System and method for interfacing with a computer program

• US 8,062,126 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Despande, Hrishikesh, Zalewski, Gary M., Marks, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdi; Amara
• Application Number:
  US11/588,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20070117625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 463/30, 463/36, 345/156
• US Class Current: 463/30
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• 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

A method for triggering commands of a program executed on a computing system is provided. In this method, an interface object first is provided. One interface object is defined by an object coupled to a handle, whereby the handle includes an elongated member that is substantially perpendicular to a line extending from the object. Another interface object is coupled to a game controller. Another interface object is defined by a pair of spherical objects. The interface object then is placed within a field of view of an image capture device, and a change in position of the interface object within the field of view of the image capture device triggers an interfacing command at the program executed on the computing system. A system for triggering commands of a program also are described.

Claims

1. A method for triggering commands of a program executed on a computing system, comprising method operations of:

providing an interface object, the interface object being defined by an object coupled to a handle, the object having a spherical shape and the spherical shape of the object being coupled to the handle only at one location, the handle including an elongated member having at least one button on the handle that is user controllable during execution of the program, the button providing at least one input for triggering of commands by the program by at least selecting, deselecting, or manipulating graphically displayed objects presented on a screen that receives image input from the computing system;

receiving and transmitting data to the interface object using a wireless transceiver, the data being received from the interface object including motion sensing data;

detecting the interface object within a field of view of an image capture device; and

detecting a change in position of the interface object within the field of view of the image capture device, the detected change in position and the received motion sensing data used to control an interfacing command at the program executed on the computing system;

wherein the object is defined by a translucent plastic material that is illuminated from within the object to cover the object with illumination, such that the method further includes,

(i) setting the translucent plastic material to be illuminated to one or more degrees of brightness, and

(ii) setting the translucent plastic material to be illuminated in one or more colors,

wherein the setting of (i) and (ii) are executed in response to an interactive interface with the program executed on the computing system, and the setting of (i) and (ii) enhance tracking of the translucent plastic material as the change in position is detected in the field of view of the image capture device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handle is configured to limit a hand holding the handle from blocking the object from being viewed by the image capture device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interfacing command causes the graphically displayed objects on the screen to be moved, grabbed, or dragged.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the color, a change in the color, a change in the color intensity, or a change in the brightness of the object to enable additional triggering of the interfacing command at the program executed on the computing system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device tracks or reacts to the color, a change in the color, a change in intensity of the color, or a change in the brightness of the object.

12. The interface object of claim 1, wherein the handle connects to a side of the spherical object.

6. An interface object for use in interfacing with a video game program executed on a computing system, the computing system being interfaced with an image capture device, comprising:

the interface object being configured to be placed within a field of view of the image capture device, the interface object being defined by a spherical object coupled to a handle only at one end of the handle, the handle being configured to limit a hand holding the handle from blocking the spherical object from being viewed by the image capture device, the handle including at least one button for communicating the commands to the video game program while tracking the spherical object using images obtained from the image capture device;

the interface object including a motion sensing device for detecting translational movements and rotation movements;

the interface object including a transceiver for receiving data from the computing system and for transmitting data to the computing system, the data being transmitted to the computing system including data from the motion sensing device;

the spherical object is shaped from a translucent material and an illuminating device is configured for illuminating the translucent material from within the spherical object,

wherein the translucent material being illuminated provides light intensity to a surface of the translucent material to cover the object with illumination, the light intensity illuminating the spherical object to,

(i) one or more degree of brightness, and

(ii) one or more colors;

Wherein (i) and (ii) are at least in part in response to communication with the video game program when executed on the computing system;

Wherein (i) and (ii) enhance the tracking of the spherical object.

7. The interface object of claim 6, wherein the spherical object when illuminated enhances tracking of the spherical object as changes in position of the spherical object are detected in the field of view of the image capture device.

8. The interface object of claim 6, wherein a surface of the spherical object includes a pattern.

9. The interface object of claim 6, wherein the computing system includes:

circuitry for monitoring the field of view of the image capture device;

circuitry for identifying the interface object within the field of view, the identified interface object being analyzed for the changes in position;

circuitry for detecting the changes in position of the interface object; and

circuitry for triggering interfacing commands at the video game program executed on the computing system, the triggering being a result of the detected change in the interface object or detecting a change in state of the button or a combination of changes of state in the button and changes in position of the interface object.

10. The interface object of claim 6, wherein the handle extends in a direction away from the object.

11. The interface object of claim 6, wherein the handle connects to a side of the spherical object.

19. The video game controller of claim 6, wherein the motion sensing device includes an accelerometer.

20. The video game controller of claim 6, wherein the transceiver includes one of a Wi-Fi™

device, a Bluetooth™

device, an infrared (IR) device, or a radio communication device.

13. A video game controller for interfacing with a computer program executed on a computing system that processes image data captured of an interfacing space that is defined in front of a display, the controller comprising:

the video game controller having at least one button, the video game controller configured to be held by only one hand of a user;

an object connected to one end of the video game controller, the object defined from a translucent material;

a light in the object, the light when active is configured to provide a light intensity to the translucent material from within the object causing surfaces of the object to be covered with illumination from the light, the light being configured to;

(i) one or more degree of brightness, and

(ii) one or more colors;

a motion sensing device disposed in the video game controller; and

a transceiver disposed in the video game controller for receiving data from the computing system and for sending data to the computing system;

Wherein (i) and (ii) are at least in part in response to communication with the computer program when executed on the computing system;

Wherein (i) and (ii) enhance tracking of the spherical object.

14. The video game controller of claim 13, wherein the light is defined by a light emitting diode (LED) device, the light emitting diode device configured to provide one or more colors, the one or more colors configured to cause the surface of the object to be illuminated with light of a current color.

15. The video game controller of claim 13, wherein the video game controller includes a USB plug.

16. The video game controller of claim 13, wherein a handle of the video game controller extends in a direction away from the object.

17. The video game controller of claim 13, wherein the motion sensing device includes an accelerometer.

18. The video game controller of claim 13, wherein the transceiver includes one of a Wi-Fi™

device, a Bluetooth™

device, an infrared (IR) device, or a radio communication device.

21. The video game controller of claim 13, wherein the object has a shape selected from one of a perfect sphere, an imperfect sphere, a circular-like shape, a dome shape, a half sphere, a pyramid, or a half cube.