System and Methods for Using a Movable Object to Control a Computer

• US 20080129688A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Naturalpoint Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Naturalpoint Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Parks, Harold, Richardson, James D., Wills, Dean C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• 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 3/04815 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

A system for controlling a computer is provided. The system includes a position sensing apparatus configured to be disposed in operative proximity to a sensed object and thereby obtain positional data pertaining to the sensed object, and engine software configured to receive the positional data and process the positional data to determine an assessed actual position of the sensed object relative to a neutral reference position and output control commands based on the assessed actual position of the sensed object, the control commands configured to control presentation of a rendered scene, the control commands being scaled relative to changes in the assessed actual position of the sensed object, the scaling of the changes in assessed actual position of the sensed object causing presentation of the rendered scene to be skewed; wherein the engine software is further configured to automatically correct the skewing of the rendered scene by modifying the control commands.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a computer, comprising:

a position sensing apparatus configured to be disposed in operative proximity to a sensed object and thereby obtain positional data pertaining to the sensed object, where such positional data varies with changes in position of the sensed object; and

engine software configured to receive the positional data and process the positional data to determine an assessed actual position of the sensed object relative to a neutral reference position and output control commands based on the assessed actual position of the sensed object, the control commands configured to control presentation of a rendered scene on a display screen, the control commands being scaled relative to changes in the assessed actual position of the sensed object, the scaling of the changes in assessed actual position of the sensed object causing presentation of the rendered scene to be skewed;

wherein the engine software is further configured to automatically correct the skewing of the rendered scene by modifying the control commands.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the rendered scene includes a first person virtual perspective in a virtual reality, and correction of skewing of the rendered scene includes correction of a virtual position of the first person virtual perspective in the virtual reality.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein correction of the virtual position of the first person virtual perspective includes at least one of rotating the first person virtual perspective and translating the first person virtual perspective.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein correction of the virtual position of the first person virtual perspective includes aligning the first person virtual perspective with a virtual reference position of the rendered scene when the assessed actual position of the sensed object is substantially aligned with the neutral reference position.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensed object is affixed in proximity to a user'"'"'s head.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein scaling the control commands includes amplifying at least one of rotation and translation of the sensed object.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the rendered scene includes a third person virtual perspective.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the neutral reference position is predetermined.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the neutral reference position is established via a startup routine.

5. The system of claim 5 wherein the virtual reference position is located at substantially the center of the rendered scene.

11. A system for controlling a computer, comprising:

a position sensing apparatus configured to be disposed in operative proximity to a sensed object and thereby obtain positional data pertaining to the sensed object, where such positional data varies with changes in position of the sensed object; and

engine software configured to receive the positional data and process the positional data to determine an assessed position of the sensed object relative to a predetermined neutral reference position and output control commands configured to control operation of a computer, the control commands being based on the assessed actual position of the sensed object,

where the control commands are scaled as the assessed position moves away from the predetermined neutral reference position, and

where the engine software is further configured to override the scaled control commands as the assessed position moves toward the predetermined neutral reference position to align the assessed position with the predetermined neutral reference position.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein scaling includes amplifying the actual movements of the sensed object.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein moving away from the predetermined neutral reference position includes a series of rotations and translations.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the assessed position of the sensed object is characterized by a X-axis rotation vector, a Y-axis rotation vector, a Z-axis rotation vector, a X-axis translation vector, a Y-axis translation vector, and a Z-axis translation vector.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein moving away from the predetermined neutral reference position includes increasing a magnitude of at least one of the vectors.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein moving toward the predetermined neutral reference position includes decreasing a magnitude of at least one of the vectors.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein overriding the control commands includes setting all of the vectors equal to zero.

18. A system for controlling a computer, comprising:

a position sensing apparatus configured to be disposed in operative proximity to a sensed object and thereby obtain positional data pertaining to the sensed object, where such positional data varies with changes in position of the sensed object; and

engine software configured to receive the positional data and process the positional data to determine an assessed actual position of the sensed object relative to a predetermined neutral reference position and output control commands based on the assessed actual position of the sensed object, the control commands configured to control presentation of a first person virtual perspective in a rendered scene on a display screen, the control commands being scaled relative to changes in assessed actual position of the sensed object;

wherein the engine software is further configured to automatically align the first person virtual perspective with a predetermined virtual reference position independent of the changes in position of the sensed object when the assessed actual position of the sensed object is determined to be at the predetermined neutral reference position.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the predetermined virtual reference position is located at substantially the center of the rendered scene.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the engine software is perform at least one of a rotation and a translation of the first person virtual perspective to align the first person virtual perspective with the predetermined virtual reference position.