Dynamic Surfaces for Virtual Reality Applications

• US 20170124767A1
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scott Everitt Foust
• Original Assignee: Scott Everitt Foust
• Inventors: Foust, Scott Everitt
• Application Number:
  US15/337,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20170124767A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/16 Using real world measurements to influence rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for dynamic structure and surface environment are described. A columnar structure that may include a tiled surface may be used to create or adjust a surface of physical structure to allow for dynamic columns to provide an augmented physical environment. In some examples, a first plurality of columns may be configured to adjust in a first direction from a first position to a second position, an actuator in contact with some of the columns may be configured to cause the columns to adjust in the first direction from the first position to the second position; and a controller configured to receive information associated with position information of some of the columns and may communicate with the actuator.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting an environment, comprising:

identifying a first location of a user in a structure at a first time;

identifying a position of each of a plurality of columns, each column having a length in a first direction, a cross-sectional area in a second direction, and a top surface;

adjusting a position of a subset of the plurality of columns based at least in part on the first location of the user and the position of the subset of the plurality of columns.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to adjust the position of at least one column based at least in part on the first location of the user and the position of the subset of the plurality of columns, wherein adjusting the position of the subset of the plurality of columns is based at least in part on the determination.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving sensor data detected from within the structure, wherein identifying the first location of the user is based at least in part on the sensor data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor data comprises data associated with a sensor in contact with a column of the plurality of columns, or data associated with a sensor isolated from the plurality of columns, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor data comprises video data, audio data, GPS data, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second location of the user at a second time after the first time, wherein adjusting the position of the subset of the plurality of columns is based at least in part on the first location and the second location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a parameter associated with the user based at least in part on the first location and the second location, the parameter comprising a speed, a direction, a velocity, an acceleration, or a combination thereof, wherein adjusting the position of the subset of the plurality of columns is based at least in part on the determination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the position of the subset of the plurality of columns comprises:

adjusting a first column to a first height in the first direction; and

adjusting a second column to a second height different from the first height in the first direction, wherein adjusting the first column overlaps with adjusting the second column.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an action of the user relative to a column of the subset of the plurality of columns based at least in part on the first location of the user or sensor data, wherein adjusting the position of the column of the subset of the plurality of columns is based at least in part on the identification.

10. A columnar apparatus for an environment, comprising:

a first plurality of columns having a length in a first direction, a first cross sectional area, a first subset of the first plurality of columns configured to adjust in the first direction from a first position to a second position;

an actuator in contact with at least a portion of the first plurality of columns, the actuator configured to cause the portion of the first plurality of columns to adjust in the first direction from the first position to the second position; and

a controller configured to receive information associated with position information of the first subset of the first plurality of columns and communicate with the actuator.

11. The columnar apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a second plurality of columns extending in the first direction, wherein a second subset of the second plurality of columns is positioned below the first plurality of columns and is configured to adjust the first subset of the first plurality of columns in the first direction based at least in part on adjusting in the first direction.

12. The columnar apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first subset of the first plurality of columns is configured to oscillate.

13. The columnar apparatus of claim 11, wherein a second cross sectional area of the second subset of the second plurality of columns is greater than the first cross sectional area of a column in the first plurality of columns.

14. The columnar apparatus of claim 10, wherein a first column of the first plurality of columns comprises a first tile on a first end of the first column, wherein a second column of the first plurality of columns comprises a second tile on a first end of the second column, wherein a characteristic of the first tile is different from a characteristic of the second tile.

15. The columnar apparatus of claim 14, wherein the characteristic comprises:

an orientation, a shape, a texture, a position relative to the first direction, or a combination thereof.

16. The columnar apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to communicate with the actuator based at least in part on the received position information associated with a user.

17. The columnar apparatus of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the position information comprises:

virtual reality environment information, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to communicate an instruction to the actuator to adjust the first subset of the first plurality of columns based at least in part on the virtual reality environment information.