Entertainment system providing dynamically augmented game surfaces for interactive fun and learning

• US 8,292,733 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Crawford, David W., Mine, Mark R., Lambert, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brewster, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SKAARUP, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US12/551,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20110053688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 473/1, 473/2, 473/4, 473/24, 473/27, 473/29, 273/309
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 15/20 Scoring or registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 2005/042 for indicating the ball path
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/04 Indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2444 Light detector
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2452 as a signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2463 on a screen, e.g. using a video projector
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2469 of a contour shadow shows A63J2019/003
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0664 Electric

Abstract

A system is provided for visually enhancing a game structure having a game surface and objects that move on the game surface. The system includes a projector that projects digital augmentation content or themed images onto the game surface, with the images including static and animated images. The system includes a tracking mechanism that generates tracking data from the game surface and game objects, with the tracking data defining positions of the game objects relative to the game surface. The system includes a controller that processes the tracking data to determine the positions of the game objects. The controller modifies the augmentation images in response to the determined positions of the game objects. The augmentation images include a video stream made up of a base image that is mapped to the game surface and an object enhancing image mapped to one of the game objects and its current position.

Claims

1. A system for visually enhancing a game that includes a game structure and physical game objects that may be moved by a player relative to a game surface on the game structure, comprising:

a projector projecting augmentation images onto the game surface;

a tracking mechanism generating tracking data defining positions of the game objects relative to the game surface; and

a controller processing the tracking data to determine first and second ones of the positions of the game objects and modifying the augmentation images in response to the positions of the game objects,

wherein the controller further operates to generate a first augmentation content based on the first positions, to first operate the projector to project the first augmentation content on the game surface, to generate a second augmentation content based on the second positions, and to second operate the projector to project the second augmentation content on the game surface,

wherein the tracking mechanism tracks movement of at least one of the game objects from a corresponding one of the first positions to a corresponding one of the second positions,

wherein the controller further operates to generate third augmentation content providing animation for the one of the game objects based on the tracked movement, and

wherein the augmentation images comprise a composite digital video stream including a base image mapped to the game surface and at least one game object image mapped to one of the game objects and a corresponding one of the positions, whereby the one game object image is projected onto the one of the game objects.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one of the game objects is moving relative to the game surface and wherein the augmentation images are modified to move the one game object image with the one of the game objects.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the augmentation images further comprise a second game object image comprising a trail image, wherein the controller determines a path followed by the one of the game objects relative to the game surface, and wherein the trail image is provided in the augmentation image to be mapped to a position of the path on the game surface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the augmentation images comprise a training component corresponding to the determined positions of the game objects.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the training component includes graphical components defining a recommended next move determined by the controller based on the determined positions of the game objects.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the training component includes images defining a path for one of the game objects to follow during the recommended next move.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the augmentation images comprise a predictive outcome component including animated images and/or text showing a resulting movement of at least one of the game objects based on a suggested interaction with the game surface by a player of the game.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller further determines game data based on the determined positions of the game objects and wherein the modifying of the augmentation content comprises providing the determined game data for projection on or proximate to the game surface.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising memory storing a set of game templates defining themed overlays for the game surface, wherein the controller is operable to receive user input selecting one of the game templates and wherein the augmentation images are generated based on the selected one of the game templates and based on the determined positions of the game objects.

10. The system of claim 1,

wherein the augmentation images include a score for the game, the game score being updated based on the tracked movement.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller determines a position of one of the game objects on the game surface and wherein the augmentation images include an object enhancing image mapped to the position of the one of the game objects.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the augmentation images comprise a teaching portion including images guiding a player to perform actions to produce the tracked movement of the game objects.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller further records the tracked movement and operates to replay the recorded tracked movement on the game surface by operation of the projector.

14. A game augmentation system for dynamically projecting images on a game surface, comprising:

a tracking mechanism determining first and second positions of a plurality of physical game objects relative to the game surface at first and second times, wherein at least some of the second positions differ from the first positions;

a projector projecting onto the game surface; and

a control system generating a first augmentation content based on the first positions, first operating the projector to project the first augmentation content on the game surface, generating a second augmentation content based on the second positions, and second operating the projector to project the second augmentation content on the game surface,

wherein the tracking mechanism tracks movement of at least one of the game objects from a corresponding one of the first positions to a corresponding one of the second positions,

wherein the control system further operates to generate third augmentation content providing animation for the one of the game objects based on the tracked movement, and

wherein the first augmentation content and the second augmentation content each comprises a composite digital video stream including a base image mapped to the game surface and at least one game object image mapped to one of the game objects and a corresponding one of the positions, whereby the one game object image is projected onto the one of the game objects.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a video generator running on the controller and acting to generate the first and second augmentation content based on the first and second positions and based on image data of a game template accessed by the control system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the game template is selected based on user input from a set of overlay image templates stored in memory.

17. The system of claim 14,

wherein the first augmentation content and the second augmentation content include a virtual scoring image mapped to a position on the game surface, wherein the tracking of the movement by the tracking mechanism includes determining whether one of the game objects crosses the position of the virtual scoring image, and wherein the second augmentation content is updated based on the determining of whether the one of the game objects crossed the position.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the control system further records the tracked movement and operates to replay the recorded tracked movement on the game surface by operation of the projector.