Managing virtual port associations to users in a gesture-based computing environment

• US 8,181,123 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stone-Perez, Kathryn, Margolis, Jeffrey, Finocchio, Mark J., Keane, Brian E., Poot, Rudy Jacobus, Latta, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durkin, James T
• Application Number:
  US12/434,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 715744-746, 715/863, 463 36- 39
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• 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 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen

Abstract

Techniques for managing virtual ports are disclosed herein. Each such virtual port may have different associated features such as, for example, privileges, rights or options. When one or more users are in a capture scene of a gesture based system, the system may associate virtual ports with the users and maintain the virtual ports. Also provided are techniques for disassociating virtual ports with users or swapping virtual ports between two or more users.

Claims

1. A method for managing a gesture based computing environment, comprising:

receiving an image of a capture area;

identifying a first user based on at least part of the first user being depicted in the image;

associating the first user with a primary virtual port, the primary virtual port having associated therewith a feature that a secondary virtual port does not have, a user of the computing environment being able to be bound or unbound to the primary virtual port, the user being bound to the primary virtual port being indicative of the user being able to provide input to the computing environment via the primary virtual port;

identifying a second user based on at least part of the second user being depicted in the image;

associating the second user with the secondary virtual port in response to identifying the second user;

disassociating the first user from the primary virtual port in response to the second user making a volunteer gesture, the first user making an exit gesture, or the first user losing a game; and

updating an association of the second user from the secondary virtual port to the primary virtual port in response to dissociating the first user from the primary virtual port.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein updating an association of the second user from the secondary virtual port to the primary virtual port comprises:

transferring a feature associated with the first user to the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first user with the primary virtual port comprises:

determining that the first user has performed an entry command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first user with the primary virtual port comprises:

associating the first user with the primary virtual port in response to determining that the first user has issued a volunteer command in response to issuing a prompt to the first and second users for a volunteer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an aspect of the first user or receiving user profile information for the first user; and

wherein associating the first user with the primary virtual port is performed based on the aspect of the first user or the user profile information.

6. A system for managing a gesture based computing environment, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory bearing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system to at least;

receive an image of a capture area;

identify a first user based on at least part of the first user being depicted in the image;

associate the first user with a primary virtual port, the primary virtual port having associated therewith a feature that a secondary virtual port does not have, a user of the computing environment being able to be bound or unbound to the primary virtual port, the user being bound to the primary virtual port being indicative of the user being able to provide input to the computing environment via the primary virtual port;

identify a second user based on at least part of the second user being depicted in the image;

associate the second user with the secondary virtual port in response to identifying the second user;

disassociate the first user from the primary virtual port in response to the second user making a volunteer gesture, the first user making an exit gesture, or the first user losing a game; and

update an association of the second user from the secondary virtual port to the primary virtual port in response to dissociating the first user from the primary virtual port.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the image comprises a depth image.

8. A computer readable storage medium excluding signals bearing computer executable instructions for managing a gesture based computing environment that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving an image of a capture area;

identifying a first user based on at least part of the first user being depicted in the image;

associating the first user with a primary virtual port, the primary virtual port having associated therewith a feature that a secondary virtual port does not have, a user of the computing environment being able to be bound or unbound to the primary virtual port, the user being bound to the primary virtual port being indicative of the user being able to provide input to the computing environment via the primary virtual port;

identifying a second user based on at least part of the second user being depicted in the image;

associating the second user with the secondary virtual port in response to identifying the second user;

disassociating the first user from the primary virtual port in response to the second user making a volunteer gesture, the first user making an exit gesture, or the first user losing a game; and

updating an association of the second user from the secondary virtual port to the primary virtual port in response to dissociating the first user from the primary virtual port.