U.S. Patent No. 10,509,461: Augmented reality video game systems

Issued: December 17, 2019, to Jeffrey David Mullen
Priority Date: October 11,  2007

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 10,509,461 (the ’461 Patent) relates to an augmented reality video game system using a head-mounted device (HMD). The ’461 Patent details a method of displaying video game indicia on the display of the HMD that may be perceived as being located in the user’s physical environment. In some embodiments, a transparent display allows a user to see their physical environment, such as a table, while a camera that may be attached to the HMD captures images to collect data to detect surfaces and obstacles, such as a book on the table, to affect video game indicia in real-time. In such embodiments, changing surfaces such as the addition of a book may provide an obstacle to climb or disrupt line-of-sight between player controlled characters displayed on the display of the HMD. A user’s environment may be augmented, such as displaying augmented water on top of the table through the HMD’s display. In other embodiments, a non-transparent display may display the user’s environment with interlaced virtual objects. 

Abstract:
An augmented reality home console is provided. Users can wear head-mounted displays with transparent screens and can control video game indicia that are perceived as being augmented over a user’s environment by displaying video game indicia onto the transparent displays. As such, for example, two users can play an airplane dog fighting game where each user controls a plane in their living room. A device that can determine surfaces of objects (e.g., walls) can be utilized such that when the airplane is flown into a wall, the airplane explodes.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A system comprising: a game system for providing a video game; a head-mounted display having a video camera for obtaining images in the proximity of said head-mounted display and utilizing said images to detect a surface of a physical object within the proximity of said head-mounted display, wherein said head-mounted display is operable to communicate information to said game system and said head-mounted display is operable to display a virtual object; and a game controller for providing a first three-dimensional control signal to move said virtual object and a second three-dimensional control signal to change the movement of said virtual object from the movement provided from said first three-dimensional control signal, wherein said first three-dimensional control signal moves said virtual object three-dimensionally over at least three axis of movement in a first manner and said second three-dimensional control signal moves said virtual object three-dimensionally over at least three axis of movement in a second manner causing said virtual object to interact with said detected surface