NL2016131B1 - Game equipment. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a game device, comprising: - a game track that is configured to guide a physical game object over it; - a sensor unit configured to record a speed and / or a trajectory of the physical game object; - a processing unit configured to determine the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object and to convert it to a virtual behavior of a virtual game object associated with the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object, and which is further configured for generating image signals associated with the virtual behavior of the virtual game object; and - a screen arranged at the gaming track and arranged for displaying thereon in a virtual game environment the image signals of the virtual behavior of the virtual game object.

Description

Game equipment

The invention relates to a game device, comprising a game track that is configured to guide a physical game object over it.

In addition to the competitive sport that bowling and skittles are in some countries, such sports are also played a lot in a recreational way. In particular, bowling is available in many recreational forms, such as the bowling in the dark, which is popular among young people, creating a spectacular game environment with neon lighting. The elderly are also charmed by game forms such as bowling, although the physical condition of the elderly sometimes hinders the ability to lift the relatively heavy bowling balls.

A further disadvantage of conventional game forms such as bowling and bowling is that special bowling lanes and bowling lanes are required, which are usually installed permanently in a building. Because the (recreational) practice of such sports is seasonal, the bowling and bowling alleys are sometimes used relatively little during the low season. In the high season, however, it is sometimes desirable to be able to build several courses, which is often not possible due to the immovable nature of bowling and bowling alleys.

There is a need for new and alternative recreational game forms, which preferably appeal to a wide audience and ideally both young and old. It is particularly advantageous if such new and alternative game forms can be used flexibly, so that these game forms can be anticipated on periodic and location-specific demand.

The invention now has for its object to provide a game device of the above described type, wherein the disadvantages mentioned do not occur, or at least to a lesser extent.

Said object has been achieved according to the invention with a game device, comprising: - a game track that is configured to guide a physical game object over it; - a sensor unit configured to record a speed and / or a trajectory of the physical game object; - a processing unit configured to determine the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object and to convert it to a virtual behavior of a virtual game object associated with the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object, and which is further configured for generating image signals associated with the virtual behavior of the virtual game object; and - a screen arranged at the gaming track and arranged for displaying thereon in a virtual game environment the image signals of the virtual behavior of the virtual game object.

For the sake of completeness, it is noted that a display according to the invention can be any screen for displaying visual images, including a television or monitor, but also screens on which visual images are projected. Projection screens with respect or transparency are expressly included.

Although a sensor unit that is configured to record a speed and / or a trajectory of the physical game object can in principle also be a pressure sensor mounted on or in the playing court, the sensor unit according to a preferred embodiment comprises at least one camera directed towards the playing court. Because cameras do not form part of the game track, an existing game track such as a bowling alley can easily be converted afterwards into a game device according to the invention.

If the sensor unit of the game device according to a further preferred embodiment comprises at least one video camera, a possible spin thereof can also be recorded in addition to the speed and / or the trajectory of the physical game object. This provides additional game options to the game device.

According to a preferred embodiment, the playing track has a supply side and a discharge side in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the screen is arranged on or near the supply side. The screen can be arranged wholly or partially next to the playing court or even be integrated with it.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the screen is arranged directly above the playing court, whereby additional possibilities are created. The virtual game environment shown on the screen can thus serve as a guide for the player.

According to a further preferred embodiment, in particular when the screen acts as a guide aid, the screen is preferably arranged directly above the playing court in the usual direction of a player. In that case the screen obscures a player's view at least largely on the drain side of the playing court.

The outlet side is the normal target point, i.e. the location where the pins are set up in a sport such as bowling.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, the game device can be switched off and the screen can be moved to a position in which the screen leaves the view of a player on the discharge side of the game track unimpeded. This makes it possible for a conventional bowling alley to be used alternately for playing a game form with the game device according to the invention and for playing bowling. It is even conceivable that the sensor unit of the game device in that case is used to register a speed and / or trajectory of a bowling ball, whereby interesting game data can be obtained for training purposes. If desired, this data is shown on the screen that is now for example next to the playing court.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, a gap is provided between a lower edge of the screen and the playing court in the range of 1.1-5, more preferably 1.1-2 times the height of the physical game object.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, a space is provided in the range of 25 - 50 centimeters, more preferably 25 - 40 centimeters, between a lower edge of the screen and the playing court.

According to a still further preferred embodiment of the game device, the physical game deviates from the virtual game. Thus, with a single game device, a wide variety of game forms can be offered that are fully adaptable to the public. For example, a ball can be converted as a physical game object into a virtual game object with a different shape, such as a disc. When a user rolls a ball over the playing court, it can be shown as a shuffle disk of a virtual shuffle game after conversion. Multiple variants of virtual game forms can be applied such as a virtual pinball machine.

It is also conceivable that a ball as a physical game object in the virtual world also has a round shape, but represents the head of the relevant player as an example. After all, an unround shape can also behave like a round object in the virtual world.

Moreover, the same form of play can be represented differently for children than for adults or the elderly, and the difficulty level can also be adjusted. It is even conceivable that a family consisting of two adults and two children assigns a first degree of difficulty to the adult players, and imposes on the children a second degree of difficulty that deviates from the first degree of difficulty. Similar to the handicap system in golf, players of different levels can play against each other, with the chances of winning being fairly distributed.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, the physical game object comprises a ball and the game device is further provided with a ball transport. This ball transport can transport a ball from the discharge side in the longitudinal direction of the game track to the supply side of the game track, whereby the player is offered a thrown game object again.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, a player part is provided at a longitudinal end of the playing court which has a deviating height level with respect to the playing court. If the playing court is at a higher level than the player's part, a player can play substantially upright to play a physical game object. This is particularly advantageous for the elderly and players with back problems, because the game device according to the invention offers these people a physical game in which the physical load on the back can be limited. The game device can therefore also be used by players for whom a sport such as bowling is physically too stressful.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, the height level between the player part and the supply side of the playing court is adjustable. It is particularly advantageous if the player part and the playing court can be brought to the same height level. In that case the player part can form a start-up part as is usual with bowling lanes.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, the player part is provided with a height adjustment and / or the playing court is provided with a height adjustment.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, the playing court is less than 15 m long, and is preferably less than 10 m long. Although some length of the game track is required to record a speed and / or trajectory of the physical object, the game form can be relatively compact. Compared with conventional bowling lanes that are approximately 20 meters long, a much larger number of game devices according to the invention can be placed on the same floor surface. In addition, the compact dimensions are advantageous for transport and storage, which is a great advantage for a game device that can also be placed somewhere periodically.

It is of course conceivable that the game device is provided as a replacement or supplement to a current bowling lane. According to a still further preferred embodiment, the game court is therefore a bowling alley and the physical game object is a bowling ball.

According to a still further preferred embodiment, the game device comprises two juxtaposed game tracks and wherein the sensor unit is configured to record a speed and / or a trajectory of a physical game object on at least two adjacent game tracks. In one or more processing units, the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object can then be converted into a virtual behavior of a virtual game object that is related to the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object. Image signals generated by the processing unit associated with the virtual behavior of the virtual game object are then displayed on screens arranged at separate and preferably at the two adjacent playing tracks. A limited number of sensor units is sufficient with this structure. It is likely that in many cases a single processing unit will suffice in practice, because a physical game object is generally not played simultaneously on adjacent playing courts.

In the following description, preferred embodiments of the present invention are further explained with reference to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1: a game device according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 2: a game device according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

The game device 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a game track 2 which is configured to guide a physical game object 14 over it, which in the embodiment shown is a ball 16 but is not necessarily limited to it in the light of the invention.

A sensor unit 20 is provided which is configured to record a speed and / or a trajectory of the physical game object 14. In the embodiment shown, the sensor unit 20 is a single video camera 22, which has the advantage that it also has a possible spin of the ball 16 can register. The sensor unit 20 of the invention can alternatively be designed as a plurality of (not shown) photo cameras or even as a pressure sensor (not shown) arranged on the playing court.

Data of the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object 14 recorded by the sensor unit 20 are processed by the processing unit 26 and finally converted to a virtual behavior of a virtual game object 38 associated with the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object 14 The processing unit further generates image signals associated with the virtual behavior of the virtual game object 38. These image signals are then displayed on a screen 30 arranged at the playing court 2 and adapted for displaying the image signals of the virtual behavior thereon in a virtual game environment 36. of the virtual game object 38.

It is noted that, for the sake of clarity, the processing unit 26 is shown as a separate unit in the figures, but if desired may be integrated with the sensor unit 20 or the display screen 30. Thus, the processing unit 26 may comprise a calculation algorithm installed on a smart TV, the computing power of the smart TV processor is used.

In figure 1, the physical game in which a ball 16 is thrown as physical game object 14 differs from the virtual game. After all, in the virtual game environment 36 on the screen 30 a shuffle disk 38 of a virtual shuffle game is shown. The player 42 is virtually shuffling, but throws a ball 16, which is transported back with a ball transport 12 known per se from a discharge side 10 of the playing court 2 to the feeding side 8 of the playing court 2.

In the embodiment shown, the screen 30 is arranged directly above the playing court 2, so that the virtual game environment 36 shown on the screen 30 can also function as a guide aid for the player 42. The screen 30 therefore largely obviates the view of a player 42 on the drain side 10 of the playing court 2.

Between a lower edge 32 of the screen 30 and the playing court 2, a gap is provided in the range of 1.1-5, more preferably 1.1-2 times the height of the physical game object 14, so that the physical game object 14 is prevented. touches the screen 30. In practice, when bowling balls are used as a physical game object 14, a gap may be provided between the lower edge 32 of the screen 30 and the playing court 2 in the range of 25-50 centimeters, more preferably 25-40 centimeters.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a player part 6 is provided at the supply side 8 of the playing court 2 which has a different height level with respect to the playing court 2. The player 42 can, for playing a physical game object 14, remain substantially upright, whereby the physical load on the back of the player 42 can be limited. The game device 1 can therefore also be used by players 42 for whom a sport such as bowling would be physically too demanding.

As shown in Figure 1, the playing track 2 of the gaming device 1 can have a limited length of even less than 10 meters, so that a compact gaming device 1 is created which can be transported relatively easily to a location to be played there temporarily or not by players 42. to become.

Because the game device 1 according to the invention has a game track 2 just like conventional bowling lanes, the game device 1 can if desired be provided as a replacement of or an addition to an already existing bowling lane, as shown in figure 2. The playing lane of the bowling lane then functions as playing court 2 of the gaming device 1, and furthermore a sensor unit 20, processing unit 26 and screen 30 are provided. Here too, the screen 30 is arranged directly above the playing court 2, so that the virtual game environment 36 shown on the screen 30 functions as a guide aid for the player 42. The screen 30 therefore largely obviates the view of a player 42 on the drain side 10 of the playing court 2, and the bowling pins thereby lose their function. In figure 2 the bowling pins 18 are therefore pulled up. The ball transport 12 of the bowling lane is used for transporting back a (bowling) ball 16 thrown as physical game object 14.

The embodiments described above, although showing preferred embodiments of the invention, are only intended to illustrate the present invention and not to limit the description of the invention in any way.

When measures in the claims are followed by reference numerals, such reference numerals only serve to contribute to the understanding of the claims, but are in no way restrictive of the scope of protection. In particular, it is noted that a person skilled in the art can combine technical measures of the various embodiments. The rights described are defined by the following claims in the scope of which many modifications are conceivable.

Claims (18)

A game device, comprising: - a game track that is configured to guide a physical game object over it; - a sensor unit configured to record a speed and / or a trajectory of the physical game object; - a processing unit configured to determine the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object and to convert it to a virtual behavior of a virtual game object associated with the speed and / or trajectory of the physical game object, and which is further configured for generating image signals associated with the virtual behavior of the virtual game object; and - a screen arranged at the gaming track and arranged for displaying thereon in a virtual game environment the image signals of the virtual behavior of the virtual game object. A game device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one camera directed at the game track. A gaming device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one video camera. Game device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the game track has a supply side and a discharge side in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the screen is arranged on or near the supply side. 5. Game device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is arranged directly above the game court. A game device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display screen at least largely obscures a player's view of the drain side of the game track. A game device according to claim 6, wherein the game device is switchable and the screen is movable to a position in which the screen leaves the view of a player on the drain side of the game track unimpeded. A game device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the virtual game environment shown on the screen acts as a guide aid for the player. A game device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a gap is provided in the range of 1.1 - 5, more preferably 1.1 - 2 times the height of the physical game object between a lower edge of the screen and the game track. 10. A gaming device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a space is provided in the range of 25-50 centimeters, more preferably 25-40 centimeters, between a lower edge of the screen and the playing court. A game device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the physical game differs from the virtual game. 12. Game device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the physical game object comprises a ball and the game device is further provided with a ball transport. A game device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at a longitudinal end of the game track a player part is provided which has a different height level with respect to the game track. The game device of claim 13, wherein the height level between the player portion and the supply side of the game track is adjustable. A gaming device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the player part is provided with a height adjustment and / or wherein the playing court is provided with a height adjustment. A game device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the game track is less than 15 m long, and preferably less than 10 m long. A gaming device according to any one of the preceding claims 1-15, wherein the playing court is a bowling alley and the physical playing object is a bowling ball. A gaming device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gaming device comprises two juxtaposed game tracks and wherein the sensor unit is configured to record a speed and / or a trajectory of a physical game object on at least two adjacent game tracks.