NL2002230C2

NL2002230C2 - Computer system i.e. gaming system for differently skilled participants, has harmonization unit arranged to harmonize input from and/or output to participants for compensating undesired effects of mutually different physical conditions

Info

Publication number: NL2002230C2
Application number: NL2002230A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Bram Dirk Van Der Waaij; Wiltfried Pathuis
Original assignee: Tno
Priority date: 2007-11-20
Filing date: 2008-11-20
Publication date: 2009-11-03
Also published as: NL2002230A1

Abstract

The system (7) has a harmonization unit (15) arranged to harmonize an input from and/or an output to participants for compensating undesired effects of mutually different physical conditions, such as differences in the participant's sensorics and/or motorics. The harmonization unit compensates for differences in muscular strength, eye sight and/or other physical skills.

Description

P83235NL00 -1-

Gaming system for differently skilled participants

DESCRIPTION

The invention refers to a computer system which is arranged to enable participants to participate in a computer supported physical gaming, competition, match or training environment, hereinafter called game.

5 Such a game may e.g. comprise a configuration as is known from WOO 105476, disclosing a system for simulating events in a real environment containing static and dynamic objects. Position locating means are provided for continuously determining in the real environment the position of the dynamic objects in relation to the static objects. Processing means are provided for converting the data into a PC gaming environment, thus realizing that objects a (e.g.

10 recorded) real live competition, e.g. a car race, integrated in a PC game, in which the participant can control his/her actions, in this case can drive his/her racing car.

Generally known are games -e.g. Nintendo's Wii ™ - in which the participants use more or less mobile devices having acceleration sensors etc. for playing games like tennis, golf etc.

15 Also known are games etc. which include home trainer like apparatuses which can be connected to a computer to record the achieved performances. The performances or scores of all that kind of games and systems have in many cases to do with the physical skills of the users or participants. Sometimes they are used for training and improvement of those skills, to bring them to a higher level e.g. in view of sportive performances, or in view of revalidation. 20 Sometime the systems are used for competitional gaming between two or more persons.

For persons who have substantially different mutual skills, e.g. due to substantial age differences (child, adult, aged) or physical handicaps, however, it is difficult or even impossible to play with each other.

25

It is one aim of the present invention to enable a system in which persons having substantially different physical or other skills which would prevent them from playing a gaming with each other in a fair way, are enabled still to do so thanks to the measures according to the present invention.

30 -2-

It is another aim of the invention to enable competitions between e.g. professional and amateur cyclists which normally will have substantially different physical skills (which aim has not been addressed in the prior art, e.g. in WOO 105476).

5 To that end, according to the present invention, it is preferred that the computer system comprises harmonization means which are arranged to harmonize the input from and/or the output to the participants thus compensating the undesired effects of the mutually different physical conditions. The different physical conditions may refer to differences in the participants' sensorics and/or motorics.

10

For instance, the harmonization means compensate for differences in muscular strength, differences in litheness, differences in eye sight and/or any other differences in physical skills.

Hereinafter the invention will be elucidated by means of some exemplary embodiments, with 15 reference to some figures.

Figure 1 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, including a cycling game; 20 Figure 2 illustrates a second exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention, including a virtual javelin or dart game.

Both embodiments aim to enable participants to participate in a computer supported physical gaming or training environment, where participants have substantially different physical 25 conditions which normally would impede them in participating in the game in a fair way.

Both embodiments comprise harmonization modules arranged to harmonize the input and/or output, thus compensating the participants' different physical conditions.

The aim of the game system illustrated in figure 1 is to let a group of amateur cyclists, e.g.

30 children, cycle virtually together with a professional cycling competition such as the Tour de France or the Vuelta a Espaha. The professional cyclists 1 are followed by means of GPS based device which is enabled to transmit the cyclist's coordinates via a wireless network 3, e.g. UMTS or GPRS, to a gaming server 4. The gaming server 4 is arranged to provide -e.g. via the Internet 5- gaming data to a local gaming/training environment 6. The dynamic -3- gaming data are based on the professional cyclist's coordinates, which may be supplemented by coordinates of other cyclists, geometric route data (which may be provided the gaming server 4) etc.

5 The local gaming/training environment 6 comprises a computer system 7 (dedicated or incorporated in a general purpose computer like a PC 8, including a software module 9 which is arranged to process data from the gaming server 4 and local gaming data. At least part of the local gaming data is provided by a kind of home trainer 10, which can be actuated by its pedals 11, transferring its motion via a wheel 12 to a velocity sensor 13, which transfers 10 velocity data to the computer system 7. A screen 14 displays relevant gaming images, such as an artificial representation -e.g. provided by the local computer system 7 or by the gaming server 4- of the professional cyclist 1 within an environment. Where needed, implementation details may be derived from the teachings of W00105476.

15 A harmonizing unit 15 is provided, which harmonizes (i.e. brings together) the performance -in particular his/her velocity- of the professional cyclist 1 and the performance of the local cyclist using his/her home trainer 10, thus enabling that the amateur is brought into a (virtual) status that he/she could compete with the professional cyclist, thus making it challenging to try to win from the professional. In this way this cycling game will promote physical training, 20 thus contributing to the amateur’s personal welfare and health.

The harmonizing unit 15 may be arranged to influence the performances of the amateur positively or negatively by means of an actuator 16, e.g. an electromotor which can be controlled -by the harmonizing unit 15- to help the amateur's cycling, i.e. by energizing the 25 actuator to work as an auxiliary motor. When, however, the professional cyclist 1 would cycle on a slope -which can be determined by the gaming server 4 from the professional cyclist's coordinates and the relevant geographical map-, this condition can be simulated by braking the home trainer's wheel by the same, however, reversely energized, actuator 16.

30 The degree in which the harmonizing unit influences the performances of the amateur can be set by means of the relevant user interface 9.

The aim of a game illustrated in figure 2 is to let e.g. a grandma play a physical activity based computer game, like javelin or dart, with her grandson. Her physical capabilities are far less -4- then her grandson’s. However, in order to participate in the game, the capabilities of both parties are harmonized by harmonization unit 15, which cooperates with the computer game represented by gaming module 8. Both participants use a mobile gaming terminal 17, 18 to give input -by means of built-in acceleration sensors- to the gaming module 8. The gaming 5 outputs are displayed at e.g. a TV screen 19, displaying the gaming results 17' and 18'.

Besides, output signal may be sent to built-in transducer the terminals 17, 18. The motion of grandma and her grandson is harmonized by means of the harmonizing unit 15, which harmonizes the action speed and motion range. In this way, despite her a smaller motion range and less speed grandma play a javelin or dart game with is challenging for her and her 10 fast and lively grandson. The player's individual capabilities (or handicaps) can be set by means of the PC 9 or any other suitable interface.

Claims

1. Computer system adapted to enable participants to participate in a computer-assisted game, competition, competition or training environment, further called game, in which participants may have different physical conditions that may hinder or exclude them from entering to participate fairly in the game; wherein the computer system is provided with harmonization means which are adapted to harmonize input from or output to the participants in such a way that the undesired effects of said mutually different physical conditions are compensated.

A computer system according to claim 1, wherein said different physical conditions relate to differences in the sensory and / or motor abilities of the participants. 15

Computer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the harmonizing means compensate for differences in muscle strength.

4. Computer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the harmonization means compensate for differences in flexibility.

A computer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the harmonizing means compensate for differences in vision.