Game Token Spatial Recognition via Camera Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toy-to-life systems require physical components capable of wireless communication with readers, limiting interactive versatility and potentially leading to inadvertent triggering of game events, which can frustrate the user experience.
Innovation Solution
A game system utilizing image capturing devices and processors to recognize game tokens in specific spatial configurations, allowing for the association of individual and further game events, enabling users to interact with digital games by presenting sets of tokens in predetermined arrangements, thereby reducing accidental event triggers and enhancing interactive possibilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless communication components (RFID, NFC) are integrated into toys for identification, then toy-to-life functionality is enabled, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from physical wireless communication components and relocates it to the visual domain. Instead of embedding RFID/NFC readers in toys, the system uses camera-based vision recognition to identify toy elements, eliminating the need for complex wireless hardware in each toy while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/electronic wireless communication systems with an optical system. The camera-based vision recognition substitutes for RFID/NFC readers, using light-based image capture and processing instead of electromagnetic radio frequency communication, thereby simplifying toy design.
2Ease of operation
If single token recognition triggers game events, then interaction simplicity is maintained, but accidental triggering of events increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple token recognition requirements into a single interaction framework. Instead of triggering events with single tokens, the system requires recognition of multiple tokens in specific spatial configurations, combining individual token identities with their relative positions to determine game events, thereby reducing accidental triggers while maintaining ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a spatial configuration dimension to token recognition. Beyond identifying individual tokens, the system evaluates the two-dimensional spatial arrangement and relative positions of multiple tokens, creating a more reliable event triggering mechanism that considers both what tokens are present and how they are arranged.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple marker construction elements are combined to form composite markers, then augmented reality functionality is enhanced, but detection and recognition complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex task of recognizing multiple tokens in spatial configurations into distinct processing stages. The system first identifies individual tokens independently, then evaluates their spatial relationships, separating the recognition process from the configuration analysis to reduce overall detection complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of individual tokens before analyzing their spatial configurations. By first recognizing each token independently and storing their positions, the system prepares data structures that facilitate subsequent spatial relationship analysis, reducing the computational complexity of the overall recognition task.
Data Source
AI summary
A game system, comprising: a plurality of game tokens, an image capturing device and a processor; the image capturing device being operable to capture one or more images of one or more event tokens placed within a field of view of the image capturing device, the plurality of game tokens comprising a plurality of event tokens; wherein the processor is configured to: execute a digital game, the digital game comprising computer executable code configured to cause the processor to associate one or more individual game events with each of the plurality of event tokens; and to associate one or more further game events with each of a plurality of sets of event tokens, each set comprising two or more event tokens chosen from said plurality of event tokens; receive one or more images captured by said image capturing device; recognise one or more game tokens of the plurality of game tokens within the one or more images, the recognised one or more game tokens including one or more event token; responsive to recognising a single event token of the plurality of event tokens in the one or more images, cause the one or more individual game events associated with the recognised event token; responsive to recognising one of the plurality of sets of event tokens in the one or more images, where the event tokens of the recognised set are positioned in a predetermined spatial configuration relative to each other, cause the one or more further game events associated with the recognised set.