VIRTUAL SPACE MAPPING OF A VARIABLE ACTIVITY REGION

• US 20100093435A1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sarrett, Peter Glenn, Glaser, Russell, Walker, Robert Sheldon, Henson, Scott, Clavin, John, Beeman, Steven Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,399,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

An electronic game system and a method of its operation are provided for virtual space mapping of a variable activity region in physical space. A calibration input may be received from a positioning device of a game controller that indicates waypoints that define an activity region in physical space. A scale factor may be identified between the activity region and an interactive game region in virtual space based on the calibration input. Positioning information may be received from the positioning device that indicates a position of the positioning device within the activity region. The position of the positioning device within the activity region may be mapped to a corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region based on the scale factor.

Claims

1. A method of linking an activity region in physical space to an interactive game region in virtual space, the method comprising:

receiving a calibration input from a positioning device of a game controller, the calibration input indicating a plurality of waypoints defining an activity region in physical space;

identifying a scale factor between the activity region and an interactive game region in virtual space based on the calibration input;

receiving positioning information from the positioning device, the positioning information indicating a position of the positioning device within the activity region; and

mapping the position of the positioning device within the activity region to a corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region based on the scale factor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, outputting a graphical output to a display device, the graphical output configured to cause the display device to present a graphical user interface depicting the interactive game region and an indicator indicating the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region.

3. The method of claim 2, where the graphical output is further configured to cause the display device to present the graphical user interface depicting the interactive game object within the interactive game region as a hidden interactive game object.

4. The method of claim 1, where the game controller is a first game controller of a plurality of game controllers, and where the calibration input is a first calibration input of a plurality of calibration inputs, the method further comprising:

receiving a second calibration input from a second positioning device of a second game controller, the second calibration input indicating a plurality of waypoints defining a second activity region in physical space;

identifying a second scale factor between the second activity region and the interactive game region based on the second calibration input;

receiving positioning information from the second positioning device, the positioning information received from the second positioning device indicating a position of the second positioning device within the second activity region; and

mapping the position of the second positioning device within the activity region to a second corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region based on the second scale factor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, outputting an interactive game response if the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region satisfies a pre-determined proximal relationship to an interactive game object located within the interactive game region;

where the second corresponding virtual position defines a location of the interactive game object within the interactive game region.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, outputting an interactive game response if the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region satisfies a pre-determined proximal relationship to an interactive game object located within the interactive game region.

7. The method of claim 6, where outputting the interactive game response further includes increasing an intensity of the interactive game response as the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region approaches the interactive game object located within the interactive game region.

8. The method of claim 6, where outputting the interactive game response includes outputting haptic feedback via the game controller.

9. The method of claim 6, where outputting the interactive game response includes outputting visual feedback via a graphical display of the game controller.

10. The method of claim 6, where outputting the interactive game response includes outputting visual feedback via a display device.

11. The method of claim 6, where outputting the interactive game response includes outputting aural feedback via an audio output device of the game controller.

12. The method of claim 6, where outputting the interactive game response includes outputting aural feedback via an audio output device.

13. An electronic game system configured to facilitate an interactive game, comprising:

a logic subsystem;

memory holding instructions that, when executed by a logic subsystem, cause the logic subsystem to;

receive a calibration input from a positioning device of a game controller, the calibration input indicating a plurality of waypoints defining an activity region in physical space;

identify a scale factor between the activity region and an interactive game region in virtual space based on the calibration input;

receive positioning information from the positioning device, the positioning information indicating a position of the positioning device within the activity region; and

map the position of the positioning device within the activity region to a corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region based on the scale factor.

14. The electronic game system of claim 13, where the memory further holding instructions that, when executed by a logic subsystem, cause the logic subsystem to:

output a graphical output to a display device, the graphical output configured to cause the display device to present a graphical user interface depicting the interactive game region and an indicator indicating the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region.

15. The electronic game system of claim 13, where the game controller is a first game controller of a plurality of game controllers, and where the calibration input is a first calibration input of a plurality of calibration inputs;

and

the memory further holding instructions that, when executed by a logic subsystem, cause the logic subsystem to;

receive a second calibration input from a second positioning device of a second game controller, the second calibration input indicating a plurality of waypoints defining a second activity region in physical space;

identify a second scale factor between the second activity region and the interactive game region based on the second calibration input;

receive positioning information from the second positioning device, the positioning information received from the second positioning device indicating a position of the second positioning device within the second activity region; and

map the position of the second positioning device within the activity region to a second corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region based on the second scale factor.

16. The electronic game system of claim 15, further comprising, outputting an interactive game response if the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region satisfies a pre-determined proximal relationship to an interactive game object located within the interactive game region;

where the second corresponding virtual position defines a location of the interactive game object within the interactive game region.

17. The electronic game system of claim 13, where the memory further holding instructions that, when executed by a logic subsystem, cause the logic subsystem to:

output an interactive game response if the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region satisfies a pre-determined proximal relationship to an interactive game object located within the interactive game region.

18. The electronic game system of claim 17, where memory further holding instructions that, when executed by a logic subsystem, cause the logic subsystem to:

increase an intensity of the interactive game response as the corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region approaches the interactive game object located within the interactive game region.

19. The electronic game system of claim 18, where the memory further holding instructions that, when executed by a logic subsystem, cause the logic subsystem to:

output the interactive game response as haptic feedback via the game controller.

20. An electronic game system, comprising:

a logic subsystem;

a first game controller including a first positioning device;

a second game controller including a second positioning device;

memory holding instructions that, when executed by a logic subsystem, cause the logic subsystem to;

receive a first calibration input from the first positioning device, the first calibration input indicating a plurality of waypoints defining a first activity region in physical space;

identify a first scale factor between the first activity region and an interactive game region in virtual space based on the first calibration input;

receive positioning information from the first positioning device, the positioning information received from the first positioning device indicating a position of the positioning device within the first activity region; and

map the position of the first positioning device within the activity region to a first corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region based on the first scale factor;

receive a second calibration input from the second positioning device, the second calibration input indicating a plurality of waypoints defining a second activity region in physical space;

identify a second scale factor between the second activity region and an interactive game region in virtual space based on the calibration input;

receive positioning information from the second positioning device, the positioning information received from the second positioning device indicating a position of the positioning device within the second activity region;

map the position of the second positioning device within the activity region to a second corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region based on the second scale factor; and

output a graphical output to a display device, the graphical output configured to cause the display device to present a graphical user interface depicting the interactive game region and one or more of a first indicator indicating the first corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region and a second indicator indicating the second corresponding virtual position within the interactive game region.