Virtual reality game method and apparatus

Abstract

A one or two player virtual reality game efficiently detects and tracks a distinctively colored glove. According to the preferred basketball embodiment, a single player equipped with the distinctively colored glove is matched up against a virtual opponent. The object of the game is for the real player to put a virtual basketball into a virtual basketball hoop before his/her virtual opponent steals the ball. Initially, the background site is scanned, and then the operator with the glove is scanned. A table of colors is then established which are unique only to the glove. A player is then scanned against the background to identify which color glove will have the least conflict with colors worn by the player. During play, the player is scanned at 30 frames a second and the information is stored in a frame buffer. A prediction is made of the location of the glove in subsequent frames based upon its previously known location and velocity. Therefore, a search for the glove can be made of only a limited portion of the full frame, thereby increasing the speed of acquisition. Gestures made by the player such as a flick shot, a dribble or a roundhouse shot can be distinguished so as to automatically cause the basketball to be released from the player's hand. If the velocity and direction of the ball are substantially in the direction of the virtual basketball hoop, then the player will be credited with a score.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.