Mixed reality remote control toy and methods therfor

• US 8,882,559 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bergen E. Fessenmaier
• Original Assignee: Bergen E. Fessenmaier
• Inventors: Fessenmaier, Bergen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US13/573,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20140057527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 446/454
• US Class Current: 446/454
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/00 Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; convertible into other toys A63H33/003; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor traffic games with figures moved by players A63F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 23/00 Toy boats; Floating toys; Other aquatic toy devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/00 Toy aircraft; Other flying toys toys with parachutes A63H33/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A tablet computer using motion sensors controls a remote controlled toy. A camera of the tablet computer acquires an image of the toy and the environment in which the toy is played with. The tablet computer then substitutes the image of the environment with a virtual environment, wherein the virtual environment is continuously adjusted using a parameter of the environment. For example, where the environment is a room with a wall and a doorway, the virtual environment may be a battlefield having a forest in place of the wall and a road through the forest in place of the doorway.

Claims

1. A method of providing display information for a remote controlled toy, comprising:

configuring a tablet computer having a camera and a plurality of motion sensors to allow for remote controlling of a remote control toy in an environment using the motion sensors;

configuring the tablet computer to use the camera of the tablet computer to acquire an image that includes an image portion comprising the toy and an image portion of the environment while the toy is being controlled by a user moving the tablet computer, wherein the environment in the image portion of the environment is selected from the group consisting of a wall, a floor, a ceiling, a staircase, an opening in a wall, and a doorway;

configuring the tablet computer to process the acquired image to

(1) acquire from the image portion of the environment a spatial parameter representative of spatial constraint information of the actual environment,

(2) generate an adjusted virtual environment using the acquired parameter from the image portion of the environment, wherein the adjusted virtual environment is generated based on the spatial parameter representative of spatial constraint information of the actual environment;

(3) replace the image portion of the environment with the adjusted virtual environment;

(4) produce a composite output image that is formed from the image portion of the toy and the adjusted virtual environment such that the image portion of the environment in the composite output image is replaced by the adjusted virtual environment and such that the composite output image displays the image portion comprising the toy within the adjusted virtual environment; and

displaying the composite output image on a display of the tablet computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote controlled toy is a flying toy, a boat, a car, or a tank.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote controlled toy has less than six different colors.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the environment is an indoor environment having a plurality of walls and a floor, and wherein at least one of the walls has a vertical border.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusted virtual environment is a simulated landscape, a simulated outer space, or a simulated underwater environment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the acquired parameter is a static object in the environment.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the acquired parameter is a border between a wall and a floor in the environment.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the tablet computer further produces an audio output.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of processing the acquired image of the toy to produce a simulated gun fire or rockets originating from the acquired image of the toy.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of using at least one of the acquired parameter and the adjusted virtual environment to modify remote controlling of the remote control toy.

11. A game kit comprising:

a tablet computer having a camera, and a remote controlled toy;

wherein the tablet computer is configured to use a plurality of motion sensors for remote controlling of the remote control toy in an environment;

wherein the camera of the tablet computer is configured to acquire an image that includes an image portion comprising the toy and an image portion of the environment while the toy is being controlled by a user moving the tablet computer;

wherein the environment in the image portion of the environment is selected from the group consisting of a wall, a floor, a ceiling, a staircase, an opening in a wall, and a doorway;

wherein the tablet computer is further configured to process the acquired image to

(1) acquire from the image portion of the environment a spatial parameter representative of spatial constraint information of the actual environment,

(2) generate an adjusted virtual environment using the acquired parameter from the image portion of the environment, wherein the adjusted virtual environment is generated based on the spatial parameter representative of spatial constraint information of the actual environment;

(3) replace the image portion of the environment with the adjusted virtual environment;

(4) produce a composite output image that is formed from the image portion of the toy and the adjusted virtual environment such that the image portion of the environment in the composite output image is replaced by the adjusted virtual environment and such that the composite output image displays the image portion comprising the toy within the adjusted virtual environment; and

wherein the tablet computer is further configured to display the composite output image on a display of the tablet computer.

12. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the remote controlled toy is a flying toy, a boat, a car, or a tank.

13. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the remote controlled toy has a limited set of predefined colors.

14. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the environment is an indoor environment having a plurality of walls and a floor, and wherein at least one of the walls has a vertical border.

15. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the adjusted virtual environment is a simulated landscape, a simulated outer space, or a simulated underwater environment.

16. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the acquired parameter is a static object in the environment.

17. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the acquired parameter is a border between a wall and a floor in the environment.

18. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the tablet computer is further configured to produce an audio output.

19. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the tablet computer is further configured to process the acquired image of the toy to thereby produce a simulated gun fire or rockets originating from the acquired image of the toy.

20. The game kit of claim 11 wherein the tablet computer is further configured to use at least one of the acquired parameter and the adjusted virtual environment to thereby modify remote controlling of the remote control toy.