Apparatus, methods and systems for viewing and manipulating a virtual environment

• US 20070101383A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gamecaster Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gamecaster Incorporated
• Inventors: Morelock, David, Grand, Joseph, MacIntosh, David
• Application Number:
  US11/642,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20070101383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• 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 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• 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: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

Components for generating, reviewing, processing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and optimizing information input to or output from a virtual environment. The components may be a video camera component, a stand-alone or device mountable on a tripod to permit a camera person to select from one or more views within a virtual environment, such as a video game being executed, and to provide alternative views within the confines of the virtual environment. The component permits selection from multiple views and manipulation of the same, including a rotation leftward or rightward, a tilt upward or downward, a zooming inward or outward, a translation (for example, a track movement) leftward, rightward, forward, or backward, a rolling movement, and a camera position adjustment (for example, crane movement) upward or downward.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor executing a virtual video application and responsive to inputs received from at least one user participant to generate a virtual video environment; and

a plurality of virtual camera components responsive to capture a plurality of views from within said virtual video environment.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a said virtual camera component comprises:

a camera control input device configured to provide a camera control input device signal;

a movement sensor configured to provide a movement signal based on a movement of the camera control input device; and

a controller configured to generate a control signal based on the camera control input device signal and the movement signal.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said software application is configured to generate a virtual camera output signal representing said views and based, at least in part, on the control signal.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the movement sensor comprises any one of:

a horizontal sensor configured to provide a horizontal movement signal in accordance with a horizontal movement of the movement sensor; and

a vertical sensor configured to provide a vertical movement signal in accordance with a vertical movement of the movement sensor.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the virtual video application is any one of:

a video game software application;

a digital filmmaking application;

a three-dimensional animation application;

a computer aided design (CAD) or computer aided manufacturing (CAM) application;

a holography application;

a medical analysis or surgical analysis application;

simulations of military equipment and personnel readiness war games applications;

flight simulation training applications;

modeling simulations for biological analyses applications;

modeling simulations for chemical analyses applications;

modeling simulations for molecular analyses applications; and

simulations relating to graphical rendering of building facilities applications.

6. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein a format of the virtual camera output signal is in accordance with any one of:

a computer keyboard output, a computer mouse output, and a video game controller output.

7. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the controller comprises:

a processor programmed to convert the camera control input device signal and the movement signal into the camera control signal; and

an interface configured to generate the virtual camera output signal from the control signal by emulating signals generated by any one of;

computer keyboard signals, computer mouse signals, and video game controller signals.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises at least one switch.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the camera control input device comprises at least one finger operated control device.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the at least one finger operated device comprises a plurality of thumb controllers.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the camera control signal comprises at least one of a plurality of camera commands comprising:

a crane command;

a truck command;

a zoom command;

a roll command;

a pan command; and

a tilt command.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the software the virtual environment

a video game software application;

a digital filmmaking application;

a three-dimensional animation application;

a computer aided design (CAD) or computer aided manufacturing (CAM) application;

a holography application;

a medical analysis or surgical analysis application;

simulations of military equipment and personnel readiness war games applications;

flight simulation training applications;

modeling simulations for biological analyses applications;

modeling simulations for chemical analyses applications;

modeling simulations for molecular analyses applications; and

simulations relating to graphical rendering of building facilities applications.

13. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the view of the virtual camera is based on a position and orientation of the virtual camera within the three dimensional field of play.

14. A system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the view is further based on a virtual focal length of a virtual lens of the virtual camera.

15. A method of producing a video representation of a virtual environment comprising:

moving a virtual video camera component to change between views of events within the virtual environment; and

capturing video content of the views within the virtual environment.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

combining said video content with other video information to form a line cut video signal.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the other video information comprises video content captured by another virtual video camera component.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the other video information comprises video images of at least one video game player.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

broadcasting the line cut video signal.

20. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

recording the line cut video signal.

21. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

displaying the line cut video signal on a visual display device.

22. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the combining step comprises combining a plurality of video sources in a video mixer.

23. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the video content and other video information are captured in real-time while the events are occurring.

24. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the video content and other video information are captured during a playback operation wherein the events have been prerecorded and are played back for video recapture.

25. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the virtual video camera component comprises:

a camera control input device configured to provide a camera control input device signal;

a movement sensor configured to provide a movement sensor signal in accordance with a movement of the virtual video camera component; and

a control signal generator configured to generate a virtual camera control signal based on the camera control input device signal and the movement sensor signal.

26. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the virtual camera control signal comprises at least one of a plurality of camera commands comprising:

a crane command;

a truck command;

a zoom command;

a roll command;

a pan command; and

a tilt command.

27. A method in accordance with claim 24, further comprising switching between said views and capturing a result therefrom in said line cut video signal.