VBI Data Encoding for Interactive DVD Gaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video game consoles do not effectively utilize the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) data in NTSC signals to enable interactive gaming experiences with standard DVD players and television sets, limiting the ability for multiple users to play interactive games simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
The system encodes game data within VBI data and uses a game control unit to extract and process this data, allowing interaction with a standard DVD player and television set by sending commands via infrared signals, enabling multiple users to play games simultaneously using handheld terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If game data is encoded within VBI data of video signals, then standard DVD players and television sets can be used for interactive gaming without requiring specialized game console hardware, but the complexity of the system increases due to the need for VBI extraction and processing components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a game control unit as an intermediary device that extracts game data from VBI signals and processes it for gameplay. This mediator enables communication between standard DVD players/television sets and the gaming system, allowing existing hardware to be used while managing the complexity through a dedicated processing unit that handles VBI extraction and game logic
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes standard DVD players and television sets multi-functional by enabling them to serve both their original purpose (playing DVD videos) and gaming functions simultaneously. The game control unit allows these standard devices to execute game logic by processing VBI-encoded game data, thereby achieving universality without requiring specialized game console hardware
2Productivity
If multiple handheld terminals are used for simultaneous multi-player interaction, then the gaming experience becomes more engaging and social, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring player inputs increases due to receiving signals from multiple sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the multi-player input detection by assigning each handheld terminal a unique identifier and processing player inputs sequentially or independently through the game control unit. The system divides the complex task of handling multiple simultaneous inputs into manageable segments, where each player's inputs are detected and processed separately, reducing the overall difficulty of measuring and managing multi-player interactions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for a rich, interactive gaming experience on standard DVD players and television sets, enabling simultaneous multi-player interactions with minimal additional components, overcoming the limitations of prior art by leveraging DVD menu protocols and VBI data pathways.
Implementation Method 1
The game unit has a wire attached to it with an infrared transmitting (IR TX) diode at the free end of the wire
Data Source
AI summary
An interactive game system includes a specially prepared DVD game disk with video images such as of a game show, and game data and instructions encoded within the VBI data on the disk. A game control unit receives all of the video signals recorded on from the DVD including both video images and the VBI data, extracts the VBI data, and uses the VBI data in conjunction with a plurality of handheld player inputs to allow users to select and answer game questions. The game control unit keeps track of whether the player inputs were correct or incorrect, the players' cumulative scores in accordance with their answers, and displays the players cumulative scores as video overlay on top of the recorded video images to be sent to a video display such as a standard television set. The game control unit controls chapter selection on the user's particular DVD player model via a programmable wireless transmitter, and performs other logic, video, and audio generating and processing functions to allow a highly interactive game playing experience for multiple players.