Video image based control system

An interactive video image based control system comprising:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view;
• first processing means in communication with said video imaging means and converting the images taken by said video imaging means into digital video information;
• memory mean storing digital area of interest information concerning at least one predetermined area of interest within said field of view;
• second processing means examining said digital area of interest information in said memory means and said digital video information to determine whether at least a portion of any part of said participant is in said at least one area of interest and-further determining the horizontal and vertical midpoints of the portion of said participant within said at least one area of interest, said second processing means generating output signals having magnitudes dependent on the determined horizontal and vertical midpoints;
• and
• display means to display a superimposed image of said at least one area of interest and a representation of said participant within said field of view, said display means:
• (i) providing visual feedback to said participant of the location of said participant, relative to said at least one area of interest, and (ii) allowing said participant to interact with said one area of interest to modify said output signals.

An interactive video image based control system comprising:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view;
• first processing means in communication with said video imaging means and converting the images taken by said video imaging means into digital video information;
• memory means storing digital area of interest information concerning at least first and second predetermined areas of interest within said field of view;
• second processing means examining said digital area of interest information in said memory means and said digital video information to determine whether at least a portion of any part of said participant is in any one or both of said first and second areas of interest, said second processing means generating first output signals when said participant is detected in said first area of interest and generating second output signals when said participant is detected in said second area of interest;
• and
• display means to display a superimposed image of said at least first and second areas of interest and a representation of said participant within said field of view, said display means:
• (i) providing visual feedback to said participant of the location of said participant relative to said at least first and second areas of interest, and (ii) allows said participant to interact with said one area of interest to modify said output signals.

An interactive video image based control system comprising:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view;
• first processing means in communication with said video imaging means and converting the images of said field of view into digital video information;
• memory means storing digital area of interest information concerning at least one area of interest within said field of view, said memory means also storing a list of vectors, each vector being associated with a predefined portion of said area of interest;
• second processing means examining said digital area of interest information in said memory means and said digital video information to determine whether at least a portion of any part of said participant is in said at least one area of interest and the portion of said at least one area of interest occupied by said participant, said second processing means further determining the vector associated with each of the portions of said at least area of interest occupied by said participant and calculating a resultant vector, said second processing means generating output signals having magnitudes dependent on the resultant vector;
• and
• display means to display superimposed image of said at least one area of interest and a representation of said participant within said field of view, said display means:
• (i) providing visual feedback to said participant and the location of said participant relative to said at least one area of interest, and (ii) allows said participant to interact with said one area of interest to modify said output signals.

An interactive video image based control system comprising:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view;
• first processing means in communication with said video imaging means and converting the images taken by said video imaging means into digital video information, said first processing means processing said digital video information to separate an active region of said participant from the remainder of said images and generating digital data representing said active region;
• memory means storing digital area of interest information concerning at least one predetermined area of interest within said field of view;
• second processing means examining said digital area of interest information and said digital data to determine whether said active region is in at least one area of interest and the proportion of said at least one area of interest occupied by said active region, said second processing means generating output signals having magnitudes dependent on the proportion of said at least one area of interest occupied by said active region;
• and
• display means to display a superimposed image of said at least one area of interest and a representation of said participant within said field of view, said display means:
• (i) providing visual feedback to said participant of the location of said active region relative to said at least one area of interest, and (ii) allowing said participant to interact with said one area of interest to modify said output signals.

An interactive video image based control system comprising:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view;
• first processing means in communication with said video imaging means and converting the images taken by said video imaging means into digital video information, said first processing means processing said digital video information to separate an active region of said participant from the remainder of said images and generating digital data representing said active region;
• memory means storing digital area of interest information concerning at least one predetermined area of interest within said field of view;
• second processing means examining said digital area of interest information and said digital data to determine whether said active region is in said at least one area of interest and the portion of said at least one area of interest occupied by said active region and further determining the horizontal and vertical midpoints of the portion of said active region within said at least one area of interest, said second processing means generating output signals having magnitudes dependent on the determined horizontal and vertical midpoints;
• and
• display means to display a superimposed image of said at least one area of interest and a representation of said participant within said field of view, said display means:
• (i) providing visual feedback to said participant of the location of said active region relative to said at least one area of interest, and (ii) allowing said participant to interact with said one area of interest to modify said output signals.

An interactive video image based control system comprising:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view;
• first processing means in communication with said video imaging means and converting the images taken by said video imaging means into digital video information, said first processing means processing said digital video information to separate an active region of said participant from the remainder of said images and generating digital data representing said active region;
• memory means storing digital area of interest information concerning at least first and second areas interest within said field of view;
• second processing means examining said digital area of interest information and said digital data to determine whether a portion of said active region is in one or more of said at least first and second areas of interest, said second processing means generating first output signals when said active region is detected in said first area of interest and generating second output signals when said active region is detected in said second area of interest;
• and
• display means to display a superimposed image of said at least first and second areas of interest and a representation of said participant within said field of view, said display means:
• (i) providing visual feedback to said participant of the location of said active region relative to said at least first and second areas of interest, and (ii) allows said participant no interact with said one area of interest to modify said output signals.

An interactive video image based control system comprising:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view;
• first processing means in communication with said video imaging means and converting the images taken by said video imaging means into digital video information, said first processing means processing said digital video information to separate an active region of said participant from the remainder of said images and generating digital data representing said active region;
• memory means storing digital area of interest information concerning at least one predetermined area of interest within said field of view, said memory means also storing a list of vectors, each vector being associated with a predefined portion of said at least one area of interest;
• second processing means examining said digital area of interest information in said memory means and said digital video information to determine whether said active region is in said at least one area of interest and the portion of said at least one area of interest occupied by said active region, said second processing means further determining the vector associated with each portion of said at least one area of interest occupied by said active region and calculating a resultant vector, said processing means generating output signals having magnitudes dependent on the resultant vector;
• and
• display means to display a superimposed image of said at least one area of interest and a representation of said participant within said field of view, said display means:
• (i) providing visual feedback to said participant of the location of said active region relative to said at least one area of interest, and (ii) allows said participant to interact with said one area of interest to modify said output signals.

An interactive video gaming system:

• video imaging means for scanning a field of view occupied by a participant and taking successive images of said field of view:
• memory means storing a game program;
• processing means to execute said game program to play a game and being responsive to participant input to allow said participant to influence game play during execution of said game program, said processing means also processing said digital video information to separate an active region of said participant from the remainder of said images and generating digital data representing said active region;
• and
• display means to display said game during game play and to display a representation of said participant superimposed on said game to provide visual feedback to said participant of the location of said active region within said game, wherein during execution of said game program, game elements are displayed on said display means and movement of said participant within said field of view results in movement of said representation on said representation on said display means, said processing means examining said digital data to determine whether at least a portion of said active region is coincident with a portion of a game element displayed on said display means, said processing means generating said participant input when said active region is detected as being coincident with a least a portion of a game element displayed on said display means thereby to influence game play.