Safety scheme for gesture-based game

• US 9,266,019 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• 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): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOSHI, ANKIT B
• Application Number:
  US13/511,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 382/154
• 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 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• 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 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• 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 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 : the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 : Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 : for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 : Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 : Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 : using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 : by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 : for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 : generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 : by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for providing a notification to a player playing a gesture-based game of a potentially dangerous condition. In some examples, a safety component of a gesture-based game system includes a gesture range determination unit configured to determine a gesture range associated with a gesture-based game; a detection unit configured to detect a movement of an object; and an alarm unit configured to generate an alarm in response to a determination based on the movement of the object which is within the gesture range.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a detection unit configured to;

detect a range of motion of a player associated with a gesture-based game, and

detect a movement of an object;

an identification unit configured to;

identify the gesture-based game, and

provide information associated with the identified gesture-based game to a training stage unit;

the training stage unit configured to;

receive the detected range of motion of the player, wherein the detected range of motion is in at least a horizontal plane from the detection unit,

receive the information associated with the identified gesture-based game, and

determine a gesture range of the player based on at least the received detected range of motion and the information associated with the identified gesture-based game, wherein the determined gesture range of the player identifies a maximum radius of the player; and

an alarm unit configured to generate an alarm in response to a determination that the movement of the object is within the determined gesture range.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gesture range update unit configured to update the determined gesture range to generate an updated gesture range based on gameplay motion of the player of the gesture-based game.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the updated gesture range is preserved for subsequent playing of the gesture-based game by the player.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gesture range determination unit configured to determine a default gesture range that is associated with the gesture-based game.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determined gesture range is determined during a training stage of the gesture-based game.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the training stage precedes playing the gesture-based game.

7. A method comprising:

detecting a range of motion of a player associated with a gesture-based game;

identifying the gesture-based game;

providing information associated with the identified gesture-based game;

determining a gesture range of the player based on at least the detected range of motion of the player and the information associated with the identified gesture-based game, wherein the detected range of motion is in at least a horizontal plane, and wherein the determined gesture range of the player identifies a maximum radius of the player;

detecting a movement of an object during playing of the gesture-based game;

determining that the object has moved into the determined gesture range during the playing of the gesture-based game; and

generating an alert in response to the determining that the object has moved into the determined gesture range during the playing of the gesture-based game.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

tracking a motion of the player during the playing of the gesture-based game; and

updating the determined gesture range based on the tracked motion of the player.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising

requesting the player of the gesture-based game to make a game playing motion.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the gesture range of the player is performed prior to the playing of the gesture-based game.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing a previously determined gesture range from a previous playing of the gesture-based game.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating the alert includes displaying a warning message.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating the alert includes terminating the playing of the gesture-based game.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying, by a safety component of a gesture-based game system, the playing of the gesture-based game.

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

detecting a range of motion of a player associated with a gesture-based game;

identifying the gesture-based game;

providing information associated with the identified gesture-based game;

determining a gesture range of the player based on at least the detected range of motion of the player and the information associated with the identified gesture-based game, wherein the detected range of motion is in at least a horizontal plane, and wherein the determined gesture range of the player identifies a maximum radius of the player;

detecting a position of an object in a vicinity of the player during playing of the gesture-based game; and

generating an alert in response to determining that the position of the object is within the determined gesture range.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining the gesture range includes determining the gesture range prior to the playing of the gesture-based game.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising storing a previous gesture range from a prior playing of the gesture-based game.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

tracking a game playing motion of the player; and

updating the determined gesture range according to the game playing motion of the player.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising identifying, by a safety component, the playing of the gesture-based game.

20. A system, comprising:

means for detecting a range of motion of a player associated with a gesture-based game;

means for identifying the gesture-based game;

means for providing information associated with the identified gesture-based game;

means for determining a gesture range of the player based on at least the detected range of motion of the player and the information associated with the identified gesture-based game, wherein the detected range of motion is in at least a horizontal plane, and wherein the determined gesture range of the player identifies a maximum radius of the player;

means for determining that an object is located within the determined gesture range during playing of the gesture-based game; and

means for generating an alert in response to an output from the means for determining indicating that the object is located within the determined gesture range.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for identifying the playing of the gesture-based game.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

an identification unit configured to identify a gesture-based game and a player;

a gesture range determination unit configured to;

determine a gesture range of the identified player based on at least the identified gesture-based game and body dimension information associated with the player, wherein the determined gesture range of the player identifies a maximum radius of the player; and

a detection unit configured to detect a movement of an object relative to the gesture range.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a gesture range. update unit configured to update the determined gesture range to generate an updated gesture range based on motion of the identified player during playing of the gesture-based game by the identified player.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a gesture range determination configured to determine a default gesture range that is associated with a type of the gesture-based game.

25. A method, comprising:

identifying a player and an identity of a gesture-based game being played by the identified player on a gesture-based game system;

determining a gesture range of the identified player based on at least the identified gesture-based game and body dimension information associated with the player, wherein the determined gesture range of the player identifies a maximum radius of the player; and

warning the identified player with at least one of a visual alert or an auditory alert in response to detecting a location of an object within the gesture range.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

tracking a motion of the identified player; and

updating the gesture range based on the tracked motion of the identified player.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a detection unit configured to;

detect a range of motion of a player associated with a gesture-based game, and

detect a movement of an object;

an identification unit configured to;

identify the gesture-based game, and

provide information associated with the identified gesture-based game to a training stage unit;

the training stage unit configured to;

receive the detected range of motion of the player in at least a horizontal plane from the detection unit,

receive the information associated with the identified gesture-based game, and

determine a gesture range of the player based on at least a center of an area detectable by the detection unit and the received information associated with the identified gesture-based game; and

an alarm unit configured to generate an alarm in response to a determination that the movement of the object is within the determined gesture range.