Apparatus for adapting virtual gaming with real world information

• US 10,391,402 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Aronzon, Michael, Hawver, Bruce, Grever, Francis Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Seng Heng
• Application Number:
  US15/381,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20170113141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8023 the game being played by multiple players at a common site, e.g. in an arena, theatre, shopping mall using a large public display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

A server device that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a memory and a processor. The processor can identify first and second players present at first and second physical locations, to identify first and second boundary and topographical information of the first and second physical locations, to map the first and second boundary and topographical information of the first and second physical locations to a virtual gaming space, to capture first and second position and orientation information for the first and second players, to map the first and second position and orientation information to the virtual gaming space, to generate first and second virtual players corresponding to the first and second players, and to transmit to first goggles information representative of the second virtual player for display superimposed onto a transparent viewing apparatus for viewing of the virtual gaming space. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a communication device including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving first information representative of a computer-controlled avatar generated by a gaming application, wherein the computer-controlled avatar is mapped by the gaming application to a first position at a physical region;

determining a second position of the communication device at the physical region;

presenting the computer-controlled avatar superimposed onto a depiction of at least a portion of the physical region at a display associated with the communication device according to the first information representative of the computer-controlled avatar, wherein the first position of the computer-controlled avatar is depicted relative to the second position of the communication device;

receiving, from a user interface, a first user input;

generating a first input stimulation according to the first user input;

detecting an association between the first input stimulation and a gaming application action associated with the gaming application, wherein the gaming application action comprises targeting of the computer-controlled avatar;

retrieving a substitute stimulation for the first input stimulation according to a single input macro defined for the gaming application, wherein the single input macro defines an association between the gaming application action and the substitute stimulation, wherein the substitute stimulation is provided to the gaming application as second information associated with the gaming application action, wherein the substitute stimulation is associated with the single input macro according to a recommendation generated by the communication device based on monitoring of user inputs during use of the gaming application;

detecting according to third information provided by the gaming application responsive to the second information an occurrence of a virtual hit of the computer-controlled avatar based on the targeting of the computer-controlled avatar; and

responsive to detection of the virtual hit of the computer-controlled avatar, presenting the virtual hit at the display.

2. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting according to the third information provided by the gaming application an occurrence of a virtual miss of the computer-controlled avatar based on the targeting of the computer-controlled avatar; and

responsive to detection of the virtual miss of the computer-controlled avatar, presenting the virtual miss at the display.

3. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the computer-controlled avatar is unmapped from the first position by the gaming application responsive to the detection of the virtual miss of the computer-controlled avatar.

4. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, at the communication device, fourth information representative of a virtual object associated with the gaming application, wherein the virtual object is mapped by the gaming application to a third position at the physical region; and

presenting the virtual object superimposed onto the depiction of the at least a portion of the physical region at the display according to the fourth information representative of the virtual object, wherein the third position of the virtual object is depicted relative to the second position of the communication device.

5. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

capturing, from the user interface of the communication device, fifth information associated with second targeting of the virtual object that is superimposed onto the display;

detecting, according to sixth information provided by the gaming application, an occurrence of a virtual effect upon the virtual object based on the second targeting of the virtual object; and

responsive to detection of the virtual effect upon the virtual object, presenting the virtual effect at the display.

6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the gaming application is executed at a server remote from the communication device.

7. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the gaming application is executed at the communication device.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the second position of the communication device is determined according to a global positioning system.

9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving sensory data, wherein the sensory data is provided to the gaming application as fourth information, and wherein the detecting of the occurrence of the virtual hit is further according to the fourth information.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the sensory data is derived from one of a gyroscope, a compass, an accelerometer, a level detector, a diode array, a global positioning system detector, an infrared detector, or an antenna.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-controlled avatar is unmapped from the first position by the gaming application responsive to the determination of the virtual hit of the computer-controlled avatar.

12. A server, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processing system including a processor and coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the executable instructions, the processing system performs operations comprising;

generating a computer-controlled avatar associated with a gaming application;

mapping the computer-controlled avatar to a first position at a physical region;

transmitting, to a communication device, first information representative of the computer-controlled avatar and mapped to the first position, wherein the communication device presents the computer-controlled avatar superimposed onto a depiction of at least a portion the physical region at a display associated with the communication device according to the first information representative of the computer-controlled avatar;

receiving, from the communication device, a first input stimulation;

detecting an association between the first input stimulation and a gaming application action associated with the gaming application, wherein the gaming application action comprises targeting of the computer-controlled avatar;

retrieving a substitute stimulation for the first input stimulation according to a single input macro defined for the gaming application, wherein the single input macro defines an association between the gaming application action and the substitute stimulation, wherein the substitute stimulation is provided to the gaming application as second information associated with the gaming application action, wherein the substitute stimulation is associated with the single input macro according to a recommendation generated by the communication device based on monitoring of user inputs during use of the gaming application;

detecting, according to the second information, a virtual hit of the computer-controlled avatar based on the targeting of the computer-controlled avatar; and

transmitting, to the communication device, third information representative of the virtual hit of the computer-controlled avatar responsive to detection of the virtual hit.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the display associated with the communication device depicts the first position of the computer-controlled avatar relative to a second position of the communication device.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting, according to the third information, an occurrence of a virtual miss of the computer-controlled avatar based on the targeting of the computer-controlled avatar; and

transmitting, to the communication device, fourth information representative of the virtual miss of the computer-controlled avatar responsive to detection of the virtual hit.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise unmapping the computer-controlled avatar from the first position responsive to the detection of the virtual miss of the computer-controlled avatar.

16. The server of claim 12, wherein the computer-controlled avatar is mapped to the first position at the physical region according to a mapping between first boundary and topographical information associated with the physical region and a virtual gaming space.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a communication device including a processor, first information representative of a computer-controlled avatar generated by a gaming application, wherein the computer-controlled avatar is mapped by the gaming application to a first position at a physical region;

determining, by the communication device, a second position of the communication device at the physical region;

presenting, by the communication device, the computer-controlled avatar superimposed onto a depiction of at least a portion of the physical region at a display associated with the communication device according to the first information representative of the computer-controlled avatar;

receiving, by the communication device, from a user interface, a first user input;

generating, by the communication device, a first input stimulation according to the first user input;

detecting an association between the first input stimulation and a gaming application action associated with the gaming application, wherein the gaming application action comprises targeting of the computer-controlled avatar;

retrieving, by the communication device, a substitute stimulation for the first input stimulation according to a single input macro defined for the gaming application, wherein the single input macro defines an association between the gaming application action and the substitute stimulation, wherein the substitute stimulation is provided to the gaming application as second information associated with the gaming application action, wherein the substitute stimulation is associated with the single input macro according to a recommendation generated by the communication device based on monitoring of user inputs during use of the gaming application; and

presenting, by the communication device, a virtual hit of the computer-controlled avatar at the display responsive to receiving a third information associated with the virtual hit of the computer-controlled avatar.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first position of the computer-controlled avatar is depicted at the display relative to the second position of the communication device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer-controlled avatar is unmapped from the first position by the gaming application responsive to detection of a virtual miss of the computer-controlled avatar.