Semantic gaming and application transformation

• US 8,137,195 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Penzias, Arno
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rustemeyer, Malina K
• Application Number:
  US11/286,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,309 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/38
• US Class Current: 463/37
• 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 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• 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 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 : with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 : Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A gaming system comprises a handheld user input device, a processor for receiving input data from the handheld user input device and a gaming application for receiving data from the processor based on the received input data from the handheld user input device. The handheld user input device emulates one of a plurality of different devices associated with the gaming application. Each of the plurality of different devices have a set of input commands associated therewith. The set of input commands associated with the one of a plurality of different devices includes a command based on one of motion and orientation of the handheld device.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a handheld user input device including an accelerometer for detecting a linear acceleration of said handheld user device and at least one other sensor for detecting a rotational motion of said handheld user input device;

a processor for receiving as input data, linear acceleration data corresponding to said linear acceleration and rotational motion data corresponding to said rotational motion, from said handheld user input device; and

a gaming application for receiving compensated data from said processor based on said input data received from the handheld user input device,

wherein

said handheld user input device emulates one of a plurality of different devices based on said gaming application, and

said processor applying different sets of movement processing equations for said plurality of different devices such that a set of movement processing equations for said one of a plurality of different devices is applied based on an inertia of said one of a plurality of different devices.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said handheld user input device is a free-space pointing device.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said command is a gesture of said handheld device.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein said one of said different devices is a gun.

5. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein said one of said different devices is a steering wheel.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display for reflecting said motion and orientation of the handheld device.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein said display comprises a plurality of displays being positioned surrounding a user.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein a particular motion associated with the handheld device results in moving a corresponding cursor from one display to a second display.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said input data from said handheld user input device is communicated to the processor over a wireless data link.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the wireless link is a Bluetooth link.

11. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the wireless link is an IR link.

12. The gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a second handheld user input device.

13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the second handheld user input device communicates with the processor over a second wireless link.

14. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein said gesture is a lateral motion of said handheld device to emulate a steering action.

15. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to compensate said detected motion of said handheld user input device by transforming said detected motion from the body frame of reference associated with said handheld user input device into an inertial frame of reference.

16. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one other sensor is a camera.

17. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said at least one other sensor is an optical sensor.

18. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said accelerometer is a multi-axis accelerometer and wherein said at least one second output includes a value y generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said handheld device user input in a y-axis direction and a value z generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said handheld user input device in a z-axis direction.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein said multi-axis accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.

20. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said input data is generated at a sampling rate of 200 samples/second.

21. A method for using a handheld user input device, said method comprising:

executing an application program on a processor;

establishing a communication data link between the handheld user input device and the processor;

generating raw data by an accelerometer and at least one other sensor based on a motion of the handheld user input device, wherein said handheld user input device emulates one of a plurality of different devices based on said application program, the raw data describes the motion of the handheld user input device and the raw data includes linear acceleration data and rotational motion data generated by the accelerometer and the at least one other sensor;

receiving the raw data from said handheld user input device including the linear acceleration data from the accelerometer and the rotational motion data from the at least one other sensor, said linear acceleration data and said rotational motion data being associated with a linear acceleration and a rotational motion of said handheld user input device;

processing the raw data from the accelerometer and the at least one other sensor to produce compensated data;

receiving the compensated data by the application program based on the received linear acceleration data and the rotational motion data; and

applying different sets of movement processing equations for said plurality of different devices such that a set of movement processing equations for said one of a plurality of different devices is applied based on an inertia of said one of a plurality of different devices.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the application program is a gaming application.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the user input data is received by the processor over a wireless data link.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the handheld user input device is a free-space pointing device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said sensor is a camera.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said at least one other sensor is an optical sensor.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said accelerometer is a multi-axis accelerometer and wherein said at least one second output includes a value y generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said handheld device in a y-axis direction and a value z generated by said multi-axis accelerometer associated with acceleration of said handheld device in a z-axis direction.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said multi-axis accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said user input data is generated at a sampling rate of 200 samples/second.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein said processing of said raw data for orientation of said handheld user input device further comprises:

compensating detected motion of said handheld user input device by transforming said detected motion from a body frame of reference associated with said handheld user input device into an inertial frame of reference.