Control apparatus and method for games and others

• US 7,594,853 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Noro, Hideo, Okuno, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/451,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 2, 463 4- 5, 463 7- 8, 463 30- 34, 463 36- 39, 463 49- 57, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/309, 273/317.1, 273/340, 273/348, 273361-367, 348/115, 348/117, 348/211.14, 717168-178, 345 11- 34, 434/37, 434/240
• US Class Current: 463/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

There is provided a control apparatus for a game or the like, that is capable of automatically carrying out a game or simulation starting/terminating process according to operations performed necessarily in executing the game or simulation. Controllers are mounted on or gripped by a player for operation. Position sensors detect the positional relationship of the controllers with respect to a space for executing the game. A control circuit controls the start/termination of the game, and the, turning-on/off of power sources of the controllers, according to the results of the detection by the position sensors.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for displaying scene in a virtual space according to a position of each of a plurality of head mount displays (HMDs), each head mount display having a sensor for use in detecting the position of the head mount display, comprising:

an acquiring unit configured to acquire the positions of the plurality of head mount displays in order to determine the presence or absence of the plurality of head mount displays from the positions detected and transmitted to the acquiring unit by the sensors, each of the head mount displays is mounted on each of plural players, the players sharing the virtual space;

a determining unit configured to determine from the presence or absence whether all the plurality of head mount displays are present within a predetermined area in a real space;

a control unit configured to start displaying scenes in the virtual space on the plurality of the head mount displays, when it is determined by the determining unit that all the plurality of head mount displays are present within the predetermined area in the real space; and

a HMD power source controller for controlling turning on and off a power source of each said head mount display,

wherein when each said head mount display has entered an equipment storage area, said HMD power source controller turns off the power source of that head mount display, and

wherein when each said head mount display has exited from the equipment storage area, said HMD power source controller turns on the power source of that head mount display that has exited from the equipment storage area.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said head mount displays are see-through type head mount displays.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit terminates displaying the scenes in the virtual space on the plurality of the head mount displays, when any one of the plurality of head mount displays is absent from the predetermined area in the real space.

4. An information processing method for displaying scene in a virtual space according to a position of each of a plurality of head mount displays, each head mount display having a sensor for use in detecting the position of the head mount display, comprising the steps of:

acquiring the positions of a the plurality of head mount displays in order to determine the presence or absence of the plurality of head mount displays from the positions detected and transmitted to the acquiring unit performing the acquiring by the sensors, each of the head mount displays is mounted on each of plurality of players, the players sharing the virtual space;

determining from the presence or absence whether all the plurality of head mount displays are present within a predetermined area in a real space;

starting displaying scenes in the virtual space on the plurality of the head mount displays, when it is determined that all the plurality of head mount displays are present within the predetermined area in the real space, and

controlling turning on and off a power source of each said head mount display, wherein when each said head mount display has entered an equipment storage area, the power source of that head mount display is turned off,

wherein when each said head mount display has exited from the equipment storage area, the power source of that head mount display that has exited from the equipment storage area is turned on.