Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the system to pause a game console whenever an object enters an exclusion zone of the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral10, is comprised of an essentially software solution that relies on the motion sensor and proximity sensor that are present in a gaming console's sensor monitor or a hardware solution that relies on a dedicated motion detector and proximity sensor on the gaming console's sensor monitor. While the software solution is preferred by the inventor, as there is no need to modify existing hardware on current gaming systems, the hardware approach can be deployed. In the software only solution, the gaming system's software is modified so that the sensor monitor12detect the presence of an object P that is within the exclusion zone14and pauses the game at the point of play whenever an object P is detected within the exclusion zone14. This is possible because the sensor monitor12of the gaming console has both a motion sensor16and a proximity sensor18(of course each sensor16and18can be comprised of more than one physical object used to accomplish its detection task) in order to detect motion of the players and the distance of each player from the sensor monitor12respectively for proper gaming system play. The exclusion zone14can be set by the manufacturer, for example, the exclusion zone14may be beyond the near boundary proper working range of the sensor monitor12—if the proper working range for game play is 3 feet to 8 feet, the exclusion zone14can be set by the manufacturer to detect an object P that is closer to the sensor monitor12than the 3 feet minimum distance required for proper functioning. Alternately, the exclusion zone14can be ...
Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the system to pause a game console whenever an object enters an exclusion zone of the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral10, is comprised of an essentially software solution that relies on the motion sensor and proximity sensor that are present in a gaming console's sensor monitor or a hardware solution that relies on a dedicated motion detector and proximity sensor on the gaming console's sensor monitor. While the software solution is preferred by the inventor, as there is no need to modify existing hardware on current gaming systems, the hardware approach can be deployed.
In the software only solution, the gaming system's software is modified so that the sensor monitor12detect the presence of an object P that is within the exclusion zone14and pauses the game at the point of play whenever an object P is detected within the exclusion zone14. This is possible because the sensor monitor12of the gaming console has both a motion sensor16and a proximity sensor18(of course each sensor16and18can be comprised of more than one physical object used to accomplish its detection task) in order to detect motion of the players and the distance of each player from the sensor monitor12respectively for proper gaming system play. The exclusion zone14can be set by the manufacturer, for example, the exclusion zone14may be beyond the near boundary proper working range of the sensor monitor12—if the proper working range for game play is 3 feet to 8 feet, the exclusion zone14can be set by the manufacturer to detect an object P that is closer to the sensor monitor12than the 3 feet minimum distance required for proper functioning. Alternately, the exclusion zone14can be set by a user in an appropriate configuration screen (which may be password protected so as to allow only parents or other responsible persons, and not the players to set the exclusion zone14). This user setting of the exclusion zone distance is especially useful for gaming configurations wherein the sensor monitor12is mounted on a stand that is set in front of the video display device20being used, and the user can compensate for this additional buffer provided.
In operation, a player P plays a game on the gaming console in the usual way. If an object, which may be a player, a pet passing through, etc., enters the exclusion zone14, the motion sensor16of the sensor monitor12captures the movement of the intruding object while the proximity sensor18captures the distance of between the intruding object and the sensor monitor12, which is communicated by the sensor monitor12to the gaming controller22that is running the software routine of the game being played. The operating system of the game console processes that an object in motion is within the exclusion zone14and immediately pauses the game being played at a given point. The requirement for both the proximity sensor16to detect an object within the exclusion zone14and the motion sensor16to detect motion of that object is so that stationary objects, such as the entertainment center E upon which the video display20is seated, a lamp, or even a wall, is not identified as an exclusion zone14intrusion, only objects in motion.
The pausing of the game being played at the point of play may be a hard pause that requires the user to resume the game in the usual way as if the game was intentionally paused by the user. For example, depression of the Home button24on a Wii controller26pauses the game being played, so that in a hard pause configuration, once the game is paused due to an object entering the exclusion zone14, one of the players P depresses the home button24to resume the game at the point whereat the game paused. Alternately, the pause may be a soft pause that pauses the game after a time delay (typically a few seconds which may be set by the manufacturer or configured by the user in appropriate fashion, possibly having some threshold minimum and possibly password protected so only parents or other responsible adults can configure) so that once the game is paused due to an object entering the exclusion zone14, the game resumes automatically after the elapse of the time delay, allowing the object to clear the exclusion zone14or the players to back up out of the exclusion zone14. Additionally, a counter can be used so that if a certain number of exclusion zone violations occur within a set time period (both the number of violations and the time period within which the violation accumulate can be set by the manufacturer or via user configuration via the appropriate onscreen configuration), the game is paused by the operating system for a cool down period (which is longer than the normal pause period in a soft pause configuration) or can pause indefinitely until an appropriate unlock, such as the entering of a pause code held by a parent, is undertaken.
Additionally, the system to pause a game console whenever an object enters an exclusion zone10can be configured to have a warning zone28, that is the area immediately adjacent the exclusion zone14—for example, if the exclusion zone14is 3 feet or less from the sensor monitor12, the warning zone28may be established to be an additional foot beyond the exclusion zone14(that is, between 3 feet and 4 feet from the sensor monitor12, but varies if the exclusion zone14is variable, so that if the warning zone28is one foot wide, and the exclusion zone14is reduced down to 2.5 feet, then the warning zone28is located between 2.5 feet and 3.5 feet away from the sensor monitor12). If a player enters the warning zone128, as detected by the motion sensor16and the proximity sensor18of the sensor monitor12, then a warning, which may be audible or visual or even vibratory, and may be emitted from the video display device18, the gaming system remote26or both. In this way, a player P is warned that he or she is about to enter the exclusion zone14, allowing the player P to take corrective action prior to entering the exclusion zone14and avoid pausing of the game being played.
In a hardware configuration of the system to pause a game console whenever an object enters an exclusion zone110, the sensor monitor112of the game console is modified to have a dedicated motion sensor116and proximity sensor118onboard, these dedicated sensors116and118having the sole function of determining if the exclusion zone114has been violated. The motion sensor116and the proximity sensor118can each be any appropriate sensor for their respective task known in the art. If the motion sensor116detects motion of an object and the proximity sensor118detects that the moving object is within the exclusion zone114, a pause signal is sent to the operating system gaming controller122running the software routine of the game by the sensor monitor112to pause the game at the point of play. The game is resumed at this point of play whenever a user hits the resume command, such as by depressing the home button124on a Wii remote126. Alternately, the sensor monitor may have timer that is started whenever the sensor monitor112sends the pause command to the gaming controller122so that after expiration of a certain time delay, the sensor monitor112sends a resume signal to the operating system of the gaming controller122to resume game play at the point of pause. This time delay can be set by the manufacturer or can be user adjusted via an appropriate control button130located on the game sensor monitor. Additionally, the distance between the sensor monitor112and the boundary of the exclusion zone114can be set by the manufacturer or can be user adjusted by an appropriate control button132located on the sensor monitor112.
The hardware based system to pause a game console whenever an object enters an exclusion zone110may have a second proximity sensor118that allows a warning zone126to be established, that is the area immediately adjacent the exclusion zone114—for example, if the exclusion zone114is 3 feet or less from the sensor monitor112, the warning zone128may be established to be an additional foot beyond the exclusion zone114(that is, between 3 feet and 4 feet from the sensor monitor112, but varies if the exclusion zone114is variable, so that if the warning zone128is one foot wide, and the exclusion zone114is reduced down to 2.5 feet, then the warning zone128is located between 2.5 feet and 3.5 feet away from the sensor monitor112). If a player enters the warning zone128, as detected by the motion sensor116and the proximity sensor118of the sensor monitor112, then a warning, which may be audible or visual or even vibratory, and may be emitted from the video display device120, the gaming system remote126or both. In this way, a player P is warned that he or she is about to enter the exclusion zone114, allowing the player P to take corrective action prior to entering the exclusion zone14and its inconvenient pausing of the game being played.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
