INTELLIGENT GAMEPLAY PHOTO CAPTURE

• US 20120157200A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Scavezze, Mike, Markovic, Relja, Latta, Stephen, Geisner, Kevin, Tomlin, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 9,848,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• 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 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

Implementations for identifying, capturing, and presenting high-quality photo-representations of acts occurring during play of a game that employs motion tracking input technology are disclosed. As one example, a method is disclosed that includes capturing via an optical interface, a plurality of photographs of a player in a capture volume during play of the electronic game. The method further includes for each captured photograph of the plurality of captured photographs, comparing an event-based scoring parameter to an event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph. The method further includes assigning respective scores to the plurality of captured photographs based, at least in part, on the comparison to the even-based scoring parameter. The method further includes associating the captured photographs at an electronic storage media with the respective scores assigned to the captured photographs.

Claims

1. A method of processing photographs of a player obtained during play of an electronic game via an optical interface, the method comprising:

capturing via the optical interface, a plurality of photographs of the player in a capture volume during play of the electronic game;

for each captured photograph of the plurality of captured photographs, comparing an event-based scoring parameter to an event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph;

assigning respective scores to the plurality of captured photographs based, at least in part, on said comparing; and

associating the captured photographs at an electronic storage media with the respective scores assigned to the captured photographs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing criteria that defines one or more predefined player movements or poses within the capture volume;

where the event-based scoring parameter includes the established criteria that defines one or more predefined player movements or poses within the capture volume; and

where the event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph includes a movement or a pose of the player within the capture volume.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing audio via an audio interface at moments corresponding to the captured photographs;

where the event-based scoring parameter includes a sound level threshold or a model audio signature; and

where the event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph includes a sound level or an audio signature of the captured audio corresponding to the captured photograph.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing criteria that defines one or more predefined avatar movements or poses of an avatar within the electronic game;

where the event-based scoring parameter includes the established criteria that defines of the player within the electronic game; and

where the event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph includes a movement or a pose of the player representative of the avatar within the capture volume.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

where the event-based scoring parameter includes a predefined movement or pose of one or more other players or persons within the capture volume; and

where the event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph includes a movement or pose of the one or more other players or persons within the capture volume.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the captured photographs based, at least in part, on the respective scores assigned to the captured photographs; and

varying presentation of the captured photographs to the player responsive to said filtering.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the captured photographs based, at least in part, on the respective scores assigned to the captured photographs;

presenting the respective scores to the player; and

prompting the player to save or share one or more of the captured photographs after presenting the respective scores to the player.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a trigger event during play of the electronic game;

initiating said capturing of the plurality of photographs responsive to identifying the trigger event.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

capturing audio via an audio interface during play of the electronic game;

wherein the trigger event includes the captured audio exceeding a sound level threshold or exhibiting a model audio signature.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing criteria that defines one or more moments of interest which correspond to predefined movements or poses of the player occurring within the capture volume or of an avatar representative of the player within the electronic game; and

wherein the trigger event includes the player or avatar representative of the player assuming a movement or pose that approximates the established criteria that defines the one or more moments of interest.

11. The method of claim 1, where assigning respective scores includes employs a weighting associated with different portions of a captured scene.

12. The method of claim 11, where photographic characteristics of a photo-representation of the player'"'"'s face within the captured photographs are weighted more heavily than photographic characteristics of a photo-representation of the player'"'"'s lower body within the captured photographs.

13. The method of claim 1, where the event-based scoring parameter includes blur in the captured photographs, the method further comprises:

assessing blur for different photographic regions of the captured photographs, and where blur occurring in certain photographic regions of the captured photographs is weighted more heavily in the score than blur occurring in other photographic regions of the captured photographs.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more of the captured photographs shared by the player with one or more other players within a social network, and wherein the scoring is further based, at least in part, on whether one or more of the captured photographs were shared by the player within the social network.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more player ratings assigned to a photograph of the captured photographs, and wherein the scoring is further based, at least in part, on the one or more player ratings of the photograph.

16. A computer readable storage media having instructions stored thereon executable by one or more processors to:

capture via the optical interface, a plurality of photographs of the player in a capture volume during play of the electronic game;

for each captured photograph of the plurality of captured photographs, compare an event-based scoring parameter to an event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph;

assign respective scores to the plurality of captured photographs based, at least in part, on said comparison;

associate the captured photographs at an electronic storage media with the respective scores assigned to the captured photographs; and

present one or more scored photographs to the player.

17. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, where the event-based scoring parameter includes one or more photographic characteristics including blur, sharpness, exposure, brightness, contrast, hue, temperature, saturation.

18. The computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:

assess blur for different photographic regions of the captured photographs, and where blur occurring in certain photographic regions of the captured photographs is weighted more heavily in the score than blur occurring in other photographic regions of the captured photographs.

19. The computer readable storage media of claim 16, where the event-based scoring parameter includes an anticipated pose that potentially will be assumed by the player during play of the game.

20. A method of identifying, capturing, and presenting high-quality photo-representations of acts occurring during play of a game that employs motion tracking input technology, comprising:

establishing photographic baseline conditions via capturing of a baseline photograph prior to capturing a plurality of photographs;

adjusting exposure and/or recording parameters in response to the baseline photograph;

establishing criteria that defines one or more moments of interest which correspond to predefined player movements or positions occurring in a capture volume;

capturing the plurality of photographs of the player;

identifying blur in the captured photographs;

scoring the captured photographs along a scale of desirability which is related to the criteria established to define the one or more moments of interest and blur identified in the captured photographs, where relatively higher scores are assigned to the captured photographs if the player'"'"'s movements or positions correspond to the criteria established to define the one or more moments of interest, and where relatively lower scores are assigned to the captured photographs as an increasing function of blur in the captured photographs; and

presenting one or more relatively higher scoring photographs to the player.