Data processing
A system includes a data processing apparatus; and a position detector to detect a position of a trackable object at successive sampling time points, the position detector being configured to provide, by a first data communication path, position data indicative of the position of the trackable object to the data processing apparatus at each sampling time point along with data indicating a time of that sampling time point according to a clock signal at the position detector, and to send synchronisation data to the data processing apparatus by a second, different, data communication path indicative of the clock signal at the position detector; in which the data processing apparatus comprises: a detector to detect a difference between a clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector in dependence upon the synchronisation data; and a processor to perform a data processing operation in dependence upon the position indicated by the position data, the time of a sampling time point associated with that position data, and the detected difference between the clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector.
1. A system comprising:
a data processing apparatus; and
a position detector to detect a position of a trackable object at successive sampling time points, the position detector being configured to provide, by a first data communication path, position data indicative of the position of the trackable object to the data processing apparatus at each sampling time point along with data indicating a time of that sampling time point according to a clock signal at the position detector, and to send synchronisation data to the data processing apparatus by a second, different, data communication path indicative of the clock signal at the position detector;
in which the data processing apparatus comprises:
a detector to detect a difference between a clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector in dependence upon the synchronisation data; and
a processor to perform a data processing operation in dependence upon the position indicated by the position data, the time of a sampling time point associated with that position data, and the detected difference between the clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication path has a higher communication latency than the second communication path.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication path is a wireless communication path.
4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first communication path is selected from: a Bluetooth® communication path; and a wireless network communication path.
5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the position detector comprises an optical emitter;
the data processing apparatus comprises a camera; and
the second communication path comprises an optical communication path from the optical emitter to the camera.
6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the optical emitter comprises an image display.
7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the position detector is configured to communicate at least one of the position data and the synchronisation signal by generating and displaying one or more images on the image display.
8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the position detector is configured to optically detect the position of the trackable object.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing apparatus comprises a second position detector to detect the position of the trackable object.
10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the second position detector comprises:
the camera; and
an image processor to detect the trackable object in images captured by the camera.
11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the position detector is responsive to an indication, sent to the position detector by the data processing apparatus, to start and to stop detecting the position of the trackable object and providing the position data.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the data processing apparatus is configured to indicate to the position detector to start detecting the position of the trackable object and providing the position data when the second position detector does not detect the position of the trackable object.
13. The system according to claim 1 the position detector comprises a mobile telephone device.
14. The system according to claim 1 the data processing apparatus is a game processing apparatus and the data processing operation is a game processing operation.
15. A data processing apparatus configured to receive position data and synchronisation data from a position detector configured to detect a position of a trackable object at successive sampling time points, the position detector being configured to provide, by a first data communication path, position data indicative of the position of the trackable object to the data processing apparatus at each sampling time point along with data indicating a time of that sampling time point according to a clock signal at the position detector, and to send synchronisation data to the data processing apparatus by a second, different, data communication path indicative of the clock signal at the position detector; in which the data processing apparatus comprises:
a detector to detect a difference between a clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector in dependence upon the synchronisation data; and
a processor to perform a data processing operation in dependence upon the position indicated by the position data, the time of a sampling time point associated with that position data, and the detected difference between the clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector.
16. A method comprising:
detecting a position of a trackable object at successive sampling time points;
providing, by a first data communication path, position data indicative of the position of the trackable object to the data processing apparatus at each sampling time point along with data indicating a time of that sampling time point according to a clock signal;
sending synchronisation data to a data processing apparatus by a second, different, data communication path indicative of the clock signal at the position detector;
the data processing apparatus detecting a difference between a clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector in dependence upon the synchronisation data; and
the data processing apparatus performing a data processing operation in dependence upon the position indicated by the position data, the time of a sampling time point associated with that position data, and the detected difference between the clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector.
17. A data processing method comprising:
receiving position data and synchronisation data from a position detector configured to detect a position of a trackable object at successive sampling time points, the position detector being configured to provide, by a first data communication path, position data indicative of the position of the trackable object to the data processing apparatus at each sampling time point along with data indicating a time of that sampling time point according to a clock signal at the position detector, and to send synchronisation data to the data processing apparatus by a second, different, data communication path indicative of the clock signal at the position detector;
detecting a difference between a clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector in dependence upon the synchronisation data; and
performing a data processing operation in dependence upon the position indicated by the position data, the time of a sampling time point associated with that position data, and the detected difference between the clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector.
18. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium which stores computer software, which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to carry out actions, comprising:
receiving position data and synchronisation data from a position detector configured to detect a position of a trackable object at successive sampling time points, the position detector being configured to provide, by a first data communication path, position data indicative of the position of the trackable object to the data processing apparatus at each sampling time point along with data indicating a time of that sampling time point according to a clock signal at the position detector, and to send synchronisation data to the data processing apparatus by a second, different, data communication path indicative of the clock signal at the position detector;
detecting a difference between a clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector in dependence upon the synchronisation data; and
performing a data processing operation in dependence upon the position indicated by the position data, the time of a sampling time point associated with that position data, and the detected difference between the clock signal at the data processing apparatus and the clock signal at the position detector.