Web based video enhancement apparatus, method, and article of manufacture

• US 8,627,332 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Elet Systems LLC
• Inventors: Ahmad, Subutai, Cohen, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Andy
• Application Number:
  US13/558,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 719/311, 719/318, 715/706, 715/716, 345/418, 345/619
• US Class Current: 719/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

Controlling an event in a virtual environment is disclosed. A video image from one or more video cameras is received. A video enhanced script is executed to display the virtual environment in a video display within a web browser. An event in the virtual environment is controlled based on the video image. The video enhanced script is configured to communicate with a web browser extension module.

Claims

1. A computer-readable memory storing instructions for controlling an event in a virtual environment that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the operations of:

receiving video data comprising at least one image of a user;

executing a video enhanced script that is configured to communicate with an extension module to cause display of a virtual environment in a client application, wherein the video enhanced script provides a command to execute a video enhancement routine;

receiving the command at the extension module, the command causing the extension module to execute the video enhancement routine to determine if an image of the user has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

controlling an event in the virtual environment based on the determination.

2. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the extension module includes a multimedia extension module and a translator.

3. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the video enhancement routine includes a head tracking routine configured to identify and track a head of a person within a field of view of a video camera.

4. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the video enhancement routine includes a routine configured to determine when at least two tracked features collide.

5. The computer-readable memory claim 1, wherein the virtual environment is used to play a game, and wherein the video enhanced script allows the game to be played as the video enhanced script is being downloaded to the computer from a server.

6. The computer-readable memory of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the computer to perform the operation of receiving data representative of an image of a second user interacting with a feature in the virtual environment.

7. The computer-readable memory of claim 6 wherein the data representative of the second user is received from a computing device associated with the second user directly over a network.

8. The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to perform the operation of sending, to a computing device associated with the second user, data representative of an image of the first user interacting with a feature in the virtual environment.

9. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to perform the operation of sending data representative of the controlled event in the virtual environment to a second client application associated with a second user.

10. A system for controlling a display of a virtual environment in a client application, comprising:

a computer having a processor configured to receive video data comprising images of a user from a video camera;

a memory containing;

a client application configured to operate on the computer;

an extension module coupled to the client application that is configured to selectively execute a video enhancement routine to determine if an image of the user has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

a video enhancer configured to;

execute a video enhanced script which communicates with the extension module to cause display of the virtual environment in the client application and which provides the extension module with a command to execute the video enhancement routine; and

control the display of the virtual environment based on the determination made by the video enhancement routine.

11. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the extension module includes a multimedia extension module and a translator.

12. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the video enhancement routine includes a head tracking routine configured to identify and track a head of a person within a field of view of the video camera.

13. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the video enhancement routine includes a routine configured to determine when at least two tracked features collide.

14. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the system is used to play a game, and wherein the video enhanced script allows the game to be played as the video enhanced script is being downloaded to the computer from a server via a WAN.

15. A method of controlling an event in a virtual environment using a processor, the method comprising:

receiving video data comprising at least one image of a user;

with the processor, executing a video enhanced script that is configured to communicate with an extension module to cause display of a virtual environment in a client application, wherein the video enhanced script provides a command to execute a video enhancement routine;

receiving the command at the extension module, the command causing the extension module to execute the video enhancement routine to determine if an image of the user has interacted with a feature in the virtual environment; and

controlling an event in the virtual environment based on the determination.

16. The method of claim 15, further including causing one or more images representative of an interaction with an object to be displayed.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending data representative of the controlled event in the virtual environment to a second client application associated with a second user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the video enhancement routine includes a head tracking routine configured to identify and track a head of a person within a field of view of a video camera.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the video enhancement routine includes a routine configured to determine when at least two tracked features collide.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the system is used to play a game, and wherein the video enhanced script allows the game to be played as the video enhanced script is being downloaded from a server.