Input controller and corresponding game mechanics for virtual reality systems

• US 10,328,339 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Specular Theory, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Specular Theory, Inc.
• Inventors: May, Morris D., Pulliam, Catherine Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Seng Heng
• Application Number:
  US16/033,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20190015739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating user interaction with a virtual environment are discussed herein. In various implementations, the virtual environment may comprise a virtual reality game and a visual depiction of an input device of a user. As the user moves an input device, the visual depiction of the input device may appear to move in the virtual environment to facilitate gameplay. For example, a series of images corresponding to different visual characteristics may appear to travel toward the user. A score for the user may be determined based on the number of the series of images the user is able to intercept by moving the input device such that the position of an image traveling toward the user corresponds to the end of the visual depiction of the input device having the same visual characteristic.

Claims

1. A system configured to facilitate user interaction with a virtual environment, wherein user interaction with the virtual environment is based on movement of an input device, the system comprising:

an input device comprising an elongated object and a controller component coupled to the elongated object, the elongated object comprising a first end and a second end, and wherein the controller component comprises one or more sensors configured to detect movement of the input device; and

a computer having one or more physical processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, program the computer to;

generate images of a virtual environment that include a virtual depiction of the elongated object, wherein the virtual environment comprises a virtual reality game, and wherein the virtual depiction of the elongated object comprises a first visual indicator and a second visual indicator, wherein the first visual indicator corresponds to the first end of the elongated object and the second visual indicator corresponds to the second end of the elongated object;

generate images depicting a series of virtual objects that appear to travel toward a user down one of one or more predefined passages in the virtual environment, wherein each of the virtual objects comprises one of a set of visual characteristics, the set of visual characteristics including at least a first visual characteristic that corresponds to the first visual indicator and a second visual characteristic that corresponds to the second visual indicator, wherein the first visual characteristic is different than the second visual characteristic;

receive input from the controller component indicating movement of the input device;

cause the virtual depiction of the elongated object to move in the virtual environment based on the movement of the input device;

determine that a number of a set of game objectives has been completed based on the virtual depiction of the elongated object; and

determine a score based on the number of the set of game objectives that has been completed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

determine a number of the series of virtual objects that comprise the first visual characteristic that are intercepted by the first visual indicator, wherein a virtual object is intercepted by the first visual indicator when a position of a first end of the virtual depiction of the elongated object is within a proximity of a position that corresponds with the end of the predefined passage of the virtual object at a predefined time;

determine a number of the series of virtual objects that comprise the second visual characteristic that are intercepted by the second visual indicator; and

determine the number of the set of game objectives that has been completed based on the number of the series of virtual objects that comprise the first visual characteristic that are intercepted by the first visual indicator and the number of the series of virtual objects that comprise the second visual characteristic that are intercepted by the second visual indicator, wherein the score indicates the number of the virtual objects that have been intercepted by an end of the virtual depiction of the elongated object that corresponds with a visual characteristic of each virtual object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further programmed to:

determine that one or more conditions associated with a modified game state have been satisfied;

activate the modified game state based on the determination that the one or more conditions have been satisfied, wherein the modified game state causes the virtual depiction of the elongated object to move more rapidly in the virtual environment based on the movement of the input device; and

cause an indication that the modified game state has been activated to be provided to the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive user input indicating a selection of a song; and

cause the images of the series of virtual objects to appear to travel toward the user based on the selected song.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a second input device comprising a second elongated object and a second controller component coupled to the second elongated object, wherein the images of the virtual environment further include a virtual depiction of the second elongated object, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

detect movement of the input device and the second input device simultaneously;

cause the virtual depiction of the second elongated object to move in the virtual environment based on the movement of the second input device;

determine a second number of the set of game objectives that has been completed based on a number of the virtual objects that has been intercepted by an end of the virtual depiction of the second elongated object that corresponds with a visual characteristic of each virtual object; and

determine a second score based on the second number of the set of game objectives that has been completed.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a virtual reality headset configured to be worn on the head of the user and present virtual reality content via a display of the virtual reality headset, wherein the virtual reality content comprises the virtual reality game.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

generate an image of a virtual representation of the user to be depicted in the virtual environment, wherein the images of the virtual environment include the image of the virtual representation of the user.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a motion tracker, wherein the motion tracker is configured to:

detect motion or gestures of the user; and

transmit data representative of the detected motion or gestures to the computer, wherein the computer is configured to manipulate the image of the virtual representation of the user based on the data representative of the detected motion or gestures of the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive user input indicating a request to modify the virtual depiction of the elongated object;

generate an updated virtual depiction of the elongated object based on the request; and

cause the updated virtual depiction of the elongated object to be depicted in the virtual environment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further programmed to:

cause gameplay of the virtual reality game to be recorded;

receive user input indicating a request to share the recorded gameplay via social media; and

cause the recorded gameplay to be shared via social media responsive to the request.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller component is permanently coupled to the elongated object.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller component is removably coupled to the elongated object.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the elongated object may be substituted for a second elongated object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second elongated object comprises a wooden stick, a broom handle, a foam roller, an exercise baton, or an exercise bar.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongated object comprises one or more telescoping portions at the first end of the elongated object and/or the second end of the elongated object, the one or more telescoping portions configured adjust the length of the elongated objected.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongated object comprises a first portion configured to be grasped by a first hand of a user and a second portion configured to be grasped by a second hand of the user.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the first visual characteristic comprises a first color and the second visual characteristic comprises a second color different than the first color.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein the first visual indicator comprises the first visual characteristic and the second visual indicator comprises the second visual characteristic.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first end of the elongated object does not comprise the first visual characteristic.