Virtual reality movement system

• US 7,864,168 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: French Family Trust
• Original Assignee: Impulse Technology Limited
• Inventors: French, Barry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US11/431,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/173, 345/184, 345/204, 345/205, 345/211, 345/213, 345/214, 345/419, 345/420, 345/474, 345/426, 463 1- 7, 463 25- 47, 709/204, 709/205, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• 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 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• 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 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

An interactive system tracks users in different physical spaces, both corresponding to a virtual space. The system resolves virtual collisions between the users in the virtual space. The system may resolve the virtual collision by examining the postures and power of the users. Different resolution criteria (“rules”) may be used for same-posture and different postures collisions.

Claims

1. A multiuser physical competition system comprising:

a first tracking system for determining changes in a first overall physical location of a first user within a first physical space;

a second tracking system for determining changes in a second overall physical location of a second user within a second physical space; and

at least one computer operatively coupled to the tracking systems for updating user virtual locations in a virtual space that correspond in a scaled translation to the physical locations of the users, and for determining occurrence of virtual collisions of the users in the virtual space;

wherein the at least one computer resolves the virtual collisions in the virtual space;

wherein the at least one computer resolves the virtual collisions by selecting a prevailing user for each of the virtual collisions; and

wherein the at least one computer resolves the virtual collisions by determining whether the users are considered as having the same posture or as having different postures, and by applying a same-posture resolution criterion if the users have the same posture, or applying a different-posture resolution criterion if the users have different postures.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one computer provides a relative benefit to the prevailing user, thereby also providing a relative detriment to the non-prevailing user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer determines whether the users are considered as having the same posture by comparing relative overall physical location heights of the users.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer determines whether the users are considered as having the same posture by categorizing postures of the users based on overall physical location heights of the users into one of a plurality of posture categories.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one computer applies the different-posture resolution criterion such that each of the posture categories is at an advantage to at least one of the other posture categories, and such that each of the posture categories is at a disadvantage to at least another of the other posture categories.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computer applies the same-posture criterion by comparing respective powers of the users, wherein the power is based both on movement and mass of the user.

7. A multiuser physical competition system comprising:

a first tracking system for determining changes in a first overall physical location of a first user within a first physical space;

a second tracking system for determining changes in a second overall physical location of a second user within a second physical space; and

at least one computer operatively coupled to the tracking systems for updating user virtual locations in a virtual space that correspond in a scaled translation to the physical locations of the users, and for determining occurrence of virtual collisions of the users in the virtual space;

wherein the at least one computer resolves the virtual collisions in the virtual space;

wherein the at least one computer resolves the virtual collisions by selecting a prevailing user for each of the virtual collisions; and

wherein the at least one computer resolves the virtual collisions in the virtual space by comparing respective powers of the users, wherein the power is based both on movement and mass of the user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computer selects the prevailing user by applying different criteria for same-posture collisions and for different-posture collisions.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising at least one display, wherein the at least one display is operatively coupled to the at least one computer to provide at least one view of the virtual space to at least one of the users.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one view includes one or more icons that provide an indication of posture of at least one of the users.

11. A method of multiuser physical competition comprising:

tracking a first overall physical location of a first user within a first physical space, wherein the first overall physical location corresponds in a scaled translation to a first virtual location within a virtual space;

at the same time, tracking a second overall physical location of a second user within a second physical space, wherein the second overall physical location corresponds in a scaled translation to a second virtual location within the virtual space;

determining occurrence of virtual collisions between the users within the virtual space; and

for each of the virtual collisions, selecting a prevailing user;

wherein the selecting is based at least on posture of the users, and movement of the users prior to the virtual collision.

12. A method of multiuser physical competition comprising:

tracking a first overall physical location of a first user within a first physical space, wherein the first overall physical location corresponds in a scaled translation to a first virtual location within a virtual space;

at the same time, tracking a second overall physical location of a second user within a second physical space, wherein the second overall physical location corresponds in a scaled translation to a second virtual location within the virtual space;

determining occurrence of virtual collisions between the users within the virtual space; and

for each of the virtual collisions, selecting a prevailing user;

wherein the selecting the prevailing user includes determining whether the users are in a same-posture relation to each other, or in a different-posture relation to each other.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selecting further includes:

if the users are in the same-posture relation to each other, applying a same-posture resolution criterion, wherein the same-posture resolution criterion includes comparing powers of the users at the time of the virtual collision; and

if the users are in the different-posture relation to each other, applying a different-posture resolution criterion, wherein the different-posture resolution criterion provides at least an advantage based on the postures of the users.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining includes comparing relative overall physical location heights of the users.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining includes categorizing postures of the users based on overall physical location heights of the users into one of a plurality of posture categories.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the different-posture resolution criterion specifies that each of the posture categories is at an advantage to at least one of the other posture categories, and that each of the posture categories is at a disadvantage to at least another of the other posture categories.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising, during the tracking, displaying at least one view of the virtual space to at least one of the users.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the displaying includes displaying one or more icons that provide an indication of posture of at least one of the users.

19. A method of multiuser physical competition comprising:

tracking a first overall physical location of a first user within a first physical space, wherein the first overall physical location corresponds in a scaled translation to a first virtual location within a virtual space;

at the same time, tracking a second overall physical location of a second user within a second physical space, wherein the second overall physical location corresponds in a scaled translation to a second virtual location within the virtual space;

determining occurrence of virtual collisions between the users within the virtual space; and

for each of the virtual collisions, selecting a prevailing user;

wherein the selecting includes;

comparing powers of the users at the time of the virtual collision; and

selecting the prevailing user as the user with the greater power.

20. A physical activity system comprising:

a tracking system for determining changes in an overall physical location of a user within a first physical space;

at least one computer operatively coupled to the tracking systems for updating a user virtual location in a virtual space corresponding in a scaled translation to the physical location of the user, and for determining occurrence of virtual collisions in the virtual space between the user and one or more virtual objects;

wherein the at least one computer resolves the virtual collisions in the virtual space based on at least a posture of the user and a power of the user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one computer determines the posture of the user using an overall physical location height of the user.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the power is based both on movement and mass of the user.