Directed guidance of viewing devices

• US 7,643,054 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Griss, Martin L., Sayers, Craig P.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/315,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,584 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/149, 348/8, 701/213, 701/201, 702/150, 705/6, 342/357.13, 455/90.2, 345/7, 345/9, 345/633, 345/8, 359/400, 340/531.13
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00075 War games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

Techniques for directed guidance of viewing devices which enable a spectator to be guided toward points of interest using guidance cues from viewpoint control sources including other viewing devices or event directors. A viewing system according to the present techniques include a viewpoint control source that generates a guidance cue for a point of interest and a viewing device that obtains the guidance cue from the viewpoint control source and in response generates a guidance signal for moving a viewpoint of the viewing device in a direction indicated by the guidance cue.

Claims

1. A viewing system, comprising:

viewpoint control source that generates a guidance cue in response to an indication of a point of interest by a user of the viewpoint control source;

viewing device that provides a user of the viewing device with a live view such that the viewing device obtains the guidance cue from the viewpoint control source and in response guides the live view toward the point of interest.

2. The viewing system of claim 1, wherein the guidance cue provides a set of optical parameters pertaining to the viewpoint control source.

3. The viewing system of claim 1, wherein the guidance cue provides an image sampled by the viewpoint control source.

4. The viewing system of claim 1, wherein the guidance cue provides a set of information pertaining to a set of landmarks.

5. The viewing system of claim 1, wherein the viewpoint control source is a master viewing device that generates the guidance cue in response to a user input.

6. The viewing system of claim 1, wherein the viewpoint control source is a central director in an event that generates the guidance cue by determining the point of interest.

7. The viewing system of claim 1, wherein the viewing device obtains a set of information pertaining to the guidance cue from the viewpoint control source and provides the information to the user of the viewing device.

8. A viewing device that provides a user with a live view, comprising:

sensor that determines a current viewpoint of the viewing device;

communication subsystem that receives a guidance cue for a point of interest;

guidance controller that generates a guidance signal that guides the live view toward the point of interest in response to the guidance cue and the current viewpoint.

9. The viewing device of claim 8, further comprising an output device that generates a guidance stimulus in response to the guidance signal such that the guidance stimulus encourages the user to move the viewing device in accordance with the guidance cue.

10. The viewing device of claim 9, wherein the guidance stimulus provides a haptic feedback to the user.

11. The viewing device of claim 9, wherein the guidance stimulus is an audio feedback to the user.

12. The viewing device of claim 9, wherein the guidance stimulus provides a visual feedback to the user.

13. The viewing device of claim 8, further comprising a viewpoint control mechanism which is responsive to the guidance signal.

14. The viewing device of claim 8, further comprising a store of user preferences that holds an indication of whether the guidance cue is to be ignored.

15. The viewing device of claim 8, further comprising means for providing to the user a set of information pertaining to the guidance cue.

16. A method for directed guidance of a viewing device that provides a user with a live view, comprising:

generating a guidance cue for a point of interest during an event;

guiding the live view toward the point of interest in response to the guidance cue.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein guiding includes generating a guidance stimulus in response to the guidance cue such that the guidance stimulus encourages the user to move the viewing device in a direction indicated by the guidance cue.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein generating a guidance stimulus comprises generating a haptic feedback to the user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein generating a guidance stimulus comprises generating an audio feedback to the user.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein generating a guidance stimulus comprises generating a visual feedback to the user.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein guiding includes moving a viewpoint control mechanism in the viewing device in the direction indicated by the guidance cue.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating a set of information pertaining to the guidance cue.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing the information to the user.