Method of calibration for a video gaming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207178-B2
Application number	US-201715585648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2017
Priority date	May 3, 2016
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A method of calibration a video game system can include removing an optical filter that filters out visible light from a field of view of a camera to allow the camera to view visible light. The method can also include displaying a calibration image on a display screen located within the field of view of the camera, processing the video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify the calibration image, and calculating with the processor coordinates that represent corners of the display screen in the field of view of the camera once the calibration image is identified.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of calibrating a video game system, comprising:
sensing a motion of a camera;
after sensing the motion of the camera, removing an optical filter that filters out visible light from a field of view of the camera to allow the camera to view visible light;
displaying a calibration image on a display screen located within the field of view of the camera;
processing a video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify the calibration image; and
calculating with the processor coordinates that represent corners of the display screen in the field of view of the camera once the calibration image is identified.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the optical filter includes mechanically moving the optical filter out of the field of view of the camera.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the optical filter includes turning off an electronically switchable optical filter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the video feed from the camera includes continuously processing the video output feed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said processing is performed at least in part by the camera.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said processing is performed at least in part by a console of the video game system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the calibration image includes displaying an image with multiple markers and wherein processing includes identifying said markers.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the calibration image includes cycling a known sequence of colors on the display screen and processing includes identifying pixels in the video output feed that correspond to the sequence of the calibration image.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein sensing the motion of the camera includes sensing with one or more sensors that the motion of the camera is above a threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising notifying a user of the video game system when sensed motion is above the threshold.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the removing, displaying, processing and calculating steps automatically occur when the sensed motion of the camera is above the threshold.

12. A method of calibrating a video game system, comprising:
sensing a motion of a camera above a threshold amount;
after sensing the motion of the camera, removing an optical filter that filters out visible light from a field of view of the camera to allow the camera to view visible light;
flashing a calibration image on and off on a display screen located within the field of view of the camera;
processing a video output feed from the camera with a computer processor to identify the calibration image; and
calculating with the processor coordinates that represent corners of the display screen in the field of view of the camera once the calibration image is identified.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein removing the optical filter includes mechanically moving the optical filter out of the field of view of the camera.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein removing the optical filter includes turning off an electronically switchable optical filter.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein flashing the calibration image on and off includes flashing on the calibration image in one frame on the display screen and turning off the calibration image in the next frame on the display screen.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein processing the video feed from the camera includes performing frame subtraction to identify changes in the video output feed when the calibration image is turned on and off and thereby identify the calibration image.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein displaying the calibration image includes displaying an image with multiple markers and wherein processing includes identifying said markers.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the removing, flashing, processing and calculating steps automatically occur when the sensed motion of the camera is above the threshold amount.

Assignees

• Performance Designed Products Llc

Inventors

• Lavache Steve
• Baxter Richard
• Roberts Thomas John

Classifications

• A63F13/219 Primary

  for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns · CPC title

• A63F13/213 Primary

  comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/683

  performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory · CPC title

• H04N23/6812

  based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors · CPC title