KR20230049149A - Virtual sports device having the function of sensing illumination - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a virtual sports device having an illuminance detection function. The virtual sports device includes: a detection unit which performs a detection operation to detect illuminance; a display unit which performs display operations to display video images related to the sport the user is playing; and a control unit which receives the detection result from the illuminance detection unit and controls the display operation to vary according to the detected illuminance.

Description

Virtual sports device having illumination sensing function {VIRTUAL SPORTS DEVICE HAVING THE FUNCTION OF SENSING ILLUMINATION}

The present invention relates to a virtual sports device, and more particularly, to a virtual sports device having an illuminance sensing function.

Recently, as interest in sports increases, the number of people who enjoy sports is increasing. As for sports, not only outdoor play, but also virtual indoor sports using virtual sports devices are increasing in popularity. For example, the popularity of virtual indoor sports such as screen baseball and screen golf is increasing. In screen baseball and screen golf, images of a baseball field or golf course are displayed through a screen, so it feels as if you are playing a real sports game outdoors. However, it has the advantage of saving time and money compared to playing in an outdoor arena.

Screen sports implemented by virtual sports devices not only provide the same reality as playing in a real sports stadium, but also provide users with an optimal environment to play virtual sports due to the nature of the service using various advanced technologies. Convenience needs to be enhanced.

The present invention was invented in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a virtual sports device that allows users to play in an optimal environment by appropriately adjusting the display operation of displaying sports-related video images according to the intensity of illumination. to be

In addition, other objects of the present invention can be clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

A virtual sports device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensing unit that performs a sensing operation to detect the intensity of illumination, a display unit that performs a display operation of displaying a video image related to a sport being played by a user, and a detection result from the illumination level sensing unit. and an adjusting unit that receives and adjusts the display operation to vary according to the sensed illuminance.

In the virtual sports apparatus, the display operation may include at least one of a first operation of forming the video image and a second operation of projecting the video image on a screen at a predetermined brightness and providing the user with the video image.

In the virtual sports device, when the sensed illuminance is greater than a predetermined reference illuminance, the control unit may adjust the display operation so that the video image includes a light and dark area identified as light and dark in the first operation. Here, the light and dark areas may be displayed in gray-based colors.

In the virtual sports apparatus, when the sensed illuminance is lower than the predetermined reference illuminance, the control unit may project the video image on the screen at a brightness higher than the predetermined reference brightness in the second operation to provide the user with the brightness.

The virtual sports apparatus may further include a calculation unit configured to calculate a motion when the sport is golf and the user hits a real golf ball, assuming that the hit real golf ball is in a real golf course.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optimal play environment to the user by appropriately adjusting the display operation of displaying sports-related video images according to the intensity of illumination.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual sports device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operating method applicable to the virtual sports apparatus of FIG. 1 .
3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining examples of various methods of adjusting display operations in the virtual sports apparatus of FIG. 1 .
5 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual baseball device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a view for explaining an example of a method for adjusting the display operation in the virtual baseball device of FIG.
7 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of adjusting a display operation in the virtual golf device of FIG. 7 .
9 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through examples. Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following examples. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. The embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosed contents may be thorough and complete and the spirit of the present invention may be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited by the following examples.

Although terms such as first and second are used in this specification to describe various elements, the elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the elements from one another. Also, when an element is referred to as being on another element, it means that it can be formed directly on the other element or a third element may be interposed therebetween.

In the drawings, the size of elements or the relative sizes between elements may be slightly exaggerated for a clearer understanding of the present invention. In addition, the shape of the elements shown in the drawings may be slightly changed due to variations in the manufacturing process. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification should not be limited to the shapes shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified, and should be understood to include some degree of modification.

1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual sports device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an operating method applicable to the virtual sports device of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are It is a diagram for explaining examples of various methods of adjusting display operations in the virtual sports apparatus of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 1 , the virtual sports device includes an illuminance sensor 1 , a display unit 2 , a control unit 3 , and a lighting unit 4 . The illuminance sensor 1 is for detecting illuminance and may include a device that generates a current by light for detecting illuminance. For example, devices such as a photoelectric cell, a photovoltaic cell, a photo diode, and a photo transistor may be included. The illuminance sensor 1 mainly detects the illuminance of light generated by the lighting unit 4 . The display unit 2 is for performing a display operation of displaying an image of a target sport played by the user to the user, and includes an image processing means 2a, a projector 2b, and a screen 2c. The image processing unit 2a forms a sports-related image, the projector 2b projects the formed image onto the screen 2c, and the screen 2c displays the projected image. The control unit 3 receives the result detected by the illuminance sensor 1 and adjusts the display operation of the display unit 2 accordingly. The lighting unit 4 includes a light source having a light emitting function, such as a fluorescent lamp, an electrodeless lamp, or an LED, and provides light to a place where the virtual sports device is installed. Strictly speaking, the lighting unit 4 is disposed at a location where the virtual sports device is installed, and can be regarded as a component disposed at the installation location and is not an essential component of the virtual sports device itself. If the virtual sports equipment is installed outdoors with natural light, the lighting unit 4 is not required.

Referring to FIG. 2 , an operation method applicable to the virtual sports device of FIG. 1 may include first to third steps S1, S2, and S3. In the first step (S1), the illuminance sensor 1 detects the illuminance of the place where the virtual sports equipment is installed, and in the second step (S2), the detection result is transmitted to the controller 3, and in the third step In (S3), the control unit 3 adjusts the display operation of the display unit 2 according to the detection result. The display operation can be controlled in various ways, two of which will be described as examples.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the luminance of an image displayed on the screen 2c may be changed according to the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 1 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), when the detected illuminance is low, the controller 3 causes the projector 2b to project an image of the first luminance L1 onto the screen 2c, and As shown in 3(b), when the detected illuminance is high, the controller 3 controls the projector 2b to project an image of a second luminance L2 smaller than the first luminance L1 onto the screen 2c. do. That is, when the illumination of the place where the virtual sports equipment is installed is high, the luminance of the screen image can be lowered, and when the place where the virtual sports equipment is installed is low, the luminance of the screen image can be adjusted to increase. This is to lower the luminance of the screen image in consideration of the fact that a dark object can be more visible than an overly bright object in a bright environment when the illumination of the place where the virtual sports device is installed is high. The luminance of the screen image is increased in consideration of the fact that an object having some brightness can be seen well in a dark environment when the illumination of the place is low.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the image itself displayed on the screen 2c may be changed according to the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 1 . For example, when the detected illuminance is within the first range, the control unit 3 causes the first video image I1 to be formed in the image processing unit 2a and displayed on the screen 2c, and the detected illuminance is controlled by 2 range, the control unit 3 forms the second video image I2 in the image processing unit 2a and displays it on the screen 2c. That is, the image itself displayed on the screen 2c is changed according to the illumination of the place where the virtual sports equipment is installed. Here, the first video image I1 is formed as a normal image and the second video image I2 is formed as a special image, so that when the illuminance is in the normal range, the normal first video image I1 is displayed, and when the illuminance is out of the normal range (too high or low, etc.), the special second video image ( I2) can be displayed. Specifically, for example, when the illuminance is too high, a special image having an eye protection function may be formed and displayed by adjusting the color of the second video image I2 to protect the eyesight of the user.

Above, the virtual sports device according to the embodiment of the present invention and the operating method applicable thereto have been described, which can be applied to various types of virtual sports devices. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by taking a virtual baseball device and a virtual golf device as examples among various applicable virtual sports devices.

5 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual baseball device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of controlling a display operation in the virtual baseball device of FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 5, the virtual baseball device includes a batting plate 10, a control unit 20, a sensing unit 30, an input unit 40, a sound unit 50, a projector 60, a screen 70, and a ball pitching unit. It includes section 80.

The hitting plate 10 represents a hitting zone where a user is positioned to hit a baseball. The control unit 20 controls the overall operation between each component of the virtual baseball device. Also, when the user hits a baseball, the controller 20 performs a calculation process of calculating what kind of hitting result (ground ball, fly, hit, home run, etc.) will be assuming that the hit baseball moves in an actual baseball field. The control unit 20 includes an image processing unit 21, and the image processing unit 21 forms an image to be shown to the user. Although not shown in the drawing, the control unit 20 includes a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, and the storage device stores various programs or data necessary for the operation of the control unit 20 or the image processing unit 21. can The sensing unit 30 includes a motion sensing unit 31 and an illuminance sensing unit 32 . The motion sensor 31 detects a physical state of a baseball, such as a moving speed and a moving direction of a baseball hit by a user, and includes a sensing means for detecting the physical state of the baseball. As the sensing means of the motion detector 31, various sensors or cameras may be used, and information detected by the motion detector 31 is transmitted to the controller 20, and the controller 20 transmits information Based on this, it is possible to perform a calculation process for calculating the hitting result. The illuminance sensor 32 is for detecting the illuminance of a place where the virtual baseball device is installed, and may include elements such as a photoconductive cell, a photovoltaic cell, a photodiode, a phototransistor, etc. that generate current by light. there is. The input unit 40 is for receiving various types of information from a user, and a keyboard or mouse may be used. In screen baseball using a virtual baseball device, a login system that requires a user's login before providing service can be applied, and when the login system is applied, the input unit 40 will be used when the user inputs their ID or password. can In addition, the input unit 40 may be used even when a user selects a baseball field or difficulty level to play in screen baseball. The sound unit 50 may include a sound device such as a speaker, and serves to inform the user of the progress of the game and reproduce various sound effects according to the progress of the game. The projector 60 receives a baseball-related image of a baseball field and baseball players from the image processing unit 21 and projects it on the screen 70, and the screen 70 serves to display the projected image to the user. . For example, when a user hits a baseball and the controller 20 performs a calculation process to calculate the result of the hit, an image showing the calculated result is displayed on the screen 70 . The ball pitching unit 80 includes a device that launches a baseball so that the user can hit it. Although not shown in the figure, a through hole is formed in the screen 70 so that a baseball fired from the ball pitching unit 80 passes through the through hole to reach the user. The control unit 20 controls the operation of the ball pitching unit 80 so that the baseball is fired according to the time when the user finishes preparing to hit the hitting plate 10 .

An operating method of adjusting a display operation according to the illumination of a place where the virtual baseball device is installed may be applied to the virtual baseball device according to the present embodiment. Specifically, the luminance of the image displayed on the screen 70 may be changed according to the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 32 . For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), when the sensed illuminance is lower than a predetermined reference value, the controller 20 projects an image of the first luminance L1 from the projector 60 onto the screen 70. 6(b), when the sensed illuminance is higher than the predetermined reference value, the control unit 20 controls the image of the second luminance L2 smaller than the first luminance L1 in the projector 60. It is projected onto the screen 70. That is, by lowering the luminance of the screen image when the ambient illumination is high and by increasing the luminance of the screen image when the ambient illumination is low, an image having optimal brightness for viewing by the user is displayed according to the surrounding environment.

Although not shown in the drawings, the operation method described with reference to FIG. 4 (a method in which a video image displayed on the screen varies depending on the intensity of illumination) may be applied to the virtual baseball device of this embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of adjusting a display operation in the virtual golf device of FIG. 7 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , the virtual golf device includes a hitting plate 110, a control unit 120, a sensing unit 130, an input unit 140, a sound unit 150, a projector 160, and a screen 170. .

The hitting plate 110 is an area where a user is positioned to hit a golf ball, and the user hits the golf ball placed on the hitting plate 110 . Although not shown in the drawings, an auto tee having a vertically movable structure is installed on the hitting plate 110, and a hitting golf ball can be automatically provided to the user through the auto tee. The controller 120 controls the overall operation of each component of the virtual golf device. For example, the control unit 120 controls the auto tee installed on the hitting plate 110 to operate so that a golf ball for hitting is provided from the auto tee according to the user's hitting point. In addition, the controller 120 performs a calculation process of calculating a flight trajectory assuming that the golf ball flies in an actual golf course in the sensed state based on the physical state of the golf ball hit by the user. In addition, the control unit 120 includes an image processing unit 121, and the image processing unit 121 forms a golf related image to be shown to the user. Although not shown in the drawings, the control unit 120 includes a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, and the storage device stores various programs or data required for the operation of the control unit 120 or the image processing unit 121. can The sensing unit 130 includes a motion sensing unit 131 and an illuminance sensing unit 132 . The motion detection unit 131 detects the motion of the golf club or the motion of the golf ball hit by the user to grasp physical state information about the hit golf ball, and can capture the motion of the golf club or golf ball. A sensing means such as a camera or a sensor may be used. Various sensing methods such as image sensing, light emitting/light receiving sensing, laser sensing, and the like may be applied to the sensing means, and state information of a golf club or a golf ball hit by a user may be grasped through this sensing method. The camera or sensor may be used alone or together, and may be used alone or in multiple units. Information obtained through the motion detection unit 131 is transmitted to the control unit 120 and used in the calculation process. The illuminance sensor 132 is for detecting the illuminance of a place where the virtual golf device is installed, and may include devices such as photoconductive cells, photovoltaic cells, photodiodes, and phototransistors that generate current by light. there is. The input unit 140 is for receiving various types of information from a user, and a keyboard or mouse may be used. A login system that requires a user to log in before service can be applied to screen golf using a virtual golf device. can Also, the input unit 140 may be used when the user selects a golf course to play or a level of difficulty to play. The sound unit 150 may include a sound device such as a speaker, and serves to inform the user of the progress of the game and reproduce various sound effects according to the progress of the game. The projector 160 and the screen 170 perform a display operation. The projector 160 projects a golf-related image formed by the image processing unit 121 on a screen, and the screen 170 displays the projected golf-related image to the user. In this specification, there may be cases in which the term 'virtual' is attached to some objects displayed on the screen to express them. This means that it does not exist in the real world but is displayed as an image on the screen. For example, 'virtual golf course' means a golf course displayed on a screen, and 'virtual golf ball' means a golf course displayed on a screen. It means ball.

The virtual golf device is a device installed in a screen golf course to play screen golf, and when a user plays screen golf, the virtual golf device operates as follows. When the user strikes the golf ball, the motion sensor 131 detects physical conditions such as the movement of the golf club or the moving speed or direction of the golf ball hit by the user. Information sensed by the motion sensor 131 is transmitted to the controller 120, and the controller 120 performs a calculation process based on the transmitted information. The screen 170 displays an image of the virtual golf ball moving according to the trajectory calculated in the calculation process. At this time, the virtual golf ball flies along the calculated trajectory and then lands at a specific point of the virtual golf course in the screen 170 Then, the user continues the next hit at the point where the virtual golf ball landed.

An operation method of adjusting a display operation according to the illumination of a place where the virtual golf device is installed may be applied to the virtual golf device according to the present embodiment. Specifically, a video image displayed on the screen 170 may be changed according to the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 132 . For example, when the detected illuminance is less than a predetermined value (named 'reference illuminance' for convenience of description), the control unit 120 causes the image processor 121 to form a normal first video image, and the detected illuminance When is greater than the reference illuminance, the controller 120 causes the image processing unit 121 to form a unique second video image, so that the first video image or the second video image is displayed on the screen 170 according to the illuminance. . Examples of the first and second video images are shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), respectively.

Referring to FIG. 8(a), the first video image is expressed in a conventional manner. For example, if a video image showing a virtual golf course currently being played is displayed, a virtual golf ball representing a golf ball hit by a user flying in a predetermined trajectory may be displayed on the video image. In , both the virtual golf course and the virtual golf ball are expressed using the same color as the real one so as to realistically reproduce the actual golf course and the actual golf ball. Referring to FIG. 8(b), the second video image is expressed in a unique way. For example, a video image having an eye protection function may be displayed on the screen 170 as the second video image for the same object as in FIG. 8(a). In the image having the visual protection function, the virtual golf course appears as a light and dark area displayed in gray-based colors in an achromatic color, while the virtual golf ball flying in a predetermined trajectory is displayed in a single color with high brightness or saturation. Since the brightness difference between the virtual golf ball and the virtual golf course is large, contrast is very high, and a very sharp high-contrast image can be formed. As a result, since the virtual golf course that occupies most of the screen is displayed only in light and shade in gray color, it is possible to reduce eye fatigue compared to using various colors, and as a result, the screen golf course has greater illumination than a predetermined reference value. While protecting the user's vision when in an overly bright atmosphere, the user can clearly identify the image on the screen 170 .

Since the virtual golf ball in the second video image is highly contrasted with the light and dark areas, there is no particular limitation on color selection, and any color can be clearly identified. For example, a virtual golf ball and its trajectory may be expressed using basic colors such as blue, yellow, and red. In addition to the virtual golf ball, information that the user is interested in or items that are not clearly identified when expressed in light and dark areas can be expressed in color. As shown in the lower right of FIG. 8( b ), various distance information on the virtual golf course currently being played may be displayed in color without being included in the light/dark area.

Although not shown in the drawings, the operation method described with reference to FIG. 3 (a method in which the luminance of a screen image varies according to the intensity of illumination) may be applied to the virtual golf device of this embodiment.

9 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The virtual golf apparatus according to this embodiment includes a plurality of individual booths 101, 102, and 103. The first personal booth 101 includes a hitting plate 101a, a simulator device 101b equipped with a kiosk screen, a screen 101c, and the like, and other personal booths 102 and 103 also have the same components. Although not shown in the drawing, each individual booth 101, 102, 103 is further provided with other devices including a camera for detecting the movement of a golf ball. The virtual golf device according to the present embodiment can be used by a user who plays golf alone, and the user can enjoy golf play alone while being separated from other users in each individual booth 101, 102, 103. . However, in the virtual golf apparatus according to the present embodiment, each individual booth 101, 102, 103 does not necessarily have to be used by only one user, and it is possible for acquaintances to alternately use each other.

The virtual golf device according to the present embodiment may also have a sensor for detecting the above-described illuminance, so that an operation method such as adjusting the luminance of an image or differently forming a video image according to the illuminance may be applied.

10 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.

Referring to FIG. 10 , a system in which virtual golf devices are connected through a network includes a plurality of screen golf courses 100 and a server unit 200 . The screen golf course 100 is provided with the virtual golf device as described above so that screen golf play can be enjoyed. The virtual golf device provided in the screen golf course 100 is connected to the server unit 200 through a wired or wireless communication network. Each screen golf course 100 serves as a service providing unit that provides a screen golf service to the user when login is made. The server unit 200 may be a central server used by a service provider operating a plurality of screen golf courses 100 to manage virtual golf devices provided in the plurality of screen golf courses 100 . A user who wants to use the screen golf service logs in first to receive the service, and the server unit 200 can confirm the user's identity when logging in and determine whether to approve the log-in. To this end, the server unit 200 includes a storage unit 300 that stores information necessary for verifying the user's identity. In the storage unit 300, information on a plurality of users is stored separately for each user. Personal information, play information, setting information, and the like may be stored in the classification storage area for each user. The personal information is for confirming the identity of the corresponding user and can be used in a log-in process or the like. The play information includes the user's past play record or the user's personal record (average distance per club, average number of strokes, etc.) calculated from the past play record of the corresponding user. The setting information includes information on items set by the user, and the like. For example, a golf course the user has played in the past, play difficulty, play method, and preferred operating conditions may be stored as setting information. Users may find it cumbersome to input various options every time they play, but if the user does not input the options, the options may be automatically set based on the setting information. As various user information is stored in the storage unit 300 as described above, the virtual golf devices of the screen golf course 100 connected to the server unit 200 by wire and/or wirelessly are stored in the storage unit 300. Information can be used, and user information does not need to be separately stored in each virtual golf device installed in each screen golf course 100 .

In this system, the virtual golf device of the screen golf course 100 may be equipped with a sensor for detecting the above-described illuminance, and by using the sensor, the brightness of the image is adjusted according to the illuminance or the video image is formed differently. method can be applied.

Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been reviewed above, those skilled in the art can understand that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a limiting point of view. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

1: illuminance sensor
2: display part
3: control unit
4: lighting unit

Claims (6)

a sensing unit that performs a sensing operation of sensing illuminance;
a display unit that performs a display operation of displaying video images related to sports being played by a user; and
a control unit that receives a result of detection by the illuminance sensor and adjusts the display operation to vary according to the sensed illuminance;
including
virtual sports device. According to claim 1,
The displaying operation includes at least one of a first operation of forming the video image and a second operation of projecting the video image on a screen at a predetermined brightness and providing it to a user. According to claim 2,
Wherein the control unit adjusts the display operation so that the video image includes a light and dark area identified as light and dark in the first operation when the sensed light intensity is greater than a predetermined reference light intensity. According to claim 3,
The light and dark areas are displayed in gray-based colors. According to claim 2,
The virtual sports device of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting unit projects the video image on the screen at a brightness greater than a predetermined reference brightness in the second operation when the detected illuminance is smaller than the predetermined reference illuminance, and provides the video image to the user. According to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The sport is golf,
The virtual sports device further comprising a calculation unit that calculates a motion when a user hits a real golf ball, assuming that the hit real golf ball is in a real golf course.

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