Emitting a visual indicator from the position of an object in a simulated reality emulation

• US 10,146,300 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Global Technologies International Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: McLean, James Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US15/415,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20180210542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7, 345 8, 345629-635, 463 1- 69
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

An apparatus for virtual reality object position includes a processor and memory that stores executable code to determine a position of an object in a simulated reality (“SR”) emulation with respect to a position of a user. The SR emulation is viewable by the user with an SR viewer. The SR viewer has a limited field of view. The code is executable to determine a position of the field of view of the SR viewer with respect to the object, and to emit a visual indicator from a direction of the object and in a direction of the user. The visual indicator is visible in the field of view of the SR viewer, and the visual indicator within the field of view includes an indication of the position of the object with respect to the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to;

determine a position of an object in a simulated reality (“

SR”

) emulation with respect to a position of a user, the SR emulation viewable by the user with an SR viewer, the SR viewer comprising a limited field of view of the SR emulation;

determine a position of the field of view of the SR viewer with respect to the object; and

emit a visual indicator from a direction of the object and in a direction of the user, the visual indicator visible in the field of view of the SR viewer, the visual indicator within the field of view comprising an indication of the position of the object with respect to the user,

wherein the visual indicator comprises a simulated waveform that moves from the position of the object through the field of view, the waveform providing an indication of one or more of a distance between the object and the user and a relative position with respect to the field of view of the SR viewer, the waveform comprising at least a portion of one or more spherical wavefronts visible in the field of view, wherein a center of the spherical wavefronts comprises the position of the object with respect to the position of the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the waveform comprises at least a portion of two or more spherical wavefronts visible in the field of view wherein a space between wavefronts relates to the distance between the object and the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a thickness of a wavefront relates to the distance between the object and the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an intensity of a wavefront relates to the distance between the object and the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each visual indicator comprises one or more of:

a distortion of the field of view of the SR viewer;

a change in visibility in the field of view of the SR emulation; and

a color change of the field of view of the SR viewer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises code executable by the processor to:

detect one or more of;

movement of one or more of the object and the user with respect to the SR emulation; and

movement of the field of view of the SR viewer; and

emit one or more additional visual indicators, wherein each additional visual indicator is based on one or more of;

a current position of the object with respect to a current position of the user in the SR emulation at a time when the visual indicator is emitted; and

a current position of the field of view in the SR emulation with respect to the object at the time when the visual indicator reaches the field of view.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises code executable by the processor to stop emitting visual indicators in response to the object being in the field of view of the SR viewer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises code executable by the processor to emit a sound indicator, each sound indicator synchronized to a visual indicator, each sound indicator simulating being emitted from the position of the object.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the SR emulation comprises a game, and wherein the memory further comprises code executable by the processor to emit the visual indicator as a reward in the game.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises code executable by the processor to freeze a position of a visual indicator in response to movement of the user.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises code executable by the processor to receive input from the user, the input controlling emission of the visual indicator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the simulated reality emulation is a virtual reality (“

VR”

) emulation, wherein the VR emulation is viewable by the user with a VR viewer, the VR viewer comprising a limited field of view of the VR emulation.

13. A method comprising:

determining a position of an object in a simulated reality (“

SR”

) emulation with respect to a position of a user, the SR emulation viewable by a user with an SR viewer, the SR viewer comprising a limited field of view of the SR emulation;

determining a position of the field of view of the SR viewer with respect to the object; and

emitting a visual indicator from a direction of the object and in a direction of the user, the visual indicator visible in the field of view of the SR viewer, the visual indicator within the field of view comprising an indication of the position of the object with respect to the user,

wherein the visual indicator comprises a simulated waveform that moves from the position of the object through the field of view, the waveform providing an indication of one or more of a distance between the object and the user and an angle relative to a center of the field of view of the SR viewer, the waveform comprising at least a portion of one or more spherical wavefronts visible in the field of view, wherein a center of the spherical wavefronts comprises the position of the object with respect to the position of the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more of:

the waveform comprises at least a portion of two or more spherical wavefronts visible in the field of view wherein a space between wavefronts relates to the distance between the object and the user;

a thickness of a wavefront relates to the distance between the object and the user; and

an intensity of a wavefront relates to the distance between the object and the user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each waveform comprises one or more of:

a distortion of the field of view of the SR viewer;

a change in visibility in the field of view of the SR emulation; and

a color change of the field of view of the SR viewer.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting one or more of;

movement of one or more of the object and the user with respect to the SR emulation; and

movement the field of view of the SR viewer; and

emitting one or more additional visual indicators, wherein each additional visual indicator is based on one or more of;

a current position of the object with respect to a current position of the user in the SR emulation at a time when the visual indicator is emitted; and

a current position of the field of view of the SR emulation with respect to the object at the time when the visual indicator reaches the field of view.

17. A system comprising:

a simulated reality (“

SR”

) viewer for viewing an SR emulation;

a computing device coupled to the SR viewer, the computing device comprising memory that stores code executable by a processor of the computing device to;

determine a position of an object in an SR emulation with respect to a position of a user, the SR viewer comprising a limited field of view of the SR emulation;

determine a position of the field of view of the SR viewer with respect to the object; and

emit a visual indicator from a direction of the object and in a direction of the user, the visual indicator visible in the field of view of the SR viewer, the visual indicator within the field of view comprising an indication of the position of the object with respect to the user,

wherein the visual indicator comprises a simulated waveform that moves from the position of the object through the field of view, the waveform providing an indication of one or more of a distance between the object and the user and a relative position with respect to the field of view of the SR viewer, the waveform comprising at least a portion of one or more spherical wavefronts visible in the field of view, wherein a center of the spherical wavefronts comprises the position of the object with respect to the position of the user.