Gaming system with saftey features

• US 8,333,661 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ng, Choo Boon
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/048,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20110230263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463 30- 36, 463/39, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• 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 13/28 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 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• 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 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• 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

Abstract

A gaming console may provide safety features that may avoid or minimize the probability of a collision between the user of the gaming console and the surrounding objects while the user is playing a game. The gaming console may include body sensors to continuously track and capture images of the full body movement of the user. The gaming console may comprise proximity sensors, which may scan and capture the images of the surrounding objects at regular intervals of time. The gaming console may use the images of the full body movement and the images of the surrounding objects to determine if the user is close to the surrounding objects, which may cause collision with the surrounding objects. If the user is close to the surrounding objects, the gaming console may generate alert signals that may avoid or minimize the probability of collision of the user with the surrounding objects.

Claims

1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:

a first set of sensors coupled to the gaming apparatus, wherein the first set of sensors are to capture first images of a body movement of a player of game rendered by the gaming apparatus,

a second set of sensors coupled to the gaming apparatus, wherein the second set of sensors are to capture second images of a plurality of objects surrounding the player,

a first processor coupled to the first set of sensors and the second set of the sensors, wherein the first processor is cause a warning message to be displayed if the body movement of the player is within at least one of a plurality of threshold values,

wherein the plurality of threshold values specify a threshold region within which a probability of collision of the player with the plurality of objects surrounding the player is higher compared to that outside the threshold region.

2. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of sensors are to continuously capture the first images of the body movement of the player.

3. The gaming apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first set of sensors include a camera to capture the first images of the body movement of the player.

4. The gaming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first set of sensors are to include a depth sensor to capture depth value of the first images of the body movement of the player.

5. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second set of sensors are to capture the second images of the objects surrounding the player at regular intervals of time.

6. The gaming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processor is to determine proximity values based on a plurality of first position values and a plurality of second position values, wherein the plurality of first position values are generated using the first images and the plurality of second position values are generated using the second images.

7. The gaming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first processor is generate an alert signal and pause signal if the proximity values are within the threshold values.

8. The gaming apparatus of claim 7 further comprises an alert system coupled to the first processor, wherein the alert system is to generate a warning message to the player in response to receiving the alert signal.

9. The gaming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the alert system is to audio or visual warning messages to alert the player.

10. The gaming apparatus of claim 7 further comprises a second processor coupled to the first processor, wherein the second processor is to pause the game in response to receiving the pause signal.

14. The method of claim 3 further includes capturing depth value of the first images using depth sensors, wherein the first set of sensors are to include the depth sensor.

11. A method in a gaming apparatus, comprising:

capturing first images of a body movement of a player of game rendered by the gaming apparatus using a first set of sensors coupled to the gaming apparatus,

capturing second images of a plurality of objects surrounding the player using a second set of sensors coupled to the gaming apparatus,

generating a warning message to be displayed on a display if the body movement of the player is within at least one of a plurality of threshold values,

wherein the plurality of threshold values specify a threshold region within which a probability of collision of the player with the plurality of objects surrounding the player is higher compared to that outside the threshold region.

12. The method of claim 11 comprises capturing the first images of the body movement of the player continuously using the first set of sensors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first set of sensors include a camera to capture the first images of the body movement of the player.

15. The method of claim 11 comprises capturing the second images of the objects surrounding the player at regular intervals of time using the second set of sensors are to capture.

16. The method of claim 11 comprises determining proximity values based on a plurality of first position values and a plurality of second position values, wherein the plurality of first position values are generated using the first images and the plurality of second position values are generated using the second images.

17. The method of claim 16 comprises generating an alert signal and pause signal if the proximity values are within the threshold values.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprises generating a warning message to the player in response to generating the alert signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the warning message to alert the player includes audio or visual signals.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprises pausing the game in response to generating the pause signal.