Advanced video gaming methods for education and play using camera based inputs

• US 8,405,604 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motion Games LLC
• Original Assignee: Motion Games LLC
• Inventors: Smith, Peter, Pryor, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US11/980,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20080122786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 : with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 : Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 : by opto-electronic means
• 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: G06F 3/0428 : by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 : Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 : Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2021 : Shape modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 : using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 : Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/321 : Garment sensors, i.e. musical control means with trigger surfaces or joint angle sensors, worn as a garment by the player, e.g. bracelet, intelligent clothing vital parameter sensing G10H2220/371; wearable interfaces in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 : for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

This application discloses active movement based and other video games which may be played over the internet as well in the home or elsewhere. One or two or more persons can play, generally using one or more cameras to determine the relation of an object or a part of a person to a video display on which game related graphics are displayed. Determination of object position and orientation in up to 6 degrees of freedom is disclosed, at data rates sufficient to make game play rewarding.

Claims

1. An interactive gaming system comprising:

a video display;

a first hand-held game member including a first target defining a first color;

a second hand-held game member including a second target defining a second color different from the first color;

a TV camera to scan a field of view encompassing the first and second targets at least 30 times per second and to provide an output; and

a computer adapted to distinguish between the first and second targets based on the color of the first and second targets and adapted to determine from the camera output a three dimensional location of at least one of the first and second targets and adapted to control the video display as a function of the three dimensional location.

2. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the video display provides a video representation of an object controlled by the three dimensional location of the first target.

3. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the camera is a color camera.

4. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the first target is retro-reflective.

5. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the first target is luminescent.

6. The interactive gaming system of claim 5 wherein the luminescent first target includes a solid state light source.

7. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the first target is proximate an end portion of the first hand-held game member.

8. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the camera includes one of a CMOS image sensor and a CCD image sensor.

9. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the first hand-held game member includes an interrupt member to provide a signal to the computer indicating a player command.

10. The interactive gaming system of claim 2 wherein the object is one of a sword and a gun.

11. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 further including a solid state light source to illuminate the first target.

12. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the target location is determined to subpixel resolution.

13. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second targets includes a single light emitting element.

14. The interactive gaming system of claim 1 wherein the TV camera is adapted to scan the field of view at least 60 times per second.