Repositioning user perspectives in virtual reality environments

• US 10,521,944 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sareen, Chaitanya Dev, Kam, Jenny, Kramp, Brian C., Foster, Jonathan Eric, Kaneko, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Gordon G
• Application Number:
  US15/801,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20190057531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 345633
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/0346 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: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Optimizations are provided for facilitating optimal viewing positions for viewing virtual objects in VR environments. Initially, user selection of a virtual object being rendered in a VR display is detected. Subsequently, an optimal viewing position is dynamically calculated based on one or more characteristic of the virtual object to be viewed. A predetermined triggering event is also detected, and in response to the predetermined triggering event, a scene which is arranged to display the selected virtual object from the optimal viewing position is rendered in the VR display.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more processor(s); and

one or more computer-readable hardware storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processor(s) to cause the computer system to;

detect a selection of a virtual object being rendered in a head mounted display (HMD), wherein a virtual selection ray, which is provided to select the virtual object and which is also rendered in the HMD, is used to perform the selection of the virtual object;

identify an optimal viewing position of the virtual object, the optimal viewing position being dynamically calculated based on one or more characteristic(s) of the virtual object;

subsequent to the virtual selection ray being visualized as being cast towards the virtual object and subsequent to the optimal viewing position being identified, cause the virtual selection ray to be automatically directed to a new location that is different from a location where the virtual selection ray landed after being cast, the new location corresponding to the optimal viewing position; and

in response to detecting a predetermined triggering event, render a scene in the HMD, the scene being arranged to display the virtual object from the new location of the virtual selection ray so as to display the virtual object from the optimal viewing position.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the optimal viewing position is calculated to be displaced from the virtual object by a distance that corresponds to a width of the virtual object.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the optimal viewing position is calculated to be based on a function including values representing motion characteristics of the virtual object.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the optimal viewing position includes a relative altitude corresponding to a height of the virtual object and that is based on a height of a user.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the selection includes an associated selection location, and the optimal viewing position being calculated to be further based on the associated selection location.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the optimal viewing position is calculated to be based at least in part on a field of view (FOV) of the HMD.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to:

allow for adjustment of the identified optimal viewing position before rendering the scene that displays the virtual object from the optimal viewing position in the HMD.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the optimal viewing position is further based on a function including values representing one or more positional adjustment(s) previously made to the optimal viewing position, the one or more positional adjustment(s) being stored in metadata of the virtual object.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to:

identify a plurality of optimal viewing positions; and

allow for selection of one of the plurality of optimal viewing positions before rendering the scene that displays the virtual object from the optimal viewing position in the HMD.

10. A method for transitioning viewing perspectives for virtual reality scenes rendered with a head mounted display (HMD), the method comprising:

detecting a selection of a virtual object being rendered in the HMD, wherein a virtual selection ray, which is provided to select the virtual object and which is also rendered in the HMD, is used to perform the selection of the virtual object;

identifying an optimal viewing position of the virtual object, the optimal viewing position being dynamically calculated based on one or more characteristic(s) of the virtual object;

subsequent to the virtual selection ray being visualized as being cast towards the virtual object and subsequent to the optimal viewing position being identified, causing the virtual selection ray to be automatically directed to a new location that is different from a location where the virtual selection ray landed after being cast, the new location corresponding to the optimal viewing position; and

in response to detecting a predetermined triggering event, rendering a scene in the HMD, the scene being arranged to display the virtual object from the new location of the virtual selection ray so as to display the virtual object from the optimal viewing position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the optimal viewing position is calculated to be displaced from the virtual object by a distance that corresponds to a width of the virtual object.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the optimal viewing position is calculated to be based on a function including values representing motion characteristics of the virtual object.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the selection includes an associated selection location, and the optimal viewing position being calculated to be further based on the associated selection location.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

allowing for adjustment of the identified optimal viewing position before rendering the scene that displays the virtual object from the optimal viewing position in the HMD.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the optimal viewing position is further based on a function including values representing one or more positional adjustment(s) previously made to the optimal viewing position, the one or more positional adjustment(s) being stored in metadata of the virtual object.

16. One or more hardware storage device(s) having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processor(s) of a computer system to cause the computer system to:

detect a selection by a user of a virtual object being rendered in a head mounted display (HMD), wherein a virtual selection ray, which is provided to the user to select the virtual object and which is also rendered in the HMD, is used to perform the selection of the virtual object;

identify an optimal viewing position of the virtual object, the optimal viewing position being dynamically calculated based on one or more characteristic(s) of the virtual object;

subsequent to the virtual selection ray being visualized as being cast towards the virtual object and subsequent to the optimal viewing position being identified, cause the virtual selection ray to be automatically directed to a new location that is different from a location where the virtual selection ray landed after being cast, the new location corresponding to the optimal viewing position; and

in response to detecting a predetermined triggering event, render a scene in the HMD, the scene being arranged to display the virtual object from the new location of the virtual selection ray so as to display the virtual object from the optimal viewing position.

17. The one or more hardware storage device(s) of claim 16, wherein the optimal viewing position is calculated to be displaced from the virtual object by a distance that corresponds to a width of the virtual object.

18. The one or more hardware storage device(s) of claim 16, wherein the optimal viewing position is calculated to be based on a function including values representing motion characteristics of the virtual object.

19. The one or more hardware storage device(s) of claim 16, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions further causes the computer system to:

allow for user adjustment of the identified optimal viewing position before rendering the scene that displays the virtual object from the optimal viewing position in the HMD.

20. The one or more hardware storage device(s) of claim 16, wherein the optimal viewing position is further based on a function including values representing one or more positional adjustment(s) previously made by at least one user to the optimal viewing position, the one or more positional adjustment(s) being stored in metadata of the virtual object.