Implementing lighting control of a user environment

• US 8,243,089 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Marks, Richard, Zalewski, Gary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US13/019,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 345589-628, 34820799-376
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0232 Special driving of display border areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2226 Determination of depth image, e.g. for foreground/background separation determining depth by image analysis in general G06T7/50; segmentation by image analysis in general G06T7/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A system and method for controlling lighting conditions in a user environment whereby bandwidth consumption may be managed is disclosed. An inner frame area and an outer frame area adjust certain lighting conditions in the user environment in response to certain lighting conditions detected by the image capture device as those conditions affect bandwidth consumption during transmission of the image capture data. The frame areas may be dynamically controlled as to affect the brightness and/or color of the particular user environment.

Claims

1. A method for implementing lighting control of a user environment, the method comprising:

capturing image data from a user environment via an image capture device, wherein the image data includes data about a real-world activity performed by a user interacting with a game environment, and wherein the image capture device is associated with a display device for implementing lighting control of the user environment; and

executing instructions stored in memory wherein execution of instructions by a processor;

determines that an adverse lighting condition exists, the adverse lighting condition preventing proper data capture by the image capture device; and

adjusts a lighting intensity of the display device for proper data capture in response to the adverse lighting condition, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity includes increasing or decreasing a total amount of light projected into the user environment by the display device and wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device includes adjusting the size of an inner frame area or outer frame area, the display device having an inner frame area and an outer frame area for use in implementing lighting control of the user environment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user performs the real-world activity using a prop device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device occurs during game play.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device occurs following a user approval of the intended adjustment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the intensity of the display device includes adjusting the color of the projected light to maximize the color balance of the user environment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the color of the projected light includes muting, countering, or cancelling the color.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the lighting intensity of the user environment to determine a lighting control condition in the user environment.

8. A method for implementing lighting control of a user environment, the method comprising:

capturing image data from a user environment via an image capture device, wherein the image data includes data about a real-world activity performed by a user interacting with a game environment, and wherein the image capture device is associated with a display device for implementing lighting control of the user environment; and

executing instructions stored in memory wherein execution of instructions by a processor;

determines that an adverse lighting condition exists, the adverse lighting condition preventing proper data capture by the image capture device; and

adjusts a lighting intensity of the display device for proper data capture in response to the adverse lighting condition, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity includes increasing or decreasing a total amount of light projected into the user environment by the display device and wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device includes adjusting the orientation of the inner frame area or outer frame area of the display device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user performs the real-world activity using a prop device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device occurs during game play.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device occurs following a user approval of the intended adjustment.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the intensity of the display device includes adjusting the color of the projected light to maximize the color balance of the user environment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein adjusting the color of the projected light includes muting, countering, or cancelling the color.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising calibrating the lighting intensity of the user environment to determine a lighting control condition in the user environment.

15. A method for implementing lighting control of a user environment, the method comprising:

capturing image data from a user environment via an image capture device, wherein the image data includes data about a real-world activity performed by a user interacting with a game environment, and wherein the image capture device is associated with a display device for implementing lighting control of the user environment; and

executing instructions stored in memory wherein execution of instructions by a processor;

determines that an adverse lighting condition exists, the adverse lighting condition preventing proper data capture by the image capture device; and

adjusts a lighting intensity of the display device for proper data capture in response to the adverse lighting condition, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity includes increasing or decreasing a total amount of light projected into the user environment by the display device and wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device further includes adding an additional frame area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user performs the real-world activity using a prop device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device occurs during game play.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity of the display device occurs following a user approval of the intended adjustment.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the intensity of the display device includes adjusting the color of the projected light to maximize the color balance of the user environment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting the color of the projected light includes muting, countering, or cancelling the color.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising calibrating the lighting intensity of the user environment to determine a lighting control condition in the user environment.

22. A system for implementing lighting control of a user environment, comprising:

an image capture device for capturing image data from a user environment, wherein the image data includes data about a real-world activity performed by a user interacting with a game environment;

a computing device that;

determines that an adverse lighting condition exists, the adverse lighting condition preventing proper data capture by the image capture device, and

adjusts a lighting intensity of the display device for proper data capture in response to the adverse lighting condition, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity includes increasing or decreasing a total amount of light projected into the user environment by the display device; and

a display device that displays image data received from the computing device and projects light into the user environment, wherein the display device includes an inner frame area and an outer frame area for implementing lighting control of the user environment.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the image capture device is associated with a prop device for interacting with the game environment, the user using the prop device to perform the real-world activity.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the image capture device is configured to track the prop device and translate the real-world activity performed by the user into on-screen display data.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising a lighting source external to the display device for projecting additional light into the user environment.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the computing device adjusts the lighting intensity of the display device by adjusting the color of the projected light to maximize the color balance of the user environment.

27. A system for implementing lighting control of a user environment, comprising:

an image capture device for capturing image data from a user environment, wherein the image data includes data about a real-world activity performed by a user interacting with a game environment;

a computing device that;

determines that an adverse lighting condition exists, the adverse lighting condition preventing proper data capture by the image capture device, and

adjusts a lighting intensity of the display device for proper data capture in response to the adverse lighting condition, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity includes increasing or decreasing a total amount of light projected into the user environment by the display device; and

a display device that displays image data received from the computing device and projects light into the user environment, wherein the image data is displayed in the inner frame area.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the image capture device is associated with a prop device for interacting with the game environment, the user using the prop device to perform the real-world activity.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the image capture device is configured to track the prop device and translate the real-world activity performed by the user into on-screen display data.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising a lighting source external to the display device for projecting additional light into the user environment.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the computing device adjusts the lighting intensity of the display device by adjusting the color of the projected light to maximize the color balance of the user environment.

32. A system for implementing lighting control of a user environment, comprising:

an image capture device for capturing image data from a user environment, wherein the image data includes data about a real-world activity performed by a user interacting with a game environment;

a computing device that;

determines that an adverse lighting condition exists, the adverse lighting condition preventing proper data capture by the image capture device, and

adjusts a lighting intensity of the display device for proper data capture in response to the adverse lighting condition, wherein adjusting the lighting intensity includes increasing or decreasing a total amount of light projected into the user environment by the display device; and

a display device that displays image data received from the computing device and projects light into the user environment, wherein a portion of the inner frame area or outer frame area is subdivided into subsections, each subsection subject to lighting control.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the image capture device is associated with a prop device for interacting with the game environment, the user using the prop device to perform the real-world activity.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the image capture device is configured to track the prop device and translate the real-world activity performed by the user into on-screen display data.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising a lighting source external to the display device for projecting additional light into the user environment.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the computing device adjusts the lighting intensity of the display device by adjusting the color of the projected light to maximize the color balance of the user environment.