Action or position triggers in a game play mode

• US 9,789,392 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Lotzer, Carey Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Tsung-Yin
• Application Number:
  US13/178,819
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• 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 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/08 Sequential recording or projection G03B33/02, G03B33/04, G03B33/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

A method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium that, in one embodiment, interprets a user motion sequence comprises beginning a session, capturing the user motion sequence via a motion capturing device during the session, processing, via a processor, the user motion sequence into a predetermined data format, comparing the processed user motion sequence to at least one predetermined motion sequence stored in a database and determining whether to perform at least one of interpreting the user motion sequence as a universal command and registering the user motion sequence as a new command.

Claims

1. A method of interpreting a user motion sequence, the method comprising:

beginning a session;

capturing the user motion sequence as a plurality of images of a user body via a motion capturing device during the session;

during the user motion sequence, identifying the user motion sequence has stopped responsive to identifying a lack of movement of the user body for a predefined period of time;

responsive to the lack of movement of the user body, receiving the plurality of images and reducing user body position data of the user arms and the user legs to a plurality of data points;

identifying the plurality of data points in each of the plurality of images corresponding to positions of user arms and user legs of the user body;

identifying position changes of the user arms and the user legs based on the plurality of data points in each of the plurality of images;

processing, via a processor, the user motion sequence into a predetermined data format comprising a plurality of vector signatures, by converting each image into a corresponding set of vector signatures each comprising lines which join the plurality of data points defining a position of the user body;

comparing the processed user motion sequence to at least one predetermined motion sequence stored in a database comprising pre-stored vector signatures, by comparing the plurality of data points of the vector signatures of the user motion sequence to a plurality of data points of the pre-stored vector signatures to determine whether there is a match;

determining whether to perform at least one of interpreting the user motion sequence as a universal command and registering the user motion sequence as a new command;

identifying the user motion sequence as not having a match in the database responsive to the comparing of the vector signature of the user motion sequence to the pre-stored vector signatures; and

registering the user motion sequence as a new command when the user motion sequence was not discovered in the database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion capturing device comprises at least one of a camera and a motion detector.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to perform at least one of interpreting the user motion sequence as a universal command and registering the user motion sequence as a new command further comprises interpreting the user motion sequence as a universal command if the user motion sequence was discovered in the database based on the comparing operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registering the user motion sequence as the new command further comprises prompting the user to register the user motion sequence and receiving a response from the user confirming the decision to register the user motion sequence as the new command.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining the significance of the user motion sequence;

creating a motion significance packet comprising a command type associated with the user motion sequence and a corresponding avatar action to be performed by an avatar associated with the user motion sequence; and

transferring the motion significance packet to a motion processing module.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether to perform at least one of registering the new command as a universally available command that may be used by more than one video game and registering the command as a non-universal command that is specifically designated for one video game, and wherein the registration determination is based on a type of movement associated with the user motion sequence.

7. An apparatus configured to interpret a user motion sequence, the apparatus comprising:

a motion capturing device configured to

receive a session beginning command, and

capture the user motion sequence as a plurality of images of a user body during a session; and

a processor configured to

during the user motion sequence, identify the user motion sequence has stopped responsive to identifying a lack of movement of the user body for a predefined period of time;

responsive to the lack of movement of the user body, receive the plurality of images and reduce user body position data of the user arms and the user legs to a plurality of data points;

receive a session beginning command,

identify the plurality of data points in each of the plurality of images corresponding to positions of user arms and user legs of the user body,

identify position changes of the user arms and the user legs based on the plurality of data points in each of the plurality of images,

process the user motion sequence into a predetermined data format comprising a plurality of vector signatures,

convert each image into a corresponding set of vector signatures each comprising lines which join the plurality of data points defining a position of the user body,

compare the processed user motion sequence to at least one predetermined motion sequence stored in a database comprising pre-stored vector signatures, by comparing the plurality of data points of the vector signatures of the user motion sequence to a plurality of data points of the pre-stored vector signatures to determine whether there is a match,

determine whether to perform at least one of interpret the user motion sequence as a universal command and register the user motion sequence as a new command,

identify the user motion sequence as not having a match in the database responsive to the comparing of the vector signature of the user motion sequence to the pre-stored vector signatures, and

register the user motion sequence as a new command when the user motion sequence was not discovered in the database.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the motion capturing device comprises at least one of a camera and a motion detector.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to interpret the user motion sequence as a universal command if the user motion sequence was discovered in the database based on the comparing operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to prompt the user to register the user motion sequence and receive a response from the user confirming the decision to register the user motion sequence as the new command.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the significance of the user motion sequence, and create a motion significance packet comprising a command type associated with the user motion sequence and a corresponding avatar action to be performed by an avatar associated with the user motion sequence, and transfer the motion significance packet to a motion processing module.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to perform at least one of register the new command as a universally available command that may be used by more than one video game and register the command as a non-universal command that is specifically designated for one video game, and wherein the registration determination is based on a type of movement associated with the user motion sequence.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform interpreting a user motion sequence, the processor being further configured to perform:

beginning a session;

capturing the user motion sequence as a plurality of images of a user body via a motion capturing device during the session;

during the user motion sequence, identifying the user motion sequence has stopped responsive to identifying a lack of movement of the user body for a predefined period of time;

responsive to the lack of movement of the user body, receiving the plurality of images and reducing user body position data of the user arms and the user legs to a plurality of data points;

identifying the plurality of data points in each of the plurality of images corresponding to positions of user arms and user legs of the user body;

identifying position changes of the user arms and the user legs based on the plurality of data points in each of the plurality of images;

processing, via a processor, the user motion sequence into a predetermined data format comprising a plurality of vector signatures, by converting each image into a corresponding set of vector signatures each comprising lines which join the plurality of data points defining a position of the user body;

comparing the processed user motion sequence to at least one predetermined motion sequence stored in a database comprising pre-stored vector signatures, by comparing the plurality of data points of the vector signatures of the user motion sequence to a plurality of data points of the pre-stored vector signatures to determine whether there is a match;

determining whether to perform at least one of interpreting the user motion sequence as a universal command and registering the user motion sequence as a new command;

identifying the user motion sequence as not having a match in the database responsive to the comparing of the vector signature of the user motion sequence to the pre-stored vector signatures; and

registering the user motion sequence as a new command when the user motion sequence was not discovered in the database.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the motion capturing device comprises at least one of a camera and a motion detector.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the determining whether to perform at least one of interpreting the user motion sequence as a universal command and registering the user motion sequence as a new command further comprises interpreting the user motion sequence as a universal command if the user motion sequence was discovered in the database based on the comparing operation.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the registering the user motion sequence as the new command further comprises prompting the user to register the user motion sequence and receiving a response from the user confirming the decision to register the user motion sequence as the new command.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

determining the significance of the user motion sequence;

creating a motion significance packet comprising a command type associated with the user motion sequence and a corresponding avatar action to be performed by an avatar associated with the user motion sequence; and

transferring the motion significance packet to a motion processing module.