System and method for forming a composite image in a portable computing device having a dual screen display

• US 8,847,984 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Boorman, Mollie, Kalson, Amy
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US12/510,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 345/6, 345/629, 345/418, 345/4
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing

Abstract

A system and method for forming a composite image from a secondary image reflected on to the display of a primary image is disclosed. Furthermore, applications for using the composite image in a video gaming context are disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable video interaction system, comprising:

a portable user device having;

a first screen configured to display a primary image;

a second screen configured to display a secondary image; and

a processor for controlling the display of the images, wherein the first screen and the second screen are relatively positioned so that a composite image of the primary image and the reflection of the secondary image is formed on the first screen;

said composite image including the primary image having an additional visible element added thereto or revealed by virtue of the reflection of the secondary image thereon.

2. The portable video interaction system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of controls for interacting with the composite image.

3. A portable video system, comprising:

a portable user device having;

a processor;

a storage containing a video image;

a first display;

a second display;

a first display system configured to provide a primary image on the first display;

a second display system configured to provide a secondary image on the second display; and

an image control system configured to control the selection of images for display by, the first display control system and the second display control system;

wherein the first display and the second display are relatively positioned so that a reflection of the secondary image combines with the primary image so as to form a composite image;

said composite image including the primary image having an additional visible element added thereto or revealed by virtue of the reflection of the secondary image thereon.

4. The portable video system of claim 3, wherein the image control system is configured to receive user inputs.

5. The portable video system of claim 4, wherein the image control system is configured to compare received user input with predetermined values.

6. The portable video system of claim 3, wherein any two or more of the first display system, second display system, and image control system are portions of an integrated system.

7. The portable video system of claim 3, further comprising a display piece positioned between the first display screen and the second display screen and configured to affect the composite image.

8. The portable video system of claim 7, wherein the display piece causes the reflection of the secondary image to be magnified.

9. The portable video system of claim 7, wherein the display piece causes the reflection of the secondary image to be reduced in size.

10. The portable video system of claim 7, wherein the display piece causes the reflection of the secondary image to be refracted.

11. The portable video system of claim 7, wherein the display piece causes the reflection of the secondary image to be filtered.

12. The portable video system of claim 3, further comprising a display piece containing a masked image positioned between the first display screen and the second display screen such that the primary image and the secondary image cause the masked image to be more visible.

13. A video interaction system comprising:

a portable user device having;

a first display device and a second display device, wherein each of the display devices is capable of presenting a primary image and a composite image including at least a reflection of some portion of the primary image on the other display device;

a processor configured to execute video applications; and

a video application configured to be executed by the processor to present an interactive experience, the video application further configured to supply images to the composite image display capability;

said composite image including an additional visible element added thereto or revealed by virtue of the reflection of the primary image thereon.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the video application is configured to increase the visibility of an obscured component of one of the primary images.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the video application is configured to make visible a composite image consisting of portions of the primary image from each display device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the video application is configured to incorporate an element into the interactive experience, that element being part of the composite image on one of the display devices but not the primary image of that display device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the relative positions of the first display device and the second display device can be adjusted.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a stabilizing component configured to maintain a particular relative position of the first display device and the second display devices.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising an alignment system configured to facilitate adjusting the relative positions of the first display device and the second display device so that the composite image is meaningful in the context of interactivity with the video application.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the alignment system is configured to require user input.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the alignment system is configured to not require any user input.

22. A user experience modification system, comprising a portable user device having:

a first computing system configured to present a user with an interactive user experience;

a primary display device configured to display images as directed by the first computing system and with which the user interacts;

a secondary display device;

a second computing system configured to cause images to be displayed on the secondary display device based at least in part on information made available by the first computing system;

wherein, in operation, the primary display device and the secondary display device are positioned such that a composite image is formed on the primary screen, the composite image being formed from the images displayed on the primary display device and a reflection of the image displayed on the secondary display device;

said composite image including the image on the primary display device having an additional visible element added thereto or revealed by virtue of the reflection of the image displayed on the secondary display device thereon.

23. A method for generating a composite image, comprising:

storing a video having a plurality of images;

selecting a first image from the images;

selecting a second image from the images, the second image being different from the first image;

displaying the first image on a first screen of a portable computing device;

displaying the second image on a second screen of the portable computing device;

reflecting the second image onto the first screen to form a composite image;

said composite image including the first image having an additional visible element added thereto or revealed by virtue of the reflection of the second image thereon.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the composite image is viewable on the first screen.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the composite image is viewable on a third display component.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising adjusting the position of at least one of the first screen, the second screen, and a user so that the composite image is viewable to the user.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising adjusting the position of at least one of the first image on the first screen and the second image on the second screen, so that the composite image is viewable.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the composite image is formed by the juxtaposition of the reflection of the second image with the first image.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the composite image is formed by the composition of the reflection of the second image with the first image.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the first image comprises a masked component and a mask component and the reflection of the second image complements the mask component.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the reflection of the second image comprises a masked component and a mask component and the first image complements the mask component.

32. A method comprising:

storing a video having a plurality of images;

selecting a first image from the images;

displaying the first image on a first screen of a portable user computing device;

reflecting at least a portion of the first image onto a second screen of the portable user computing device to form a composite image;

said composite image including an image of the second screen having an additional visible element added thereto or revealed by virtue of the reflection of the first image thereon.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising adjusting the relative position of the first screen and the second screen so that a preferred portion of the first image can be reflected onto a preferred region of second screen.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising adjusting the position of the first image on the first screen so that a preferred portion of the first image can be reflected onto a preferred region of second screen.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

selecting a second image from the images and displaying the second image on the second screen.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising adjusting the position of the second image on the second screen so that a preferred portion of the first image can be reflected onto a preferred portion of the second image.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the computing device is configured to present an interactive video experience, and at least one of the selecting or display steps is based at least in part on the state of the interactive video experience.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the interactive video experience is a video game.

39. A computer-readable device storing computer executable instructions for a portable video game device having a plurality of displays, that when executed performs the method of:

selecting a first image for display on a first display of a portable user computing device;

displaying the first selected image;

selecting a second image for display on a second display of the portable user computing device; and

displaying the second selected image;

wherein the images are selected so that when they are simultaneously displayed and the displays are appropriately positioned, a composite image of the images is formed via reflection of the first image on the second image;

said composite image including the second image having an additional visible element added thereto or revealed by virtue of the reflection of the first image thereon.