3D Gesture Mapping in 2D Games via Virtual Z-Axis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Two-dimensional game applications lack the ability to respond to true three-dimensional real-world input and provide a sense of depth, limiting player interaction to only the plane of the display, preventing interaction with objects in front of or behind the primary target.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that enable two-dimensional game applications to receive three-dimensional positional and timing natural gesture commands, mapping real-world (xw, yw, zw, tw) data to virtual game-world coordinates (xv, yv, zv, tv), allowing for the creation of a unified space/time coordinate system and enabling interaction with objects in three-dimensional space on a conventional planar display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If two-dimensional game applications use only (x, y) coordinate system with two-dimensional input, then the application is simple to implement and operate, but it lacks the ability to respond to three-dimensional real-world input and provides no sense of depth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual z-axis dimension to the existing two-dimensional (x, y) coordinate system, creating a three-dimensional (x, y, z) virtual coordinate system. This allows the game to interpret three-dimensional real-world gestures while maintaining compatibility with two-dimensional display output. The virtual z-coordinate represents depth distance from the display plane, enabling depth perception without requiring a physical three-dimensional display.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the game display lacks a virtual z-axis, then the display remains simple and compatible with conventional devices, but players cannot interact with objects in front of or behind the primary target
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual z-axis as an intermediary element that mediates between three-dimensional real-world gestures and two-dimensional display output. This virtual depth dimension allows the system to process and respond to gestures in three-dimensional space while rendering them on a conventional two-dimensional display, effectively bridging the gap between 3D input and 2D output without requiring specialized hardware.
3Ease of operation
If the game uses only two-dimensional gestures on the display plane, then the control mechanism is simple, but it prevents interaction with objects positioned at different depth distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the two-dimensional gesture space by adding a virtual z-dimension that represents depth distance. Gestures performed on the two-dimensional display surface are now interpreted within a three-dimensional coordinate system, where the z-coordinate is derived from the gesture's position and timing. This allows players to interact with objects at different virtual depths using the same simple touch gestures, maintaining ease of operation while enabling multi-depth interaction.
Data Source
AI summary
Natural three-dimensional (xw, yw, zw, tw) gesture player interaction with a two-dimensional game application rendered on a two or three dimensional display includes mapping acquired (xw, yw, zw, tw) gesture data to virtual game-world (xv, yv, zv, tv) coordinates or vice versa, and scaling if needed. The game application is caused to render at least one image on the display responsive to the mapped and scaled (xw, yw, zw) data, where the display and game interaction is rendered from the player's perception viewpoint. The (xw, yw, zw) data preferably is acquired using spaced-apart two-dimensional cameras coupled to software to reduce the acquired images to a relatively small number of landmark points, from which player gestures may be recognized. The invention may be implemented in a handheld device such as a smart phone or tablet, which device may include a gyroscope and/or accelerometer.