Projection of interactive game environment

• US 8,808,089 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ulyte, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MEP Tech, Inc.
• Inventors: Tabor, Timothy Alan, Hoole, Roger H., Taylor, Jeffrey, Black, John M., Davis, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dulka, John P
• Application Number:
  US13/547,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20130123013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 463/34, 345/175, 345/418, 345/158, 345/419, 382/199
• US Class Current: 463/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine 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 13/42 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2425 Scanners, e.g. for scanning regular characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2463 on a screen, e.g. using a video projector
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/30 with a three-dimensional image
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• 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: A63F 9/04 Dice dice tops A63F5/04 D; Dice-boxes; Mechanical dice-throwing devices casino or betting games played on boards A63F3/00157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The projection of an interactive game environment image on one or more surfaces. The interactive game environment image may be a three dimensional image, or may be two dimensional. Data is received that represents virtual objects that are spatially positioned in virtual space. An image is then projected on the substantially horizontal surface that includes a visual representation of all or a portion of the virtual space including one or more of the virtual objects. The system may then detect user interaction with the projected visualized representation of the virtual space, and in response thereto, change the projected visualized representation.

Claims

1. A method for projecting an interactive environment image on at least one surface, the method comprising:

an act of receiving data representing a plurality of virtual objects that are spatially positioned in a virtual environment space;

an act of projecting an environment image on a surface in response to the received data, the environment image including a visualized representation of at least part of the virtual environment space, the visualized representation including a visualized representation of at least some of the plurality of virtual objects;

an act of detecting user interaction with the surface onto which the visualized representation is projected, including;

scanning a three-dimensional space over the surface onto which the visual representation is projected;

detecting a physical object that extends into the three-dimensional space from a location outside of the three-dimensional space; and

detecting a contact between the physical object and a location on the surface corresponding to a virtual object of the plurality of virtual objects; and

an act of changing the visualized representation in response to the user interaction with the surface onto which the visualized representation is projected.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user interaction is a physical manipulation of a physical object within the space of the projected visualized representation.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the physical object is a game piece.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of changing the visualized representation comprises an act of affecting the visualized object with which the user interacted.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the act of affecting the visualized object comprises an act of moving the visualized object in the visualized representation.

6. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the act of affecting the visualized object comprises an act of changing a form of the visualized object.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of changing the visualized representation comprises an act of creating a new visualized object in the visualized representation.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of projecting the environment image on the surface includes projecting at least a portion of the environment image on a substantially horizontal surface.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the act of projecting the environment image also includes projecting the environment image on a substantially vertical surface.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein projecting the environment image comprises projecting a prepared image tailored to a topography of the surface onto which the environment image in projected to ensure that features of the environment image are proportionately displayed on the surface.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of detecting user interaction with the surface includes detecting user interaction with a spherical or partially spherical portion of the surface.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of detecting user interaction with the surface includes detecting user interaction with a concave feature of the surface.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of detecting user interaction with the surface includes detecting user interaction with a convex feature of the surface.

14. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of detecting user interaction with the surface includes detecting user interaction with a cylindrical or partially cylindrical feature of the surface.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of detecting user interaction with the surface includes detecting user interaction with a topography of the surface.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the environment image includes three-dimensional information that may be viewed as a three-dimensional image by a user.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the environment image includes a representation of terrain.

18. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the environment image includes an image of a game board.

19. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of projecting the environment image on the surface in response to the received data comprises an act of projecting a plurality of sub-images on the surface from a plurality of discrete locations, the method further comprising:

an act of formulating data representing the plurality of sub-images prior to projecting the plurality of sub-images.

20. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of detecting user interaction comprises distinguishing between a plurality of physical objects simultaneously extending into the three-dimensional space from locations outside of the three-dimensional space.

21. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform the following:

an act of detecting a user interaction with an environment image that is projected on a surface, the environment image including a visual representation of at least part of a virtual environment space in which a plurality of virtual objects are spatially positioned, the act of detecting including;

scanning a three-dimensional space over the surface onto which the visual representation is projected;

detecting a physical object that extends into the three-dimensional space from a location outside of the three-dimensional space; and

detecting contact between the physical object and a location on the surface corresponding to a virtual object of the plurality of virtual objects; and

an act of changing the visual representation in response to the user interaction with the visual representation.

22. A surface-top environment projection mechanism comprising:

a projector mechanism that includes an image supply mechanism, an image preparation mechanism and at least one projector, the image preparation mechanism configured to receive data from the image supply mechanism and to supply an environment image to the projector in response to the data, the environment image representing a plurality of virtual objects that are spatially positioned in a virtual environment space, the at least one projector configured to project the environment image supplied by the image supply mechanism, the environment image including a visual representation of at least part of the virtual environment space, the visual representation includes a visual representation of at least some of the plurality of virtual objects; and

a scanning mechanism configured to scan the area projected by the environment image to determine one or more positions of a contact-based interactivity, the scanning mechanism configured to;

scan a three-dimensional space over the surface onto which e visual representation is projected;

detect a physical object that extends into the three-dimensional space from a location outside of the three-dimensional space; and

detect a contact between the physical object and a location on the surface corresponding to a virtual object of the plurality of virtual objects.

23. The surface-top environment projection mechanism in accordance with claim 22, wherein the at least one projector comprises a plurality of projectors, wherein the image preparation mechanism is configured to assign a subimage of the game environment image to each of the plurality of projectors.

24. The surface-top environment projection mechanism in accordance with claim 22, wherein the surface-top projection mechanism is portable.

25. The surface-top environment projection mechanism in accordance with claim 22, wherein the surface-top projection mechanism comprises an overhead projector.

26. The surface-top environment projection mechanism in accordance with claim 22, wherein the scanning mechanism is configured to scan a three-dimensional space over the surface onto which the virtual representation is projected.

27. The surface-top environment projection mechanism in accordance with claim 26, wherein the scanning mechanism includes a plurality of cameras.

28. The surface-top environment projection mechanism in accordance with claim 27, wherein the plurality of cameras includes four cameras.