Device, system and method for football catch computer gaming

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for outdoor computer gaming is disclosed in which an actual physical football, equipped with a motion sensor, is used as the user manipulatable object by which users provide gaming input. Some embodiments provide a computer moderated catch game comprising a tossable gaming object including a sensor for detecting motion imparted upon the tossable gaming object by a user; and one or more processors adapted to receive a representation of sensor data from the sensor, determine from the representation of sensor data when the tossable gaming object has been thrown by a user and when the tossable gaming object has been caught by a user, and run a scoring routine that determines a gaming score based at least in part upon a plurality of determined throw events and a plurality of determined catch events.

1 . A computer moderated catch game comprising: 
 a tossable gaming object including a sensor for detecting motion imparted upon the tossable gaming object; and    one or more processors adapted to receive a representation of sensor data from the sensor, determine from the representation of sensor data when the tossable gaming object has been thrown by a user and when the tossable gaming object has been caught, and run a scoring routine that determines a gaming score based at least in part upon a plurality of determined throw events and a plurality of determined catch events.    
   
   
       2 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to run timing routines for determining an approximate time interval between one of the plurality of determined throw events and a subsequent one of the plurality of determined catch events that ensues from the one of the plurality of determined throw events.  
   
   
       3 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 2  wherein the gaming score is determined based at least in part upon the approximate time interval between the one of the plurality of determined throw events and the subsequent one of the plurality of determined catch events that ensues from the one of the plurality of determined throw events.  
   
   
       4 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are comprised at least in part in a portable gaming computer that is in wireless communication with the tossable gaming object.  
   
   
       5 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to determine from the representation of sensor data when the tossable gaming object has been missed.  
   
   
       6 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to determine from the representation of sensor data when the tossable gaming object is in the air.  
   
   
       7 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is an accelerometer and wherein the one or more processors are adapted to determine that the tossable gaming object is in the air based at least in part upon the representation of sensor data indicating an acceleration value of approximately zero.  
   
   
       8 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the tossable gaming object is a football object and wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to determine from the representation of sensor data a quality of spiral of the football object.  
   
   
       9 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the gaming score is determined based at least in part upon a number of determined throw-catch pairs performed in a row without a determined miss.  
   
   
       10 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are adapted to compute an estimated height of travel of the tossable gaming object following one of the plurality of determined throw events.  
   
   
       11 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are adapted to compute an estimated distance of travel of the tossable gaming object following one of the plurality of determined throw events.  
   
   
       12 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are adapted to output a verbal audio report based at least in part upon the gaming score.  
   
   
       13 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 12  wherein the verbal audio report includes a verbal indication of a current number of determined throw-catch pairs performed in a row without a determined miss.  
   
   
       14 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 12  wherein the verbal audio report includes a verbal indication of at least one of an estimated height of travel of the tossable gaming object following one of the plurality of determined throw events or an estimated distance of travel of the tossable gaming object following one of the plurality of determined throw events.  
   
   
       15 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to determine if a first down has been achieved based upon an estimated distance of travel of the tossable gaming object during at least one determined throw-catch pair.  
   
   
       16 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is an RFID scanner.  
   
   
       17 . A computer moderated throwing game comprising: 
 a tossable gaming object including a sensor for detecting motion imparted upon the tossable gaming object by a user; and    one or more processors adapted to receive a representation of sensor data from the sensor, determine from the representation of sensor data a time interval that represents the duration between when the tossable gaming object has been thrown by the user and when the tossable gaming object is ensuingly caught or hits the ground, run a height estimating routine that determines an estimated maximum height achieved by the tossable gaming object during the time interval, and run a scoring routine that determines a score based upon the estimated maximum height achieved by the tossable gaming object during each of a plurality of throws.    
   
   
       18 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 17  wherein the height estimating routine determines the estimated maximum height based at least in part upon the time interval.  
   
   
       19 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 17  wherein the one or more processors are comprised at least in part in a portable gaming computer that is in wireless communication with the tossable gaming object.  
   
   
       20 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 17  wherein the score is based at least in part upon a determination of whether or not the tossable gaming object was caught.  
   
   
       21 . A computer moderated throwing game comprising: 
 a tossable gaming object including a sensor for detecting motion imparted upon the tossable gaming object by a user; and    one or more processors adapted to receive a representation of sensor data from the sensor, determine from the representation of sensor data a time interval that represents the duration between when the tossable gaming object has been thrown by the user and when the tossable gaming object is ensuingly caught or hits the ground, run a distance estimating routine that determines an estimated distance achieved by the tossable gaming object during the time interval, and run a scoring routine that determines a score based upon the estimated distance achieved by the tossable gaming object during each of a plurality of throws.    
   
   
       22 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 21  wherein the distance estimating routine determines the estimated distance based at least in part upon the time interval.  
   
   
       23 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 21  wherein the one or more processors are comprised at least in part in a portable gaming computer that is in wireless communication with the tossable gaming object.  
   
   
       24 . The computer moderated catch game of  claim 21  wherein the score is based at least in part upon a determination of whether or not the tossable gaming object was caught.