Apparatus, methods and systems for viewing and manipulating a virtual environment

Abstract

Components for generating, reviewing, processing, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and optimizing information input to or output from a virtual environment. The components may be a video camera component, a stand-alone or device mountable on a tripod to permit a camera person to select from one or more views within a virtual environment, such as a video game being executed, and to provide alternative views within the confines of the virtual environment. The component permits selection from multiple views and manipulation of the same, including a rotation leftward or rightward, a tilt upward or downward, a zooming inward or outward, a translation (for example, a track movement) leftward, rightward, forward, or backward, a rolling movement, and a camera position adjustment (for example, crane movement) upward or downward.

1 . A system comprising: 
 at least one processor executing a virtual video application and responsive to inputs received from at least one user participant to generate a virtual video environment; and    a plurality of virtual camera components responsive to capture a plurality of views from within said virtual video environment.    
   
   
       2 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a said virtual camera component comprises: 
 a camera control input device configured to provide a camera control input device signal;    a movement sensor configured to provide a movement signal based on a movement of the camera control input device; and    a controller configured to generate a control signal based on the camera control input device signal and the movement signal.    
   
   
       3 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said software application is configured to generate a virtual camera output signal representing said views and based, at least in part, on the control signal.  
   
   
       4 . A system in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the movement sensor comprises any one of: 
 a horizontal sensor configured to provide a horizontal movement signal in accordance with a horizontal movement of the movement sensor; and    a vertical sensor configured to provide a vertical movement signal in accordance with a vertical movement of the movement sensor.    
   
   
       5 . A system in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the virtual video application is any one of: 
 a video game software application;    a digital filmmaking application;    a three-dimensional animation application;    a computer aided design (CAD) or computer aided manufacturing (CAM) application;    a holography application;    a medical analysis or surgical analysis application;    simulations of military equipment and personnel readiness war games applications;    flight simulation training applications;    modeling simulations for biological analyses applications;    modeling simulations for chemical analyses applications;    modeling simulations for molecular analyses applications; and    simulations relating to graphical rendering of building facilities applications.    
   
   
       6 . A system in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein a format of the virtual camera output signal is in accordance with any one of: a computer keyboard output, a computer mouse output, and a video game controller output.  
   
   
       7 . A system in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the controller comprises: 
 a processor programmed to convert the camera control input device signal and the movement signal into the camera control signal; and    an interface configured to generate the virtual camera output signal from the control signal by emulating signals generated by any one of: computer keyboard signals, computer mouse signals, and video game controller signals.    
   
   
       8 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the user input device comprises at least one switch.  
   
   
       9 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the camera control input device comprises at least one finger operated control device.  
   
   
       10 . A system in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the at least one finger operated device comprises a plurality of thumb controllers.  
   
   
       11 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the camera control signal comprises at least one of a plurality of camera commands comprising: 
 a crane command;    a truck command;    a zoom command;    a roll command;    a pan command; and    a tilt command.    
   
   
       12 . A system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the software the virtual environment 
 a video game software application;    a digital filmmaking application;    a three-dimensional animation application;    a computer aided design (CAD) or computer aided manufacturing (CAM) application;    a holography application;    a medical analysis or surgical analysis application;    simulations of military equipment and personnel readiness war games applications;    flight simulation training applications;    modeling simulations for biological analyses applications;    modeling simulations for chemical analyses applications;    modeling simulations for molecular analyses applications; and    simulations relating to graphical rendering of building facilities applications.    
   
   
       13 . A system in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the view of the virtual camera is based on a position and orientation of the virtual camera within the three dimensional field of play.  
   
   
       14 . A system in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the view is further based on a virtual focal length of a virtual lens of the virtual camera.  
   
   
       15 . A method of producing a video representation of a virtual environment comprising: 
 moving a virtual video camera component to change between views of events within the virtual environment; and    capturing video content of the views within the virtual environment.    
   
   
       16 . A method in accordance with  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 combining said video content with other video information to form a line cut video signal.    
   
   
       17 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the other video information comprises video content captured by another virtual video camera component.  
   
   
       18 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the other video information comprises video images of at least one video game player.  
   
   
       19 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 broadcasting the line cut video signal.    
   
   
       20 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 recording the line cut video signal.    
   
   
       21 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 displaying the line cut video signal on a visual display device.    
   
   
       22 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the combining step comprises combining a plurality of video sources in a video mixer.  
   
   
       23 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the video content and other video information are captured in real-time while the events are occurring.  
   
   
       24 . A method in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the video content and other video information are captured during a playback operation wherein the events have been prerecorded and are played back for video recapture.  
   
   
       25 . A method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the virtual video camera component comprises: 
 a camera control input device configured to provide a camera control input device signal;    a movement sensor configured to provide a movement sensor signal in accordance with a movement of the virtual video camera component; and    a control signal generator configured to generate a virtual camera control signal based on the camera control input device signal and the movement sensor signal.    
   
   
       26 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the virtual camera control signal comprises at least one of a plurality of camera commands comprising: 
 a crane command;    a truck command;    a zoom command;    a roll command;    a pan command; and    a tilt command.    
   
   
       27 . A method in accordance with  claim 24 , further comprising switching between said views and capturing a result therefrom in said line cut video signal.