MXPA99011086A - Detection device of the input position and entertainment system which employs the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Un dispositivo de detección de entrada, para detectar una posición de entrada de un dispositivo de entrada, y un sistema de entretenimiento que puede detectar la posición de una unidad subsidiaria y tiene un exhibidor que exhibe una imagen generada por la ejecución de un programa cargado al sistema de entretenimiento;ese sistema de entretenimiento tiene un terminal portátil de juego, sostenido por el operador;el terminal portátil de juego estáequipado con una unidad de entrada/salidaóptica que transmite señalesópticas que corresponden a los comandos del operador, a un dispositivoóptico de entrada/salida que estáconectado a un dispositivo monitor 6;el dispositivoóptico de entrada/salida y la cámara CCD están dispuestos adyacentes uno a la otra y apuntan en la dirección del operador que sostiene el terminal portátil de juego;una unidad principal de la máquina de juego detecta la posición del terminal portátil de juego, con base en la diferencia entre una imagen de entrada, procedente de la cámara CCD, tomada inmediatamente antes que el operador transmita una señalóptica desde la unidadóptica de entrada/salida del terminal portátil de juego hacia el dispositivoóptico de entrada/salida, y la imagen de entrada en el momento en que se transmite la señalóptica.

Description

DETECTION DEVICE OF THE POSITION OF ENTRY, AND ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM THAT USES IT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for detecting the input position, for sensing an input position, by means of an input device equipped with first wireless and radio transmission and reception means, using light rays, such as as an infrared ray, visible rays, etc., as a means of transmission; and to an entertainment system that includes a main unit having program execution functions, and a sub-unit equipped with an interface and an infrared transmission and reception means for connecting to the main unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE In a machine for playing a video game, which is a specific example of an entertainment system, player characters and objects and the like are displayed on a monitor device, such as a television receiver connected to the main unit of the game machine, and an input controller is used to make the characters or objects jump or move, or the like, as a polo game, a racing game or the like proceeds. The game proceeds on the assumption that the player normally sees the monitor device from the front. For that reason, the player is required to be placed in front of the monitor device. However, depending on the situation of the room in which the monitor device is placed, it may be difficult for the player to be directly in front of the monitor device. Additionally, when each of two people uses their own input controller to play a heads-up game, it can be difficult for both players to be directly in front of the monitor device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for detecting the input position, which can accurately and simply perceive the input position of an input device; and in that way to perceive the position of the subsidiary unit and display an image generated by the execution of a program, along the observation line centered around that position, thus establishing the optimum view point optimally for the player .

These and other objectives are achieved by means of a device for detecting the entry position, to perceive an entry position by means of an input device equipped with first wireless transmission and reception means, which use light rays as a means of transmission; comprising second wireless transmitting and receiving means, which transmit optical signals to, and receive optical signals from, the first wireless transmitting and receiving means of said input device; and image capture means for capturing an image in a stipulated direction. The image acquisition means and the second wireless transmission and reception means are located adjacent and pointing in a stipulated direction, and the input position of the input device in the stipulated direction or in its vicinity, is detected based on the difference between an image captured by the image sensor means containing an optical signal for detecting the position from the second wireless means of transmission and reception of the input device, in the stipulated direction or in its vicinity, and an immediately previous image, which does not contain an optical signal for position detection. Furthermore, in the entertainment system comprising a main unit having program execution functions and a sub-unit equipped with an interface and first wireless transmitting and receiving devices, to be connected to the main unit by means of light rays, as a means of transmission; the main unit has a second wireless means transmitter and receiver, which transmits and receives an optical signal to and from the first transmitting and receiving wireless means of the subunit; and image capturing means for capturing an image in a stipulated direction, arranged adjacent to the second transmitting and receiving wireless means, and pointed in a stipulated direction; where the entry position of the subunit in the stipulated direction, or in its vicinity, is perceived based on the difference between an image captured by the image pickup means containing an optical signal to detect the position, coming from the transmitting medium and wireless receiver of the subunit in the stipulated direction or in its vicinity, and an immediately previous image that does not contain an optical signal to detect the position. Here the main unit is connected to display means exhibiting images generated by the execution of programs, and said wireless transmitting and receiving means, and the image capturing means are arranged close to this display means. Additionally, the subunit has a unique identification number, and the identification number information is contained in the infrared light emitted to the main unit. Additionally, the subunit has a unique identification number and when the identification number is transmitted from the main unit to the subunit, by means of the infrared signals, a determination is made as to whether or not the identification number is equal to a number. of unique identification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a machine for playing a video game, as a mode of the device for detecting the entry position and the entertainment system according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of parts of the machine for playing a video game, mentioned above. Figure 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the machine to play a video game mentioned further back. Figure 4 is a diagram used to explain the computer algorithm of the image locator computer, which is the machine for playing the video game. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the variation configuration of the machine for playing the video game, mentioned here before. Figure 6 is a flow chart used to explain the operation of the embodiment shown in Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a diagram to explain the operation of a video game player, equipped with two portable gaming terminals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES An explanation of the embodiment of the device for detecting the entry position and of the entertainment system according to the present invention follows, with reference to the figures of the drawings. This embodiment consists of a videogame player machine, consisting of a main game machine unit 2, which has program execution functions, and a portable game terminal 3, equipped with an interface for making a wireless connection with the game machine. Main unit of the gaming machine, while the main unit of the gaming machine is equipped with functions such as an input position detection device, which perceives the input position of the portable gaming terminal. Figure 1 shows the machine 1 for playing the video game, which consists of the main unit 2 of the game machine, and the portable game terminal 3. The main unit 2 of the gaming machine is connected to an infrared input / output device 4 for wireless transmission and reception; a CCD camera 5 that serves as an image pickup means, and a monitor 6, such as a television receiver. The portable game terminal 3 is held by an operator 7. The portable game terminal 3 is equipped with an infrared input / output unit 8, which sends infrared signals corresponding to the commands of the operator 7 for the input device 4 / infrared output.

Here the infrared input / output device 4, connected to the monitor device 6, and the CCD camera 5, are arranged adjacent to each other, and point in the direction of the portable game terminal 3, held by the operator 7. The main unit 2 of game machine detects the position of the portable gaming terminal 3, based on the difference between an input image from the CCD camera 5, taken immediately before the operator 7 sends an infrared signal from the infrared I / O unit 8 from the portable game terminal 3, to the infrared input / output device 4, and the input image at the time the infrared signal is sent. The portable game terminal 3 has a unique identification number, and this identification number information is contained in the infrared signal sent to the main unit 2 of the game machine. As shown in Figure 2, the main unit 2 of the game machine consists of an analog / digital (A / D) converter 10 that converts the image captured by the CCD camera 5 to a digital signal, a switch 11 that changes the positions when an infrared signal for position detection is supplied from the infrared input / output device 4, two amplifiers-compensators 12 and 13, of two frames, a read circuit 14, a comparator 15 and an image locator computer 16. Next, the operation of the machine 1 for playing the video game will be described, using the flow diagram shown in figure 3. First, in step S1, the operator 7 presses the send button of the infrared signal in the terminal portable 3 game. Then, in step S3, the portable game terminal 3 sends from the infrared input / output unit 8 an infrared signal consisting of its own identification number. The infrared input / output device 4, connected to the main unit 2 of the gaming machine, detects the infrared signal from the infrared input / output unit 8, sent in step S3. The signal is then determined from the portable game terminal 3, from the identification number contained in the infrared signal detected in step S4, and subsequently the image captured by the CCD camera 5 is converted to a digital image signal, by the AD 10 converter, and a frame is stored in the frame accumulator-compensator 12. In step S5, when the infrared signal for position detection is sent from the portable game terminal 3, for a time that is equal to or greater than a frame, in step S6 the main unit 2 of the game machine uses the CCD camera 5 for capturing an image containing the infrared signal for position detection being sent and, by means of the A / D converter 10 and the switch 11, storing a frame in the frame accumulator-compensator 13. Finally, in step S7, the image locator computer 16 reads the digital image signals from the frame compensator amplifiers 12 and 13, by means of the read circuit 14, and after the comparator 15 compares the signals and finds the difference, finds the position of the point of origin through the image processing. Namely, a frame of the image input from the CCD camera 5 is maintained in the frame buffer-accumulator, in advance, and once the infrared signal for detecting the position is detected, the position of the terminal is sensed. 3 game laptop, by taking the difference between the input image of the CCD camera before sending the infrared signal, which was stored in the frame accumulator-compensator 12, and the input image of the CCD camera is sent by the infrared signal, which was stored in the frame accumulator-compensator 13. Additionally, the infrared signal also contains the identification number of the portable game terminal 3, so that it is possible to determine which portable game terminal is in that position. The image locator computer 16 estimates the real spatial coordinates from the image coordinates of the CCD camera, by means of an algorithm that can be explained using the figure 4 that follows. Here, the center of the screen of the monitor device (TV) 6 is the origin of the TV coordinate system, which has the Tz axis in a direction perpendicular to the TV screen 6; a Tx axis to the right, when looking at the screen, and a Ty axis in an upward direction. Assume that the screen direction of the TV 6 and the observation line direction of the 5 CCD camera are parallel, and that the CCD camera 5 is located exactly at the origin of the TV coordinate system. Taking the center of the slow of the CCD camera 5 as the origin, the Cx axis is in the straight direction, perpendicular to the screen, and the Cx axis is the direction to the right, when looking at the CCD camera 5, and the C axis is in the upward direction. In addition, "d" is the distance from the origin of the coordinate system of the CCD camera to the origin of the TV coordinate system. In the case of a single CCD camera, it is only possible to determine the two-dimensional position of the portable game terminal 3, so that to limit the degrees of freedom, it is assumed that the portable game terminal 3 is present in a plane separated by a distance from TV. Typically, if the distortion of the lens is ignored, the positions in a plane perpendicular to the z axis of the camera 5 are mapped linearly for the CCD. Therefore, if the portable game terminal moves within the aforementioned plane, there is a linear mapping between the coordinate system of the TV 6 and the coordinate system of the CCD camera 5. In the case of Figure 4, it is sufficient to consider only the plane movement of "d" with respect to the y coordinate. For this reason the image locator computer 16 can calculate Tz = Cz, Ty = Cy + d and Tx = Cx. Accordingly, in the machine 1 for playing the video game, the position of the player holding the portable game terminal 3 can be calculated. Then it is possible to display the images generated by the execution of the program along an observation line that assumes that the position is the center, so that a point of vision or observation optimized for the player can be given. It should be noted that the device for detecting the entry position and the entertainment system according to the present invention is in no way limited to the aforementioned application of a device or machine 1 for playing a video game. As shown in Figure 5, it could also be applied to a machine 20 for playing a video game, in which the identification number of a portable game terminal 3, which wishes to know the main unit 2 of the game machine, It is sent with an infrared signal. The arrow A indicates an infrared request signal; Arrow D designates an infrared response signal. The machine or device 20 for playing a video game operates in accordance with the flow chart of Figure 6. Namely: in step S11, the main unit 21 of the game machine uses an infrared signal to send the identification number of the game machine. terminal 3 portable game, whose position you want to know, along with an instruction sent. In step S12, the portable game terminal 3 uses its own CPU to decode the signal received in the aforementioned infrared signal, and determines whether the identification number in the request is equal to its own identification number. In this step S12, if the unit identification number itself is contained in the request infrared signal, then, in step S13, the portable game terminal 3 sends an infrared signal containing its own identification number as a signal of response. By doing this, in step S14, the infrared input / output device 4, connected to the main unit 2 of the gaming machine, detects the aforementioned infrared signal. Then, from the identification number contained in the infrared signal detected in step S15, the signal from the portable terminal is determined 3, and the captured image of the CCD camera 5 is converted to digital image signals, by the A / D converter 10, and then a frame is stored in the frame buffer-accumulator 12. In step S16, when the infrared signal for position detection, from the portable game terminal 3, is sent for a time equal to or greater than a frame, in step S17 the main unit 2 of the game machine uses the CCD camera 5 for capturing an image containing the infrared signal for the position detection being sent and, by means of an A / D converter 10 and the switch 11, storing a frame in the frame accumulator-compensator 13. Finally, in step S18, the image locator computer 16 reads the digital image signals from the frame accumulators-compensators 12 and 13, by means of the reading circuit 14, and after the comparator 15 compares the signals and finds the difference, find the position of the point of origin by means of image processing.

Namely, a frame of the image input is maintained from the CCD camera 5, in the frame accumulator-compensator 12, in advance, and once the infrared signal for detecting the position is detected, the position of the portable game terminal 3, taking the difference between the input image of the CCD camera 5 before the infrared signal was sent, which was stored in the frame accumulator-compensator 12, and the input image of the CCD camera after that the infrared signal was sent, which was stored in the frame accumulator-compensator 13. Here, if there is a light emitting diode 8 fixed to the portable game terminal 3, two-dimensional position detection is possible. In addition, if there are two light-emitting diodes connected in separate locations, it is possible to estimate the distance from the CCD camera 5 or detect the angle of rotation with respect to the screen. Additionally, if there are three or more light-emitting diodes in separate locations, then it is possible to estimate a three-dimensional position and the orientation of the portable gaming terminal. If necessary, the lighting time of the individual light emitting diodes can be changed, so that it is contained in separate frames, so that it is possible to identify the light emitting diode. In addition, the device or machine 1 and 20 for playing the video game can detect the position of the game player using the results of detecting the entry position of the portable game terminal 3, calculated by the image locator computer 16, and displaying a screen generated by the execution of the program, along with a line or site that uses that position as a center. In a normal game, it is assumed that the player is watching the TV 6 screen directly from the front of the screen. By converting to an observation point that puts the player's position in the center, it is possible to set the observation point appropriately when playing on a large screen. Additionally, as shown in Figure 7, in the case of a head-to-head (or competition) game between operators A and B (21 and 22), it is possible to set the appropriate observation points. In Figure 7, the screen 23A for the operator A 21 and the screen 23B for the operator B 22, on the TV screen 6, each receive observation points appropriate for each operator. Additionally, by using the input positions detected by means of the present invention, the viewing direction of the characters appearing on the screen can be pointed to the position of the portable gaming terminal, so that a visual contact can be expressed. I almost live Additionally, it is possible to provide the movement input by compensating the movement of the portable gaming terminal, so that it can be used in place of a keypad or lever or the like. In this way, by means of a system consisting of the device or machine 1 and 20 to play the video game, in the aforementioned embodiment, together with a plurality of portable gaming terminals, it is possible to determine the positions of the operators, from the positions of the portable gaming terminals that serve as input devices, so that various types can be achieved of feedback. Additionally, by inserting an identification number into the infrared signal, it is possible to determine the position and also what input device is there. In addition, by taking the difference of images, it is possible to accurately measure the position with a simple procedure. If a filter through which infrared light passes is needed, it can be attached to the CCD camera to allow the measurement to be made at an even higher signal-to-noise ratio. By means of the present invention it is possible to provide an input position detection device, which can accurately and easily detect the input position of an input device, and also an entertainment system that can detect the position of a unit subsidiary and display an image generated by the execution of a program from a point of observation, with that position as its center.

NOVELTY of the INVENTION CLAIMS 1. - An input position detecting device, for detecting an input position, by means of an input device having first wireless transmitter and receiver means, which uses light rays as a transmission medium, characterized in that it comprises: second means wireless transmitters and receivers, for transmitting and receiving an optical signal to and from the first wireless transmitter and receiver means of the input device, using light beams as a transmission medium; and image capturing means for capturing an image in a stipulated direction; wherein said image capturing means and said second transmitting and receiving means are arranged adjacent to each other, and point in a stipulated direction, and an input position of the input device in said stipulated direction or in its vicinity, is detected based on a difference between an image captured by the image acquisition devices containing an infrared signal for detecting the position from the second infrared transmission / reception means of the input device, in the stipulated direction or in its vicinity, and an immediately previous image that does not contain an optical signal for position detection. 2 - . 2 - An entertainment system, characterized in that it comprises: a main unit that has program execution functions; a subsidiary unit, which includes an interface and first wireless transmitter and receiver means for connecting to the main unit, using light beams as the transmission medium; second wireless transmitting and receiving means, using light beams as a transmission medium, and for transmitting and receiving an optical signal to and from the first wireless transmitting and receiving means of the subsidiary unit; and image capturing means, for capturing an image in a stipulated direction, arranged adjacent to the second wireless transmitting and receiving means and pointing in a stipulated direction; wherein an entry position of the subsidiary unit is detected in the stipulated direction or in its vicinity, based on a difference between an image captured by the image acquisition means containing an optical signal for position detection from the first transmitting means and wireless receivers of the subsidiary unit, in the stipulated direction or its vicinity, and an immediately previous image that does not contain an optical signal for position detection. 3. The entertainment system according to claim 2, further characterized in that it additionally comprises display means, wherein the main unit is connected to the display means for displaying the images generated by the execution of the programs; and the second wireless transmitter and receiver means and the image capture means are arranged near said display means. 4. The entertainment system according to claim 2, further characterized in that the subsidiary unit has a unique idencation number and the information about the number is contained in the optical signals emitted to the main unit. 5. The entertainment system according to claim 2, further characterized in that the subsidiary unit has a unique idencation number and when the idencation number is transmitted from the main unit to the subsidiary unit by means of an optical signal, it is makes a determination about whether or not the idencation number is equal to a unique idencation number. 6. The entertainment system according to claim 2, further characterized in that the second wireless transmitting and receiving means comprise a plurality of units. 7. The entertainment system according to claim 6, further characterized in that the plurality of wireless transmitting and receiving means that use light rays as a transmission medium, include light emitting diodes, which are regulated so that the time of The light emission of each light emitting diode is shifted. 8. - The entertainment system according to claim 2, further characterized in that in the reception of an optical signal by said first wireless transmitter and receiver means of said subsidiary unit, an image is obtained that does not contain an optical signal for the detection of said immediately preceding position and, at the same time, an image containing an optical signal for position detection is obtained, in the reception of an optical signal at times set by said first wireless transmitter and receiver means, using light rays as a means of transmission of the subsidiary unit. 9. An entertainment system, characterized in that it comprises: a CCD camera; an optical input / output device; two accumulators-frame compensators; an analog / digital converter for converting an image captured by said CCD camera to a digital signal; a switch that, when an optical signal is supplied for position detection from the infrared input / output device, provides the output of said analog / digital converter to one of said two frame buffer-accumulators; a comparator to compare the contents of said two accumulators-frame compensators; and an image locator computer, to estimate the real spatial coordinates, from the image coordinates of the CCD camera. 10. The entertainment system according to claim 9, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a monitor device in which the estimation of the real spatial coordinates is made from the image coordinates of the CCD camera, by means of a conversion of the image coordinates to coordinates of said monitor device.