Asymmetric Multiplayer Toy System with AR State Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toy systems that combine augmented and virtual reality struggle to facilitate interactive multiplayer experiences for both AR and non-AR devices in a hybrid environment, often requiring individual AR devices and losing the engaging aspects of physical interaction.
Innovation Solution
A toy system comprising a primary user device and a secondary user device that allows for a common multiplayer session, where the primary device captures and processes images of user-manipulable objects to detect their states, sharing this information to produce user-perceptible outputs on secondary devices, enabling AR and VR devices to interact seamlessly and allowing non-AR device users to participate in the game.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If all users are required to have individual AR devices and physical models, then the AR experience can be provided to each user, but the system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides users into two roles: AR users (primary users) who interact with physical models using AR devices, and non-AR users (secondary users) who participate through other devices. This segmentation allows different types of users to access the system in different ways, reducing the requirement that everyone needs expensive AR equipment while maintaining immersive AR experiences for those who have them.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to support multiple types of devices and user interactions within a single unified platform. Physical models serve multiple functions: they are tangible toys for manipulation, AR markers for digital content anchoring, and communication interfaces between AR and non-AR users. This multi-functionality allows the system to accommodate diverse user needs without requiring separate systems for each user type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If physical toys are integrated with virtual reality, then the interactive and educational value is enhanced, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring toy states increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs visual characteristics such as colors, patterns, and visual markers on physical toys that can be easily detected by image processing algorithms. These visual features serve as state indicators that are simple to capture with standard cameras but provide rich information about toy configuration and state, making detection straightforward while maintaining high interactive value.
3Adaptability or versatility
If asymmetric roles are assigned to different users, then the multiplayer experience is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a server as an intermediary that manages communication and coordination between AR users and non-AR users. The server receives data from AR devices about physical model states and distributes relevant information to non-AR users, while also receiving inputs from non-AR users and translating them into actions in the shared virtual environment. This intermediary approach simplifies the complexity by centralizing the coordination logic rather than requiring direct peer-to-peer communication between diverse device types.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one aspect, a toy system is adapted for use in a multiplayer game, the toy system comprising a primary user device, a secondary user device, and one or more toys; wherein the primary and secondary user devices are operable in a common multiplayer game session; wherein the primary user device is configured to capture video images of a real-world scene including the one or more toys from a primary view point and to display the captured video images as a primary view of the real-world scene; wherein the secondary user device is configured to display a secondary view of a scene corresponding to the real-world scene as seen from a secondary view point; wherein the one or more toys comprise at least one user-manipulable object adapted to selectively be brought into a user-selected one of a plurality of predetermined states, at least a first one of the predetermined states having a first visual appearance; wherein the primary user device is configured to detect said first predetermined state in a primary view including the user-manipulable object, based on the first visual appearance; and wherein the secondary user device is configured to produce user-perceptible output, in response to the detected first predetermined state. Corresponding methods and computer systems for implementing the method are also provided.