MIXED REALITY AUGMENTATION

• US 20140240351A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Scavezze, Michael, Navratil, Arnulfo Zepeda, Scott, Jason, Mount, Brian, Brown, Cameron, Ambrus, Tony, Kroymann, Dan, Krauss, Aaron, Fajt, Nicholas Gervase, Smith-Kipnis, Adam Benjamin, Bevis, John, Heckinger, Phillip Charles, Kaplan, Matthew G.
• Application Number:
  US13/779,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240351A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• 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 3/011 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/04815 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

Embodiments that relate to providing motion amplification to a virtual environment are disclosed. For example, in one disclosed embodiment a mixed reality augmentation program receives from a head-mounted display device motion data that corresponds to motion of a user in a physical environment. The program presents via the display device the virtual environment in motion in a principal direction, with the principal direction motion being amplified by a first multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding principal direction. The program also presents the virtual environment in motion in a secondary direction, where the secondary direction motion is amplified by a second multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding secondary direction, and the second multiplier is less than the first multiplier.

Claims

1. A mixed reality augmentation system for providing motion amplification to a virtual environment in a mixed reality environment, the mixed reality augmentation system comprising:

a head-mounted display device operatively connected to a computing device, the head-mounted display device including a display system for presenting the mixed reality environment; and

a mixed reality augmentation program executed by a processor of the computing device, the mixed reality augmentation program configured to;

receive from the head-mounted display device motion data that corresponds to motion of a user in a physical environment;

present via the display system the virtual environment in motion in a principal direction, the principal direction motion being amplified by a first multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding principal direction, and

present via the display system the virtual environment in motion in a secondary direction, the secondary direction motion being amplified by a second multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding secondary direction, wherein the second multiplier is less than the first multiplier.

2. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 1, wherein the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to select the first multiplier and the second multiplier based on one or more of an orientation of the user'"'"'s corresponding principal direction with respect to the virtual environment, eye-tracking data and/or head pose data received from the head-mounted display device, a velocity of the user, metadata describing a predetermined level of amplification, and heuristics based on characteristics of the virtual environment and/or the physical environment.

3. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 1, wherein the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to decouple the presentation of the virtual environment from the motion of the user upon the occurrence of a trigger.

4. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 3, wherein the trigger comprises the head-mounted display device crossing a boundary in the physical environment.

5. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 1, wherein the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to provide a notification via the head-mounted display device when the head-mounted display device crosses a boundary in the physical environment.

6. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 1, wherein the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to:

scale down the presentation of the virtual environment; and

correspondingly increase the first multiplier such that the principal direction motion is increased.

7. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 1, wherein the virtual environment comprises an initial virtual scene, and the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to:

within the initial virtual scene present via the display system a virtual portal to another virtual scene;

present via the display system at least a portion of the other virtual scene that is displayed within the virtual portal; and

when the head-mounted display device crosses a plane of the virtual portal, present via the display system the other virtual scene.

8. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 1, wherein the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to:

present a motion translation mechanism within the virtual environment; and

when the head-mounted display device crosses a boundary of the motion translation mechanism, present via the display system the virtual environment in motion while the user remains substantially stationary in the physical environment.

9. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 8, wherein the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to continue presenting via the display system the virtual environment in motion while user moves within a bounded area of the motion translation mechanism.

10. The mixed reality augmentation system of claim 1, wherein the motion of the user comprises self-propulsion, and the mixed reality augmentation program is further configured to:

map the user'"'"'s self-propulsion to a type of virtually assisted propulsion; and

present via the display system the virtual environment in motion that is amplified according to the type of virtually assisted propulsion.

11. A method for providing motion amplification to a virtual environment in a mixed reality environment, comprising:

receiving from a head-mounted display device motion data that corresponds to motion of a user in a physical environment;

presenting via the head-mounted display device the virtual environment in motion in a principal direction, the principal direction motion being amplified by a first multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding principal direction; and

presenting via the head-mounted display device the virtual environment in motion in a secondary direction, the secondary direction motion being amplified by a second multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding secondary direction, wherein the second multiplier is less than the first multiplier.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the first multiplier and the second multiplier based on one or more of an orientation of the user'"'"'s corresponding principal direction with respect to the virtual environment, eye-tracking data and/or head pose data received from the head-mounted display device, a velocity of the user, metadata describing a predetermined level of amplification, and heuristics based on characteristics of the virtual environment and/or the physical environment.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising decoupling the presentation of the virtual environment from the motion of the user upon the occurrence of a trigger.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the trigger comprises the head-mounted display device crossing a boundary in the physical environment.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a notification via the head-mounted display device when the head-mounted display device crosses a boundary in the physical environment.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

scaling down the presentation of the virtual environment; and

correspondingly increasing the first multiplier such that the principal direction motion is increased.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual environment comprises an initial virtual scene, and further comprising:

within the initial virtual scene presenting via the head-mounted display device a virtual portal to another virtual scene;

presenting via the head-mounted display device at least a portion of the other virtual scene that is displayed within the virtual portal; and

when the head-mounted display device crosses a plane of the virtual portal, presenting via the head-mounted display device the other virtual scene.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

presenting a motion translation mechanism within the virtual environment; and

when the head-mounted display device crosses a boundary of the motion translation mechanism, presenting via the head-mounted display device the virtual environment in motion while the user remains substantially stationary in the physical environment.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the motion of the user comprises self-propulsion, further comprising:

mapping the user'"'"'s self-propulsion to a type of virtually assisted propulsion; and

presenting via the head-mounted display device the virtual environment in motion that is amplified according to the type of virtually assisted propulsion.

20. A method for providing motion amplification to a virtual environment in a mixed reality environment, comprising:

receiving from a head-mounted display device motion data that corresponds to motion of a user in a physical environment;

presenting via the head-mounted display device the virtual environment in motion in a principal direction, the principal direction motion being amplified by a first multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding principal direction;

presenting via the head-mounted display device the virtual environment in motion in a secondary direction, the secondary direction motion being amplified by a second multiplier as compared to the motion of the user in a corresponding secondary direction, wherein the second multiplier is less than the first multiplier; and

decoupling the presentation of the virtual environment from the motion of the user upon the occurrence of a trigger.