Apparatus and method for on-field virtual reality simulation of US football and other sports

• US 20090091583A1
• Filed: 10/06/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony Mccoy
• Original Assignee: Anthony Mccoy
• Inventors: McCoy, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• 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 13/235 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 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 : player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 : for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• 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 2300/8011 : Ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 : Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 : Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 : Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for simulating United States football and other sports that are held on a playing field. The user stands in an area that at least approximates an actual playing field, and an apparatus incorporated into a football helmet or other headgear worn by the user superimposes simulation images onto the field of view of the user, creating an illusion of simulated action taking place on the actual field where the user is standing. This makes the information and skills conveyed by the simulation directly relevant and immediately useful. Preferred embodiments track the location and orientation of the user and thereby allow the user to participate in the simulation. In another aspect, essentially the same apparatus and method are used to simulate driving or flying of vehicles without the need of an expensive mockup of the interior of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for creating virtual reality simulations, including visual images, of sporting events that take place on a playing field and for superimposing the visual images, from the perspective of a viewer, onto an open location, such as an actual playing field, on which the viewer is located, the apparatus comprising:

a user interface that enables specification of simulation input parameters that at least partly determine the action of the simulation, including at least one of the starting position, of at least one player, the actions of at lease one player, ball movements, ball handling strategies, and other parameters that are appropriate to the type of sporting event being simulated;

locating means that can determine location information regarding the user, including at least one of the location and orientation of the user;

a simulation generator that can generate a simulation of the sporting event based at least partly on the simulation parameters and on the location information, the simulation including visual images;

wireless transmission means that can transmit the visual images by wireless means to headgear worn by the viewer of the simulation, also referred to herein as the user; and

a visual superpimposing apparatus attached to the headgear that is able to superimpose the visual images onto the user'"'"'s field of vision.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sporting event involves a plurality of participants, herein referred to as players, and wherein the user interface includes a diagrammatic chart of player positions that can be manipulated on a computer screen using at least one of a mouse, a lightpen, and other manipulating means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the simulation includes sounds, wherein the wireless transmission means can transmit the sounds to the headgear by wireless means, and wherein the headgear further comprises at least one of a speaker and other acoustic devices that are able to transmit the sounds to the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual superpimposing apparatus comprises at least one partially transmitting mirror that is positioned at an angle in front of at least one of the eyes of the viewer and wherein at least one image transmitting device is attached to the headgear in such a manner that it can project the visual images onto the at least one partially transmitting mirror, thereby superimposing the visual images onto the viewer'"'"'s field of vision.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual superpimposing apparatus comprises at least one partially transparent liquid crystal image display that is positioned in front of at least one of the eyes of the viewer so that it can display the visual images and thereby superimpose them onto the viewer'"'"'s field of vision.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sporting event involves a plurality of participants, herein referred to as players, and wherein the simulation generator includes artificial intelligence that can predict and simulate likely actions of at least one player based on simulation input parameters and according to specified rules of behavior.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locating means continuously determines the location information and provides it to the simulation generator, which adjusts the simulation, essentially in real time, according to the movements and actions of the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the locating means includes a LASER triangulation system, comprising:

a plurality of LASER sources placed at a plurality of sites surrounding the open location in which the user is located, the LASER sources being able to project LASER light over the open location in which the user is located;

at least one LASER light detector, attached to the headgear worn by the user, that is able to detect the LASER light from the plurality of LASER sources and is able to determine the direction from which the light from each of the LASER light sources is detected; and

means for determining the position and orientation of the user according to the directions from which the LASER light is detected.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the number of LASER sources is three.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the open location in which the user is located at least approximates a sports playing field, and wherein two of the LASER sources are placed on either side of the field along a line that equally divides the length of the field, and the third LASER source is placed at one end of the field, along a line that equally divides the width of the field.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sporting event involves a plurality of participants, herein referred to as players, and wherein the simulation generator includes artificial intelligence that enables simulated players to react essentially in real time to the movements and actions of the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for calibrating and adjusting at least one of the positioning, angles, and scaling of the simulation relative to the actual position and perspective of the user.

13. A method for generating a virtual reality simulation of a sporting event, such as United States football, that involves a plurality of participants, herein referred to as players, and that takes place on a playing field, the method comprising:

specifying the initial positions of all of the players;

specifying the actions of at least one of the players;

placing a viewer, herein also referred to as the user, at an appropriate location in an open area that at least approximates a playing field appropriate to the sporting event being simulated;

determining at least one of the location and orientation of the user in the open area;

generating a virtual reality simulation that includes visual images;

transmitting the visual images to receiving means attached to headgear worn by the viewer, the headgear being equipped with visual image presentation means that is able to superimpose visual images onto the field of view of the viewer;

calibrating the position, orientation, and scaling of the simulation so that it corresponds to the actual position, orientation, and location of the viewer; and

superimposing the visual images onto the field of view of the viewer, such that the simulation appears to take place where the viewer is located, and the viewer has the illusion of being in the midst of the simulation.

14. An apparatus for creating virtual reality simulations, including visual images, of the operation of vehicles, such as race cars, trucks, tanks, flying aircraft, and spacecraft, and for superimposing the visual images onto the field of view of the user, the apparatus comprising:

a user interface that enables specification of simulation input parameters that at least partly determine the action of the simulation;

locating means that can determine the orientation of the user'"'"'s head;

a simulation generator that can generate a simulation of the specified environment and action, based on the simulation input parameters and the orientation of the user'"'"'s head, wherein the simulation includes visual images of action viewed through windows and windscreens and images of an enclosing environment that would surround the vehicle operator in a real-life situation;

wireless transmission means that can transmit the visual images by wireless means to headgear worn by the viewer of the simulation, also referred to herein as the user;

a visual superpimposing apparatus attached to the headgear that is able to superimpose the visual images onto the user'"'"'s field of vision; and

control apparatus of a shape and style appropriate to the activity being simulated for transmitting the control actions of the user to the simulation generator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the control apparatus is a steering wheel.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the control apparatus is a flight control stick.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the simulation generator includes artificial intelligence that allows other simulated vehicles to react essentially in real time to the movements and actions of the simulated vehicle controlled by the user.