Augmented Reality Board Game Scoring via Image Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Board games lack features to enhance amusement value and reduce scoring burdens for players, who typically need to manually keep track of points or pretend money, limiting the interactive experience.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating augmented reality into board games using portable computing devices with cameras and screens to display augmented images and scoring information, allowing players to interact with animated characters and receive real-time scoring updates, while enabling different views for multiple players.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If augmented reality features are incorporated into board games, then amusement value and player engagement are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the augmented reality functionality into separate components: portable computing devices (smartphones, tablets, AR glasses) handle the computational and display tasks, while the board game itself remains a simple physical object. This segmentation allows the game to gain sophisticated AR features without increasing the complexity of the game board or rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces portable computing devices as intermediaries between the physical board game and the augmented reality experience. These devices capture images of the game board, process the data, and display the augmented reality overlay, effectively mediating between the simple physical game and complex digital features.
2Productivity
If manual scoring is required for board games, then ease of manufacture is improved, but productivity and player experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic scoring where the portable computing device autonomously tracks game state, calculates scores, and updates the augmented reality display without requiring manual intervention from players. The device serves itself by automatically recognizing game pieces, positions, and actions to compute and display scoring information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual scoring system with an automated digital system. Instead of players physically tallying points or tracking resources, the portable computing device uses image recognition and software algorithms to automatically track and display scoring information through the augmented reality interface.
3Loss of information
If augmented reality display is added to board games, then information presentation is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system updates the augmented reality display periodically or on-demand based on game events rather than continuously. The portable computing device captures images and updates the overlay information at discrete moments when game state changes occur, such as when a player moves a piece or draws a card, rather than maintaining constant high-energy display updates.
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, an image may be received from a camera of a portable computing device associated with a player (e.g., a wireless telephone or game system). At least a portion of a board game may be recognized within the image, and an augmented version of the image may be displayed on the portable computing device. According to some embodiments, a board game score may be automatically determined for the player based on (i) an input received from the player via the portable computing device and (ii) the image associated with the board game. According to other embodiments, the image associated with the board game includes a portion of a visual message not readable by a human and the augmented version of the image includes supplemental information readable by a human when combined with the portion of the visual message.