Apparatus for adapting virtual gaming with real world information

• US 9,155,964 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps, Steelseries Hq
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Aronzon, Michael, Hawver, Bruce, Grever, Arnie
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US13/232,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• 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 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• 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: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

A server device that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a memory and a processor. The processor can identify first and second players present at first and second physical locations, to identify first and second boundary and topographical information of the first and second physical locations, to map the first and second boundary and topographical information of the first and second physical locations to a virtual gaming space, to capture first and second position and orientation information for the first and second players, to map the first and second position and orientation information to the virtual gaming space, to generate first and second virtual players corresponding to the first and second players, and to transmit to first goggles information representative of the second virtual player for display superimposed onto a transparent viewing apparatus for viewing of the virtual gaming space. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A server device, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising;

receiving a plurality of input stimulations of first goggles of a first player;

analyzing the plurality of input stimulations for determining a single input macro for generating a substitute stimulation;

identifying the first player physically present at a first physical location and a second player physically present at a second physical location, wherein the first physical location and the second physical location comprise remote locations;

identifying first boundary and first topographical information of the first physical location and second boundary and second topographical information of the second physical location;

mapping the first boundary and first topographical information of the first physical location and the second boundary and second topographical information of the second physical location to a virtual gaming space of a virtual game application;

capturing first position and first orientation information for the first player at the first physical location and second position and second orientation information for the second player at the second physical location, wherein the first position and the first orientation information is determined by a first mobile device associated with the first player, wherein the first mobile device receives a plurality of wireless communication signals from a plurality of wireless sources, wherein the first mobile device determines the first position and first orientation information based on a plurality of wireless signal strengths associated with the plurality of wireless communication signals, and wherein the second position and the second orientation information is captured from second goggles of the second player and are derived from second data of a second global positioning system;

identifying a computer-controlled player generated by the virtual game application;

mapping the first position and the first orientation information for the first player and the second position and the second orientation information for the second player to the virtual gaming space to generate a first virtual player corresponding to the first player and a second virtual player corresponding to the second player;

mapping virtual position and virtual orientation information for the computer-controlled player to the virtual gaming space to generate a computer-controlled virtual player;

transmitting, to the first goggles of the first player, information representative of the second virtual player and information representative of the computer-controlled virtual player, wherein the first goggles present the second virtual player and the computer-controlled virtual player superimposed onto a transparent viewing apparatus for viewing of the virtual gaming space;

receiving a first input stimulation of the first goggles;

retrieving the substitute stimulation for the first input stimulation according to the single input macro associated with an accessory management profile; and

transmitting the substitute stimulation to the virtual game application.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

generating the second virtual player corresponding to the second player by way of adapting one captured image of the second player.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the information representative of the second virtual player comprises streaming video of the second virtual player.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

determining a virtual effect within the virtual game application according to the substitute stimulation that is transmitted to the virtual game application; and

transmitting, to the first goggles, information representative of the virtual effect.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

capturing activation and targeting information for a first gaming accessory of the first player physically present at the first physical location;

mapping the activation and targeting information for the first gaming accessory to the virtual gaming space to generate a virtual activation and targeting for the first gaming accessory;

determining a virtual effect within the virtual game application according to the virtual activation and targeting of the first gaming accessory; and

transmitting, to the first goggles, information representative of the virtual effect.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the activation and targeting information comprises sensory data derived from one of a gyroscope, a compass, an accelerometer, a level detector, a diode array, a global positioning system detector, an infrared detector, or an antenna.

7. The server of claim 5, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

receiving a second input stimulation of the first gaming accessory while monitoring the first gaming accessory in use;

retrieving a substitute stimulation for the second input stimulation according to the accessory management profile; and

transmitting the substitute stimulation to an operating system associated with the virtual game application.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

capturing movement information for a physical accessory of the first player physically present at the first physical location;

mapping the movement information for the physical accessory to the virtual gaming space to generate a virtual movement for the physical accessory;

determining a virtual effect within a virtual game of the virtual movement for the physical accessory; and

transmitting, to the first goggles, information representative of the virtual effect.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

controlling deployment of a plurality of first physical objects at the first physical location and a plurality of second physical objects at the second physical location according to a selectable configuration.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

generating a plurality of virtual objects distributed within the virtual gaming space; and

transmitting, to the first goggles, information representative of the plurality of virtual objects, wherein the first goggles display the plurality of virtual objects superimposed onto the transparent viewing apparatus for viewing the virtual gaming space.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

identifying a portion of the plurality of virtual objects that virtually obstructs a part of the second virtual player from first virtual player; and

superimposing the portion of the plurality of virtual objects that is identified over the part of the second virtual player that is virtually obstructed.

12. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

identifying a computer player that is playing at a computing device communicatively coupled to the server;

mapping second virtual position and second virtual orientation information for the computer player to the virtual gaming space to generate a third virtual player; and

transmitting, to the first goggles, information representative of the third virtual player, wherein the first goggles display the third virtual player superimposed onto the transparent viewing apparatus for viewing the virtual gaming space.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

receiving a second input stimulation of the computing device while monitoring the computing device in use;

retrieving a substitute stimulation for the second input stimulation according to the accessory management profile; and

transmitting the substituted stimulation to the virtual game application.

14. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

receiving a request for communications between the first player and one other player;

responsive to the request, initiating a communications link between the first player and the one other player;

receiving first messages from the first player and the one other player; and

transmitting second messages to the first player and the one other player.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the first messages are sent from the first player by way of one of the first goggles or a first gaming accessory of the first player and wherein the second messages are received by the first player by way of one of the first goggles or the first gaming accessory of the first player.

16. The server of claim 1, wherein the first position and the first orientation information for the first player comprises sensory data further derived from one of an infrared detector or an antenna.

22. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

identifying an action at a physical location of a first player device associated with the first player;

mapping the action to the virtual gaming space to generate a virtual action for the first virtual player;

determining a second virtual effect of the virtual action of the first virtual player; and

transmit to the first player device, information representative of the second virtual effect.

23. The server device of claim 22, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

detecting a second input stimulation of the first player device while monitoring the first player device in use;

retrieving an action associated with second input stimulation according to the accessory management profile; and

transmitting the action to the virtual game application.

24. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

capturing second position and second orientation information for a second player at the physical location;

mapping the second position and the second orientation information for the second player to the virtual gaming space to generate a second virtual player;

transmitting, to a first player device associated with the first player, first information representative of the second virtual player, wherein the first player device displays the second virtual player in a virtual structure corresponding to the virtual game space; and

transmitting, to a second player device associated with the second player, second information representative of the first virtual player, wherein the second player device displays the first virtual player in a virtual structure corresponding to the virtual gaming space.

25. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

receiving a portion of the first position and orientation information for a first player from one of a first player device associated with the first player, clothing, or a gaming accessory, wherein the first position and orientation information for the first player device further comprises sensory data derived from one of a level detector, an infrared detector, or an antenna.

26. The server device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

initiating a plurality of wireless communications links between the first mobile device associated with the first player and the plurality of wireless sources in the virtual gaming space.

17. A goggle apparatus, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations comprising;

transmitting a plurality of input stimulations to a gaming server, wherein the gaming server analyzes the plurality of input stimulations for determining a single input macro for generating a substitute stimulation;

detecting first position and first orientation information relative to first boundary and topographical information of a first physical location for a first player physically present at the first physical location and wearing the goggle apparatus, wherein the first position and the first orientation information are determined by a first communication device associated with the first player, wherein the first communication device receives a plurality of wireless communication signals from a plurality of wireless sources, and wherein the first communication device determines the first position and first orientation information based on a plurality of wireless signal strengths associated with the plurality of wireless communication signals;

receiving information, from a gaming server, representative of a virtual player at a virtual gaming space of a virtual game application corresponding to a mapping of second boundary and topographical information of a second physical location and the first boundary and topographical information of the first physical location, wherein the virtual player corresponds to second position and second orientation information for a second player physically present at a second physical location;

receiving second information, from the gaming server, representative of a computer-controlled player generated by the virtual game application, wherein the second information is mapped to the virtual gaming space to generate a computer-controlled virtual player;

presenting the virtual player and the computer-controlled virtual player superimposed onto a transparent viewing element for viewing of the virtual gaming space;

transmitting, to the gaming server, a first input stimulation associated with a first input at a user interface of the goggle apparatus; and

receiving, from the gaming server, information representative of a virtual effect within the virtual game application according to the first input stimulation, wherein the gaming server retrieves a substitute stimulation for the first input stimulation according to the single input macro and provides the substitute stimulation to the virtual game application.

18. The goggle apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising transmitting the first position and the first orientation information for the first player to the gaming server.

19. The goggle apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising receive streaming video of the virtual player from a server device.

20. The goggle apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

sending a request to the gaming server to initiate a communications link between the goggle apparatus and one other player device;

capturing first messages from the first player;

transmitting the first messages to the one other player device by way of the gaming server; and

receiving second messages from the one other player device by way of the gaming server.

21. The goggle apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first position and orientation information for the first player further comprises sensory data derived from one of an infrared detector or an antenna.