Manual and camera-based avatar control

• US 8,702,507 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lansdale, Thomas William, Griffiths, Charles Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US13/237,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20120276995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

Manual and camera-based avatar control is described for example, in computer game systems. In one embodiment, an image capture system tracks motion of a player'"'"'s arm holding a real world object and the player also makes input to the game system at the same time, using a manual controller. In an example, tracked motion of a player'"'"'s arm is used to control aim of a virtual dart in a game display and the player makes manual input at the controller to fire the dart. In various embodiments, position of a part of a player is detected and mapped to screen space using a mapping function which may vary. For example, a mapped position of a player'"'"'s hand in screen space is used to control the position of an avatar'"'"'s hand by extending the avatar'"'"'s arm. In examples, conditions are met before camera-based control of an avatar.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a computer game system comprising:

receiving a stream of images from an image capture device depicting at least one player of a game;

determining a part position of the player by analyzing the stream of images;

receiving player manual input from a hand operated controller operated by the player;

displaying a computer game at a display being viewed by the at least one player the display comprising at least one avatar and an environment;

checking that a plurality of player conditions are met, at least one of the conditions being the player having only one hand on the hand operated controller or the player having one hand greater than a threshold distance away from the controller; and

controlling the display of the avatar, once the player conditions are met, on the basis of both the determined player part position and the manual input from the controller.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the part position of the player is a body part position of the player or a position of a real world object held by the player.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising mapping the determined part position of the player to a mapped position in screen space using a mapping function and controlling the display of the avatar in relation to the mapped position in screen space.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 comprising controlling the display of the avatar by extending a part of the avatar towards the mapped position in screen space.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 comprising controlling the display of the avatar by moving the avatar towards the mapped position in screen space.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising tracking the part position of the player and controlling the display of the avatar on the basis of the tracked part position.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising tracking the part position of the player;

mapping the tracked part position of the player to a mapped plurality of positions in screen space using a mapping function and controlling the display of the avatar in relation to the mapped positions in screen space.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein checking that a plurality of player conditions are met comprises checking that the player has only one hand on the hand operated controller.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the plurality of conditions comprise checking that the player has one hand greater than a threshold distance away from the controller.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the plurality of conditions are checked using only the received stream of images.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the plurality of conditions are check using both the received stream of images and the manual input.

12. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising changing parameters of the mapping function according to a state of the game.

13. A computer game system comprising:

an image capture device arranged to receive a stream of images depicting at least one player of a game;

a processor arranged to determine a part position of the player by analyzing the stream of images;

an input arranged to receive player manual input from a hand operated controller;

the processor being arranged to check that a plurality of player conditions are met, at least one of the conditions being the player having only one hand on the hand operated controller or the player having one hand greater than a threshold distance away from the controller;

an output arranged to display a computer game at a display being viewed by the at least one player, the display comprising at least one avatar and an environment; and

the processor being arranged to control the display of the avatar, once the player conditions are met, on the basis of both the determined player part position and the manual input from the controller

the processor being arranged to control the display of the avatar˜

when the player conditions are not met on the basis of the manual input from the controller.

14. A computer game system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor is arranged to track the part position of the player and control the display of the avatar on the basis of the tracked part position.

15. A computer game system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor is arranged to track the part position of the player;

map the tracked part position of the player to a mapped plurality of positions in screen space using a mapping function and control the display of the avatar in relation to the mapped positions in screen space.

16. A computer game system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor is arranged to check of the player conditions by checking at least that the player has only one hand on the hand operated controller.

17. A computer game system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the plurality of conditions comprise checking that the player has one hand greater than a threshold distance away from the controller.

18. A computer game system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the plurality of conditions are checked using only the received stream of images.

19. A method of controlling a computer game system comprising:

receiving a stream of images from an image capture device depicting at least one player of a game;

tracking motion of a part of the player by analyzing the stream of images;

receiving player manual input from a hand operated controller operated by the player;

displaying a computer game at a display being viewed by the at least one player the display comprising at least one avatar and an environment;

checking that the player has only one hand on the hand operated controller and that the player has one hand greater than a threshold distance away from the controller and if so,

controlling the display of the avatar on the basis of both the tracked motion of a part of the player and the manual input from the controller.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the part position of the player is a body part position of the player or a position of a real world object held by the player.