Torch

• US 8,400,399 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Geurts, Lucas Jacobus Franciscus, Buil, Vincentius Paulus, Wesselink, Rik Remco, Groenendaal, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/133,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20110263305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 463 25- 42, 345/158, 340/323.R, 446/484
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform

Abstract

The invention relates to a location based gaming device. The gaming device comprises an elongated handheld body and a location control unit arranged in the body. The location control unit outputs location data. A light unit is arranged at a distal side of the body. A controller is adapted to control said light unit, the controller comprising a memory to store track data. The controller is arranged to change a light characteristic between an on track and an off track mode depending on a proximity function between the track data and the compass directional data and/or location data. Accordingly a device is provided that can provide intuitive direction indications, which may be interpretable by players of younger ages.

Claims

1. A location based gaming device, said gaming device comprising:

a body;

a location control unit arranged in the body, arranged to output location data of the device;

a light unit arranged in the body comprising light sources arranged for displaying a light characteristic; and

a controller adapted to control said light unit, the controller comprising a memory to store track data;

wherein the controller is arranged to change a light characteristic of the light unit indicative of on track and off track conditions of the device based on a proximity function between the track data and the location data.

2. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the body is an elongated proximally handheld body and wherein a light unit is arranged at a distal side of the body, the body further comprising an electronic compass unit, arranged to output compass directional data;

and wherein the controller further controls the light unit as a function of stored track directional data indicating a sequence of locations related to the stored track data.

3. The gaming device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of compass units are arranged at an angle respective to each other, and wherein the controller is arranged to select a compass unit that is oriented in a functional working condition.

4. The gaming device, according to claim 1, wherein the controlled light characteristic includes one of a light color, intensity and light pattern.

5. The gaming device according to claim 2, wherein the on track condition comprises an on track location mode provided by a high light unit intensity compared to an off track mode;

and an on track direction mode provided by a predetermined on track direction color different from an off track direction color.

6. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the track data comprise a sequence of locations and/or directions of a predetermined track.

7. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity function is dependent on a difference between the location data and predetermined track location;

and a difference between directional data and predetermined track directional data indicating a sequence of locations related to the stored track data.

8. The gaming device according to claim 1, further comprising a gesture recognition module for detecting predefined gestures;

the controller further arranged to control the light characteristic as a function of a detected gesture.

9. The gaming device according to claim 8, wherein the gesture recognition module comprises a tilt sensor and/or an acceleration sensor.

10. The gaming device according to claim 1, further comprising an acoustic unit and/or a vibrational unit activatable in response to the controller.

11. The gaming device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller switch and/or a controller data port to select a number of controller game modes.

12. The gaming device according to claim 1, wherein light sources are formed as LED multiplets, said LED multiplets arranged to provide compositions of multispectral light, controlled by the controller.

13. A system comprising:

a gaming device including;

a location control unit arranged to output location data of the device,

a light unit comprising light sources arranged for displaying a light characteristic, and

a controller adapted to control said light unit, and including a memory to store track data, with the controller arranged to change a light characteristic of the light unit indicative of on track and off track conditions of the device based on a proximity function between the track data and the location data; and

a computing device having a communication unit to communicate with the gaming device, the computing device arranged to compute at least a location of the gaming device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication unit is a two way communication unit, and wherein the computing device is arranged to instruct the controller of the gaming device.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the gaming device is one of a plurality of gaming devices communicatively coupled to the computing device.