Interactivity via mobile image recognition

• US 8,130,242 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Ronald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US11/510,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20070104348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 345/8, 345/158, 345419-420, 345/629, 345/632, 345/619, 463/37, 715/700, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/632
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods of interacting with a virtual space, in which a mobile device is used to electronically capture image data of a real-world object, the image data is used to identify information related to the real-world object, and the information is used to interact with software to control at least one of: (a) an aspect of an electronic game; and (b) a second device local to the mobile device. Contemplated systems and methods can be used to gaming, in which the image data can be used to identify a name of the real-world object, to classify the real-world object, identify the real-world object as a player in the game, to identify the real-world object as a goal object or as having some other value in the game, to use the image data to identify the real-world object as a goal object in the game.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with a virtual space, comprising:

allowing a device to electronically capture image data of a real-world object and a user;

using the image data to identify information related to the real-world object, where the identified information includes a real-world visual appearance of the real-world object;

interacting with software being operated at least in part on the device by deriving a real-world position and orientation of the object with respect to user from the real-world visual appearance of the real-world object in the identified information; and

controlling interactive advertisement content on publicly available information kiosk local to the device as a function of the real-world visual appearance of the real-world object including the derived position and orientation of the real-world object relative to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the device to electronically capture image data comprises capturing a still image of the real-world object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the device to electronically capture image data comprises capturing a video image of the real-world object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the image data to identify information comprises using the image data to identify a name of the real-world object, and where the function depends on the name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the image data to identify information comprises using the image data to classify the real-world object, and where the function depends on a classification of the real-world object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the image data to identify information comprises using the image data to identify the real-world object as a player in a game, and where the function depends on the identified player.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the image data to identify information comprises using the image data to identify the real-world object as having a value in a game, and where the function depends on the value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the image data to identify information comprises using the image data to identify the real-world object as a goal object in a game, and where the function depends on the goal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the image data to identify information comprises using the image data of the real-world object to ascertain a real-world environmental characteristic nearby the device, and where the function depends on the real-world environmental characteristic.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the software accommodates at least three concurrent users who may interact with another of the users.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the software accommodates at least five concurrent users who may interact with another of the users.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction content includes providing an input to a game.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input comprises data relating to use of a virtual weapon.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the input comprises data relating to virtual playing of music.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the input comprises data relating to virtual traveling.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein control of the information kiosk comprises changing a channel.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a designator or a physical location of the device to interact with the software.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the designator or physical location comprises a geographic coordinate.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising using at least one of acceleration of the device to interact with the software.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising interacting with the software based on conditions at a location of the user, the conditions determined based on at least one of the following:

appearance of shadows, temperature data, appearance of lights, and current time.