System and method of simulating first-person control of remote-controlled vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9996978-B2
Application number	US-201615018764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2016
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods of simulating first-person control of remoted-controlled vehicles are described herein. The system may include one or more of a remote-controlled (RC) vehicle, a display interface, an input interface, and/or other components. The RC vehicle may have an image capturing device configured to capture in-flight images. View information representing the captured images may presented on a display worn and/or otherwise accessible to user. The input interface may allow the user to provide control inputs for dictating a path of the RC vehicle. Augmented reality graphics may be overlaid on the view information presented to the user to facilitate gameplay and/or otherwise enhance a user's experience.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured to simulate first-person control of remoted-controlled vehicles used to play an augmented reality game, the system comprising:
a remote controlled vehicle comprising:
an image capturing device;
one or more radio frequency communication components; and
a hardware controller configured to:
receive control signals to dictate a path of the vehicle; and
obtain view information representing visual information captured by the image capturing device and effectuate transmission of the view information via the one or more radio frequency communication components;

a display interface including a graphics rendering component and a display, the graphics rendering component being configured to effectuate presentation of augmented reality images via the display for viewing by a user of the display interface, the augmented reality images including at least some of the view information;
an input interface, the input interface comprising one or more input sensors configured to generate sensor output in accordance with user input, the user input including gesture-based input; and
one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
receive the sensor output generated by the input sensors of the input interface;
determine the control signals from the sensor output generated by the input sensors of the input interface;
effectuate communication of the control signals to the one or more radio frequency communication components of the vehicle;
obtain the view information from the image capturing device;
determine augmented reality information that represents one or more augmented reality graphics to be overlaid on the view information, wherein determining the augmented reality information comprises:
identifying a first real-world object depicted in the view information, the first real-world object comprising a second vehicle controlled by a second user;
determining that a first augmented reality graphic is to be overlaid on the first real-world object, the first augmented reality graphic comprising a game entity of the augmented reality game;
determining one or both of a tilt or a rotation of the first real-world object; and
configuring the presentation of the first augmented reality graphic based on one or both of the tilt or the rotation of the first real-world object;

communicate the augmented reality information and the view information to the display interface, the augmented reality information and the view information representing the augmented reality images presented via the display,
wherein the communication of control signals and presentation of the augmented reality images via the display provides a first-person perspective of the vehicle maneuvering along the path to simulate first-person control by the user;

obtain user input from the user associated with gameplay actions user within the augmented reality game;
obtain second user input from the second user associated with second gameplay actions within the augmented reality game; and
wherein determining the augmented reality information further comprises:
configuring a presentation of a second augmented reality graphic based on the user input such that the second augmented reality graphic depicts the gameplay actions; and
configuring a presentation of a third augmented reality graphic based on the second user input such that the third augmented reality graphic depicts the second gameplay actions, and wherein the second gameplay actions are depicted as being performed by the game entity.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more wireless communications networks configured to facilitate communication of one or more of:
information between two or more of the input interface, the one or more physical processors, or the vehicle;
the view information between two or more of the vehicle, the display interface, or the one or more physical processors; or
the augmented reality information between the one or more physical processors and the display interface.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a motion capture system, the motion capture system being disposed in an environment of the vehicle, the motion capture system comprising:
one or more motion capture devices configured to generate second view information representing second visual information captured by the one or more motion capture devices, the second view information conveying views of the vehicle within the environment; and
one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
obtain the second view information; and
determine, based on the second view information, position and/or orientation of the vehicle within the environment.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more physical processors of the motion capture system are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
based on the position and/or orientation of the vehicle, effectuate communication of safety control signals to the vehicle, the safety control signals being configured to restrict the path of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the display of the display interface is a head mounted display.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein vehicle is one or more of a flying vehicle, a terrestrial vehicle, a subsurface water vehicle, or a surface water vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback interface device, the feedback interface device being configured to generate haptic feedback for a user of the feedback interface device;
wherein the vehicle further comprises one or more motion sensors, the one or more motion sensors being configured to generate output signals conveying motion information associated with the vehicle; and
wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
obtain the output signals generated by the one or more motion sensors of the vehicle; and
dictate control of the feedback interface device based on the output signals generated by the one or more motion sensors of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the feedback interface device and input interface are disposed on one or more wearable articles.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that determining the control signals from the sensor output generated by the input sensors of the input interface is based on control Specification, the control Specification specifying associations between sensor output generated by the input sensors of the input interface and control signals, such that the control Specification specifies that a first sensor output generated by the one or more input sensor of input interface is associated with a first control signal.

10. A method to simulate first-person control of remoted-controlled vehicles used to play an augmented reality game, the method comprising:
providing a remote controlled vehicle, the vehicle comprising:
an image capturing device;
one or more radio frequency communication components; and
a hardware controller;

receiving, via the hardware controller, control signals to dictate a path of the vehicle;
obtaining, via the hardware controller, view information representing visual information captured by the image capturing device and effectuating transmission of the view information via the one or more radio frequency communication components;
providing a display interface including a graphics rendering component and a display;
effectuating, via the graphics rendering component, presentation of augmented reality images via the display for viewing by a user of the display

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Olson Joseph Logan
• Goslin Michael P
• Wong Clifford
• Panec Timothy

Classifications

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• A63F2300/00

  Features of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions, e.g. on a television screen, showing representations related to the game · CPC title

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G05D1/0038

  by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation (images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246) · CPC title

• G05D1/0016

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title