Virtual blaster (Star Wars blaster toy, Goslin).
Embodiments provide techniques for automating control of electronic device. A first interactive game playing within the physical environment using one or more electronic devices is detected. Embodiments collect electromyogram data from one or more electromyography sensors within the physical environment and analyze the electromyogram data collected to determine muscle activations made by the user. Upon determining that the determined muscle activations made by the user match a predefined pattern of electromyography data, embodiments determine a gameplay action corresponding to the predefined pattern of electromyography data and transmit an instruction, to at least one of the one or more electronic devices within the physical environment, instructing the electronic device to perform the determined gameplay action.
BACKGROUNDField of the Invention(1) The present invention generally relates to entertainment systems, and more specifically to techniques for controlling an augmented reality game by tracking user muscle movements.Description of the Related Art(2) Computer graphics technology has come a long way since video games were first developed. Relatively inexpensive 3D graphics engines now provide nearly photo-realistic interactive game play on hand-held video game, home video game and personal computer hardware platforms costing only a few hundred dollars. These video game systems typically include a hand-held controller, game controller, or, in the case of a hand-held video game platform, an integrated controller. A user interacts with the controller to send commands or other instructions to the video game system to control a video game or other simulation. For example, the controller may include a joystick and buttons operated by the user.(3) While video games allow the user to interact directly with the video game system, such interactions primarily influence the graphical depiction shown on the video game device (or on a connected display), and rarely influence any other objects outside of the virtual world. That is, a user may specify an input to the video game system, indicating that the user's avatar should perform a jump action, and in response the video game system could display the user's avatar jumping. However, such interactions are typically limited to the virtual world,
1. A method, comprising: detecting a first interactive game is playing within a physical environment using one or more electronic devices; collecting electromyogram data from one or more electromyography sensors within the physical environment; analyzing the electromyogram data collected by the one or more electromyography sensors to determine muscle activations made by a user; analyzing a plurality of frames captured by one or more camera devices in order to identify a respective plurality of pixels representing a user in each of the plurality of frames: determining user movement based on changes in the plurality of pixels across the plurality of frames: determining that the user movement matches a predefined series of user actions, by determining that a measure of exerted force and an angular rate of the user movement match a predefined pattern corresponding to the predefined series of user actions; and upon determining that the determined muscle activations made by the user match a predefined pattern of electromyography data: determining a gameplay action corresponding to the predefined pattern of electromyography data; and transmitting an instruction, to at least one of the one or more electronic devices within the physical environment, instructing the electronic device to perform the determined gameplay action. |
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of one or more computer processors, performs an operation comprising: detecting a first interactive game is playing within a physical environment using one or more electronic devices; collecting electromyogram data from one or more electromyography sensors within the physical environment; analyzing the electromyogram data collected by the one or more electromyography sensors to determine muscle activations made by a user; analyzing a plurality of frames captured by one or more camera devices in order to identify a respective plurality of pixels representing a user in each of the plurality of frames: determining user movement based on changes in the plurality of pixels across the plurality of frames: determining that the user movement matches a predefined series of user actions, by determining that a measure of exerted force and an angular rate of the user movement match a predefined pattern corresponding to the predefined series of user actions; and upon determining that the determined muscle activations made by the user match a predefined pattern of electromyography data: determining a gameplay action corresponding to the predefined pattern of electromyography data; and transmitting an instruction, to at least one of the one or more electronic devices within the physical environment, instructing the electronic device to perform the determined gameplay action. |
18. A system, comprising: one or more computer processors; and a non-transitory memory containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of the one or more computer processors, performs an operation comprising: detecting a first interactive game is playing within a physical environment using one or more electronic devices; collecting electromyogram data from one or more electromyography sensors within the physical environment; analyzing the electromyogram data collected by the one or more electromyography sensors to determine muscle activations made by a user; analyzing a plurality of frames captured by one or more camera devices in order to identify a respective plurality of pixels representing a user in each of the plurality of frames: determining user movement based on changes in the plurality of pixels across the plurality of frames: determining that the user movement matches a predefined series of user actions, by determining that a measure of exerted force and an angular rate of the user movement match a predefined pattern corresponding to the predefined series of user actions; and upon determining that the determined muscle activations made by the user match a predefined pattern of electromyography data: determining a gameplay action corresponding to the predefined pattern of electromyography data; and transmitting an instruction, to at least one of the one or more electronic devices within the physical environment, instructing the electronic device to perform the determined gameplay action.