Method and apparatus to provide a dice application

• US 8,678,925 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kinsolving, Arthur, Kahn, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US12/483,213
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/36, 463/37
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/008 electronic dies

Abstract

A method and apparatus for rolling at least one die comprises determining an initial location of the die, and receiving an initialization movement. The method further comprises utilizing accelerometer data from a user shaking a controller, and determining a final location for the at least one die based on the accelerometer data and the initial location data.

Claims

1. A method for rolling at least one die on a handheld device comprising:

determining an initial location of the die;

receiving an initialization command;

utilizing accelerometer data from a user shaking the handheld device to determine die movement;

determining a final location for the at least one die based on the accelerometer data, motion physics, and the initial location data; and

such that when the accelerometer data is below a threshold, zeroing out the accelerometer data to enable the die to settle into the final location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a collision between the die and another object; and

using collision physics to calculate a resultant motion vector; and

determining the final location based on the accelerometer data, the resultant motion vector, and the initial location data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the other object comprises one or more of:

a bounding area, another die, and a different object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the bounding area comprises an edge of a screen showing the die.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to play a game against a computerized opponent, wherein a random number generator is used for the computerized opponent.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating a random initial accelerometer vector for the computerized opponent, the random initial accelerometer vector utilized along with collision physics to determine a roll for the computerized opponent.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the computerized opponent determines based on the user'"'"'s dice what to re-roll.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the final location of the die is not flat, and increasing a gravity component to force a new final location that is flat.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the initialization command comprises a motion pattern.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to play a game against at least one other player who is remote from the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a dice roll display of the at least one other player is sent to the user'"'"'s handheld device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein accelerometer data from the at least one other player is sent to the user'"'"'s handheld device to reproduce a final location for at least one die of the other player based on the accelerometer data.

13. A computer-implemented system to roll at least one die on a handheld device comprising:

a rolling logic to identify an initial location of the die;

a trigger detection logic to receive an initialization by a user shaking the handheld device;

a physics engine to calculate an initial acceleration vector, start the motion of the die in accordance with the initial acceleration vector, and utilize accelerometer data from a user shaking the handheld device and to determine a final location for the at least one die based on the initial accelerometer vector and the initial location data and the accelerometer data; and

a motion end detector to detect when the accelerometer data is below a threshold, and zeroing out the accelerometer data from the physics engine to enable the at least one die to settle into the final location.

14. The computer-implemented system of claim 13, wherein the physics engine further comprises:

a collision logic to identify a collision between the die and another object; and

a motion logic to use collision physics to calculate a resultant motion vector and determine the final location based on the accelerometer data, the resultant motion vector, and the initial location data.

15. The computer-implemented system of claim 13, further comprising:

a gravity logic to receive a determination that the final location of the die is not on a face, and increasing a gravity component to force a new final location that is on the face of the die.

16. The computer-implemented system of claim 14, further comprising:

a boundary logic to identify one or more boundaries of the handheld device.

17. A system comprising:

a storage medium;

a processor associated with the storage medium and configured to;

determine an initial location of the die;

receive an initialization command;

utilize accelerometer data from a user shaking the handheld device to determine an initial acceleration vector;

determine a final location for the at least one die based on the initial accelerometer vector and the initial location data; and

determine when the final location of the die is not flat, and increase a gravity component to force a new final location that is flat.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a motion sensor coupled to the system to detect the user shaking the handheld device; and

the processor further configured to detect when the user has stopped deliberately shaking the handheld device, and to trigger the removal of the accelerometer data to enable the at least one die to settle into the final location.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising the processor enabling a user to play a game against a computerized opponent, wherein a random number generator is used for the computerized opponent.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising the processor generating random accelerometer inputs for the computerized opponent, the random accelerometer inputs utilized to determine a roll for the computerized opponent.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising the processor configured to:

identify a collision between the die and another object; and

use collision physics to calculate a resultant motion vector and determine the final location based on the initial accelerometer vector, the resultant motion vector, and the initial location data.