Method and apparatus of proximity and stunt recording for outdoor gaming

• US 9,504,909 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Persaud, Anthony G., Prentice, Adrian J., Joseph, George, Storch, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): AIELLO, JEFFREY P
• Application Number:
  US13/274,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20120283016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 342/104, 342/109, 382/103, 382/107, 382/154, 702/94, 702/141, 702/150, 702/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/807 Gliding or sliding on surfaces, e.g. using skis, skates or boards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8041 Skating using skis, skates or board

Abstract

Apparatuses for motion capture are disclosed that includes a surface configured to support an object; and at least one sensor arranged with the surface, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to obtain at least one of ranging or inertial information for use in estimating a motion of the surface with respect to the object. A method for motion capture is also disclosed that includes providing a surface configured to support an object; and obtaining at least one of ranging or inertial information for use in estimating a motion of the surface with respect to the object via at least one sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for motion capture comprising:

a surface configured to support an object; and

a plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and a plurality of sensors included with the object, one of the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface is configured to obtain ranging information from other sensors of the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and the plurality of sensors included with the object for use in estimating a motion of the surface with respect to the object, the ranging information comprising a distance between two sensors among the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and the plurality of sensors included with the object, at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors included with the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing system configured to estimate the motion of the surface based on the ranging information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor arranged with the surface is further configured to communicate with a remote sensor arranged with a stationary node to obtain inertial information of the surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor arranged with the surface comprises a gyroscopic sensor, a pressure sensor, a ranging sensor, a magnetometer, or an accelerometer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises a skateboard.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a portion of a human body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ranging information further comprises ranging data for use in estimating motion of the object for use in a kinematic model.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the kinematic model of the object is determined with respect to the surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor arranged with the surface further comprises a transceiver configured to communicate the ranging information with a remote apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a transceiver configured to communicate the inertial information with a remote apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing the ranging information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface are mounted to the surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the remote apparatus is configured to obtain the ranging information and to process the ranging information and estimate the motion of the surface and the object.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the remote apparatus is a mobile phone.

15. An apparatus for motion capture comprising:

means for supporting an object; and

a plurality of sensor means integrated with the means for supporting the object and a plurality of sensor means included with the object, one of the plurality of sensor means included with the object is configured to obtain ranging information from the plurality of sensor means integrated with the surface and other sensor means of the plurality of sensor means included with the object for use in estimating a motion of the means for supporting an object with respect to the object and a motion of the object with respect to the means for supporting an object, the ranging information comprising a distance between two sensor means among the plurality of sensor means integrated with the means for supporting the object and the plurality of sensors means included with the object, at least one of the two sensor means being one of the plurality of sensor means integrated with the means for supporting the object and at least one of the two sensor means being one of the plurality of sensor means included with the object.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising means for estimating the motion of the means for supporting the object based on the ranging information.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor means arranged with the object is further configured to communicate with a remote sensor means arranged with a stationary node to obtain inertial information of the object.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor means arranged with the object comprises gyroscopic sensor, pressure sensor, ranging sensor, magnetometer, or accelerometer.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for supporting the object comprises a skateboard.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the object comprises a portion of a human body.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the inertial information comprises inertial data for use in estimating the motion of the object for use in a kinematic model.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the kinematic model of the object is determined with respect to the means for supporting the object.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor means arranged with the object further comprises a transceiver configured to communicate the ranging information with a remote apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a transceiver configured to communicate the ranging information with a remote apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising memory means for storing the inertial information.

26. A method for motion capture comprising:

obtaining ranging information for use in estimating a motion of a surface configured to support an object with respect to the object via a plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and a plurality of sensors included with the object, one of the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface is configured to obtain ranging information from other sensors of the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and the plurality of sensors included with the object, the ranging information comprising a distance between two sensors among the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and the plurality of sensors included with the object, at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors included with the object; and

estimating the motion of the surface based on the ranging information.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising communicating with a remote sensor arranged with a stationary node to obtain inertial information of the surface.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the sensor arranged with the surface comprises gyroscopic sensor, pressure sensor, a ranging sensor, magnetometer, or accelerometer.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the surface comprises a skateboard.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the object comprises a portion of a human body.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the ranging information further comprises ranging data for use in estimating motion of the object for use in a kinematic model.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the kinematic model of the object is determined with respect to the surface.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising communicating the ranging information with a remote apparatus.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising communicating the inertial information with a remote apparatus via a transceiver.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising storing the ranging information.

36. A computer program product for motion capture comprising:

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable for;

obtaining ranging information for use in estimating a motion of a surface configured to support an object with respect to the object and a motion of the object with respect to the surface via a plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and a plurality of sensors included with the object, one of the plurality of sensors included with the object is configured to obtain ranging information from other sensors of the plurality of sensors included with the object and the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface, the ranging information comprising a distance between two sensors among the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and the plurality of sensors included with the object, at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors integrated with the surface and at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors included with the object; and

estimating the motion of the surface based on the ranging information.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, the machine-readable medium further comprising instructions executable for communicating with the sensor arranged with the object and a remote sensor arranged with a stationary node to obtain inertial information of the object.

38. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the sensors arranged with the object comprises gyroscopic sensors, a pressure sensor, a ranging sensor, a magnetometer, or accelerometer.

39. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the surface comprises a skateboard.

40. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the object comprises a portion of a human body.

41. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the inertial information comprises inertial data for use in estimating the motion of the surface for use in a kinematic model.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the kinematic model of the surface is determined with respect to the object.

43. The computer program product of claim 36, the machine-readable medium further comprising instructions executable for communicating the ranging information with a remote apparatus.

44. The computer program product of claim 36, the machine-readable medium further comprising instructions executable for communicating the ranging information with a remote apparatus via a transceiver.

45. The computer program product of claim 37, the machine-readable medium further comprising instructions executable for storing the inertial information.

46. A skateboard for motion capture comprising:

an antenna;

a board of the skateboard configured to support a person; and

a plurality of sensors integrated with the board of the skateboard and a plurality of sensors included with the person, one of the plurality of sensors integrated with the board of the skateboard is configured to obtain ranging information, through the antenna, from other sensors of the plurality of sensors integrated with the board and the plurality of sensors included with the person for use in estimating a motion of the board with respect to the person, the ranging information comprising a distance between two sensors among the plurality of sensors integrated with the board of the skateboard and the plurality of sensors included with the person, at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors integrated with the board of the skateboard and at least one of the two sensors being one of the plurality of sensors included with the person.