HOLOGRAPHIC SNAP GRID

• US 20140306993A1
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Poulos, Adam G., Scott, Jason, Brown, Cameron G., McCulloch, Daniel J., Lee, Abby, Mount, Brian J., Sugden, Ben J., Kaplan, Matthew, Obeso, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

Methods for positioning virtual objects within an augmented reality environment using snap grid spaces associated with real-world environments, real-world objects, and/or virtual objects within the augmented reality environment are described. A snap grid space may comprise a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual space within an augmented reality environment in which one or more virtual objects may be positioned. In some embodiments, a head-mounted display device (HMD) may identify one or more grid spaces within an augmented reality environment, detect a positioning of a virtual object within the augmented reality environment, determine a target grid space of the one or more grid spaces in which to position the virtual object, determine a position of the virtual object within the target grid space, and display the virtual object within the augmented reality environment based on the position of the virtual object within the target grid space.

Claims

1. An electronic device for generating an augmented reality environment, comprising:

one or more processors, the one or more processors acquire one or more virtual objects associated with the augmented reality environment, the one or more virtual objects include a first virtual object, the one or more processors identify one or more snap grid spaces within the augmented reality environment, the one or more snap grid spaces include a first snap grid space, the one or more processors determine a grid spacing associated with the first snap grid space based on one or more properties of the first virtual object, the one or more processors assign the first virtual object to a position within the first snap grid space based on the grid spacing; and

a see-through display in communication with the one or more processors, the see-through display displays one or more images such that the first virtual object is perceived to exist within the augmented reality environment at the position within the first snap grid space.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more processors assign the first virtual object to the position corresponding with a closest grid point within the first snap grid space.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more properties of the first virtual object include a size of the first virtual object, the one or more processors determine the grid spacing associated with the first snap grid space based on the size of the first virtual object.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more processors determine a dimensionality of the first virtual object, the one or more processors identify one or more snap grid spaces within the augmented reality environment based on the dimensionality of the first virtual object.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first snap grid space comprises a three-dimensional space within the augmented reality environment, the first virtual object comprises a three-dimensional virtual object, the electronic device comprises an HMD.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first snap grid space comprises a radial snap grid space that is positioned relative to a person within the augmented reality environment.

7. A method for positioning virtual objects within an augmented reality environment, comprising:

acquiring one or more virtual objects associated with the augmented reality environment, the one or more virtual objects include a first virtual object;

identifying one or more snap grid spaces within the augmented reality environment, the one or more snap grid spaces include a first snap grid space;

determining a grid spacing associated with the first snap grid space based on one or more properties of the first virtual object;

assigning the first virtual object to a position within the first snap grid space based on the grid spacing; and

rendering one or more images corresponding with the first virtual object at the position within the first snap grid space.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the assigning the first virtual object to a position within the first snap grid space includes snapping the first virtual object to the position, the position comprises a closest grid point within the first snap grid space.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the one or more properties of the first virtual object include a size of the first virtual object, the determining a grid spacing includes determining the grid spacing associated with the first snap grid space based on the size of the first virtual object.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a dimensionality of the first virtual object, the identifying one or more snap grid spaces within the augmented reality environment includes identifying the one or more snap grid spaces based on the dimensionality of the first virtual object; and

displaying the one or more images on a mobile device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first snap grid space comprises a two-dimensional space within the augmented reality environment, the first virtual object comprises a two-dimensional virtual object.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first snap grid space comprises a three-dimensional space within the augmented reality environment, the first virtual object comprises a three-dimensional virtual object.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

relocating the first snap grid space within the augmented reality environment prior to the rendering one or more images.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

resizing the first snap grid space within the augmented reality environment prior to the rendering one or more images.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

highlighting the one or more snap grid spaces prior to the assigning the first virtual object to a position.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first snap grid space includes a non-uniform distribution of snap grid points.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the mobile device comprises an HMD.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the identifying one or more snap grid spaces is performed by the mobile device;

the determining that the first virtual object is being positioned within the first snap grid space is performed by the mobile device; and

the rendering one or more images is performed by the mobile device.

19. One or more storage devices containing processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method for positioning virtual objects within an augmented reality environment comprising the steps of:

acquiring one or more virtual objects associated with the augmented reality environment, the one or more virtual objects include a first virtual object;

determining a dimensionality of the first virtual object;

identifying one or more snap grid spaces within the augmented reality environment based on the dimensionality of the first virtual object, the one or more snap grid spaces include a first snap grid space;

determining a grid spacing associated with the first snap grid space based on one or more properties of the first virtual object;

snapping the first virtual object to a position within the first snap grid space based on the grid spacing; and

rendering one or more images corresponding with the first virtual object at the position within the first snap grid space.

20. The one or more storage devices of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying the one or more images on a mobile device, the one or more properties of the first virtual object include a size of the first virtual object, the determining a grid spacing includes determining the grid spacing associated with the first snap grid space based on the size of the first virtual object.