Chess piece detection device, game equipment and detection method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a chess piece detection device, gaming equipment, and detection method. The chess piece detection device comprises: a chessboard, chess pieces, and a control unit; the chessboard comprises a plurality of chess piece detection positions; each of the chess piece detection positions is provided with a plurality of photosensitive units and at least one light-emitting unit; the plurality of photosensitive units are electrically connected to the control unit; the bottom of the chess piece is provided with a reflective surface and a mask structure; the light-emitting unit is used to emit light toward the top of the chessboard; the photosensitive unit is used to receive light reflected by the reflective surface of the chess piece and after passing through the mask structure; the control unit determines the type of the chess piece based on the light-sensitive state of the photosensitive unit. The present disclosure can automatically detect the type of physical chess piece, providing a good gaming experience, and does not require contact with the chess piece to complete the detection. The detection point will not be worn, the reliability is high, and the structure is simple and the cost is low, which is conducive to home use and popularization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of chess equipment, and in particular to a chess piece detection device, game equipment, and a detection method. Background Art

[0002] Different types of chess games have different rules, but what they all share is a chessboard and chess pieces, and the need to identify the positions of the pieces on the board. Existing non-electronic game devices, such as Chinese chess and Scrabble, which use purely physical chess pieces and a board, lack piece recognition capabilities.

[0003] While PC or mobile gaming software can be used for two or more online chess or word games or competitions, including human-computer games, and can automatically time and score, determine winners and losers, retain historical records and allow for replays, allow for human-computer games, and provide AI-generated prompts and suggestions, these games lack the physical chessboard and pieces, resulting in a poor gaming experience. Contact detection achieved through other methods, such as detecting resistors or other electrical signals, can lead to wear and tear at the contact points, resulting in low reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a chess piece detection device, gaming equipment, and detection method. The present disclosure can automatically detect the type of physical chess pieces, providing a better gaming experience. There is no need to touch the chess pieces to complete the detection, and the detection points will not be worn. The device has high reliability, simple structure, and low cost, making it suitable for home use and popularization. In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a chess piece detection device, comprising:

[0005] chessboard, chess pieces, and control unit;

[0006] The chessboard includes a plurality of chess piece detection positions; each of the chess piece detection positions is provided with a plurality of photosensitive units and at least one light emitting unit; the plurality of photosensitive units are electrically connected to the control unit;

[0007] The bottom of the chess piece is provided with a reflective surface and a mask structure;

[0008] The light emitting unit is used to emit light above the chessboard; the photosensitive unit is used to receive light reflected by the reflective surface of the chess piece and passing through the mask structure; the control unit determines the type of the chess piece according to the photosensitivity state of the photosensitive unit.

[0009] In some embodiments, the center of the bottom of the chess piece is concave inward, and the reflective surface is arranged in the concave; the mask structure is arranged around the concave;

[0010] The light emitting unit is located at the center of the chess piece detection position, and a plurality of light sensing units are arranged around the light emitting unit.

[0011] In some embodiments, the photosensitive unit includes a photosensitive element and a current-limiting resistor connected in series; a connection node between the photosensitive element and the current-limiting resistor is electrically connected to the control unit.

[0012] In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a plurality of shift registers; the plurality of shift registers corresponding to the plurality of chess piece detection positions;

[0013] The data input end of the shift register is electrically connected to the output end of the photosensitive unit corresponding to the chess piece detection position; and a plurality of the shift registers are connected in series and electrically connected to the control unit.

[0014] In some embodiments, the invention further includes: a plurality of light emitting control units;

[0015] The plurality of light emitting control units correspond one to one with the plurality of chess piece detection positions;

[0016] The input end of the light emitting control unit is electrically connected to the output ends of the plurality of light-sensing units at the corresponding chess piece detection positions; the output end of the light emitting control unit is electrically connected to the control end of the light-emitting unit at the corresponding chess piece detection position;

[0017] The light emitting control unit is used to control the on and off of the light emitting unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, the light emitting control unit includes a NAND gate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the light emitting unit includes a driving light emitting chip;

[0020] The driving light emitting chip is electrically connected to the control unit;

[0021] The control unit is used to determine whether there is a chess piece at each chess piece detection position according to the photosensitivity state of each photosensitive unit when the driving light-emitting chip is not lit; and after controlling the driving light-emitting chip corresponding to the chess piece detection position with a chess piece to light up, determine the type of the chess piece at each chess piece detection position according to the photosensitivity state of each photosensitive unit.

[0022] In some embodiments, the driving light-emitting chips are connected in series and then electrically connected to the control unit.

[0023] In a second aspect, the present disclosure further provides a gaming device comprising the chess piece detection device as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0024] In a third aspect, the present disclosure further provides a chess piece detection method, applicable to the chess piece detection device as described in any one of the first aspects, comprising:

[0025] Obtain the light-sensitive status of each light-sensitive unit at the chess piece detection position;

[0026] The type of the chess piece at each chess piece detection position is determined according to the light-sensitive state of each light-sensitive unit.

[0027] The chess piece detection device provided by the present disclosure includes a chessboard, a chess piece, and a control unit; the chessboard includes multiple chess piece detection positions; each chess piece detection position is provided with multiple photosensitive units and at least one light-emitting unit; the multiple photosensitive units are electrically connected to the control unit; the bottom of the chess piece is provided with a reflective surface and a mask structure; the light-emitting unit is used to emit light to the top of the chessboard; the photosensitive unit is used to receive light reflected by the reflective surface of the chess piece and after passing through the mask structure; the control unit determines the type of the chess piece according to the photosensitive state of the photosensitive unit. Because when the chess piece is placed in the chess piece detection position, the photosensitive unit at the chess piece detection position will receive the light reflected by the bottom of the chess piece, and the bottom of the chess piece is provided with a mask structure, when the light passes through the mask structure and irradiates the photosensitive unit, it will present different photosensitive states, and the type of the chess piece can be determined according to the photosensitive state. The present disclosure can automatically detect the type of physical chess piece, has a good gaming experience, and does not require contact with the chess piece to complete the detection. The detection point will not be worn, has high reliability, and has a simple structure and low cost, which is conducive to home use and popularization. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a chess piece detection device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a chess piece detection position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a chess piece structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 4A schematic diagram of light between a chess piece and a chessboard provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a mask structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a partial mask structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 7 A regular layout diagram of a light-emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 8 An equidistant layout diagram of a light-emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 9 An equidistant layout diagram of another light-emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 10 A regular layout diagram of another light-emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 11 A circuit connection diagram of a photosensitive unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 12 A circuit connection diagram of another photosensitive unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a connection between a photosensitive unit and a shift register provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a connection between a photodiode and a shift register provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 15 A connection diagram of a light emitting control unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 16 A connection diagram of another light emitting control unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 17 A circuit connection diagram of a chess piece detection position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 18 This is a circuit connection diagram of another chess piece detection position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure, the scheme of the present disclosure will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features therein can be combined with each other in the absence of conflict.

[0049] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; it is obvious that the embodiments in the specification are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0050] The present disclosure provides a chess piece detection device. Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a chess piece detection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a chess piece detection position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the chess piece detection device includes: a chessboard 10, chess pieces 20, and a control unit 30. The chessboard 10 includes multiple chess piece detection positions 11, each of which is provided with multiple photosensitive units 12 and at least one light-emitting unit 13. The multiple photosensitive units 12 are electrically connected to the control unit 30. The bottom of the chess piece 20 is provided with a reflective surface and a mask structure. The light-emitting unit 13 is used to emit light toward the top of the chessboard 10, and the photosensitive unit 12 is used to receive light reflected by the reflective surface of the chess piece 20 and after passing through the mask structure. The control unit 30 determines the type of chess piece 20 based on the light-sensitive state of the photosensitive unit 12.

[0051] Specifically, a plurality of chess piece detection positions 11 are provided on the chessboard 10. When the chessboard 10 and chess piece 20 are used, the chess piece 20 is placed on the chess piece detection position 11, and then the presence and type of the chess piece are detected by the chess piece detection position 11. Different games have different numbers and layouts of chess piece detection positions due to the different sizes and layouts of chess pieces. Each chess piece detection position 11 is provided with a plurality of photosensitive units 12 and at least one light-emitting unit 13, wherein the light-emitting unit 13 is used to emit light toward the top of the chessboard 10, and a reflective surface and a mask structure are provided at the bottom of the chess piece 20, which can reflect the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 13 back to the chess piece detection position 11, so that the multiple photosensitive units 12 receive the reflected light. The multiple photosensitive units 12 are located at different positions, and the reflected light needs to pass through the mask structure. Ultimately, the photosensitivity states of the multiple photosensitive units 12 at each chess piece detection position 11 are different. The multiple photosensitive units 12 are electrically connected to the control unit 30. The control unit 30 receives the photosensitivity states of the multiple photosensitive units 12 and determines the type of the chess piece 20 based on the different photosensitivity states.

[0052] If no chess piece 20 is placed at the chess piece detection position 11, the light emitting unit 13 emits light toward the top of the chessboard 10. The light cannot contact the reflective surface and is not reflected back to the photosensitive unit 12. Therefore, multiple photosensitive units 12 will not receive the light, and the control unit 30 can determine that there is no chess piece at the chess piece detection position 11 based on the photosensitivity of the photosensitive unit 12. If a chess piece 20 is placed at the chess piece detection position 11, since the chess piece 20 is provided with a reflective surface and a mask structure at the bottom, the reflective surface can reflect light, and the mask structure can block part of the light. The light emitting unit 13 emits light toward the top of the chessboard 10, and the light is reflected by the reflective surface to the photosensitive unit 12. However, different chess pieces have different mask structures at the bottom, and the light passes through the mask structure of the chess piece and illuminates the chess piece detection position 11 at different locations. The chess piece detection position 11 includes multiple photosensitive units 12. As light strikes the chess piece detection position 11 at different locations, the positions and number of photosensitive units 12 receiving the light vary, resulting in different light-sensitive states. The control unit 30 determines the type of chess piece 20 based on these different light-sensitive states. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any restrictions on the specific number of light-emitting units and photosensitive units.

[0053] The chess piece detection device provided by the disclosed embodiments automatically detects the type of physical chess piece, providing a better gaming experience. The device also eliminates the need to touch the piece to complete detection, preventing wear and tear at the detection point. The device is highly reliable, simple, and low-cost, making it suitable for home use and widespread adoption.

[0054] Optionally, the chessboard includes a chess piece placement tray and a handheld chess piece tray. Different types of chess games utilize different types of chess boards. The chess piece placement tray serves as the primary board for chess games. However, some chess games require the detection of the number of chess pieces held by a player. Therefore, the handheld chess piece tray also requires a chess piece detection position. For example, in a Scrabble game, each player holds a handheld chess piece tray for placing their chess pieces, typically seven in number. The handheld chess piece tray also includes a chess piece detection position for identifying the type of chess piece held by the player.

[0055] In some embodiments, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a chess piece structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of light between a chess piece and a chessboard provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the center of the bottom of the chess piece 20 is concave inward, and the reflective surface 21 is set in the concave; the mask structure 22 is set around the concave. Figure 4As shown, the light emitting unit 13 is located at the center of the chess piece detection position 30 , and a plurality of light sensing units 12 are arranged around the light emitting unit 13 .

[0056] Specifically, the center of the bottom of the chess piece 20 is recessed inward and provided with a reflective surface 21. The reflective surface 21 is used to reflect the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 13 toward the chess piece 20, so that the photosensitive unit 12 receives the reflected light. The bottom of the chess piece 20 also includes a mask structure 22, which is arranged around the recess. Since the mask structure is used to block some of the reflected light from reaching the chess piece detection position 11, the mask structure should be made of an opaque material. The light-emitting unit 13 is located at the center of the chess piece detection position 11. When the light-emitting unit 13 emits light upward, it illuminates the recessed area at the center of the bottom of the chess piece 20. The recess is provided with a reflective surface 21, which can reflect the light. Multiple photosensitive units 12 are arranged around the light-emitting unit 13. When receiving the reflected light, due to different mask structures, the reflected light that passes through will illuminate the chess piece detection position 11 at different locations, so the photosensitive unit 12 that receives the light will also be different. The different light-sensitive states of the photosensitive units 12 can be used to determine the type of chess piece 20.

[0057] It should be noted that the shape of the chess piece can be set according to actual needs, such as rectangular, circular, square, etc., and the present embodiment does not impose specific restrictions. The center of the bottom of the chess piece is concave inward and provided with a reflective surface. If other structures are used to reflect the light emitted by the light-emitting unit, the bottom structure of the chess piece can also be modified, and the present embodiment does not impose specific restrictions.

[0058] Optionally, the mask structures correspond one-to-one to the chess piece types.

[0059] Specifically, the light-emitting unit emits light toward the chess piece. This light is reflected by the reflective surface on the bottom of the chess piece and passes through the mask structure, where it is received by the photosensitive unit. The control unit then determines the chess piece type based on the different light-sensitive states of the photosensitive unit. However, when a chess piece is placed on the chessboard, its placement orientation may vary, which will result in different mask structure placement orientations. Therefore, for the same chess piece, the photosensitive unit's light-sensitive states may vary depending on the placement orientation. Consequently, multiple light-sensitive states may correspond to a single mask structure, and each mask structure uniquely corresponds to a single chess piece type.

[0060] For example, Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the mask structure of each chess piece provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. When the chess piece detection position adopts 8 photosensitive units, each chess piece corresponds to 68 different mask structures. Different chess piece types correspond to different mask structures, which can realize the recognition of different chess piece types. Using the layout of the above 8 photosensitive units, all possible chess piece mask structures are shown in Figure 5As shown in the figure, the black squares in the figure indicate that there is an opaque mask for blocking light at that position, and the squares without color filling indicate that there is no mask for blocking light at that position. The figure contains a total of 68 different mask structures, so the layout of 8 photosensitive units can be used to identify up to 68 different types of chess pieces. As an example, Figure 5 The layout is just 8 photosensitive units. In fact, other photosensitive unit layouts can also be used, or other numbers of photosensitive units can be used to form the chess piece detection position. If other layout methods and numbers of photosensitive units are used, the corresponding mask structure will also be different. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this and are only used as examples.

[0061] It is also possible that when chess pieces are placed on the chessboard, the placement directions of the chess pieces are different, and the placement directions of the mask structures will also be different accordingly. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a partial mask structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as Figure 6 As shown, chess pieces can be placed in a variety of orientations, and the photosensitive units can also have a variety of light-sensitive states. Therefore, these states are assigned to the same chess piece type. If the chess piece is circular, there are more placement orientations, but the various light-sensitive states can correspond to a single mask structure, with a one-to-one correspondence between the mask structure and the chess piece type.

[0062] Optionally, the light-emitting unit includes a visible light emitting unit or an infrared light emitting unit. The light-emitting unit is configured to emit light toward the top of the chessboard, which is reflected by the chess pieces to the chess piece detection position, where it is received by a photosensitive unit located at the chess piece detection position. Therefore, the light emitted by the light-emitting unit can be a variety of visible light or infrared light, as long as the photosensitive unit can receive it.

[0063] Optionally, various arrangements of photosensitive units and light-emitting units can be configured. These include regular and equidistant arrangements. A regular arrangement means the light-emitting unit is located at the center, with the photosensitive units arranged in sequence around it. An equidistant arrangement means the light-emitting unit is located at the center, with the radial straight-line distances between the peripheral photosensitive units and the central light-emitting unit being the same. Different arrangements result in different intensities of reflected light received by each photosensitive unit; the layout can be selected based on actual needs.

[0064] Figure 7 A regular layout diagram of a light-emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 An equidistant layout diagram of a light emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as an example. Figure 7-8 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 Each of the plurality of light emitting units 13 is provided, and the light emitting unit 13 adopts a light emitting diode, and eight light sensing units 12 adopt a photosensitive diode. Figure 7The light emitting units 13 are regularly arranged around the photosensitive units 12. Figure 8 The radial distance between each light emitting unit 13 and the photosensitive unit 12 is the same. Figure 9 This is another equidistant layout diagram of a light-emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 A light emitting unit 13 is provided, the light emitting unit 13 adopts a light emitting diode, and 12 light sensing units 12 adopt a photosensitive diode. Figure 9 The radial distance between each light emitting unit 13 and the photosensitive unit 12 is the same. Figure 10 A regular layout diagram of another light-emitting unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 10 A light-emitting unit 13 and 16 photosensitive units 12 are provided. Four photosensitive units 12 are located around the light-emitting unit 13, and the remaining 12 photosensitive units 12 are farther away from the light-emitting unit 13. However, the radial distance between the four closer photosensitive units 12 and the light-emitting unit 13 is the same, and the radial distance between the 12 farther away photosensitive units 12 and the light-emitting unit 13 is the same. Therefore, there are many arrangements of the light-emitting units 13 and the photosensitive units 12.

[0065] In some embodiments, Figure 11 This is a photosensitive unit circuit connection diagram provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 As shown, the photosensitive unit 12 includes a photosensitive element 121 and a current-limiting resistor 122 connected in series, and a connection node between the photosensitive element 121 and the current-limiting resistor 122 is electrically connected to the control unit 30 .

[0066] Specifically, the photosensitive unit 12 includes a photosensitive element 121 and a current-limiting resistor 122 connected in series. The photosensitive element 121 emits light upon receiving reflected light. The current-limiting resistor 122 is connected in series with the photosensitive element 121, clamping the voltage level and limiting the current to prevent high current from damaging the photosensitive element 121. The photosensitive element 121 is also powered by an external power supply. The connection node between the photosensitive element 121 and the current-limiting resistor 122 is electrically connected to the control unit 30. The photosensitive element 121 outputs a signal to the control unit 30, transmitting the light-sensing status of the photosensitive unit 12 to the control unit 30, which then determines the chess piece type.

[0067] Optionally, the current limiting resistor 122 may be configured as a pull-down resistor 123 or a pull-up resistor 124 . Figure 12 Another photosensitive unit circuit connection diagram provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows: Figure 12As shown, the current-limiting resistor 122 is a pull-down resistor 123. When the light intensity received by the photosensitive element 121 exceeds a set threshold, the signal output by the connection node between the photosensitive element 121 and the pull-down resistor 123 is high. Alternatively, when the light intensity received by the photosensitive element 121 is lower than the set threshold, the signal output by the connection node between the photosensitive element 121 and the pull-down resistor 123 is low. The current-limiting resistor 122 is a pull-up resistor 124. When the light intensity received by the photosensitive element 121 exceeds a set threshold, the signal output by the connection node between the photosensitive element 121 and the pull-up resistor 124 is low. Alternatively, when the light intensity received by the photosensitive element 121 is lower than the set threshold, the signal output by the connection node between the photosensitive element 121 and the pull-up resistor 124 is high. The signals output by the connection nodes are transmitted to the control unit, which determines the chess piece type. The current-limiting resistor 122 can be a pull-down resistor 123 or a pull-up resistor 124, and this is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0068] It should be noted that the photosensitive unit may also adopt a circuit structure composed of other electronic components, such as a structure with an amplifier. The above embodiments are only examples, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the circuit structure of the photosensitive unit.

[0069] In some embodiments, Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between a photosensitive unit and a shift register provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 13 As shown, the chess piece detection position further includes: a plurality of shift registers 14, each corresponding to a plurality of chess piece detection positions 11. The data input end of the shift register 14 is electrically connected to the output end of the photosensitive unit 12 corresponding to the chess piece detection position 11. The plurality of shift registers 14 are connected in series and electrically connected to the control unit 30.

[0070] Specifically, the chess piece detection device also includes multiple shift registers 14, each corresponding one-to-one to a plurality of chess piece detection positions 11. Each shift register 14 is used to transmit the light-sensitive state of its corresponding chess piece detection position 11. The data input terminals of the shift registers 14 are electrically connected to the output terminals of the plurality of photosensitive units 12 at the corresponding chess piece detection positions 11, receiving signals transmitted by the photosensitive units 12. Due to the presence of multiple chess piece detection positions 11, there are also multiple shift registers 14. After being serially connected, the multiple shift registers 14 are electrically connected to the control unit 30. Through the shift registers 14, the control unit 30 can directly obtain the light-sensitive state corresponding to each chess piece detection position 11, and integrate and transmit the light-sensitive states of each individual photosensitive unit 12, facilitating the control unit 30 to determine the chess piece type.

[0071] For example, Figure 14 , Figure 14This is a schematic diagram of the connection between a photosensitive unit and a shift register, provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The photosensitive unit uses a photodiode, and the light-emitting unit uses a light-emitting diode. Each chess piece detection position is equipped with one light-emitting diode and eight photosensitive diodes. Each light-emitting diode is connected to a power supply through a current-limiting resistor. In this case, the light-emitting diode is always on. Figure 14 Each of the eight photodiodes is connected in series with a pull-down resistor. Each chess piece detection position uses an 8-bit parallel-input and serial-output shift register. For a chessboard with n chess piece detection positions, n shift registers will be set up, and n shift registers will be connected to the control unit. Among them, the n shift registers can be connected to each other in a serial manner, that is, the serial output of the previous shift register serves as the serial input of the current shift register, and the serial output of the current shift register serves as the serial input of the next shift register. The connection nodes of the eight photodiodes and the pull-down resistors are respectively electrically connected to the eight parallel input terminals of the shift register, that is, the output of the photodiode serves as the input of the shift register.

[0072] It should be noted that the number of input interfaces of the shift register is determined by the number of photosensitive units set at each chess piece detection position.

[0073] In some embodiments, Figure 15 This is a connection diagram of a light emitting control unit provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 15 As shown, the chess piece detection position also includes: multiple light control units 15, each corresponding to a plurality of chess piece detection positions 11. The input end of the light control unit 15 is electrically connected to the output end of the plurality of photosensitive units 12 of the corresponding chess piece detection position 11, and the output end of the light control unit 15 is electrically connected to the control end of the light emitting unit 13 of the corresponding chess piece detection position 11. The light control unit 15 is used to control the on and off of the light emitting unit 13.

[0074] Specifically, the chess piece detection device also includes a plurality of light control units 15, which correspond one to one with a plurality of chess piece detection positions 11. Each light control unit 15 is used to control the light unit 13 on the chess piece detection position 11 corresponding to it. The input end of the light control unit 15 is electrically connected to the output end of the plurality of photosensitive units 12 of the corresponding chess piece detection position 11. The light control unit 15 obtains the light-sensitive state of the photosensitive unit 12, determines whether there is a chess piece at the chess piece detection position, and thus controls whether the light unit 13 needs to be turned on. Since the output end of the light control unit 15 is electrically connected to the control end of the light unit 13 of the corresponding chess piece detection position 11, after the light control unit 15 determines whether there is a chess piece at the chess piece detection position, if there is a chess piece, the light control unit 15 controls the light unit 13 to emit light, thereby determining the type of chess piece; if there is no chess piece, the light control unit 15 controls the light unit not to emit light, thereby controlling the light unit on and off, thereby detecting the type of chess piece and saving power.

[0075] It should be noted that the light emitting control unit can adopt a variety of circuit structures, and the specific circuits in the light emitting control unit are not limited. For example, various logic circuits are acceptable. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the circuit structure of the light emitting control unit.

[0076] In some embodiments, Figure 16 This is a connection diagram of another light emitting control unit provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 16 As shown, the light emitting control unit includes a NAND gate 151 .

[0077] Specifically, the light-emitting control unit includes a NAND gate 151, which is used to control the light-emitting unit 13. The input of the NAND gate 151 is electrically connected to the connection node between the photosensitive element 121 and the current-limiting resistor 122 in the photosensitive unit, and the output of the NAND gate 151 is electrically connected to the input of the light-emitting unit 13. The NAND gate 151 receives the signal output by the photosensitive unit and outputs different control instructions to the light-emitting unit 13 to complete the control of the light-emitting unit.

[0078] For example, Figure 16Eight photodiodes are provided, and the outputs of the eight photodiodes are connected to the eight inputs of a logic gate. For example, the logic gate is an 8-input NAND gate, but other more complex logic circuits can also be designed. Table 1 shows the outputs of the corresponding NAND gates in different states and illustrates the logical structure of the circuit. When no chess piece is placed at a chess piece detection position on the chessboard, ideally, there is an external light source (which could be sunlight or indoor lighting) with an intensity greater than a preset threshold. Due to the illumination from the external light source, the outputs of the eight photodiodes at this chess piece detection position are all high, and the output of the 8-input NAND gate is low. However, when a chess piece is placed on the chessboard and the light-emitting diodes are not illuminated, the eight photodiodes all output low because the chess piece blocks the external light source. At this point, the output of the 8-input NAND gate is high, which can control the lighting of the light-emitting diodes. After the LED is lit, the presence of the chess piece and the mask structure prevents at least one photodiode from receiving reflected light. This means that at least one photodiode's output is low, and the output of the 8-input NAND gate remains high, allowing the LED to remain lit. When the chess piece is removed, such as after a capture in Chinese chess, the eight photodiodes, illuminated by external light, all output high. The output of the 8-input NAND gate returns to low, and the LED turns off.

[0079] Therefore, when there's no chess piece at the chess piece detection position, the NAND gate output is low, and when there's a chess piece at that position, the NAND gate output is high. Connecting the NAND gate output to a resistor connected in series with the LED can control the LED's on / off state. When there's no chess piece at the chess piece detection position, the LED is off, and when there's a chess piece at that position, the LED is on, preventing the LED from being permanently on.

[0080] It should be noted that the light-emitting control unit may also adopt a circuit structure composed of other logic circuits, such as other circuit structures using various logic circuits such as AND gates and NOT gates combined with each other. The above embodiments are only examples, and the embodiments disclosed herein do not limit the circuit structure of the light-emitting control unit.

[0081] Table 1 Output of NAND gate corresponding to different states

[0082]

[0083] In some embodiments, Figure 17 A circuit connection diagram of a chess piece detection position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as Figure 17As shown, the light-emitting unit includes a driver light-emitting chip 131, which is electrically connected to a control unit 30. The control unit 30 is configured to determine whether each chess piece detection position 11 has a chess piece based on the light-sensing state of each photosensitive unit 12 when the driver light-emitting chip 131 is not illuminated, and to control the driver light-emitting chip 131 corresponding to the chess piece detection position 11 having the chess piece 20 to illuminate, and then determine the type of chess piece at each chess piece detection position 11 based on the light-sensing state of each photosensitive unit 12.

[0084] Specifically, the light-emitting unit includes a driver light-emitting chip 131, which can be directly controlled by the control unit 30. Therefore, the driver light-emitting chip 131 is electrically connected to the control unit 30 to control the lighting of the driver light-emitting chip 131. The control unit 30 is electrically connected to each photosensitive unit 12 to obtain the light-sensitive state of each photosensitive unit 12. When the driver light-emitting chip 131 is not illuminated, the control unit 30 determines whether the corresponding chess piece detection position has a chess piece based on the obtained light-sensitive state. If there is no chess piece, the driver light-emitting chip 131 is not illuminated; if there is a chess piece, the driver light-emitting chip 131 is illuminated. At this time, the light-sensitive state of the photosensitive unit 12 will change and continue to be transmitted to the control unit 30. The control unit 30 determines the chess piece type based on the real-time light-sensitive state. For example, the driver light-emitting chip is selected as WS2812. WS2812 can be directly electrically connected to the control unit, and the control unit determines whether to illuminate the driver light-emitting chip based on the actual situation. In some embodiments, the driver light-emitting chips are connected in series and then electrically connected to the control unit.

[0085] Each driving light-emitting chip needs to be electrically connected to the control unit, so the driving light-emitting chips can be connected in series and then electrically connected to the control unit. After receiving the photosensitivity status of each photosensitive unit, the control unit controls the driving light-emitting chip through a serial connection, which can reduce the number of interfaces of the control unit and improve the control capability.

[0086] Optionally, the driver light-emitting chip includes multiple light-emitting diodes of different colors, and the driver light-emitting chip is electrically connected to a control unit. The control unit is capable of controlling the multiple light-emitting diodes of different colors and controlling their luminous intensity. Under the control of the control unit, the multiple light-emitting diodes of different colors in the driver light-emitting chip can achieve multiple levels of brightness and can be dimmed to achieve full-color display.

[0087] For example, Figure 18 This is another circuit connection diagram of a chess piece detection position provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 18As shown, the driving light-emitting chip 131 can be a WS2812 chip, and multiple shift registers 14 and multiple photosensitive units 12 are provided. The multiple driving light-emitting chips 131 are serially connected in sequence and electrically connected to the control unit 30. The multiple shift registers 14 are also serially connected in sequence and electrically connected to the control unit 30. After receiving the output signal of the photosensitive unit 12, the control unit 30 determines whether to light up the driving light-emitting chip 131.

[0088] The actual number of arrays depends on the specific game, for example, Scrabble may be 15×15, Chinese chess may be 9×10, and each Scrabble handheld chess piece tray may be 1×7. Figure 18 In the example, 16 WS2812s are driven serially, and the status of 128 photosensitive cells 12 is read serially. The control unit 30 first reads the status of all photosensitive cells 12, then controls the WS2812 array. Finally, the control unit reads the status of the photosensitive cells 12 again to determine the chess piece type. The specific principles are as follows:

[0089] Table 2: All WS2812s are not lit, and the control unit reads the status of the photosensitive unit for the first time

[0090]

[0091] Initially, Figure 18 All 16 WS2812s in the display do not emit light. The control unit first reads the status of the 128 photosensitive units 12 in a serial manner, as shown in Table 2. Table 2 shows that all WS2812s are not lit and the control unit reads the status of the photosensitive units for the first time. If the status of the 8 photosensitive units 12 on a chess piece detection position is all high, that is, there is no chess piece placed at this position, and the output of the photosensitive units 12 is all high due to the external ambient light, it indicates that there is no chess piece at this position. On the contrary, it means that there is a chess piece here. After the initial reading of the status of the photosensitive unit 12, the control unit records the status of each chess piece detection position. Subsequently, the control unit drives the WS2812 array in a serial manner, so that the WS2812 at the chess piece position is lit. Finally, Table 3 shows that after the control unit reads the status of the photosensitive unit, the WS2812 at the chess piece position is controlled to light up and the status of the photosensitive unit is read again. As shown in Table 3, the control unit 30 then reads the status of 128 photosensitive units 12 in a serial manner. The photosensitive status of the photosensitive unit 12 obtained at this time is the mask structure corresponding to the chess piece at each position. According to the correspondence between the mask structure and the chess piece type, the chess piece type at all positions on the chessboard can be determined.

[0092] Table 3 After the control unit reads the status of the photosensitive unit, it controls the WS2812 with the chess piece position to light up and reads the status of the photosensitive unit again

[0093]

[0094] While the example shows 68 different chess pieces, an actual game may not include all 68 different pieces. Therefore, if the control unit initially serially reads the status of all 128 photosensitive cells and none of the WS2812s illuminate, and a nonexistent piece type is read, such as a mask structure outside of the 14 Chinese chess pieces, this indicates that there is no piece present. However, insufficient external light or interference from an external light source may cause not all eight photosensitive cells to be high, as shown in the row with interference in Table 2. In this case, the corresponding WS2812 will not illuminate when driving the WS2812 array.

[0095] Alternatively, there is no chess piece placed at a certain position. When the control unit first reads the status of the 128 photosensitive units in a serial manner, a certain chess piece is read at the chess piece detection position. Due to insufficient external light or interference from external light sources, the control unit can determine that there is no chess piece at that position. Because if there is a chess piece, the WS2812 will not emit light during the initial reading, and the external light source will be completely blocked by the chess piece. All 8 photosensitive units should read a low level. If there is no chess piece, assuming that there is sufficient external light, all 8 photosensitive units should read a high level. The only possibility is that there is no chess piece, but the external light is insufficient or there is interference from an external light source. Therefore, after the control unit determines which positions have chess pieces and which positions do not have chess pieces, it can control the WS2812 corresponding to the positions with chess pieces to light up, thereby reading the type of chess piece.

[0096] It should be noted that the connection method of the circuit is not unique. Figure 18 The WS2812 array is connected serially, and the shift register is also connected serially. Figure 18 An S-shaped connection method is used in the embodiment, and other connection methods may also be used in actual systems, such as clockwise or counterclockwise spirals, or other connection methods.

[0097] The present disclosure also provides a gaming device including the chess piece detection device described in any of the above embodiments. The device may be a two-player or multiplayer electronic gaming device including but not limited to Chinese chess, international chess, or word games.

[0098] It should be noted that the aforementioned explanations regarding the embodiment of the chess piece detection device also apply to the gaming device of this embodiment. They have the same or corresponding beneficial effects and, to avoid repetition, are not further elaborated here. Optionally, the chess piece detection device detects different chess piece types depending on the type of gaming device. The chess piece detection device can detect chess piece types including the letter represented by the piece, the meaning represented by the piece, the score represented by the piece, etc. It can also detect the number of pieces.

[0099] For example, when the chess piece detection device is used to detect Chinese chess, the chess pieces are initially placed at fixed positions on the board. The two players then alternately move their pieces to empty or non-empty positions, capturing each other's pieces. Ultimately, capturing the opponent's general / king is the winning condition, and a draw may also occur. In this case, the chess piece detection device is used to detect the status of the chess pieces, such as whether they are moving or being captured. When the chess piece detection device is used to detect a word game, the board is initially empty and pieces need to be added. The pieces represent different letters, and the pieces with different letters have different scores. In this case, the chess piece detection device is used to detect the positions of the pieces, the letters they represent, and the scores they represent.

[0100] In addition to the chess piece detection device, the gaming device provided in the disclosed embodiment can generally also realize functions such as timing, scoring, and winning and losing determination. A communication module can also be provided to enable communication between the chessboard and the chess piece tray, and the chessboard can also be connected to communicate with other electronic devices, such as mobile phones and computers via Bluetooth or WiFi.

[0101] The present disclosure also provides a chess piece detection method, applicable to the chess piece detection device described in any of the above embodiments, comprising:

[0102] S100: Acquire the light-sensitive state of each light-sensitive unit at the chess piece detection position.

[0103] The chess piece detection position includes multiple photosensitive units, which receive the light reflected by the chess piece to the chess piece detection position. There is a mask structure at the bottom of the chess piece. After the chess piece receives the light, the light is reflected to each photosensitive unit on the chess piece detection position. The light needs to pass through the mask structure during reflection, and the mask structure will block part of the light. Therefore, the photosensitivity state of each photosensitive unit can be obtained.

[0104] S200: Determine the type of chess piece at each chess piece detection position according to the light-sensing state of each light-sensing unit.

[0105] Because different chess piece types use different mask structures, there's a one-to-one correspondence between each piece type and mask structure. After acquiring the light-sensitive state of each photosensitive unit, the mask structure of the piece corresponding to that light-sensitive state can be determined, and based on the mask structure, the corresponding piece type can be determined. The presence of a piece at the piece detection position, however, corresponds to a different light-sensitive state. Therefore, the presence of a piece at the piece detection position and the specific type of the piece can be determined.

[0106] It should be noted that the aforementioned explanations for the chess piece detection device embodiment are also applicable to the chess piece detection method of this embodiment. They have the same or corresponding beneficial effects and are not described here in detail to avoid repetition.

[0107] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element.

[0108] The foregoing description is intended only to provide specific embodiments of the present disclosure, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described herein, but rather to be construed in the broadest manner consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A chess piece detection device, characterized in that: include: chessboard, chess pieces, and control unit; The chessboard includes a plurality of chess piece detection positions; each of the chess piece detection positions is provided with a plurality of photosensitive units and at least one light emitting unit; the plurality of photosensitive units are electrically connected to the control unit; the chess piece detection positions adopt a non-contact detection method; The bottom of the chess piece is provided with a reflective surface and a mask structure; The center of the bottom of the chess piece is concave inward, and the reflective surface is arranged in the concave; the mask structure is arranged around the concave; the mask structure corresponds to the type of chess piece one by one; The light emitting unit is located at the center of the chess piece detection position, and the plurality of light sensing units are arranged around the light emitting unit; The light emitting unit is used to emit light toward the top of the chessboard; the light sensing unit is used to receive light reflected by the reflective surface of the chess piece and after passing through the mask structure; The control unit determines the type of the chess piece according to the light-sensitive state of the light-sensitive unit; Also included: a plurality of light-emitting control units; The plurality of light emitting control units correspond one to one with the plurality of chess piece detection positions; The input end of the light emitting control unit is electrically connected to the output ends of the plurality of light-sensing units at the corresponding chess piece detection positions; the output end of the light emitting control unit is electrically connected to the control end of the light-emitting unit at the corresponding chess piece detection position; The light emitting control unit is used to control the turning on and off of the light emitting unit; or, The light emitting unit includes a driving light emitting chip; The driving light emitting chip is electrically connected to the control unit; The control unit is used to determine whether there is a chess piece at each chess piece detection position according to the light-sensitive state of each photosensitive unit when the driving light-emitting chip is not lit; and after controlling the driving light-emitting chip corresponding to the chess piece detection position with a chess piece to light up, determine the type of the chess piece at each chess piece detection position according to the light-sensitive state of each photosensitive unit; The driving light emitting chip includes a plurality of light emitting diodes of different colors, and the control unit is used to control the plurality of light emitting diodes of different colors; The chess board includes a chess piece placement plate and a handheld chess piece tray, and both the chess piece placement plate and the handheld chess piece tray include the chess piece detection position.

2. The chess piece detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photosensitive unit includes a photosensitive element and a current-limiting resistor connected in series; a connection node between the photosensitive element and the current-limiting resistor is electrically connected to the control unit.

3. The chess piece detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A plurality of shift registers; the plurality of shift registers corresponding one to one with the plurality of chess piece detection positions; The data input end of the shift register is electrically connected to the output end of the photosensitive unit corresponding to the chess piece detection position; and a plurality of the shift registers are connected in series and electrically connected to the control unit.

4. The chess piece detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light emitting control unit includes a NAND gate.

5. The chess piece detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving light-emitting chips are connected in series and then electrically connected to the control unit.

6. A gaming device, characterized in that: It comprises the chess piece detection device as described in any one of claims 1-5.

7. A chess piece detection method, characterized in that: A chess piece detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: Obtain the light-sensitive status of each light-sensitive unit at the chess piece detection position; Determining whether there is a chess piece at the chess piece detection position according to the light-sensitive state of each light-sensitive unit; Based on the chess piece detection position where the chess piece exists, the corresponding light emitting unit is controlled to emit light, and the type of the chess piece at the chess piece detection position is determined.

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