Volatility based cursor tethering

• US 10,209,785 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Burns, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Chun-Nan
• Application Number:
  US15/013,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

Modifying a tether linked to a cursor based on depth volatility of the cursor is disclosed. Multiple displays show a three-dimensional image that seems to be at the same real world location regardless of the location of the display. One person operates a cursor in the three-dimensional image. Volatility of depth of the cursor from the viewpoint of the cursor operator is tracked. The appearance of the tether is changed in other displays in response to the depth volatility. The tether may include a line from the cursor towards the cursor operator. The tether is not necessarily displayed all of the time so as to not obscure the view of the three-dimensional image. When there is not any depth volatility for some time, the tether is not displayed. In response to high depth volatility, the tether may be displayed as a long line from the cursor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a near-eye, see-through display; and

logic configured in communication with the near-eye, see-through display and configured to;

display a three-dimensional image in the near-eye, see-through display such that it appears to be located in a real world environment from a viewpoint of a wearer of the near-eye, see-through display;

receive a location of a cursor linked to the three-dimensional image;

receive a depth position of the cursor from a viewpoint of an operator of the cursor;

display the cursor linked to the three-dimensional image in the near-eye, see-through display based on the received location of the cursor, wherein a user looking through the near-eye, see-through display is a non-operator of the cursor; and

change an appearance of a tether linked to the cursor in the near-eye, see-through display in response to depth position changes of the cursor from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

display the tether in the near-eye, see-through display to have a size that is proportional to a depth position volatility of the cursor from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

make the tether more visible in response to increases in volatility of the depth position of the cursor; and

make the tether less visible in response to decreases in volatility of the depth position of the cursor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

display the tether as a line linked to the cursor in the near-eye, see-through display; and

change a length of the line in response to volatility of the depth position of the cursor from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

make the tether appear in the near-eye, see-through display in response to the cursor going from stationary with respect to a depth from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor to changing in the depth position from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor; and

make the tether gradually disappear in the near-eye, see-through display in response to the cursor being stationary with respect to the depth position changes from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

display the tether in the near-eye, see-through display to have a brightness that is proportional to volatility of the depth position of the cursor from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the logic is further configured to:

increase brightness of the tether in response to a depth position volatility of the cursor from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor exceeding a first threshold; and

gradually decrease the brightness of the tether in response to the depth position volatility of the cursor from the viewpoint of the operator of the cursor being below a second threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operator of the cursor is remote from the apparatus and the logic is further configured to:

display an avatar in the near-eye, see-through display that represents the remote operator of the cursor; and

display the tether as a line from the cursor towards the avatar.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operator of the cursor is local to the apparatus and the logic is further configured to display the tether as a line from the cursor towards a local location of the cursor operator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

smooth position changes of the cursor over time.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to display the three-dimensional image in the near-eye, see-through display such that it appears to be located at the same physical location that another near-eye, see-through display worn by the operator of the cursor makes the three-dimensional image appear to be located.

12. A head mounted display device, comprising:

a near-eye, see-through display; and

a processor in communication with the near-eye, see-through display and configured to;

display a three-dimensional image in the near-eye, see-through display from a viewpoint of the head mounted display device such that it appears to be located at the same physical location that another head mounted display device makes another three-dimensional image appear to be located;

receive a location and z-depth of a cursor in the other three-dimensional image, wherein the z-depth of the cursor is from a viewpoint of the other three-dimensional image from the other head mounted display device, wherein the other head mounted display device operates the cursor;

display the cursor at a position in the three-dimensional image in the near-eye, see-through display based on the received location; and

change an appearance of a tether linked to the cursor in the near-eye, see-through display in response to changes in the z-depth of the cursor.

13. The head mounted display device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to display the tether as a line from the cursor in the near-eye, see-through display towards the other head mounted display device.

14. The head mounted display device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to change a length of the line in response to volatility of the z-depth of the cursor.