Virtual assistant coach

• US 20020132211A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baker, Thomas W., Botzas, Anthony, Cannon, Joseph M., August, Katherine G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,652,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A virtual coach is provided in the form of a master communications device and one or more player associated communications devices. The master communication device includes a processor which receives information on game play conditions and/or player and game object locations, analyzes the information, and formulates an appropriate coaching instruction which is transmitted to one or more selected players.

Claims

1. A communications system for remotely coaching a game player, said system comprising:

at least one communications device associated with a player and comprising at least a receiver and a device for indicating a received coaching instruction to a player;

a master communications device for wirelessly communicating with said at least one player associated communications device;

said master communications device comprising at least a transmitter for transmitting a coaching instruction to said receiver and a processing unit for processing information associated with game play, said processing unit causing said transmitter to transmit a coaching instruction based on said game play information to said at least one player associated communications device.

2. A communication system as in claim 1 wherein said master communications device further comprises a memory for storing statistical information associated with game play, said processing unit causing said statistical information to be transmitted as a coaching instruction.

3. A communications system as in claim 1 wherein said master communications device further comprises a memory for storing statistical information of a player, said processing unit causing said statistical information of said player to be transmitted as a coaching instruction.

4. A communications system as in claim 1 wherein said processing unit receives information associated with game play and formulates said coaching instruction based on said information associated with the game play.

5. A communications system as in claim 4 wherein said coaching instruction includes instructions of what actions a player should take based on said received information.

6. A communications system as in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of associated communications devices, each associated with a respective player said master communications device selectively wirelessly communicating with said plurality of player associated communication devices.

7. A communications system as in claim 6 wherein said master communications device further comprises a display coupled to said processing unit, said processing unit receiving information on the position of players, said processing unit causing said display to display the positions of said players relative to a game area.

8. A communications system as in claim 7 wherein said processing unit receives GPS player position information from said player associated communications devices.

9. A communications system as in claim 7 wherein said processing unit receives imaged player position information.

10. A communications system as in claim 7 wherein said master communications device further comprises a player selection device for selecting at least one player associated communications device for communications with said master communications device.

11. A communications system as in claim 10 wherein said player selection device controls a cursor on said display which is movable to a position where a player is displayed to select at least one player associated communications device for communications with said master communications device.

12. A communications system as in claim 10 wherein said player selection device comprises a voice recognition unit associated with said processing unit which selects at least one player associated communication device for communication with said master communications device in response to a voice command.

13. A communications system as in claim 1 wherein said processing unit processes information concerning player position, said master communications device further comprising a display which displays processed player position information.

14. A communications system as in claim 1 wherein said processing unit processes information concerning player movement, said master communications device further comprising a display which displays processed player movement information.

15. A communications system as in claim 6 wherein said master communications device further comprises an audio input device for receiving audio coaching instructions, and a selection device for selecting at least one of said player associated communications devices, said processing unit causing said audio coaching instructions to be transmitted to a selected player associated communications device.

16. A communications system as in claim 1 wherein said processing unit issues said coaching instruction based on the processing of information associated with a game.

17. A communications system as in claim 15 wherein said audio coaching instruction is transmitted to a player associated communications device in lieu of a coaching instruction issued by said processing unit.

18. A communications system as in claim 1 wherein said processing unit includes a learning module for learning an appropriate coaching instruction to be given in a particular set of game play circumstances.

19. A communications system as in claim 18 wherein said learning module evaluates the results produced as a result of an issued coaching instruction and determines if a modification of the coaching instruction is required.

20. A communications system as in claim 1 further comprising a communications port for communicating game play information between said processing unit and a communications network.

21. A communications system as in claim 6 further comprising a display device coupled to said processing unit for displaying indications of game players.

22. A communications system as in claim 21 wherein each said player associated communications device includes a transmitter for transmitting player comments to said master communications device, said master communications device further comprising a receiver for receiving said player comments and a player identification device for identifying a player making comments.

23. A communications system as in claim 22 wherein said processing unit is responsive to an identification of a player by said player identification device to cause an indication associated with a commenting player on said display to change relative to the indications associated with other players.

24. A communications system as in claim 1, further comprising a location system for locating a plurality of players and a game object, and a display, said processing unit receiving player and game object position information from said location system and operating said display to display player and game object position.

25. A communications system as in claim 24 wherein said location system comprises GPS receivers associated with each of said player associated communications devices and a communications device having a GPS receiver associated with said game object, said processing unit receiving said player and game object position information from said GPS receivers.

26. A communications system as in claim 24 wherein said location system comprises an imaging system which images a game area and provides said player and game object position information to said processing unit.

27. A communications system as in claim 24 wherein said master communications device further comprises a proximity detector for determining when said master communications device is within a predetermined distance of a player, said proximity detector controlling a selection of which of said player associated communications devices will receive said coaching instruction.

28. A communications system as in claim 6 wherein said master communications device further comprises a timer for causing said master communications device to be in communication with a player associated communications device for a prescribed period of time.

29. A communications system as in claim 6 wherein said master communications device further comprises an automatic selection circuit for causing said master communications device to be in sequential communications with each of said player associated communications devices.

30. A communications system as in claim 1 wherein said master communications device further comprises an input device for inputting game play information into said processing unit.

31. A master communications device for communicating coaching instructions to a game player, said device comprising:

a communications unit for conducting wireless communications; and

a processor unit for receiving information concerning the play of a game, and for producing game player coaching instruction based on said received information, said processor unit causing said communications unit to wirelessly transmit said coaching instructions to a game player.

32. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said master communication device further comprises a memory for storing statistical information associated with game play, said processing unit causing said statistical information to be transmitted as a coaching instruction.

33. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said master communications device further comprises a memory for storing statistical information of a player, said processing unit causing said statistical information to be transmitted as a coaching instruction.

34. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said coaching instruction includes instructions of what actions a player should take based on said received information.

35. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said master communications device further comprises a display coupled to said processing unit, said processing unit receiving information on the position of players, said processing unit causing said display to display the positions of said players relative to a game area.

36. A master communications device as in claim 35 wherein said processing unit receives GPS player position information from said player associated communications devices.

37. A master communications device as in claim 35 wherein said processing unit receives imaged player position information.

38. A master communications device as in claim 35 wherein said master communications device further comprises a player selection device for selecting at least one player wearable communication device for communications with said master communications device.

39. A master communications device as in claim 38 wherein said player selection device controls a cursor on said display which is movable to a position where a player is displayed to select at least one player associated communications device for communications with said master communications device.

40. A master communications device as in claim 38 wherein said player selection device comprises a voice recognition unit associated with said processing unit which selects at least one player associated communication device for communication with said master communications device in response to a voice command.

41. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said processing unit processes information concerning player position during a game, said master communications device further comprising a display which displays processed player position information.

42. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said processing unit processes information concerning player movement, said master communications device further comprising a display which displays processed player movement information.

43. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said master communications device is capable of communicating with a plurality of communications devices associated with respective players, said master communications device further comprising an audio input device for receiving audio coaching instructions, and a selection device for selecting at least one of said player associated communications devices, said processing unit causing said audio coaching instructions to be transmitted to a selected player associated communications device.

44. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said processing unit issues said coaching instruction based on the processing of information associated with a game.

45. A master communications device as in claim 43 wherein said audio coaching instruction is transmitted to a player associated communications device in lieu of a coaching instruction issued by said processing unit.

46. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said processing unit includes a learning module for learning an appropriate coaching instruction to be given in a particular set of game play circumstances.

47. A master communications device as in claim 46 wherein said learning module evaluates the results produced as a result of an issued coaching instruction and determines if a modification of the coaching instruction is required.

48. A master communications device as in claim 31 further comprising a communications port for communicating game play information between said processing unit and a communications network.

49. A master communications device as in claim 31 further comprising a display device coupled to said processing unit for displaying indications of game players.

50. A master communications device as in claim 49 further comprising a receiver for receiving a player message and a player identification device for identifying a player associated with the player message.

51. A master communication device as in claim 50 wherein said processing unit is responsive to an identification of a player by said player identification device to cause an indication associated with said player message on said display to change relative to the indications associated with other players.

52. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said processing unit receives player and game object position information and operates said display to display player and game object positions.

53. A master communications device as in claim 52 wherein said position information is received from GPS receivers.

54. A master communications device as in claim 52 wherein said processing unit receives said position information from an imaging system which images a game area.

55. A master communications device as in claim 52 wherein said master communications device further comprises a proximity detector for determining when said master communications device is within a predetermined distance of a player, said proximity detector controlling a selection of which player said coaching instruction is transmitted to.

56. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said master communications device further comprises a timer for causing said master communication device to transmit coaching instructions to a particular player for a prescribed period of time.

57. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said master communications device further comprises an automatic selection circuit for causing said master communications devices sequentially transmit coaching instructions to a plurality of players.

58. A master communications device as in claim 31 wherein said master communication device further comprises an input device for inputting game play information into said processing unit.

60. A master communications device as in claim 59 wherein said processing unit causes the locations of said players to be displayed on said display relative to a playing field.

61. A master communications device as in claim 60 wherein said input device is capable of positioning a displayable selection cursor on a displayed player indication.

62. A master communications device as in claim 59 wherein said processor causes said display to indicate a player selected by said input device.

63. A master communications device as in claim 59 wherein said communications unit includes receiver for receiving a wireless communication from a player, said processing unit causing said display device to indicate a player associated with said received wireless communication.

59. A master communications device for communicating coaching instructions to a game player, said device comprising:

a communications unit for conducting wireless communications;

a display;

a processing unit for causing said display to display indications of game players; and

an input device for selecting one of said displayed players, said processing unit being responsive to a player selection by said input device to provide a coaching instruction to said selected player through said communications unit.