Passive locators for a virtual reality headset

• US 10,198,032 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Thomas, Matt Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US15/490,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 345 8, 345156, 345173, 345633, 348 1408
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/12 Reflex reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A virtual reality (VR) headset includes a plurality of marker groups each corresponding to a different location on the VR headset. Each marker group includes one or more passive locators having positions relative to each other. Passive locators included in a marker group are configured to reflect one or more bands of light emitted by a source device. A VR system determines positions of passive locators relative to each other in a marker group and bands of light reflected by the passive locators included in the marker group to determine a location on the VR headset. Based on the location on the VR headset, the VR system determines a position of the VR headset and identifies content to provide to the VR headset.

Claims

1. A virtual reality (VR) headset comprising:

an electronic display configured to present content to a user of the VR headset; and

a plurality of marker groups, each marker group corresponding to a different location on the VR headset and comprising one or more passive locators having positions relative to each other, each passive locator having a respective reflectance type, that identities a band of light of a plurality of different bands of light, and the band of light is reflected by the passive locator, and each marker group has a unique reflectance configuration that describes a spatial configuration of the one or more passive locators within the marker group and one or more reflectance types of the one or more passive locators within the marker group.

2. The VR headset of claim 1, wherein the band of light of the plurality of different bands is in the infrared.

3. The VR headset of claim 1, wherein at least one marker group includes at least two passive locators having different reflectance types.

4. The VR headset of claim 1, wherein the plurality of marker groups includes at least two marker groups including passive locators having common positions relative to each other.

5. The VR headset of claim 1, wherein the plurality of marker groups includes at least two marker groups that have passive locators having a common reflectance type.

6. The VR headset of claim 5, wherein the at least two marker groups include passive locators having different positions relative to each other.

7. The VR headset of claim 1 further comprising a source device external to the VR headset, the source device configured to illuminate the VR headset.

8. The VR headset of claim 7, wherein the source device emits light in one of:

a visible band, an infrared band, the ultraviolet band, and some combination thereof.

9. The VR headset of claim 7, wherein the source device is configured to illuminate at least one of the one or more passive locators associated with the VR headset.

10. The VR headset of claim 1 further comprising an imaging device configured to capture a series of images of the VR headset.

11. The VR headset of claim 9 wherein each of the one or more passive locators is configured to retro-reflect light towards an imaging device associated with the VR system.

12. A virtual reality (VR) system comprising:

an electronic display configured to receive content from a VR system, and present the content to a user of the VR headset;

a plurality of marker groups, each marker group corresponding to a different location on the VR headset and comprising one or more passive locators having positions relative to each other, each passive locator having a respective reflectance type that identities a band of light of a plurality of different bands of light, and the band of light is reflected by the passive locator, and wherein each marker group has a unique reflectance configuration that describes a number and a spatial configuration of the one or more passive locators within the marker group and one or more reflectance types of the one or more passive locators; and

an imaging device configured to capture a series of images of the VR headset, the series of images including at least one of the plurality of marker groups wherein the reflectance configuration of each of the marker groups in the captured series of images determines a location on the VR headset that corresponds to the marker group.

13. The VR system of claim 12, wherein at least one marker group includes at least two passive locators having different reflectance types.

14. The VR system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of marker groups includes at least two marker groups including passive locators having common positions relative to each other.

15. The VR system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of marker groups includes at least two marker groups that have passive locators having a common reflectance type.

16. The VR system of claim 12, wherein the at least two marker groups include passive locators having different positions relative to each other.

17. The VR system of claim 12 further comprising a source device external to the VR headset, the source device configured to illuminate the VR headset including at least one of the one or more passive locators.

18. The VR system of claim 12 wherein each of the one or more passive locators is configured to retro-reflect light towards the imaging device.