Mobile remote control video gaming system

• US 6,752,720 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, Greg E., Clapper, Edward O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAPRON, AARON J
• Application Number:
  US09/595,296
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 463/5, 463/58, 463/6, 463/7, 463/62-64, 472/60, 472/62, 472/57, 472/137, 340/323.R, 446/454, 446/456
• US Class Current: 463/58
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• 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 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/048 a model being viewed and manoeuvred from a remote point G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a gaming system includes a mobile remote control vehicle. The mobile remote control vehicle communicates wirelessly with a control unit, and may be operated outside a line-of-sight (LOS) of the control unit.

Claims

1. A gaming system, the gaming system comprising:

a mobile remote control vehicle including a camera to capture imagery;

a player-selectable environment in which the mobile remote control vehicle can operate, the player-selectable environmental one of a plurality of environments with which game data may be used; and

a computer adapted to overlay the imagery from the camera on the mobile remote control vehicle with the game data.

2. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile remote control vehicle includes a first antenna adapted to wirelessly communicate with the gaming system; and

the gaming system includes a second antenna adapted to wirelessly communicate with the mobile remote control vehicle.

3. A gaming system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second antennas are adapted to send the imagery captured by the camera on the mobile remote control vehicle from the first antenna to the second antenna.

4. A gaming system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second antennas are adapted to send sensor data captured by a sensor on the mobile remote control vehicle from the first antenna to the second antenna.

5. A gaming system according to claim 2, the gaming system further comprising a control unit adapted to control a movement of the mobile remote control vehicle, the control unit including the second antenna.

6. A gaming system according to claim 2, wherein the first antenna is constructed and arranged to wirelessly communicate with a second mobile remote control vehicle.

7. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile remote control vehicle is remotely operated via the computer.

8. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile remote control vehicle includes a sensor adapted to sense the environment.

9. A gaming system according to claim 8, wherein the sensor includes an impact sensor adapted to sense an impact with an object.

10. A gaming system according to claim 8, wherein the sensor includes a depth-of-field sensor adapted to determine distance to an object.

11. A gaming system according to claim 8, wherein the computer is adapted to use data from the sensor in overlaying the imagery from the camera on the mobile remote control vehicle with game data.

12. A gaming system according to claim 8, wherein:

the sensor includes a second camera to capture imagery; and

the computer is adapted to overlay the imagery from both the camera and the second camera on the mobile remote control vehicle with game data.

13. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to overlay the imagery from the camera on the mobile remote control vehicle with rendered game characters.

14. A gaming system according to claim 13, wherein the computer is adapted to digitally replace an image of a second mobile remote control vehicle with a game character.

15. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to overlay the imagery from the camera on the mobile remote control vehicle with special effects.

16. A gaming system according to claim 1, the gaming system further comprising a remote object adapted to interact with the mobile remote control vehicle.

17. A gaming system according to claim 16, wherein the remote object may follow the mobile remote control vehicle.

18. A gaming system according to claim 16, wherein the remote object includes an antenna adapted to wirelessly communicate with gaming system.

19. A gaming system according to claim 16, wherein the remote object includes an antenna adapted to wirelessly communicate with the mobile remote control vehicle.

20. A gaming system according to claim 16, wherein the remote object includes a camera to capture imagery.

21. A gaming system according to claim 20, wherein the computer is adapted to overlay the imagery from the camera on the remote object with game data.

22. A gaming system according to claim 1, the gaming system further comprising a control unit connected to the computer adapted to control a movement of the mobile remote control vehicle.

23. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile remote control vehicle is beyond a line of sight from the computer.

24. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the imagery lacks any game data.

25. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the imagery is a background for the game data.

26. A gaming system according to claim 25, wherein the background is unrelated to the game data.

27. A gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the game data is one of a plurality of player-selectable game datas.

28. A gaming system according to claim 27, wherein each of the game datas may be used with each of the environments.

29. A gaming system, the gaming system comprising:

a mobile remote control vehicle including a camera to capture imagery;

a player-selectable environment in which the mobile remote control vehicle can operate, the player-selectable environment one of a plurality of environments with which game data may be used; and

a control unit adapted to control a movement of the mobile remote control vehicle, the control unit including a heads-up display of the imagery from the camera on the mobile remote control vehicle.

30. A gaming system according to claim 29, wherein:

the mobile remote control vehicle includes a first antenna adapted to wirelessly communicate with the control unit;

the control unit includes a second antenna adapted to wirelessly communicate with the mobile remote control vehicle.

31. A gaming system according to claim 29, wherein the imagery lacks any game data.

32. A gaming system according to claim 29, wherein the imagery is a background for the game data.

33. A gaming system according to claim 32, wherein the background is unrelated to the game data.

34. A gaming system according to claim 29, wherein the game data is one of a plurality of player-selectable game datas.

35. A gaming system according to claim 34, wherein each of the game datas may be used with each of the environments.

56. An article according to claim 32, further comprising selecting the game data from a plurality of player-selectable game datas.

57. An article according to claim 56, wherein each of the game datas may be used with each of the environments.

36. A method for using a computer in a gaming system with a mobile remote control vehicle, the method comprising:

selecting by a player an environment for the mobile remote control vehicle from a plurality of player-selectable environments with which game data may be used;

receiving imagery of the player-selected environment from a camera;

rendering the game data;

overlaying the game data onto the imagery received from the camera; and

displaying the overlaid imagery and game data to the player.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the mobile remote control vehicle includes the camera.

38. A method according to claim 36, wherein rendering game data includes:

calculating a position of a game character; and

placing the game character in the position on the imagery.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein calculating a position includes calculating an orientation and size of the game character.

40. A method according to claim 36, wherein rendering game data includes rendering game data based on a location of the mobile remote control vehicle.

41. A method according to claim 36, wherein rendering game data includes adding special effects.

42. A method according to claim 36, wherein receiving imagery includes receiving none of the game data in the imagery.

43. A method according to claim 36, wherein receiving imagery includes receiving a background for the game data.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein receiving a background includes receiving the background unrelated to the game data.

45. A method according to claim 36, further comprising selecting the game data from a plurality of player-selectable game datas.

46. A method according to claim 45, wherein each of the game datas may be used with each of the environments.

47. An article comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a computing device, result in;

receiving imagery of a player-selected environment from a camera, the player-selected environment one of a plurality of environments with which game data may be used;

rendering the game data;

overlaying the game data onto the imagery received from the camera; and

displaying the overlaid imagery and game data to the player.

48. An article according to claim 47, wherein the camera is included in a mobile remote control vehicle.

49. An article according to claim 47, wherein rendering game data includes:

calculating a position of a game character; and

placing the game character in the position on the imagery.

50. An article according to claim 49, wherein calculating a position includes calculating an orientation and size of the game character.

51. A method according to claim 47, wherein rendering game data includes rendering game data based on a location of a mobile remote control vehicle.

52. An article according to claim 47, wherein rendering game data includes adding special effects.

53. An article according to claim 47, wherein receiving imagery includes receiving none of the game data in the imagery.

54. An article according to claim 47, wherein receiving imagery includes receiving a background for the game data.

55. A method according to claim 54, wherein receiving a background includes receiving the background unrelated to the game data.