IP Library Granted Patent US 7,427,980
Granted Patent B1
US 7,427,980 · App. 12/059,698 · Granted Sep 23, 2008

Game controller spatial detection

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,427,980
App. No.
12/059,698
Granted
Sep 23, 2008
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method of identifying a specific object representation in a computer simulation is presented. A computer simulation of a physical room is generated and displayed by a game console. A game controller is integrated with a laser rangefinder to create a laser-integrated game controller that is capable of determining and transmitting, to the game console, a real-time location and spatial orientation of a real physical object that is represented by a computer-generated object representation in the computer simulation. The game controller and laser-integrated game controller are able to identify a specific object representation, which corresponds with the real physical object, based on the real-time location of the laser-integrated game controller, the spatial orientation of the laser-integrated game controller, and the range signal from the laser rangefinder in the laser-integrated game controller to the real physical object.

Claims (11)

1. A method of identifying a specific object representation in a computer simulation, the method comprising:

generating and displaying a computer simulation of a physical room, wherein the physical room comprises real objects that comprise a wall and a furnishing, and wherein the computer simulation comprises object representations that comprise a wall representation of the wall and a furnishing representation of the furnishing;

integrating a laser rangefinder into a game controller to create a laser-integrated game controller;

signal-coupling the laser-integrated game controller to a game console, wherein the laser-integrated game controller is capable of determining and transmitting, to the game console, a real-time location and spatial orientation of the laser-integrated game controller within the physical room, and wherein the laser rangefinder is capable of determining and transmitting, to the game console, a range signal that describes a distance from the laser-integrated game controller to one of the real objects in the physical room;

receiving, at the game console, the real-time location and spatial orientation of the laser-integrated game controller;

receiving, at the game console, the range signal from the laser rangefinder, wherein the range signal is generated when the laser rangefinder is pointed at a specific real object selected from the real objects in the physical room;

identifying, by the game console, the specific real object in the physical room based on the real-time location of the laser-integrated game controller, the spatial orientation of the laser-integrated game controller, and the range signal from the laser rangefinder in the laser-integrated game controller; and

identifying a specific object representation, from the object representations in the computer simulation, that corresponds with the specific real object identified by the game console.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an appearance feature selection for the specific object representation; and

altering, according to the appearance feature selection, an appearance of a specific object representation.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 17, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: ACTIVISION BLIZZARD INC.; ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.; ACTIVISION ENTERTAINMENT HOLDINGS, INC.; BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Reel/Frame 040381/0487 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 11, 2014
From: ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 032240/0257 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2013
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.
Reel/Frame 029900/0285 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2008
From: PARTRIDGE, IAN; PILKINGTON, ADAM J.; ROWLAND, SIMON C. E.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020734/0237 →