Buzz: Apple’s new patent reveals a unique gaming tablet application

Posted by Dennis Sellers Jan 27, 2006 at 6:48am

In part 2 of “Buzz: Apple’s new accelerometer patent reveals a tablet PC,” it’s all about a wild new video game application for Apple’s accelerometer technology. It provides specific gaming examples of user as a driver and pilot and even provides a glimpse of how the accelerometer will be used in First Person Shooter games. Check it out!

So as to not miss one aspect of this patent, the original patent text is provided for you below:

According to another embodiment of the invention, an accelerometer may be used in a gaming application, where the accelerometer may be used to detect a scene change during a video game running within a portable device.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an exemplary gaming application based on an accelerometer, according to one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, as an example, a user is holding a portable device 900 as a steering wheel as if the user is driving a vehicle facing a first scene 901. As the user moves (e.g., turning) the portable device towards to a direction, such as, for example, direction 903, the displayed scene may be changed to a second scene 902 as shown in FIG. 9B.

According to one embodiment, when the user holding the portable device 900 move according to the direction 903, the accelerometer attached to the portable device detects such a movement. The accelerometer may provide movement data (e.g., X, Y, and Z axis information) to a controller and/or firmware of the portable device. The associated controller and/or firmware may calculate a moving direction based on the movement data provided by the accelerometer, using one or more predetermined formulas. Thereafter, the controller and/or firmware may communicate the moving direction and/or moving distance or acceleration to the associated gaming application software that is currently providing the game.

In response, the gaming application software may determine the second scene of the game based on the moving direction, moving distance, and/or moving acceleration provided by the controller and/or firmware. The gaming application software then displays the second scene accordingly. As a result, the user does not have to press and/or click a button in order to change a scene of the game. Note that the moving direction 903 is shown for the illustration purposes only. Any other directions may be applied.

In one embodiment, the second scene of the game may be displayed via a transition from the first scene. That is, multiple intermediate scenes between the first and second scenes may be sequentially displayed to form a transition from the first scene to the second scene. As a result, the second scene “comes into” the display of the portable device gradually.

According to a further embodiment, certain movements may be detected as a way to accelerate and/or de-accelerate the driving vehicle. For example, the displayed scene may be changed to show an acceleration of the vehicle when the portable device is tilted up (e.g., similar to stepping on the gas). Similarly, the displayed scene may be changed to show a de-acceleration of the vehicle when the portable device is tilted down (e.g., similar to stepping on the brake).

In addition, an accelerometer may be used to detect whether a movement of the portable device exceeds certain thresholds. If so, one or more predetermined user configurable actions may be performed. For example, during a driving game, when a user drives the vehicle off the road, a warning message may be communicated to the user for such an indication.

FIGS. 10A [See above] and 10B are diagrams illustrating an exemplary gaming application based on an accelerometer, according to another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a user is holding a portable device having an accelerometer built-in therein as a steering wheel of a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 10A, when a scene includes a road curved to left, the user is required to turn the steering wheel to left accordingly in order to stay on the road. An accelerometer attached to the portable device may be used to detect whether the portable device (e.g., the steering wheel) has been turned accordingly and whether the turning angle or distance is appropriate.

If it is detected that the turning of the portable device is not turned or not turned enough, the associated gaming application software may perform certain predetermined actions. For example, the gaming application may generate an alarm to the user, such as, for example, a vibration of the portable device or an audio alert, etc. In addition, an off-road scene may be displayed. If it is detected that the user does not respond to the changing of the road condition for a period of time, a crashed scene may be displayed accordingly.

According to certain embodiments, other moving directions may be used to “look up” and “look down” from a viewpoint of a user holding the portable device. For example, in a flying game, a user could hold a portable device as if the user is driving a flying object (e.g., an airplane), where an accelerometer may be used to detect the movement of the portable device in order to determine where the flying object is heading. For example, the flying object is going up when the portable device is tilted up and the flying object is going down when the portable device is tilted down. Other directions, such as, for example, those or a combination of those shown in FIG. 5A, may be utilized to enable the flying object to fly any directions.

Similarly, in a shooting game according to one embodiment, in addition to those movements described above, which may be used to look up, look down, and/or look around, a vertical movement of the portable device parallel to the display surface of the portable device may be used to detect whether a user is in a standup shooting position or in a hiding position. For example, when the portable device is moved down, a protection barrier may be displayed blocking the opponents to indicate that a user holding the portable device as a shooting weapon is hiding behind the protection barrier. When the portable device is moved up, the protection barrier may be removed exposing the opponents to indicate that the user is in a shooting position without protection. Other gaming configurations may exist.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process for a gaming application based on an accelerometer, according to one embodiment of the invention. Exemplary process 1100 may be performed by a processing logic that may comprise hardware (circuitry, dedicated logic, etc.), software (such as is run on a dedicated machine), or a combination of both. In one embodiment, exemplary process 1100 includes, but is not limited to, displaying a sequence of images transitioning towards a direction from a first scene to a second scene from a viewpoint of a user, detecting whether the movement of the portable device is in accordance with a direction associated with the direction of the transition from the viewpoint of the user, and performing a predetermined operation if the movement is not detected in accordance with a direction associated with the direction of the transition.

Referring to FIG. 11, at block 1101, a sequence of images transitioning from a first scene to a second scene (e.g., a driving game) is displayed on a display of a portable device. At block 1102, a movement of the portable device is detected using an accelerometer attached to the portable device. At block 1103, a moving direction of the portable device is determined based on movement data provided by the accelerometer. In one embodiment, the moving direction is determined by a controller and/or firmware coupled to the accelerometer, similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. In response to the determined moving direction, at block 1104, one or more predetermined operations, such as, for example, causing vibration of the portable device, generating an audio alert, or a combination of both, may be performed. Other operations may also be performed.

Whoa – Virtual reality gaming!

Check out the excerpts from Patent Point # 85: According to another embodiment, the techniques described above may be used in a virtual reality environment. For example, a user holding the tablet can turn around and see the view looking backwards from a position in a two or three dimensional image or object database as if the user walks into a virtual reality game space. According to another embodiment, a user may perform an inspection of an image panorama where the view in different directions is provided by multiple cameras pointing outward in different directions from a single location.

In another embodiment presented – it allows a user to use the accelerometer equipped portable display device as a portable and controllable window into a virtual reality image database.

Neo’s Notes

If you take a peek over at Nintendo’s QuickTime video demonstrating their new “Revolution Controller,” you could only imagine how Apple’s gaming tablet application could work. As a wireless tablet, this is going to be one wild ride! Buzzzzzzzz! If you’re a gaming enthusiast, you have to be buzzed about this patent news!

Hmm, come to think of it, why not think or even dream a little here. How about an Apple/Nintendo gaming platform alliance. The use of accelerometer technology seems to be commonly applied. Apple needs content for this tablet application to fly, right? So if it’s really a commonly applied technology, Nintendo developers would have a larger target audience with a second complementary platform. Seems like an interesting match up don’t you think? It would certainly give Sony and Microsoft a run for their money.

However, the only fly in the ointment may come by way of Apple’s patent point # 56 that actually presents the possibly of using a Windows operating system from Microsoft. However, the context of this patent point, in my view, is in relation to the business side of the tablet PC and not for games. Furthermore, I didn’t see the new Xbox launch with a game controller using accelerometer technology – did you? So I think we may just be able to scratch out that possibility. But then again, stranger things have been known to happen, that’s for sure!

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