Signal generation and detector systems and methods for determining positions of fingers of a user

• US 10,241,573 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mallinson, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Application Number:
  US15/644,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• 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 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/00 Aspects of power supply; Aspects of display protection and defect management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/18 : Timing circuits for raster scan displays specially adapted for television H04N ; synchronisation between the display unit and other display units, videodisc player G09G5/12

Abstract

A method for determining positions of fingers of a user is described. The method includes transmitting a power signal from a head mounted display (HMD) to provide power to a plurality of light emitters. The light emitters emit light in a sequence upon receiving the power signal. The method includes using the light emitted by the light emitters to determine a plurality of positions of the light emitters. The positions are used to play a game using the HMD.

Claims

1. A method for tracking positions of finger portions of a glove, comprising:

sending, from a head-mounted display (HMD), a power signal to the glove configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s hand, wherein the finger portions have a plurality of light emitters, wherein the power signal is received by the glove to generate a charge from the power signal, wherein the charge is stored in the glove to for supplying power to the plurality of light emitters;

detecting, by a plurality of sensors on the HMD, light emitted by the plurality of light emitters of the finger portions for facilitating generation of data, wherein the light is emitted using the power produced from the power signal received by the glove, wherein the plurality of sensors provide a frame of reference for determining one or more positions of one or more of the finger portions of the glove, wherein the one or more positions of the one or more of the finger portions are determined with respect to the frame of reference based on the data; and

determining changes to the one or more positions of the one or more finger portions with respect to the frame of reference based on additional data, wherein the additional data is generated based on additional light that is generated by the plurality of light emitters and after the additional light is detected by the plurality of sensors on the HMD.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping the positions of the finger portions of the glove to a plurality of positions of a virtual object representing the finger portions of the glove for display of an image of the virtual object on the HMD.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing image data of the HMD; and

determining the frame of reference from the image data of the HMD, wherein the frame of reference provides a position of the HMD in a real-world environment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a synchronization signal from the HMD to one of the finger portions, wherein the synchronization signal has an identifier of one of the plurality of light emitters of the one of the finger portions;

receiving the synchronization signal;

determining whether the identifier received within the synchronization signal matches a stored identifier; and

determining to provide the power from the power signal to the one of the plurality of light emitters in response to an indication that the identifier received within the synchronization signal matches the stored identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a time delay period after which the power from the power signal is provided to the light emitter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitters are located on a dorsal side of the glove.

4. A method for tracking positions of finger portions of a glove, comprising:

sending, from a head-mounted display (HMD), a power signal to the glove configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s hand, wherein the finger portions have a plurality of light emitters;

detecting, by a plurality of sensors on the HMD, light emitted by the plurality of light emitters of the finger portions for facilitating generation of data, wherein the light is emitted using power produced from the power signal received by the glove, wherein the plurality of sensors provide a frame of reference for determining one or more positions of one or more of the finger portions of the glove, wherein the one or more positions of the one or more of the finger portions are determined with respect to the frame of reference based on the data,

wherein determining the one or more positions include;

determining a line along which one of the plurality of light emitters of one of the finger portions is located with respect to one of the plurality of sensors;

determining another line along which the one of the plurality of light emitters of the one of the finger portions is located with respect to another one of the plurality of sensors; and

determining that the one of the plurality of light emitters is located at a position at an intersection of the line and the other line; and

determining changes to the one or more positions of the one or more finger portions with respect to the frame of reference based on additional data, wherein the additional data is generated based on additional light that is generated by the plurality of light emitters and after the additional light is detected by the plurality of sensors on the HMD.

8. A system comprising:

a glove configured to be worn on a hand of a user, wherein the glove has a plurality of finger portions, wherein the finger portions have a plurality of light emitters,

a head-mounted display (HMD) coupled to the glove, wherein the HMD is configured to send a power signal to the glove, wherein the HMD has a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to detect light emitted by the plurality of light emitters of the finger portions for facilitating generation of data, wherein the light is emitted using power produced from the power signal received by the glove, wherein the plurality of sensors provide a frame of reference,

wherein the glove includes;

a receiver configured to receive receiving the power signal; and

a charge storage device configured to generate a charge from the power signal,

wherein the charge storage device is configured to store the charge for supply of the power to the plurality of light emitters; and

a controller coupled to the HMD, wherein the controller is configured to determine one or more positions of one or more of the finger portions of the glove, wherein the one or more positions of the one or more finger portions are determined with respect to the frame of reference based on the data, wherein the controller is configured to determine changes to the one or more of the positions of the one or more finger portions with respect to the frame of reference based on additional data, wherein the additional data is generated based on additional light that is generated by the plurality of light emitters and is detected by the plurality of sensors on the HMD.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to map the positions of the finger portions of the glove to a plurality of positions of a virtual object representing the finger portions of the glove for display of an image of the virtual object on the HMD.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to generate a plurality of electrical signals from the light, wherein the HMD further includes:

an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the electrical signals from an analog form to a digital form to generate a digital signal; and

a sampler coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, wherein the sampler is configured to sample the digital signal to generate the data.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture image data of the HMD, wherein the controller is coupled to the image capture device, wherein the frame of reference provides a position of the HMD in a real-world environment, wherein the controller is configured to determine the frame of reference from the image data of the HMD.

13. The system of claim 8,

wherein the HMD includes a transmitter configured to send a synchronization signal from the HMD to one of the finger portions, wherein the synchronization signal has an identifier of one of the plurality of light emitters of the one of the finger portions,

wherein the glove includes a receiver configured to receive the synchronization signal,

wherein the glove includes a comparator configured to determine whether the identifier received within the synchronization signal matches a stored identifier;

and

wherein the glove includes a switch coupled to the comparator, wherein the switch is configured to provide the power from the power signal to the one of the plurality of light emitters in response to an indication from the comparator that the identifier received within the synchronization signal matches the stored identifier.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of light emitters are located on a dorsal side of the glove.

12. A system comprising:

a glove configured to be worn on a hand of a user, wherein the glove has a plurality of finger portions, wherein the finger portions have a plurality of light emitters;

a head-mounted display (HMD) coupled to the glove, wherein the HMD is configured to send a power signal to the glove, wherein the HMD has a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to detect light emitted by the plurality of light emitters of the finger portions for facilitating generation of data, wherein the light is emitted using power produced from the power signal received by the glove, wherein the plurality of sensors provide a frame of reference; and

a controller coupled to the HMD, wherein the controller is configured to determine one or more positions of one or more of the finger portions of the glove, wherein the one or more positions of the one or more finger portions are determined with respect to the frame of reference based on the data,

wherein to determine the one or more positions, the controller is configured to;

determine a line along which one of the plurality of light emitters of one of the finger portions is located with respect to one of the plurality of sensors;

determine another line along which the one of the plurality of light emitters of the one of the finger portions is located with respect to another one of the plurality of sensors; and

determine that the one of the plurality of light emitters is located at a position at an intersection of the line and the other line,

wherein the controller is configured to determine changes to the one or more of the positions of the one or more finger portions with respect to the frame of reference based on additional data, wherein the additional data is generated based on additional light that is generated by the plurality of light emitters and is detected by the plurality of sensors on the HMD.

15. A method for determining a position of a wearable object that is occluded, comprising:

wirelessly sending, from a head-mounted display (HMD), a power signal to a storage device of a wearable device, wherein the wearable device has a light emitter and is configured to be worn on a finger of a user'"'"'s hand, wherein the HMD is configured to be worn on a head of the user and provides a first frame of reference;

detecting, by a plurality of sensors on a torso device, light emitted by the light emitter of the wearable device to facilitate generation of a set of data, wherein the light is emitted by using power stored in the storage device, wherein the torso device provides a second frame of reference; and

determining a position of the finger wearing the wearable device with respect to the first frame of reference based on the set of data and a relative position between the first frame of reference and the second frame of reference.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting, by the plurality of sensors of the torso device, light emitted from a plurality of light emitters on the HMD to facilitate generation of another set of data; and

determining the relative position between the first and second frames of reference based on the other set of data.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a position of the second frame of reference based on inertial sensor data received from the torso device; and

determining a position of the first frame of reference from image data captured by an image capturing device, wherein the image data includes an image of the HMD.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the light emitter is occluded from a plurality of sensors of the HMD.