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 wearable augmented reality apparatus comprising:
a transparent head-mounted display operable to display virtual indicia overlaid onto a physical space;
a processor coupled to said transparent head-mounted display operable to provide said virtual indicia to said head-mounted display;
a detector for determining landscape characteristics of said physical space;
memory storing said landscape characteristics; and
at least one locating device operable to determine a physical location of said transparent head-mounted display in said physical space and an orientation of said transparent head-mounted display in said physical space.
2. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processor is operable to utilize said landscape characteristics to determine a location of said virtual indicia.
3. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said virtual indicia are in a fixed position relative to the physical space.
4. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said virtual indicia are in a fixed position relative to said transparent head-mounted display.
5. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said virtual indicia comprise a 3-dimensional virtual object.
6. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a location of said 3-dimensional virtual object on said transparent head-mounted display is determined based at least in part on said detected landscape characteristics.
7. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 5 , wherein an allowable set of locations of said 3-dimensional virtual object on said transparent head-mounted display is determined based at least in part on said detected landscape characteristics.
8. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said virtual indicia comprise a 2-dimensional virtual object.
9. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a location of said 2-dimensional virtual object on said transparent head-mounted display is determined based at least in part on said detected landscape characteristics.
10. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 8 , wherein an allowable set of locations of said 2-dimensional virtual object on said transparent head-mounted display is determined based at least in part on said detected landscape characteristics.
11. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a handheld controller for providing at least one control signal for interaction with said virtual indicia.
12. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said orientation comprises at least pitch angle and yaw angle direction information associated with said transparent head-mounted display.
13. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said orientation further comprises roll angle information.
14. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said orientation further comprises roll angle information.
15. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one locating device comprises at least one gyroscope and at least one accelerometer.
16. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one locating device comprises a wireless LAN based location sensor.
17. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said memory is operable to persistently store said landscape characteristics of said physical space between uses of said apparatus.
18. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processor is capable of enabling a conference call with another device.
19. The wearable augmented reality apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said detector comprises a camera.