Interactive video display system using strobed light

• US 8,300,042 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jin-Cheng
• Application Number:
  US11/982,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629, 345418-434, 345471-475, 345/8, 345156-159, 345/174, 463 30- 43, 463/58, 382/154
• US Class Current: 345/418
• 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 3/0304 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 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An interactive video display system uses strobing light to allow easy and unencumbered interaction between a person and projected video images. A camera may be synchronized to the strobing light and the strobing light may be in an infrared spectral range. A processing system detects images of a human in the field of view of the camera and controls the display so that the projected video images are changed based on an interaction between the human and the projected video images. The system may project the video images on a surface around the person and may move the projected video images on the surface based on a movement of the person. The projected video images may include computer-generated characters and/or virtual objects that react to the movement of a person.

Claims

1. A video gaming system comprising:

a camera system operable to provide images of an object; and

a computing device configured to

receive the images from the camera system,

drive a display system, and

generate an influence image comprising a plurality of outline areas partially surrounding a representation of the object and positioned successively further away from the representation of the object, wherein a portion of the plurality of outline areas that impinge at least one virtual object are used to estimate a strength and a direction of an interaction with the at least one virtual object.

2. The video gaming system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a video game system.

3. The video gaming system of claim 2, wherein the computing device is further configured to drive the display system to display one or more video images comprising the representation of the object and the at least one virtual object.

4. The video gaming system of claim 3, wherein the display system comprises one or more of a television, a monitor, an LED display, a plasma display, and a video projector.

5. A method of tracking an object, the method configured for execution by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, the method comprising:

receiving at a computing system a plurality of images of an object from a detector;

generating an influence image comprising a plurality of outline areas that partially surround the object and are positioned successively further away from the object;

transmitting video images for display on a display device, the video images including a virtual object and a representation of the object; and

based at least on a position of the plurality of outline areas associated with the object in the influence image and a position of the virtual object in one or more of the video images, detecting a strength and a direction of an interaction between the object and the virtual object when the influence image impinges the virtual object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the representation of the object comprises a representation of a user.

7. A gaming system comprising:

a camera system operable to provide images of an object;

a display system operable to render video images; and

a computing device coupled to receive the images from the camera system and coupled to drive the display system, the computing device operable to determine at least one of a strength or a direction of an interaction between the object and a virtual object included in the video images based on at least a location of the virtual object in relation to one or more computer-generated outline areas that partially surround the object and are positioned successively further away from the object and have progressively lower pixel values as the outline areas are further away from the object.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the display system comprises one or more of a television, a monitor, an LED display, a plasma display, and a video projector.

9. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the computing device comprises a video game system.

10. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the video images comprise a representation of the object.

11. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the object is a user.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the video images further comprise the virtual object.

13. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein the virtual object is a ball.