Device and method for immersive visual representations and individual head equipment

• US 10,534,430 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2018
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Loeffler, Siegfried, Seydoux, Gael
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttram, Todd
• Application Number:
  US15/928,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20180275754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/39 the picture elements emitting light at places where a pair of light beams intersect in a transparent material
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/001 Constructional or mechanical details

Abstract

A device for immersive visual representations to a user of virtual scenes, inside a helmet enabling head movements, receives information related to positions of the user'"'"'s eyes with respect to the helmet, determines visual generation parameters of the virtual scenes in function of that information, and provides those parameters for carrying out the immersive visual representations in the helmet based on those parameters. The device further determines the visual generation parameters so as to spatially adjust continuously the representations of the virtual scenes in function of the positions of the user'"'"'s eyes. An individual head equipment comprises such a device, a helmet, at least one visual generation apparatus, and one or more sensor(s) providing the positions of the user'"'"'s eyes.

Claims

1. A device for immersive visual representations to a user of at least one virtual scene inside a helmet, said helmet enabling head movements of said user in said helmet while being configured to be jointly moved by movements of said user, said helmet comprising:

a lower part having an adjustable height and at least one visual generation apparatus adapted to the height of said lower part, said at least one visual generation device comprising at least one processor configured for;

receiving information related to positions of the user'"'"'s eyes in said helmet with respect to said helmet,

determining visual generation parameters of said at least one virtual scene in function of said information related to said positions of said user'"'"'s eyes with respect to said helmet, said visual generation parameters being adapted to represent said at least one virtual scene seen by said user in said helmet,

providing said visual generation parameters for carrying out at least one of said immersive visual representations of said at least one virtual scene in said helmet based on said visual generation parameters,

wherein said at least one processor is further configured for determining said visual generation parameters so as to spatially adjust continuously said at least one of said immersive visual representations of said at least one virtual scene in function of said positions of said user'"'"'s eyes.

2. The device for immersive visual representations according to claim 1, wherein said at least one processor is further configured for determining said visual generation parameters also in function of movements of said helmet triggered by at least some of said movements of said user, and for locking at least some of said visual generation parameters determined in function of said movements of said helmet, said locking being in relation with part of said at least one of said immersive visual representations that is disclosed to said user by spatially adjusting continuously said at least one of said immersive visual representations in function of said positions of said user'"'"'s eyes and that is targeted by at least one of said movements of said helmet.

3. The device for immersive visual representations according to claim 1, wherein said at least one processor is configured for taking account of relative 3D positioning of virtual objects in said at least one virtual scene with respect to said user'"'"'s eyes in determining said visual generation parameters.

4. The device for immersive visual representations according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said immersive visual representations comprises at least one image projected on an internal wall of said helmet.

5. The device for immersive visual representations according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said immersive visual representations comprises at least one hologram generated in said helmet.

6. An individual head equipment for immersive visual representations to a user of at least one virtual scene, said individual head equipment comprising:

a helmet adapted to said immersive visual representations to said user in said helmet, said helmet enabling head movements of said user in said helmet while being configured to be jointly moved by movements of said user,

at least one visual generation apparatus configured for representing to said user said at least one virtual scene in said helmet,

at least one sensor configured for capturing information related to positions of the user'"'"'s eyes in said helmet with respect to said helmet,

said at least one visual generation apparatus being adapted to carry out at least one of said immersive visual representations of said at least one virtual scene in said helmet based on said information related to said positions of said user'"'"'s eyes,

wherein said at least one visual generation apparatus comprises a device for immersive visual representations according to claim 1.

7. The individual head equipment according to claim 6, wherein said helmet has a first state in which said helmet is opaque to a real external world and a second state in which said helmet is at least partly transparent or translucent.

8. The individual head equipment according to claim 6, wherein said individual head equipment comprises at least one supporting part enabling to have said helmet carried on the user'"'"'s shoulders via said at least one supporting part.

9. The individual head equipment according to claim 6, wherein said individual head equipment comprises a link of said helmet to an upper suspension system.

10. A method for immersive visual representations to a user of at least one virtual scene inside a helmet, said helmet enabling head movements of said user in said helmet while being configured to be jointly moved by movements of said user, said helmet comprising a lower part having an adjustable height and at least one visual generation apparatus adapted to the height of said lower part, so as to perform said method comprising:

receiving information related to positions of the user'"'"'s eyes in said helmet with respect to said helmet,

determining visual generation parameters of said at least one virtual scene in function of said information related to said positions of said user'"'"'s eyes with respect to said helmet, said visual generation parameters being adapted to represent said at least one virtual scene seen by said user in said helmet,

providing said visual generation parameters for carrying out at least one of said immersive visual representations of said at least one virtual scene in said helmet based on said visual generation parameters,

wherein said method comprises determining said visual generation parameters so as to spatially adjust continuously said at least one of said immersive visual representations of said at least one virtual scene in function of said positions of said user'"'"'s eyes.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein determining said visual generation parameters is performed also in function of movements of said helmet triggered by at least some of said movements of said user, and for locking at least some of said visual generation parameters determined in function of said movements of said helmet, said locking being in relation with part of said at least one of said immersive visual representations that is disclosed to said user by spatially adjusting continuously said at least one of said immersive visual representations in function of said positions of said user'"'"'s eyes and that is targeted by at least one of said movements of said helmet.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein it takes account of relative 3D positioning of virtual objects in said at least one virtual scene with respect to said user'"'"'s eyes in determining said visual generation parameters.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said at least one of said immersive visual representations comprises at least one image projected on an internal wall of said helmet.

14. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for immersive visual representations, comprising software code adapted to perform a method compliant with claim 10 when the program is executed by a processor.