Ambient light control and calibration via a console

• US 9,950,259 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Watson, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US15/698,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20170368459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene

Abstract

Ambient light control and calibration systems and methods are provided herein. According to some embodiments, exemplary systems may include a console that includes a processor that executes logic to control a plurality of nodes to reproduce a virtual lighting scheme of a virtual environment in a physical user environment. Additionally, the system may include a plurality of nodes that each includes a light emitting device, a receiver that communicatively couples the node to the console, and a processor that executes logic to control the light emitting device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a console that comprises a processor that executes logic to control a plurality of nodes to reproduce a virtual lighting scheme of a virtual environment in a physical user environment, in which the console;

recognizes a location of each node in the plurality of nodes in the physical user environment; and

monitors and controls operation of each node in the plurality of nodes such that light emitted by each node in the plurality of nodes is associated with light conditions of the virtual environment; and

each of the plurality of nodes comprising;

a light emitting device;

a receiver that communicatively couples the node to the console; and

a processor that executes logic to control the light emitting device.

2. The system according to claim 1, in which the recognition of the location of each node in the plurality of nodes allows the console to direct light emitted by the plurality of nodes to correspond to activity within the virtual environment.

3. The system according to claim 2, in which the console causes the plurality of nodes to emit light in accordance with positioning of ambient lights within the virtual environment.

4. The system according to claim 1, in which the light conditions of the virtual environment are dynamically changing.

5. The system according to claim 1, in which the virtual lighting scheme includes location and operation of ambient lights within the virtual environment.

6. The system according to claim 1, in which the virtual environment is generated by a video game, the video game facilitated by the console.

7. The system according to claim 1, in which the processor of the console further executes the logic to obtain images of the physical user environment using a camera associated with the console.

8. The system according to claim 7, in which the camera associated with the console captures depth information during video game play, the depth information used to augment the reproduction of the virtual lighting scheme of the virtual environment in the physical user environment.

9. The system according to claim 1, in which the light emitting device comprises an LED array.

10. The system according to claim 9, in which the LED array comprises a multicolor light emitting LED array, in which when the virtual lighting scheme comprises color parameters, the multicolor light emitting LED array is executed to emit light that conforms to the color parameters of the virtual lighting scheme.

11. A node, comprising:

one or more processors;

a photo sensor sensing intensity and color of environmental lighting conditions within a physical user environment;

a microphone detecting a presence within the physical user environment, the presence indicating a need for ambient lighting within the physical user environment; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed, operable to emit at least one of a light and a sound upon receipt of instructions from a console, the emission of the at least one of the light and the sound in the physical user environment associated with a virtual environment.

12. The node according to claim 11, in which the node includes a communications module that allows the node to communicatively couple with other nodes in the vicinity of the node.

13. A system, comprising:

a first node that comprises;

a light emitting device;

an audio emitter; and

an audio receiver;

a processor that executes logic to;

control the light emitting device; and

a console that controls a plurality of nodes to reproduce a virtual lighting scheme within a physical user environment, the first node included in the plurality of nodes which are distributed within the physical user environment, the console recognizing location of the plurality of nodes in the physical user environment, and monitoring and controlling operation of the plurality of nodes such that light emitted by the plurality of nodes is associated with light conditions of a virtual environment.

14. The system according to claim 13, in which the console:

generates a topology of nodes which are distributed throughout the physical user environment by analyzing calibration feedback received from the plurality of nodes, the topology of nodes used to create a map of the physical user environment; and

controls the plurality of nodes, using the map of the physical user environment, to reproduce the virtual lighting scheme of the virtual environment in the physical user environment.

15. The system according to claim 14, in which the console:

causes the plurality of nodes to emit light;

obtains images of the physical user environment;

analyzes shadows of objects included in the images to create motion vectors; and

updates the topology of nodes using the motion vectors.

16. The system according to claim 14, in which the console:

causes the plurality of nodes to emit light;

obtains images of the physical user environment; and

generates a three dimensional topology of the physical user environment from the images of the physical user environment and the calibration feedback.

17. The system according to claim 13, in which the console reads the virtual lighting scheme from a system library, the virtual lighting scheme including virtual lighting conditions of a video game.

18. The system according to claim 17, in which the system library is updated frequently to match activity occurring within the virtual environment.

19. The system according to claim 13, in which the console receives the virtual lighting scheme from a control stream received along with a video stream, the virtual lighting scheme including virtual lighting conditions of a movie.