Location-based games and augmented reality systems
Handheld location based games are provided in which a user's physical location correlates to the virtual location of a virtual character on a virtual playfield. Augmented Reality (AR) systems are provided in which video game indicia are overlaid onto a user's physical environment. A landscape detector is provided that may obtain information about the user's landscape, in addition to the user's location, in order to provide overlaying information to an AR head-mounted display and control information to non-user controlled video game characters.
1. A portable device comprising:
a display that is operable to be head-worn, wherein 3-D video game indicia is operable to be provided on said display with respect to a physical playfield, and said 3-D video game indicia is associated with a location-based video game;
a detector that is operable to be head-worn, wherein said detector is operable to determine landscape characteristics of said physical playfield, wherein said landscape characteristics are utilized by said location-based video game; and
a device for updating the physical location of said device on said physical playfield, wherein the physical location of said device is utilized by said location-based video game.
2. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said detector includes reflecting sensing.
3. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said detector includes a camera.
4. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said display is a transparent display.
5. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said display is a non-transparent display.
6. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said display is a non-transparent display and said detector is a camera.
7. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said display is a transparent display and said detector is a camera.
8. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said device includes a global positioning system.
9. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said device includes a local positioning system.
10. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said device includes an accelerometer.
11. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said device includes an accelerometer and a global positioning system.
12. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said display is a non-transparent display, said device includes an accelerometer, and said detector includes a camera.
13. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said display is a transparent display, said device includes an accelerometer, and said detector includes a camera.
14. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the pitch of said head-mounted display are utilized in said video game.
15. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the roll of said head-mounted display are utilized in said video game.
16. The portable device of claim 1 , further comprising a manually-defined visibility.
17. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the pitch, roll, and direction of said head-mounted display are utilized in said video game.
18. The portable device of claim 1 , further comprising a first manually-defined option of an AR topology and a second manually-defined option of a VR topology.
19. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said detector is utilized periodically.
20. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein said detector is utilized before the start of said video game.