INFORMATION INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE, INFORMATION INPUT/OUTPUT METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20090282331A1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: NAGASAKA, Kenichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/701
• 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 3/0346 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: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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

An information input/output device includes: a position input unit configured to designate a position by a user in a prescribed operation area S_d in real space; a designated position measurement unit configured to measure a designated position “r_d” in the operation area S_d, which is designated by the user in the position input unit; an operation area offset amount determination unit configured to determine an offset amount “Δr_v0” of an origin position “r_v0” of an operation area S_v in virtual space based on the measured position “r_d” in the operation area S_d; and a designated position determination unit configured to determine a designated position “r_v” in virtual space which corresponds to the position in real space designated by the user through the position input unit based on the measured position “r_d” in the operation area S_d, the origin position “r_v0” of the operation area S_v in virtual space and the determined offset amount “Δr_v0”.

Claims

1. An information input/output device comprising:

a position input unit configured to designate a position by a user in a prescribed operation area S_d in real space;

a designated position measurement unit configured to measure a designated position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d, which is designated by the user in the position input unit;

an operation area offset amount determination unit configured to determine an offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

of an origin position “

r_v0”

of an operation area S_v in virtual space based on the measured position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d; and

a designated position determination unit configured to determine a designated position “

r_v”

in virtual space which corresponds to the position in real space designated by the user through the position input unit based on the measured position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d, the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space and the determined offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

.

2. The information input/output device according to claim 1,

wherein the position input unit abuts on a fingertip or other parts of a body of the user, inputting the moved amount “

r_d”

based on motion of the abutting portion as the designated position.

3. The information input/output device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a force/tactile feedback means for applying a force/tactile sense according to the position “

r_v”

in virtual space determined by the designated position determination unit to part of the body of the user abutting on the position input unit.

4. The information input/output device according to claim 3,

wherein the force/tactile feedback means includes

an object data accumulation unit configured to accumulate attribute information including geometric attribute and dynamic attribute possessed by respective objects existing in virtual space,

a dynamics computation unit configured to perform dynamics computation with respect to respective objects accumulated in the object data accumulation unit as well as changing positions and postures of respective objects based on the computation results,

a collision detection unit configured to detect a collision event between respective objects accumulated in the object data accumulation unit,

a collision force calculation unit configured to calculate force acted at a collision point detected in the collision detection unit,

an action force calculation means for calculating an action force to be applied to part of the body of the user which abuts on the position input unit based on the force calculated in the collision force calculation unit, and

a force/tactile addition means for applying a force/tactile sense based on the action force calculated by the action force calculation means to part of the body of the user which abuts on the position input unit.

5. The information input/output device according to any one of claims 1 or 3,

wherein the operation area S_d possessed by the position input unit in real space is divided into a movement area at peripheral edges of the operation area S_d and an interaction area which is inside the movement area, and

wherein the operation area offset amount determination unit determines at which area the measured designated position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d exists in the interaction area or the movement area, and when the designated position “

r_d”

exists in the interaction area, the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

is not given to the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space, whereas, when the designated position “

r_d”

exists in the movement area, the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

according to the designated position “

r_d”

is given to the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space.

6. The information input/output device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display;

a camera position determination unit configured to move a coordinate system of a camera model for drawing a state in virtual space according to the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

determined by the operation area offset amount determination unit; and

a virtual environment drawing unit configured to render the state in virtual space from the viewpoint of the coordinate system defined as the camera model and displaying the state on the display.

7. The information input/output device according to claim 2, further comprising:

plural position input units respectively corresponding to plural fingers “

j”

of the user (“

j”

is a positive integer); and

wherein the operation area offset amount determination unit determines the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

of the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space based on an average position or a weighted average position of designated positions “

r_jd”

in the operation area S_d designated by respective position input units.

8. An information input/output device comprising:

a position input unit formed so as to perform rotational motion, taking a given front posture as the center, in which the user designates a posture angle as a position in a given operation area S_d in real space;

a designated position measurement unit configured to measure a posture angle R_d designated in the position input unit;

an operation area offset amount determination unit in which the operation area S_d possessed by the position input unit in real space is divided into an interaction area in a range of a posture angle ±

θ

with respect to the front posture and a movement area which is outside the interaction area, at which area the measured designated posture angle R_d in the operation area S_d exists in the interaction area and the movement area is determined, and when the designated posture angle R_d exists in the interaction area, an offset amount “

Δ

γ

_v0”

is not given to a front posture angle “

R_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space, whereas, when the designated posture angle R_d exists in the movement area, the offset amount “

Δ

γ

_v0”

according to the designated posture angle R_d is given to the front posture angle “

R_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space; and

a designated position determination unit configured to determine a designated posture R_v in virtual space corresponding to the position in real space designated by the user through the position input unit based on the measured designated posture angle R_d in the operation area S_d, the front posture angle “

R_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space and the determined offset amount “

Δ

γ

_v0”

.

9. The information input/output device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display;

a camera position determination unit configured to move a coordinate system of a camera model for drawing a state in virtual space according to the offset amount “

Δ

γ

_v0”

of the designated posture R_v determined by the operation area offset amount determination unit; and

a virtual environment drawing unit configured to render the state in virtual space from the viewpoint of the coordinate system defined as the camera model and displaying the state on the display.

10. An information input/output method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a designated position “

r_d”

in a prescribed operation area S_d designated by the user through a position input unit which designates a position by the user in the operation area S_d in real space;

determining an offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

of an origin position “

r_v0”

of an operation area S_v in virtual space based on the acquired position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d; and

determining a designated position “

r_v”

in virtual space which corresponds to the position in real space designated by the user through the position input unit based on the acquired position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d, the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space and the determined offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

, and

wherein the operation area S_d possessed by the position input unit in real space is divided into a movement area at peripheral edges of the operation area S_d and an interaction area which is inside the movement area, and

wherein, in the step of determining the operation area offset amount, at which area the measured designated position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d exists in the interaction area or the movement area is determined, and when the designated position “

r_d”

exists in the interaction area, the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

is not given to the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space, whereas, when the designated position “

r_d”

exists in the movement area, the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

according to the designated position “

r_d”

is given to the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space.

11. A computer program written in a computer readable form so as to execute information input/output processing for performing operation with respect to virtual space through user operation in real space on a computer, and allowing the computer to execute

a designated position acquiring process acquiring a designated position “

r_d”

in a prescribed operation area S_d designated by the user through a position input unit which designates a position by the user in the operation area S_d in real space,

an operation area offset amount determination process determining an offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

of an origin position “

r_v0”

of an operation area S_v in virtual space based on the acquired position “

r_d”

in the operation area Sd, and

a designated position determination process determining a designated position “

r_v”

in virtual space which corresponds to the position in real space designated by the user through the position input unit based on the acquired position “

r_d”

in the operation area S_d, the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space and the determined offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

,

wherein the operation area S_d possessed by the position input unit in real space is divided into a movement area at peripheral edges of the operation area S_d and an interaction area which is inside the movement area; and

wherein, in the operation area offset amount determination process, at which area the designated position “

r_d”

in the measured operation area S_d exists in the interaction area or the movement area is determined, and when the designated position “

r_d”

exists in the interaction area, the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

is not given to the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space, whereas, when the designated position “

r_d”

exists in the movement area, the offset amount “

Δ

r_v0”

according to the designated position “

r_d”

is given to the origin position “

r_v0”

of the operation area S_v in virtual space.