Interactive document reader

• US 8,899,474 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ackley, Jonathan, Samdahl, Amber, Van Gilder, Amy K., Smoot, Lanny S., Short, Shelley
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEDEKEL, TABITHA F
• Application Number:
  US12/211,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/487, 235/494, 235/375, 235/380, 705/1.1, 705/17, 345/7, 345/156
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems for providing an interactive document reader.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, in an interactive gaming experience, orientation of a physical document via a document reader, the document comprising a map;

projecting information onto said document via said document reader wherein the manner in which the information is projected is based, at least in part, on said detected orientation, the document comprising a sheet of media having fixed information depicted thereon, the manner in which the information is projected being based on aligning the projected information with the fixed information;

identifying a user of the document based, at least in part, on detection of a signature associated with the document; and

presenting media content to the identified user based, at least in part, on the identification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a selection of a portion of said document via said document reader based, at least in part, on a touch activation of said document reader through said document.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein said projecting information comprises rear projecting an image of said document through an underside of said document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said projecting information comprises illuminating a hidden portion of said document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

text, animation, video, a static image, highlighting, graphic information; and

symbols.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected information comprises a path connecting two or more depicted locations on the map.

7. A method comprising:

detecting, in an interactive gaming experience, presence of a physical document via a document reader;

altering an appearance of the document to present information based, at least in part, on said detected presence;

sensing an orientation of the document;

altering the appearance of the document based, at least in part, on the sensed orientation

identifying a user of the document based, at least in part, on detection of a signature associated with the document; and

altering the appearance of the document, at least in part, on the identification of said user.

8. An interactive document reader, comprising:

a document sensor indicating presence of a physical document in an interactive gaming experience;

an orientation sensor indicating orientation of the sensed document; and

a projector displaying information on the document in a manner that is based, at least in part, on the indications from the document sensor and the orientation sensor, wherein a user of the document is identified, at least in part, on detection of a signature associated with the document, wherein media content is presented to the identified user based, at least in part, on the identification.

9. The interactive document reader of claim 8, further comprising:

a signature reader operable to read a signature associated with the document and transmit the signature.

10. The interactive document reader of claim 8, further comprising:

a metadata reader operable to read metadata from said document and transmit the metadata.

11. The interactive document reader of claim 8, further comprising:

a metadata writer operable to store metadata on said document.

12. The interactive document reader of claim 8, further comprising:

a touch sensor operable to sense a selection of a portion of said document based, at least in part, on a touch activation through said document.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting, in an interactive gaming experience, a presence of one or more physical documents; and

means for altering an appearance of the document to present a special effect based, at least in part, on said detected presence

means for sensing an orientation of the document;

means for altering the appearance of the document based, at least in part, on the sensed orientation

means for identifying a user of the document based, at least in part, on detection of a signature associated with the document; and

means for altering the appearance of the document, at least in part, on the identification of said user.

14. An interactive document, comprising:

a sheet of media having a first portion information depicted thereon, wherein placement of the first portion of the information has a suitable orientation and arrangement;

a device on the sheet of media configured to communicate the orientation of the sheet of media to an external interactive document reader in an interactive gaming experience; and

a projection surface integrated with the sheet of media, wherein appearance of the sheet of media is alterable to present a second portion of information projected by the external interactive document reader to the projection surface, wherein the second portion of information is projected in alignment with the first portion of information, wherein a user of the sheet of media is identified, at least in part, on detection of a signature associated with the sheet of media, wherein media content is presented to the identified user based, at least in part, on the identification.

15. A method comprising:

detecting, in an interactive gaming experience, orientation of a physical document via a document reader; and

projecting information onto said document via said document reader wherein the manner in which the information is projected is based, at least in part, on said detected orientation, said document comprising a sheet of media having fixed information depicted thereon, the manner in which the information is projected being based on aligning the projected information with the fixed information;

identifying a user of said document based, at least in part, on detection of a signature associated with said document; and

presenting media content to said identified user based, at least in part, on said identification.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sensing a selection of a portion of said document via said document reader based, at least in part, on a touch activation of said document reader through said document.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

wherein said projecting information comprises rear projecting an image of said document through an underside of said document.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said projecting information comprises illuminating a hidden portion of said document.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the projected information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

text, animation, video, a static image, highlighting, graphic information; and

symbols.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the document comprises a map having a plurality of locations depicted thereon and the projected information comprises a path connecting two or more of the depicted locations.