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EVGZO766322US
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`SMALL ENTITY
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`JDM/008
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`LOCATION-BASED GAMES AND AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEMS
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`Cross—Reference to Related Applications
`
`[0001]
`
`This application claims the benefit of U.S.
`
`Provisional Patent Application No. 60/628,475 (Docket
`
`5
`
`N0.
`
`JDM/008 PROV) filed on August 16, 2004 and titled
`
`"Location—Based Games and Augmented Reality Systems,"
`which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its
`
`entirety.
`
`Background of the Invention
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`10
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`[0002]
`
`This invention relates to location—based game
`
`systems.
`
`[0003]
`
`Virtual Reality (VR) systems have been
`
`developed in which a user is provided with a non—
`
`transparent head—mounted display. This display
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`provides images to the user such that the user is
`
`immersed in a virtual, alternate reality.
`
`A user
`
`cannot see his/her physical environment while immersed
`
`in such a virtual, alternate reality. Accordingly, VR
`
`systems are deficient because a user cannot easily move
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`around a physical environment while immersed in the
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`virtual reality because a user cannot see his/her
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`physical environment.
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`If a user begins to physically
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`move in his/her physical environment without being able
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`to see his/her physical environment then the user may
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`trip, or bump into, a physical object (e.g., a rock or
`
`chair).
`
`[0004]
`
`As a result of the mobility constraints of
`
`traditional VR systems, a user is traditionally placed
`
`on a platform that is surrounded by padded safety
`
`rails.
`
`A user cannot move outside of this protected
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`platform and moves through the virtual, alternate
`
`reality created by the VR system through the use of a
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`manual joystick.
`
`Such a VR system is deficient because
`
`it severely limits the way that a user may interact
`
`with the virtual, alternate reality provided by the VR
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`system.
`
`[0005]
`
`Traditional manual controls occasionally have
`
`a primary control and a number of supplemental
`
`controls.
`
`Such a primary control occasionally takes
`
`the form of a joystick.
`
`The primary control
`
`occasionally provides the main control signal to a
`
`video game. Traditionally,
`
`the main control signal
`
`controls the location of a video game character in a
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`virtual world.
`
`Such controls, however, are deficient
`
`because the controls require unnatural user movement to
`
`generate the primary control signal.
`
`It is therefore
`
`desirable to provide a primary control device that does
`
`not require unnatural user movement to generate a
`
`primary control signal to a video game.
`
`Summary of the Invention
`
`[0006]
`
`A handheld location—based game system is
`
`provided in which a user's physical position on a
`
`physical playfield (e.g.,
`
`the physical world, a
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`physical environment, or a defined physical playfield)
`
`correlates to a video game character's location in a
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`virtual playfield.
`
`In this manner, a video game
`
`character may be controlled without
`
`the need for a
`
`joystick.
`
`A handheld location—based game system is
`
`also provided that includes manual controls.
`
`Such
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`manual controls may be utilized during location—based
`
`gameplay.
`
`An Augmented Realty (AR) game system may
`
`also be provided as, for example, a location-based game
`
`system and may display virtual indicia on a semi—
`
`transparent head—mounted display such that a user can
`
`see both virtual indicia and his/her physical
`
`environment. Virtual indicia may also be provided that
`
`interacts with a physical environment.
`
`For example,
`
`information may be provided to an AR game system about
`
`a user's physical environment. Furthering this
`
`example,
`
`the location of a doorway in a room may be
`
`provided to an AR video game such that a virtual
`
`character may be seen by a user of an AR display to
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`walk through a doorway and disappear. Thus, a video
`
`game system may be provided that augments a user's
`
`environment to provide a video game. As the video game
`
`progresses,
`
`the user may interact with his/her physical
`
`environment in order to play a virtual game(e.g., by
`
`walking through his/her environment and shooting at
`
`virtual ducks flying through the air).
`
`[0007]
`
`A switch may also provided that allows a user
`
`to manually play a location—based game (e.g., an AR
`
`game).
`
`In this manner, a user may be able to obtain
`
`functionality from the location—based game system when
`
`the user is not able to move.
`
`Such a benefit may be
`
`utilized,
`
`for example, when the user is a passenger in
`
`a moving car or sick in bed.
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`[0008]
`
`A location—based game can, however, be
`
`provided while a player is in bed or is in a car.
`
`For
`
`example, a location—based game could be implemented
`
`based on the movement of a car such that the movement
`
`of the car is translated into a control signal for the
`
`game (e.g.,
`
`the location of a car in a game).
`
`Such a
`
`video game system may be embedded in a vehicle (e.g., a
`
`car).
`
`If a car is safely utilized on a large parking
`
`lot, a number of games may be realized as location—
`
`based games (e.g., as augmented reality games where
`
`game graphics are selectively provided on the vehicle's
`
`dash/windows). While in bed, a location—based game can
`
`be provided by translating small differences in
`
`location of the system (or a controller for a system).
`
`The system (or a controller to the system) can,
`
`for
`
`example, be a fishing rod such that the movement of a
`
`flick of the system is used to generate a control
`
`signal for casting a Virtual rod in a virtual video
`
`game system.
`
`[0009]
`
`A playmat is provided that may be packaged
`
`with a handheld location—based game system.
`
`If the
`
`handheld system is dedicated to a single game (e.g.,
`
`the handheld system is not enabled to download
`
`additional games, play additional games, or receive
`
`cartridge—based or disc—based games)
`
`then the playmat
`
`may be representative of that single game.
`
`Additionally, such a single game dedicated system (or
`
`any system or any controller) may be shaped similar to,
`
`for example,
`
`the main character of the video game, or
`
`any character or characteristic of a video game,
`
`in
`
`order to increase the whimsical and festive nature of
`
`playing the game.
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`[0010]
`
`A playmat for a location—based system (e.g.,
`
`an AR system) may correlate to a particular virtual
`
`playfield. Doing so may assist the user in playing the
`
`handheld location—based game. Using the classic game
`
`of FROGGER as an example,
`
`the virtual playfield of
`
`FROGGER may be the same for each level (disregarding
`
`the types of virtual computer controlled objects used
`
`in each level). Thus, a FROGGER playmat may include
`
`indicia representative of this virtual playfield.
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`10
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`Additional non—playfield indicia may be provided on the
`
`playmat to provide additional location—based game
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`information to a user.
`
`For example, a "START" circle
`
`may be provided on the playmat.
`
`Such a “START" circle
`
`may correlate to the location where the user can start
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`each level.
`
`[0011]
`
`In this manner,
`
`the location—based game may
`
`be configured (e.g., scaled) such that user movements
`
`on the playmat playfield correlate to location—based
`
`game movements on the virtual playfield.
`
`Thus,
`
`the
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`location—based game may utilize the knowledge of the
`
`origin location (e.g.,
`
`the START location) and the
`
`playmat perimeters (e.g., physical playfield
`
`perimeters)
`
`to provide a location—based game.
`
`Such a
`
`playmat may also be beneficial to locating devices that
`
`may accumulate errors over time. As such the location—
`
`based game and the playmat may be configured to reduce
`
`the chance of such accumulation errors.
`
`For example,
`
`if a locating device accumulates noticeable location
`
`errors after 30 seconds of gameplay, each game level
`
`may be limited to a particular period of time (e.g., 30
`
`seconds).
`
`In configuring the size of the playmat, and
`
`appropriately scaling the location—based game to the
`
`playmat,
`
`the amount of time before noticeable errors
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`accrue can be manipulated. Similarly,
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`the average
`
`amount of time before noticeable errors accrue can be
`
`determined such that an appropriate time limit for
`
`finishing a level can be subsequently determined.
`
`Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a
`
`number of location—based systems can be fabricated in
`
`which noticeable errors may never accrue. One such
`
`example may be a hybrid locating system that uses an
`
`inertial positioning system (e.g., any number of
`
`accelerometers and/or gyroscopes)
`
`to determine location
`
`between signals received from a positioning device
`
`(e.g., a GPS device).
`
`[0012]
`
`Taking FROGGER as an example, a user may be
`
`given 30 seconds to travel between the "START"
`
`location
`
`and an "END"
`
`location on the playmat. After the user
`
`has completed a level
`
`(or dies),
`
`that user may be
`
`instructed to return to the origin position such that
`
`the locating device may reset so that the errors
`
`accumulated during the last level is removed but the
`
`location-based game knows where the user is. Multiple
`
`playmats may be packaged together with a location—based
`
`game.
`
`Playmats that are similar but have different
`
`sizes may also be packaged together with a location—
`
`based game.
`
`Persons skilled in the art will appreciate
`
`that a location—based game can measure the exact
`
`location of a device (e.g., via a positioning system
`
`such as a GPS system) and/or follow the movement of a
`
`device to determine changes in movement (e.g., via any
`
`number of accelerometers and/or gyroscopes) or a hyrbid
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`of different types of sensors.
`
`[0013]
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`Playmats may also include holes such that
`
`they may be easily pegged into the ground or Such that
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`gaming components may be attached to the playmat at
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`particular locations.
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`For example,
`
`if the locating
`
`device is a local positioning system, positioning
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`transmitters may be positioned at pre—determined
`
`locations on the playmat (e.g., holes cut into the
`
`playmat for receiving the transmitters) to expedite the
`
`correct setup of the local positioning systems.
`
`[0014]
`
`Systems and methods of scaling information‘
`
`from physical playfields to a video game system are
`
`also provided.
`
`Systems and methods of storing such
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`information are also provided.
`
`[0015]
`
`A location—based gaming system with a head—
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`mounted display is provided such that video game
`
`indicia may be overlaid onto the user's physical
`
`playfield.
`
`Such a head—mounted display may be
`
`transparent such that a user can see through the
`
`display in areas where virtual indicia is not
`
`displayed.
`
`In this manner,
`
`the user may travel as fast
`
`as he/she wants to without risk of bumping into, or
`
`tripping over, a physical object.
`
`The display may also
`
`be non—transparent.
`
`A camera, however, may be provided
`
`on, or around,
`
`the head—mounted display to capture the
`
`physical environment.
`
`The physical environment can
`
`then be manipulated by a processor such that,
`
`for
`
`example, virtual indicia (e.g., a video game character
`
`or component is added)
`
`is added to the physical
`
`environment.
`
`The combination of the physical
`
`environment and virtual indicia can then be displayed
`
`to a user on a head—mounted display (or any type of
`
`display) such that a user can still see his/her
`
`physical environment even with a non—transparent
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`display. As such, a non—transparent video game system
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`is provided that can provide both augmented reality and
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`virtual reality functionalities.
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`[0016]
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`Such overlays may include games in which only
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`video game characters and interactive objects are
`
`overlaid onto the physical environment. As a result,
`
`the user's physical environment may be structurally
`
`kept the same.
`
`[0017]
`
`To increase the safety of a game that allows
`
`for a high—level of user mobility, such video game
`
`indicia may be provided with different contrasts (e.g.,
`
`strength) at different distances from a user such that
`
`at least close virtual objects/characters are semi—
`
`transparent such that close, physical hazards may be
`
`recognized by a user. Similarly, no Virtual indicia
`
`may be allowed to come within a certain distance of a
`
`user (from the user's perspective). Thus, a virtual
`
`indicia (e.g., a video game character) may never block
`
`a hazardous object that is close to a user.
`
`[0018]
`
`A landscape detector may be provided with a
`
`location—based game system such that information on the
`
`physical terrain of the user's physical environment may
`
`be utilized by the gaming system.
`
`If the locating
`
`device is a GPS device (or if the area has already been
`
`scanned),
`
`landscape information may be retrieved from
`
`memory that stores such information.
`
`[0019]
`
`The information provided by the landscape
`
`detector may be utilized,
`
`for example,
`
`to position
`
`where portions of a video game playfield, objects, and
`
`characters may be positioned on a display (e.g., on a
`
`head—mounted display).
`
`Such information may also be
`
`used,
`
`for example,
`
`to control the movement
`
`characteristics of computer—controlled video game
`
`characters and indicia.
`
`A directional device may also
`
`be included to determine the direction and/or pitch
`
`that the user (e.g.,
`
`the head—mounted display) is
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`facing.
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`Such information may be utilized to determine
`
`the rotation of a users head as well as the user's
`
`visual perspective. Thus,
`
`the head—mounted display
`
`may,
`
`in itself, provide control signals to a video
`
`game.
`
`[0020]
`
`To simplify the process of providing an
`
`augmented video game system, a video game may be played
`
`in the game system in an ever-changing virtual world.
`
`Portions of this game, and perspectives of those
`
`portions, may be selectively displayed to the user at a
`
`particular time.
`
`In this manner,
`
`the complexity of an
`
`augmented reality game may be simplified such that the
`
`augmented system renders a non—visible game based on
`
`control signals and,
`
`for example, portions of this game
`
`are selected and provided to a display based on the
`
`control signals. Thus, any type of video game
`
`hardware, or software, may be utilized and a module may
`
`be provided for the image selection process.
`
`Such a
`
`module can also configure the image to be displayed to
`
`a user (e.g., aligned with a user's physical terrain)
`
`or another device (e.g., another module) can be
`
`utilized to correlate selected indicia on a physical
`
`terrain.
`
`Such modules can also convert control signals
`
`provided by an AR game controller (e.g., head—mounted
`
`movement sensors and/or positioning systems)
`
`to control
`
`signals understood by any game system. As such, a
`
`classic 3—Dimensional video game (e.g., Goldeneye 007
`
`or Pacman 3D) can be played on a classic video—game
`
`system (e.g., Nintendo 64 or Playstation), yet be
`
`provided as an AR game system. This may be
`
`accomplished through the use of an add—on module that
`
`may, for example,
`
`translate control signals
`
`communicated between the game system and add—on module,
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`selective images (and audio)
`
`from the game system to
`
`display on the AR display, and determine how to display
`
`the selected images (and audio) on the AR display (and
`AR sound System).
`I
`
`[0021]
`
`Such an add—on module can interface via
`
`character control interfaces and audio/video outputs on
`
`a game system.
`
`In such a configuration,
`
`the add-on
`
`module may receive just static images/sounds. Thus,
`
`the add—on module may be provided with information to
`
`process the image, determine the location of video game
`
`indicia (e.g., a video game enemy) and determine the
`
`action of video game indicia (e.g., a video game enemy
`
`shooting).
`
`Such information may be provided in a look—
`
`up table provided on a remote database such that copies
`
`of images for a number of, or all of, video game
`
`indicia for any particular game can be obtained and
`
`compared to the received still images. Thus,
`
`the
`
`module can determine how video game indicia is being
`
`presented in the game such that the video game indicia
`
`can be appropriately presented on an AR display.
`
`Furthermore, an AR add—on module can be interfaced to
`
`the control processor of a game system (or any
`
`component of a video game system such as the system's
`
`rendering device).
`
`Such an interface may,
`
`for example,
`
`directly skew what is being rendered and how it is
`
`being rendered for later use in an AR display.
`
`Such an
`
`interface may also, for example, monitor the movement
`
`and status of video game indicia directly from the
`
`video game system (e.g., directly from the processor).
`
`[0022]
`
`An AR game system may be utilized in many
`
`applications.
`
`For example, an AR game system may be
`
`utilized in the military training of soldiers.
`
`To
`
`accommodate such an application the landscape of a pre—
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`-11-
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`determined area (e.g., a particular square area of a
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`military based) may be scanned at a point before a game
`
`is played. Virtual objects may be generated using this
`
`scanned information that correspond to physical
`
`objects.
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`Such a process may be utilized when the
`
`landscape is being scanned as a game is playing. Thus,
`
`the video game system may construct a virtual world
`
`similar to the scanned physical world and generate
`
`computer—controlled characters (and interactive or
`
`impenetrable objects) on the physical world.
`
`Such a
`
`pre—scanned system may be relatively inexpensive.
`
`If
`
`the virtual game characters are computer—controlled
`
`enemy combatants (or manually controlled characters by
`
`instructors at a stationary game device or manually
`
`controlled characters by instructors using a location—
`
`based game device on a different,
`
`location-synched
`
`playfield) then military soldiers may be trained in a
`
`variety of safe, combat—realistic situations.
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`[0023]
`
`The systems and methods of the present
`
`invention may be utilized for any type of Augmented
`
`Reality (AR) application and is not limited to video
`
`games.
`
`For example, AR applications for wearable-
`
`computers may be provided.
`
`In one such application,
`
`virtual advertisements can be displayed on a user's
`
`head—mounted display to augment these virtual
`
`advertisements over the real world.
`
`The display of
`
`virtual advertisements may be provided to such a
`
`wearable computer when the wearable computer reaches a
`
`particular location.
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`The virtual advertisements can be
`
`displayed within a physical environment based on the
`
`characteristics of the physical environment (e.g.,
`
`displayed in front of you if nobody is walking in front
`
`of you or displayed above the heads of people walking
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`in front of you if people are walking in front of you).
`
`Similarly, AR—phone calls may be realized such that the
`
`image of the person you are calling is displayed in
`
`your physical environment (e.g.,
`
`the person you are
`
`having a telephone conversation is displayed as walking
`
`besides you or a two-dimensional video is displayed in
`
`front of you).
`
`Brief Description of the Drawings
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`[0024]
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`The principles and advantages of the present
`
`invention can be more clearly understood from the
`
`following detailed description considered in
`
`conjunction with the following drawings,
`
`in which the
`
`same reference numerals denote the same structural
`
`elements throughout, and in which:
`
`[0025]
`
`FIG.
`
`1 is an illustration of a handheld
`
`location—based game system and accompanying playmat
`
`constructed in accordance with the principles of the
`
`present invention;
`
`[0026]
`
`FIG.
`
`2 is an illustration of a handheld
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`location—based game system in the shape of the virtual
`
`character that the location—based game system controls
`
`constructed in accordance with the principles of the
`
`present invention;
`
`[0027]
`
`FIG.
`
`3 is an illustration of scaling a
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`virtual playfield to a physical playfield constructed
`
`in accordance with the principles of the present
`
`invention;
`
`[0028]
`
`FIG.
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`4 is an illustration of landscape
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`detection constructed in accordance with the principles
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`3O
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`of the present invention;
`
`[0029]
`
`FIG.
`
`5 is an illustration of virtual
`
`impenetrable object construction on a playfield based
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`on detected landscape objects constructed in accordance
`
`with the principles of the present invention;
`
`[0030]
`
`FIG.
`
`6 is an illustration of computer—
`
`controlled character positioning and movement based on
`
`detected landscape objects constructed in accordance
`
`with the principles of the present invention;
`
`[0031]
`
`FIG.
`
`7 is an illustration of virtual
`
`playfield mapping that includes physically detected
`
`impenetrable objects constructed in accordance with the
`
`principles of the present invention;
`
`[0032]
`
`FIG.
`
`8 is an illustration of computer
`
`controls for video game characters in a location—based
`
`game constructed in accordance with the principles of
`
`the present invention;
`
`[0033]
`
`FIG.
`
`9 is an illustration of different data
`
`storage structures for a location—based game
`
`constructed in accordance with the principles of the
`
`present invention;
`
`[0034]
`
`FIG. 10 is an illustration of displaying
`
`video game characters in a semi—visible display for a
`
`location—based game constructed in accordance with the
`
`principles of the present invention;
`
`[0035]
`
`FIG. ll is an illustration of displaying
`
`video game characters with different transparencies for
`
`a location—based game constructed in accordance with
`
`the principles of the present invention;
`
`[0036]
`
`FIG. 12 is an illustration of computer
`
`controlled movement of video game characters in a
`
`virtual playfield constructed in accordance with the
`
`principles of the present invention;
`
`[0037]
`
`FIG. 13 is an illustration of pre—scanning a
`
`physical playfield constructed in accordance with the
`
`principles of the present invention; and
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
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`

`

`EV620766322US
`
`_ 14 _
`
`[0038]
`
`’FIG. 14.15 an illustration of a location—
`
`based game topology constructed in accordance with the
`
`principles of the present invention.
`
`Detailed Description of the Drawings
`
`[0039]
`
`U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
`
`60/603,481 filed on August 20, 2004 entitled "Wireless
`
`Devices With Flexible Monitors and Keyboards"
`
`(Docket
`
`No.
`
`JDM/OO7 PROV) and U.S. Patent Application No.
`
`11/208,943 filed on August 22, 2005 entitled "Wireless
`
`Devices With Flexible Monitors and Keyboards"
`
`(Docket
`
`No.
`
`JDM/OO?) are hereby incorporated by reference
`
`herein in their entirety.
`
`[0040]
`
`U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
`
`60/560,435 filed on April 7, 2004 entitled "Advanced
`
`Cooperative Defensive Military Tactics, Armor, and
`
`Systems“ (Docket No.
`
`JDM/006 PROV) and U.S. Patent
`
`Application No. 11/101,782 filed on April 7, 2005
`
`entitled “Advanced Cooperative Defensive Military
`
`Tactics, Armor, and Systems“ (Docket No.
`
`JDM/OOG) are
`
`hereby incorporated by reference herein in their
`
`entirety.
`
`[0041]
`
`U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/560,435
`
`filed on September 2, 2003 entitled "Systems and
`
`Methods for Location Based Games and Employment of the
`
`Same on Location Enabled Devices"
`
`(Docket No.
`
`JDM/OOS
`
`PROV) and U.S. Patent Application No. 10/932,536 filed
`
`on September 1, 2004 entitled “Systems and Methods for
`
`Location—Based Games and Employment of the Same on
`
`Location—Enabled Devices" (Docket No.
`
`JDM/OOS) are
`
`hereby incorporated by reference herein in their
`
`entirety.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`3O
`
`

`

`EV620766322US
`
`_ 15 _
`
`[0042]
`
`U.S. Patent Application No. 10/797,801 filed
`
`on March 9, 2004 titled "Systems and Methods for
`
`Providing Remote Incoming Call Notification for
`
`Wireless Telephones" (Docket No.
`
`JDM/OO4)
`
`is hereby
`
`incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
`
`[0043]
`
`U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
`
`60/367,967 filed on March 25, 2002 entitled "Systems
`
`and Methods for Locating Cellular Phones"
`
`(Docket No.
`
`JDM/002 PROV) and U.S. Patent Application No.
`
`10/400,296 filed on March 25, 2003 titled "Systems and
`
`Methods for Locating Wireless Telephones and Security
`
`Measures for the Same"
`
`(Docket No. JDM/002) are hereby
`
`incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
`
`[0044]
`
`Turning first to FIG. 1, gaming system 100 is
`
`provided that includes handheld game system 101 and
`
`10
`
`15
`
`playmat 150.
`
`[0045]
`
`Gaming system 100 may be a location—based
`
`game system in which the physical location (or physical
`
`movement) of a user on a physical playfield determines
`
`20
`
`the virtual location (or virtual movement) of a virtual
`
`character on a virtual playfield. Location information
`
`may be obtained through,
`
`for example, any type of
`
`triangulation technique such as a GPS system or a
`
`localized positioning system (LPS).
`
`For example,
`
`the
`
`time it takes multiple signals from multiple
`
`transmitters to reach device 101 may be utilized to
`
`determine the position of device 101. Location
`
`information may alternatively be obtained through
`
`various cell phone or wireless LAN location techniques.
`
`For example, a user's signal strength between multiple
`
`hubs or base stations may be utilized to determine that
`
`user's location. As per another example,
`
`inertial
`
`movement sensors such as accelerometers and/or
`
`25
`
`3O
`
`

`

`EV620766322US
`
`_ 15 _
`
`gyroscopes may be utilized to keep track of a user's
`
`movement in a particular direction.
`
`In this manner,
`
`the user's location may be determined and updated based
`
`on the user's movements. Hybrids of such systems may
`
`also be utilized.
`
`For example, an accelerometer may be
`
`utilized to keep track of a user's position until a
`
`second locating signal is provided (e.g., a GPS
`
`system).
`
`In this manner, a GPS signal may be the
`
`master locating signal while the accelerometer provides
`
`location updates between GPS signals. Generally,
`
`device 140 is the locating device (or locating devices)
`
`for game system 101.
`
`[0046]
`
`Game system 101 may include manual controls
`
`120 and manual control switch 132 that turns ON and OFF
`
`location—based controls.
`
`In this manner, a user may
`
`still obtain functionality from game system 101 while,
`
`for example, sitting on a park bench.
`
`ON/OFF switch
`
`131 may control when device 101 is turned ON and OFF.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`[0047]
`
`Persons skilled in the art will appreciate
`
`20
`
`that controls similar to manual controls 120 and 131
`
`may also be provided on an AR game system. Thus, a
`
`user may use manual controls to control the location of
`
`a video game character in an AR game (e.g., control
`
`what first—person perspective is displayed on an AR
`
`display) without physically moving.
`
`A user may also
`
`use manual controls similar to manual controls 120 and
`
`131 to toggle between an AR and VR game,
`
`toggle between
`
`AR and VR configurations of a game, and toggle from a
`
`location—based control scheme to a manual control
`
`scheme after an AR game configuration has been toggled
`
`to a VR game configuration. Thus, if a user is located
`
`in an environment that makes location—based AR gameplay
`
`difficult,
`
`(e.g., a small—room or in a car),
`
`the user
`
`25
`
`3O
`
`

`

`EV620766322IIS
`
`_ 17 _
`
`can instruct the game system to provide a VR version of
`
`the game to be played with a manual controller. Thus,
`
`a user may instruct an AR/VR game system to display
`
`all virtual indicia on a head—mounted display (and/or
`
`render all virtual indicia) and not allow any areas of
`
`the display to become transparent.
`
`Thus, a user may
`
`instruct an AR/VR game system to switch from location-
`
`based control to manual input control.
`
`For systems
`
`with multiple control signals generated from multiple
`
`10
`
`control devices, a switch for alternate control schemes
`
`may be provided for each control device.
`
`For example,
`
`a user may turn a location—based sensor in a head—
`
`mounted display off,
`
`thus allowing a directional pad on
`
`a controller to control the location of a video—game
`
`character (a user may also turn a switch associated
`
`with the directional pad ON). Yet,
`
`the user may decide
`
`not turn OFF inertial movement sensors in a hand—held
`
`controller,
`
`thus deciding not to,
`
`for example, use
`
`control buttons or a directional pad to replace the
`
`functionality of the inertial movement sensors. Thus,
`
`a user may still swing around a hand—held controller to
`
`register internal sensor readings as control signals
`
`to,
`
`for example, swing around a video game object
`
`(e.g., a sword or lightsaber) in a game (e.g., a VR
`
`game) when the user is sitting in a car even though the
`
`user could,
`
`for example, switch to a directional pad
`
`for the control the video game object. Additional
`
`examples of a video game object controlled by one or
`
`more inertial sensors may include,
`
`for example, a
`
`fishing rod,
`
`tennis racket, baseball bat, pool cue,
`
`football (e.g.,
`
`throwing a football), baseball (e.g.,
`
`throwing a football), steering wheel, clutch, gun (or
`
`another object—projecting device or projectile), horse—
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`

`

`EV620766322US
`
`_ 18 _
`
`racing whip, frisbee, net, boxing gloves, or any type
`
`of object or action.
`
`[0048]
`
`Persons skilled in the art will appreciate
`
`that a location—based game system may not require a
`
`controller in addition to a game system.
`
`For example,
`
`game system 101 may be fabricated with just one or more
`
`location sensors and/or inertial movement sensors
`
`without any additional manual controls.
`
`In one
`
`example, game system 101 may be a low—cost system that
`
`10
`
`only provides a primary control signal to move a
`
`virtual character in a virtual world (e.g., move a frog
`
`through an environment). Additional manual controls
`
`may be provided on a game system (e.g., controls 120)
`
`and a game system may include connection ports to
`
`15
`
`receive additional devices such as additional
`
`controllers, other game systems, displays (e.g., a TV
`
`or a head—mounted display), memory, add—on modules
`
`(e.g., software and/or hardware upgrade modules), or
`
`any type of peripheral.
`
`[0049]
`
`Playmat 120 may be provided in order to
`
`increase the whimsical and festive nature of playing
`
`game system 101.
`
`For example, playmat 120 may include
`
`indicia similar to environment indicia in a particular
`
`game.
`
`Playmat 150 may be sized according to the
`
`characteristics of a game, or virtual environment, on
`
`system 101.
`
`For example,
`
`if a game on game system 101
`
`has a water component and a land component, playmat
`
`1450 may have indicia of a water component (e.g.,
`
`indicia 152) and land component (e.g.,
`
`indicia 151).
`
`The size of each of these components may correspond to
`
`the movement needed of device 101 to travel across
`
`these components in a virtual environment.
`
`For
`
`example, if a user has to move 5 feet to cross the land
`
`20
`
`25
`
`3O
`
`

`

`EV6207663ZZUS
`
`_ 19 _
`
`component on a level of a game provided by game system
`
`101 then the land component of playmat 150 may be 5
`
`feet long.
`
`[0050]
`
`Playmats may be distributed with game system
`
`101 in kits.
`
`In this manner, multiple playmats may be
`
`included in such a kit (e.g., a retail package)
`
`that
`
`correspond to different environmental indicia on the
`
`game.
`
`So, for example,
`
`the kit may include a level 1
`
`playmat and a level 2 playmat. Alternatively, multiple
`
`versions of the same playmats may be included of the
`
`same level (e.g., have the same type of indicia), but
`
`may be fabricated in different sizes. Alternatively a
`
`playmat with an adjustable size may be provided.
`
`Alternatively still, a playmat may be provided with
`
`multiple different play areas (e.g., one half is used
`
`for level 1,
`
`the second half is used for level two)
`
`that can utilize both sides of the mat (e.g., one side
`
`is used for level 1,
`
`the second side is used for level
`
`two).
`
`By including different playmats, or by defining
`
`different playmat areas, a user may use a different
`
`playmat, or playmat area, depending on how much
`
`physical movement is needed to move a virtual game
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`character. Control of a virtual game character may be
`
`adjustable such that,
`
`for example, one mode is provided
`
`25
`
`where a 1 foot movement moves the virtual character 1
`
`pixel while a second mode is provided where a 2 foot
`
`movement moves the character 1 pixel.
`
`Playmat 150 may
`
`include apertures 180 such that playmat 150 may be
`
`secured to a surface (e.g., pegged into the ground).
`
`3O
`
`Indicia may also be located on the playmat that
`
`corresponds to objects in the game.
`
`For example,
`
`the
`
`goal of the game may be included as indicia on a
`
`playmat (e.g.,
`
`indicia 160).
`
`

`

`EV620766322US
`
`_ 20 _
`
`[0051]
`
`Some game systems may use a reference
`
`location such that a user is requested to return to
`
`that reference location before playing, for example, a
`
`particular level (e.g.,
`
`the next level after a level
`
`has been completed).
`
`Such a reference position may
`
`also be included as indicia on the playmat (e.g.,
`
`indicia 170).
`
`Game system 101 may include display 102
`
`for displaying a video game (e.g., displaying a 2—
`
`dimensional or 3—dimensional
`
`image). Location device
`
`140 (e.g., a positioning system and/or inertia

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