Claims
- 1. An apparatus comprising
a game computing device; an input computing device; a screen device; a first marking device comprised of a lighting device; wherein the lighting device is comprised of one or more light sources which emit light visible to video cameras; wherein the input computing device uses the light emitted from the one or more light sources to determine a pose of a real object attached to the first marking device; and wherein the input computing device send the determined pose to the game computing device.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the input computing device uses the pose of the real object to determine and control a pose of a virtual object in the game computing device.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the input computing device uses the pose of the real object to determine and control a pose of a virtual object on the screen device via the game computing device.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the input computing device uses the pose of the object to determine and control movement of a virtual object in the game computing device.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the input computing device uses the pose of the object to determine and control movement of a virtual object on the screen device via the game computing device.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
a video camera that captures video images of the one or more light sources; wherein the video camera provides data relating to the video images to the game computing device.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the one or more light sources are comprised of at least three point light sources and the three point light sources are not located in a single line segment.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
wherein at least one of the one or more light sources is an area light source.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein
the area light source is a polygonal light source.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the one or more of light sources are comprised of at least one point light source and at least one area light source.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the one or more light sources are comprised of a first light source which has a first characteristic and a second light source which has a second characteristic; and wherein the first and the second characteristics are different.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein
the first characteristic is comprised of a first color of light which is emitted from the first light source; the second characteristic is comprised of a second color of light which is emitted from the second light source; and wherein the first color of light and the second color of light are different.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
a second marking device comprised of a lighting device; wherein the lighting device of the second marking device is comprised of one or more light sources that emit light visible to video cameras; wherein each of the one or more light sources of the first marking device has a first characteristic; wherein each of the one or more light sources of the second marking device has a second characteristic; and wherein the first characteristic and the second characteristic are different.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein
the first characteristic is comprised of a first color of light which is emitted from the one or more light sources of the first marking device; the second characteristic is comprised of a second color of light which is emitted from the one or more light sources of the second marking device; and wherein the first color is different from the second color.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein
the first characteristic is comprised of a first spatial configuration of the one or more light sources on the first marking device; the second characteristic is comprised of a second spatial configuration of the one or more light sources on the second marking device; and wherein the first spatial configuration and the second spatial configuration are different.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein
the first characteristic is comprised of a first combination color of light from a plurality of light sources of the first marking device; and the second characteristic is comprised of a second combination color of light from a plurality of light sources of the second marking device; and wherein the first combination color is different from the second combination color.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein
the first marking device is comprised of a flexible member; and wherein the flexible member is adapted for attaching the first marking device to objects of variable width.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising
a handle; wherein the handle is connected to the lighting device.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising
a switch device; wherein the switch device turns on and off the lighting device.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising
a power source comprised of batteries; wherein the power source powers the lighting device.
- 21. An apparatus comprising:
a first marking device comprised of a lighting device; wherein the lighting device is comprised of one or more light sources which emit light visible to video sensors but invisible to human eyes; and wherein the first marking device includes a first attachment device and a second attachment device which can be attached together to attach the first marking device to a real object.
- 22. An apparatus comprising:
a first marking device is comprised of a lighting device; wherein the lighting device is comprised of one or more light sources which emit lightvisible to video sensors but invisible to human eyes; and wherein the first marking device includes a glove and the lighting device is attached to the glove.
- 23. A method comprising the steps of
using light visible to video cameras but invisible to human eyes emitted from one or more light sources of a first marking device to determine a pose of the first marking device in space.
- 24. The method of claim 23 further comprising
capturing an image of the light through the use of a video camera.
- 25. The method of claim 23 wherein
the one or more light sources are comprised of at least three light sources which are not located along a single line segment.
- 26. The method of claim 23 wherein
the image captured by the video camera is used to determine whether the first marking device is hitting a first spatial location.
- 27. The method of claim 23 wherein
the one or more light sources are comprised of an area light source; and using the light emitted by the area light source to determine whether the first marking device is hitting a first spatial location.
- 28. The method of claim 27 wherein
the area light source is comprised of a polygonal area light source.
- 29. The method of claim 23 wherein
the one or more light sources are comprised of a first light source and a second light source and wherein light emitted from the first light source and the second light source is used to determine whether the first marking device is hitting a first spatial location; and wherein the first light source is a point light source and the second light source is an area light source.
- 30. The method of claim 26 further comprising
using light emitted from one or more light sources fixed to a second marking device to determine whether the second marking device is hitting a second spatial location; and wherein the one or more light sources fixed to the first marking device emit light of a first color and the one or more light sources fixed to the second marking device emit light of a second color and wherein the first color and the second color are different.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein
the one or more light sources fixed to the first marking device emit light with a first set of characteristics the one or more light sources fixed to the second marking device emit light with a second set of characteristics; and wherein the first set of characteristics and the second set of characteristics are different.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation in part and claims the priority of parent patent application Ser. No. 10/262,289, titled “AN APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR MORE REALISTIC INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAMES ON COMPUTERS OR SIMILAR DEVICES”, filed on Sep. 30, 2002.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10262289 |
Sep 2002 |
US |
Child |
10457872 |
Jun 2003 |
US |