Image integration, mapping and linking system and methodology

• US 8,317,611 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bassilic Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Sitrick, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US10/336,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20030148811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,616 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/31, 463/43, 715/719, 715/720, 715/721, 715/722, 715/723, 715/726, 715/810, 345/581, 345/594, 345/619, 345/650, 345/949, 345/2.2, 711/1, 717/173, 369/1
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/16 for preventing non-intended contact between spray heads or nozzles and foreign bodies, e.g. nozzle guards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A video game adapter interface apparatus has a user input device and an associated video display. The user selects a distinguishable visual image representation for association into a video game'"'"'s audiovisual presentation, such as where that user is identified. For example, color, size graphics or shape can be used to distinguish users. In one embodiment a digitized image of each user'"'"'s face is used as the distinguishable representation. Alternatively, the user can create an original image or select one of a predetermined set of visual images as the user'"'"'s identification for use in the video game audiovisual presentation. In a preferred video game embodiment, the video game adapter interface system is coupled to a video game system and a storage card containing User Images. The video game adapter interface system then integrates a selected User Image from the Storage Card into the video game'"'"'s audiovisual presentation, and can also integrate the User Image into the video game play. For non-User Image video game software and for non-video game and audiovisual presentations, an Intercept Adapter Interface Systems permits the integration of User Images into the audiovisual presentation in place of and/or in addition to predefined character images otherwise present in the audiovisual presentation.

Claims

1. An image integration method, performed by a computer system having a processor, for a video game having preexisting images, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user of the video game, a selection of at least one of a plurality of user-defined images; and

responsive to the selection of the at least one user-defined image, integrating a representation of the selected at least one user-defined image into the video game in real time, the integrating comprising;

analyzing, with the processor, the selected user-defined image to recognize an entity within the selected user-defined image, and

in response to recognizing the entity within the selected user-defined image, replacing, with the processor, at least one of the preexisting images of the video game with the selected user-defined image based at least in part on the recognition.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the selection is made by one of:

a player of a video game, a user of a computer system, a user of a software application, and a user of an audiovisual presentation system.

3. The method as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

utilizing the image integration method as a part of developing the video game; and

wherein the selection is made by a game developer of the video game.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the selection is made by a computer separate from the computer system.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one of the plurality of user-defined images from a separate computer coupled to the computer system.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a mappable link for each of the plurality of user-defined images; and

wherein the integrating is responsive to the mappable link for the selected one of the plurality of user-defined images.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

providing at least one additional user-defined image for use in providing replacement of at least one of the user-defined images;

providing an additional mappable link for the at least one additional user-defined image; and

utilizing the additional at least one user-defined image in the video game responsive to the additional mappable link.

8. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

providing at least one predefined area within the video game to be utilized for image integration; and

integrating the representation of the selected one of the user-defined images into a respective at least one predefined area within the video game responsive to the mappable link for the selected one of the user-defined images.

9. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

providing for creation of user-defined images and mappable links for use in generating a video game display presentation.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the user-defined images are comprised of at least one of:

a still video image, a graphic image, an advertisement, a promotion, a photographic image, an image representative of a recognizable object, an image representative of a recognizable living being, a still picture, a recognizable visual image of a third person, a recognizable sound image of a third person, a texture map, a representation of a user image, a geometric model, a geometric mesh, a motion video clip, a keyframe, morphing coordinate points, geometric constraint information, or colorimetric information.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the video game is generated responsive to a software program for providing a particular video amusement presentation;

and

wherein at least one of the plurality of the user-defined images is provided with the software program.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the video game is a computer generated video presentation.

13. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

coupling at least one user-defined image of the plurality of user-defined images via an external communications interface for providing the at least one user-defined image for selection.

14. The image-integration method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of user-defined images corresponds to a different pose of the user configured to be integrated into the video game.

15. A system comprising:

a computing subsystem comprising a processor, memory, a display, and storage for providing video game entertainment software comprised of stored image content and application software executing on the computing subsystem, wherein at least some of the image content comprises preexisting-image content and user-defined image content;

wherein the application software executing on the computing subsystem provides for generating a video game display presentation that is comprised of an integrated presentation comprising a plurality of characters interacting within the presentation;

wherein the stored image content is representative of digitized data for at least a part of which has an associated identifiable presentation in the video game display presentation;

wherein the application software executing on the computing subsystem is responsive to control signals received from an input device to receive a selection of at least one of the plurality of characters as a selected character; and

wherein the application software executing on the computing subsystem generates the video game display presentation in real time by;

analyzing the display presentation to identify the selected character; and

in response to identifying the selected character, replacing at least a portion of the preexisting image content corresponding to the selected character with user-defined image content.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein the digitized data is representative of at least one of:

digitized audio, digitized analog signals, captured sound in a microphone, digitized data of a person speaking, digitized visual still video image data, digitized visual moving video image data, a video camera capture, a still digital camera capture, digitized data input via scanner input, a recognizable image of a third-party person, and computer-generated image data.

17. The system as in claim 15, wherein the stored image content is representative of a person that can be selected for integration into the video game display presentation responsive to the input device.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein the stored image content is representative of a plurality of separate people;

and

wherein respective stored image content that is representative of at least one of the plurality of people is individually selected responsive to the input device, responsive to the mapping and integrating for use in the generating the video game display presentation.

19. The system as in claim 15, wherein the digitized data is comprised of digitized data of a person speaking;

and

wherein the entertainment software executing on the computing subsystem provides for mapping and integrating the stored image content of the person speaking so as to appear as associated with the respective selected character'"'"'s speaking within the integrated video game display presentation.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein the entertainment software utilizes digital data for a separate audio component and a visual component of a scene of an audiovisual presentation;

and

the application software executing on the computing subsystem generates the video game display presentation responsive to the mapping and integrating the digitized data of a person speaking into the integrated video game display presentation so as to appear, within the integrated video game display presentation as selectively integrated with parts of the separate audio component of the scene to create the audiovisual presentation of the integrated video game display presentation.

21. The system as in claim 15, for use in the generating the video game display presentation;

wherein associated with each respective character is an audio voice track;

wherein the integrated display presentation is comprised of a plurality of character images appearing within the integrated video game display presentation, each of the character images comprised of a visual part and an associated audio part in the integrated video game display presentation;

the system further comprising;

means for selection of a specific one of the plurality of the character images;

means for capturing and digitizing a person'"'"'s voice to provide digitized voice data; and

means for mapping and processing the digitized voice data to fit in place of the respective associated audio part for the specific one of the plurality of character images utilized for integration as associated with the selected character, so as to appear within at least a portion of the integrated video game display presentation.

22. The system as in claim 15, wherein the plurality of characters is comprised of at least one of people, animals, animated characters, user-created objects, third-party created objects, computer-generated images, and recognizable visual images and recognizable audio sounds.

23. The system as in claim 15, wherein the stored image content is comprised of image content data corresponding to the recognizable visual presentation of at least one of a third-party person;

means for selecting said image content data for a selected one of the at least one famous person as selected image content data, responsive to the input device;

means for integrating the selected image content data in place of the recognizable visual presentation of the selected character, so as to appear within the integrated video game display presentation; and

wherein the selected image content data for the recognizable visual presentation of the respective at least one third-party person is integrated into the integrated video game display presentation in place of the stored mapped image content for the selected character.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the stored image content is comprised of a plurality of data files, each of the plurality of data files associated with a display presentation for a respective famous person of a plurality of famous people;

and

wherein the application software executing on the computer subsystem is responsive to the input device to provide for selection of one of the plurality of famous people as the selected image content, responsive to the input device.

25. The system as in claim 15, the system comprising a sports video game, wherein the third-party person is a sports player whose visual likeness is provided for use in the integrated video game display presentation for the sports video game.

26. The system as in claim 15, wherein the video game is a sports videogame comprising one of football, baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey, golf, volleyball, wrestling, boxing, karate, other fighting, snow skiing, waterskiing, car racing, motorcycle racing, bicycle racing, snowboarding, skateboarding, roller skating, roller blading, boat racing, airplane racing, and an Olympic sport.

27. A system for generating a video game presentation, the system comprising:

means for creation of digitized image data for a user representative character image having a first representation;

means for creating a mappable link of the respective user representative character image defining its utilization in the video game presentation, wherein the mappable link defines an association of the user representative character image with a software function; and

means for providing for generation of a video game display presentation responsive to integration of the respective user representative character image into a video game presentation comprising predefined content for an audiovisual video game presentation, wherein the integration is responsive to selection of the software function, and wherein the means for providing includes means for analyzing the selected user representative character image to identify an entity within the selected image and means for replacing a representation of a game character within the predefined content for the audiovisual video game presentation with the respective user representative character image substantially in real time.

28. The system as in claim 27, wherein the means for creation is one of:

original creation, digitized input of at least one of existing audio and video, video camera capture, still camera capture, audio capture via microphone, and digitization via scanning.

29. The system as in claim 27, wherein the system is utilized as one of a video-game system, a video game development system, a video-amusement system, a karaoke system, and a personal computer.

30. An image integration system comprising:

a computing subsystem;

software configured to generate a video display presentation for a video game responsive to operation of at least one game software function, the video game comprising pre-existing image data;

a source of image content stored as at least one image data packet;

a representative link configured to map the at least one image data packet to a respective game software function;

wherein the software is further configured to generate the video display presentation responsive to the representative link for mapping of the at least one image data packet to the respective game software function; and

wherein the software is further configured to generate the video display presentation at least in part by analyzing the at least one image data packet to identify an entity within the at least one image data packet and replacing at least a portion of the preexisting image data corresponding to a character within the video game with the at least one image data packet for a representation within the video display presentation at least substantially in real time,

wherein the software comprises computer-executable instructions stored in a memory for execution by a processor of the image integration system.

31. The system as in claim 30, wherein the software function is comprised of at least one of:

facial view visuals, photographs, a created spacecraft, car, hero, villain, monster, weapon, pre-selected character function, icons, sub-image-identifier segments, third-party-supplied visual images, third-party-supplied audio images, clip-art, still video image, a graphic image, an advertisement, a promotion, a photographic image, an image representative of a recognizable object, an image representative of a recognizable living being, a still picture, a recognizable visual image of a third person, a recognizable sound image of a third person, a texture map, a representation of a user image, a geometric model, a geometric mesh, a motion video clip, a keyframe, morphing coordinate points, geometric constraint information, or calorimetric information, and substitute alternate game character images.

32. The system as in claim 30, wherein the at least one image data packet represents at least one of:

digitized audio data, digitized video data, control data, camera captured visual image data, microphone captured audio data, signal parameter data, behavior profile rule data, and macro commands for control of selection for use of the respective player representative character image for integration into the presentation.

33. The system as in claim 30, wherein there are a plurality of image data packets,

wherein there are a plurality of game software functions, and

wherein the system is responsive to the input device for selection of the plurality of game software functions for use in mapping the plurality of image data packets into the video display presentation.

34. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a system having a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

instructions for providing a plurality of selectable images;

instructions for receiving a selection of one of the plurality of selectable images;

instructions for analyzing the selected image to recognize an entity within the selected image; and

instructions for integrating a representation of the selected one of the plurality of selectable images into a presentation output, wherein the integrating comprises substituting the selected one of the plurality of selectable images for a representation within the presentation output at least substantially in real time based at least in part on the recognition of the entity within the selected image.

35. The computer-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable medium is a video game, and wherein the selection is made by a game developer of the video game.

36. The computer-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the selection is made by a computing system separate from a computing system on which the computer-readable medium is executed.

37. The computer-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the instructions for providing a plurality of selectable images comprise instructions for providing at least one of the plurality of selectable images from a computing system separate from a computing system on which the computer-readable medium is executed.

38. The computer-readable medium as in claim 34, wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for providing a mappable link for each of the plurality of selectable images, and

wherein the instructions for integrating comprise;

instructions for integrating the representation of the selected one of the plurality of selectable images into a presentation output responsive to the mappable link for the selected one of the plurality of selectable images.

39. The computer-readable medium as in claim 38, wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for providing at least one predefined area within the presentation output to be utilized for image integration; and

instructions for integrating the representation of the selected one of the plurality of selectable images into the at least one predefined area within the presentation output responsive to the mappable link for the selected one of the selectable images.

40. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a system having a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

instructions for creating a mappable link of a user representative character image, wherein the mappable link defines utilization of the user representative character image in a video presentation;

instructions for receiving a selection of the user representative character image;

instructions for analyzing the selected user representative character image to recognize an entity within the selected image; and

instructions for integrating the user representative character image into a video presentation responsive to the mappable link, wherein the instructions for integrating comprise instructions for substituting the user representative character image for a predefined representation within the video presentation at least substantially in real time based at least in part on the recognition of the entity within the selected user representative character image.

41. The computer-readable medium as in claim 40, wherein the computer-readable medium is a video game.

42. A method in a computer system with a processor and memory for integrating an image into a computer generated video display presentation, the method comprising:

providing by the processor digitized image data utilized to generate a portion of a video display presentation that comprises at least in part a representation within the video display presentation;

receiving by the processor a selection from the digitized image data of a selected image for integration; and

generating by the processor an integrated video presentation in real time, wherein the integrated video presentation is generated by;

analyzing the video display presentation to identify the representation within the video display presentation;

in response to identifying the representation, generating a substitute representation, wherein the selected image is utilized in conjunction with the digitized image data to create the substitute representation; and

displaying the substitute representation in place of the representation within the video display presentation, wherein at least in part of the selected image is integrated within the video display presentation.

43. The method as in claim 42, wherein at least a portion of the digitized image data is provided via downloading for local storage in a writable memory of the computer used in the video display presentation.

44. The method as in claim 42, wherein the selected image is a representation for a user;

and

wherein the representation for the user is one of;

an audio sound, a voice sound, a visual video display, a digitized picture of the user, an avatar for the user, a recognizable object, a user-created sound, a user-created visual image, a third-party famous person voice, and a third-party famous person visual appearance.

45. The method as in claim 42, wherein the representation within the video display presentation is one of:

an audio sound, a part of a visual video display presentation, and an audiovisual video display presentation.

46. The method as in claim 42, wherein the selected image is associated with an avatar for a user.

47. The method as in claim 42, wherein the video display presentation is representative of a networked community of users in a shared world environment.

48. The method as in claim 42, the method further comprising:

utilizing a software function for providing the selected image for use in the integrated video presentation.

49. The method as in claim 42, wherein the digitized image data is representative of a plurality of respective selectable images;

the method further comprising;

receiving by the processor a selection of one of the plurality of selectable images as the selected image.

50. A method in a computer system with a processor and memory of image integration, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of separate data files, for a respective plurality of distinct selectable scripts to be spoken within a display presentation, representative of digitized data for a voice associated with an associated display of a respective specific character appearing within the display presentation and having a visual representation and an audio representation in the display presentation;

receiving by the processor a selection of a selected script from the plurality of distinct selectable scripts, wherein the selected script is associated with a specific character;

displaying a visual display of the selected script to be spoken;

capturing, recording, digitizing and storing digitized data for a voice speaking the selected script during the display of the selected script; and

generating by the processor an integrated display presentation in real time by;

analyzing the display presentation to identify the visual representation or the audio representation within the display presentation; and

in response to identifying the visual representation or the audio representation within the display presentation, integrating the digitized data for the voice to appear within the display presentation in place of the voice for the respective specific character.