Safety scheme for gesture-based game system

• US 9,126,115 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Seungil
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/150,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20140141882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 463 31- 33, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/428 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 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• 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 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• 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

Technologies are generally described for a safety scheme for a gesture-based game. In some examples, a method performed under control of a gesture-based game system may include determining whether an obstacle exists within a playing space associated with a game being currently played on the gesture-based game system, and generating in a display area associated with the game a barrier image associated with the obstacle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a location of a player and an obstacle in a playing space;

generating, in a display area, an avatar image associated with the player in the playing space;

generating a barrier image associated with the obstacle;

determining a distance between the player and the obstacle based at least in part on the determined location of the player and the obstacle,

wherein the determining the distance includes subtracting a predetermined safety margin from the distance, and

wherein the predetermined safety margin varies depending on a game;

determining a virtual distance between the avatar image and the barrier image based at least in part on the determined distance between the player and the obstacle;

comparing the determined virtual distance with a predetermined distance limit; and

in response to the determined virtual distance being less than or equal to the predetermined distance limit, displaying in the display area the barrier image associated with an obstacle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the virtual distance includes determining the virtual distance in proportion to the determined distance between the player and the obstacle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a ratio between the determined virtual distance and the determined distance between the player and the obstacle varies depending on a game.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier image is immovable during gameplay.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the barrier image on a display device.

6. A gesture-based game system, comprising:

a location determination unit configured to obtain player location information of a player and obstacle location information of an obstacle in a playing space;

a distance determination unit configured to determine a distance between the player and the obstacle based at least in part on the obtained player location information and the obtained obstacle location information;

a virtual distance determination unit configured to determine a virtual distance between an avatar image associated with the player and a barrier image associated with the obstacle,

wherein the virtual distance is proportional to the determined distance between the player and the obstacle, and

wherein a ratio between the virtual distance and the distance varies depending on a game; and

an image generation unit configured to;

generate the avatar image in a display area, and

in response to the virtual distance being less than or equal to a predetermined distance limit, generate the barrier image in the display area separated from the avatar image by the determined virtual distance.

7. The gesture-based game system of claim 6, wherein the virtual distance determination unit is further configured to determine the virtual distance between the avatar image and the barrier image in proportion to the determined distance between the player and the obstacle.

8. The gesture-based game system of claim 7, wherein a ratio between the virtual distance and the distance varies depending on a game.

9. The gesture-based game system of claim 6, wherein the determined distance includes subtracting a predetermined safety margin from the determined distance.

10. The gesture-based game system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined safety margin varies depending on a game.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a gesture-based game system to perform operations, comprising:

determining a distance between a player and an obstacle in a playing space;

comparing a virtual distance, based on the determined distance, between an avatar image corresponding to the player and a barrier image corresponding to the obstacle with a predetermined distance limit, wherein the predetermined distance limit varies depending on a game;

generating the avatar image in a display area; and

in response to the virtual distance being less than or equal to the predetermined distance limit, generating in the display area the barrier image separated from the avatar image by the virtual distance.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the barrier image is immovable during gameplay.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining the virtual distance includes determining the virtual distance in proportion to the distance between the player and the obstacle.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the determining the distance includes subtracting a predetermined safety margin from the distance.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the predetermined safety margin varies depending on a game.