Companion Object Gesture Control for Virtual Pet Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pet simulation computer games limit user interactions with virtual pets to the gaming session, lacking continuity between virtual and real-world interactions.

Innovation Solution

An entertainment system that includes an object tracking camera, a logic subsystem, and a data holding subsystem, enabling users to customize and interact with a companion object that updates behavioral characteristics based on real and virtual interactions, allowing seamless continuity between virtual and real-world interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If pet simulation games are played in virtual space only, then the game can be completed within a defined session, but the user interaction continuity is lost when the gaming session ends

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction continuityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the virtual pet simulation game with a physical companion object that can interact with the user in real-world space. The companion object contains sensors to detect user interactions (petting, playing) and communicates with the entertainment system to synchronize behavior between virtual and physical domains, enabling continuous interaction across gaming sessions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The companion object serves as an intermediary between the user and the virtual pet. It translates real-world user actions into virtual game inputs and receives feedback from the game to update its physical behavior, maintaining interaction continuity without requiring the user to be actively playing the game.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the companion object tracks and responds to user gestures in real-time, then interaction realism is improved, but processing time and system responsiveness requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction realismVSAvoidprocessing delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The entertainment system pre-processes and recognizes user gestures using the object tracking camera before the companion object needs to respond. This allows the system to interpret gestures and prepare appropriate responses in advance, reducing the perceived delay when the companion object reacts to user actions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where the companion object continuously monitors user gestures via the object tracking camera, the entertainment system processes the gesture data, and the companion object receives updated behavior commands. This closed-loop feedback enables realistic real-time interaction while distributing processing tasks to minimize delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8986120B2Companion object customization

Publication Date: 2015.03.24 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

An entertainment system includes an object tracking camera, a logic subsystem operatively connected to the object tracking camera, and a data holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem. The instructions are executable to receive one or more images of a scene from the object tracking camera, the scene including a human and a companion object. The instructions are further executable to recognize a gesture of the human based on the received one or more images, and to wirelessly send a control command to the companion object responsive to the recognized gesture.