capture means for capturing a color image;

command-value input means for inputting a command value, which represents degree of color transformation, from a player;

image color-transformation means for subjecting image data, which represents the color image captured by said color-image capture means, to color transformation processing on the basis of the command value that has been input from said command-value input means; and

output means for outputting the color image data that has been subjected to color transformation processing by said image-color transformation means.

15. An image capture method comprising the steps of:

capturing an image;

sensing at least one of a command from a player and a physical quantity relating to a characteristic of the player;

subjecting image data, which represents the image captured, to at least one of shape transformation processing and color transformation processing on the basis of at least one of the command and physical quantity sensed, in such a manner that the image will be subjected to at least one of shape transformation and color transformation; and

outputting the image data that has been processed.

16. An image capture method comprising the steps of:

capturing an image;

sensing a value relating to punching force;

subjecting image data, which represents the image captured, to shape transformation processing on the basis of the punching force sensed, in such a manner that the captured image will be transformed in shape; and

outputting the image data that has been subjected to shape transformation processing.

17. An image capture method comprising the steps of:

capturing a color image;

measuring a value relating to body temperature;

subjecting image data, which represents the color image captured, to color transformation processing on the basis of the measured value relating to body temperature of the player, in such a manner that the captured color image will be transformed in color; and

outputting the color image data that has been subjected to color transformation processing.

18. An image capture method comprising the steps of:

capturing a color image;

sensing a value relating to alcohol content in breath;

subjecting color image data, which represents the color image captured, to color transformation processing on the basis of the sensed value relating to alcohol content, in such a manner that the captured color image will be transformed in color; and

outputting the color image data that has been subjected to color transformation processing.

19. An image capture method comprising the steps of:

capturing a color image;

inputting a command value, which represents degree of color transformation, from a player;

subjecting image data, which represents the color image captured, to color transformation processing on the basis of the input command value; and

outputting the color image data that has been subjected to color transformation processing.