METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL INTERACTION OF A SUBJECT

• US 20120319946A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Edge Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: El Dokor, Tarek, King, Joshua E., Holmes, James E., Gigliotti, Justin R., Glomski, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,405,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• 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: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering

Abstract

Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject. The method includes receiving data from a distributed network of camera sensors employing one or more emitted light sources associated with one or more of the one or more camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to motion features indicative of movement of the motion features of the subject, presenting one or more objects on one or more three dimensional display screens, and using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the motion features of the subject and track manipulation of the motion features of the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the motion features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tracking movement of a subject, comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of fixed position sensors comprising a distributed network of time of flight camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject;

identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that corresponds to features indicative of motion of the subject relative to the fixed position sensors and one or more other portions of the subject;

presenting one or more objects on a three dimensional display screen visible to a user through the use of a peripheral device; and

using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the features of the subject to manipulate the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display screen.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises specialized eyeware.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the specialized eyeware comprises three-dimensional rendering glasses.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more events corresponding to the tracked motion of the subject.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein identifying one or more events further comprises matching the motion of the subject with an event stored in an event library.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the one or more identified events comprises one or more controlling events for controlling a computer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the subject interacts with the one or more objects as they would appear in a real environment.

8. A computer-implemented method for tracking movement of a subject, comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of fixed position sensors comprising a distributed network of time of flight camera sensors to identify a plurality of clusters corresponding to features indicative of motion of the subject relative to the fixed position sensors and one or more other clusters;

presenting one or more objects on a three dimensional display screen visible to a user through the use of a peripheral device; and

using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the features of the subject to determine interaction of one or more of the features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display screen.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the peripheral device comprises special eyeware.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the special eyeware comprises three-dimensional rendering glasses.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising identifying one or more events corresponding to the tracked motion of the subject.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein identifying one or more events further comprises matching the motion of the subject with an event stored in an event library.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the tracked motion is used to operate a video game.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the tracked motion is used in a virtual learning environment.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the tracked motion is used in a virtual collaboration workspace.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving data from a plurality of fixed position sensors comprising a distributed network of time of flight camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject;

identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to features indicative of motion of the subject relative to the fixed position sensors and one or more other portions of the subject;

presenting one or more objects on a three dimensional display screen visible to a user through the use of three-dimensional rendering glasses; and

using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the features of the subject to manipulate the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display screen.

17. The instructions of claim 16, wherein the one or more objects are presented on a three dimensional display screen visible to a plurality of users through the use of three-dimensional rendering glasses.

18. A system for tracking motion of a subject, comprising:

a plurality of fixed position sensors comprising a distributed network of time of flight camera sensors, at least data received from the plurality of fixed position sensors being used to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject;

a processor for identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to features indicative of motion of the subject relative to the fixed position sensors and one or more other portions of the subject; and

a three dimensional display screen for presenting one or more objects thereon visible to a user through the use of a peripheral device; and

wherein the plurality of fixed position sensors is used to track motion of the features of the subject to manipulate the volumetric three-dimensional representation, and the processor is used to determine interaction of one or more of the features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display screen.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the peripheral device comprises special eyeware.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the special eyeware comprises three-dimensional rendering glasses.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the tracked motion is identified as corresponding to one or more events.