TELEPORTATION IN AN AUGMENTED AND/OR VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT

• US 20170160815A1
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: GLAZIER, Adam, PARKER, Evan Hardesty
• Granted Patent: US 10,338,687 B2
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts

Abstract

In a system for teleporting and scaling in a virtual reality environment, a user may teleport from a first virtual location, being experienced at a first scale, to a second virtual location, to be experienced at a second scale. The user may select the new, second virtual location and the new, second scale with a single external input via a handheld electronic device so that, upon release of a triggering action of the electronic device, the user may teleport to the newly selected second virtual location at the newly selected scale.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying a virtual rendering of a first virtual location in a virtual environment for viewing at a first virtual scale relative to the virtual environment;

receiving an input selecting a second virtual location and selecting a second virtual scale for viewing of the second virtual location, the first virtual scale being different than the second virtual scale; and

teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale after receiving the input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an input includes:

detecting an actuation of an input device;

detecting the selection of the second virtual location based on a position of a portion of a virtual beam directed from the input device at the second virtual location; and

detecting a scaling movement of the input device and corresponding movement of the virtual beam, the scaling movement of the input device corresponding to selection of the second virtual scale.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale includes:

detecting a release of the actuation of the input device after detecting the selection of the second virtual location and the selection of the second virtual scale; and

teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale in response to the detected release of the actuation of the input device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein actuating the input device includes maintaining the actuation of the input device, and not releasing the actuation of the input device until after the second virtual location and the second virtual scale are selected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale includes teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale simultaneously upon release of the actuation of the input device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the input device includes at least one of a trigger of a handheld electronic device, a touch sensitive surface of the handheld electronic device, a button of the handheld electronic device, a joystick of the handheld electronic device, or a toggle switch of the handheld electronic device.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a cancellation movement of the input device and a corresponding movement of the virtual beam in a direction away from the second virtual location, after detecting the selection of the second virtual location and the selection of the virtual scale, and before detecting the release of the actuation of the input device; and

cancelling selection of the second virtual location and the second virtual scale in response to the detected cancellation movement of the input device and corresponding movement of the virtual beam.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting a cancellation movement of the input device and a corresponding movement of the virtual beam includes detecting a movement of the input device that exceeds a preset threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a movement of the input device that exceeds a preset threshold includes detecting a movement of the input device that is greater than a preset angular distance.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting a physical movement of the input device includes detecting a first movement of the input device corresponding to the selection of the second scale, including:

detecting an initial position of the input device corresponding to an initial virtual position of the portion of the virtual beam; and

at least one of

detecting a first physical movement of the input device in an upward direction from the initial position of the input device, corresponding to an upward virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam from the initial virtual position of the portion of the virtual beam, the detected first physical movement corresponding to an increase in virtual scale from the first virtual scale to the second virtual scale, or

detecting a second physical movement of the input device in a downward direction from the initial position of the input device, corresponding to a downward virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam from the initial virtual position of the portion of the virtual beam, the detected second physical movement corresponding to a decrease in virtual scale from the first virtual scale to the second virtual scale.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a physical movement of the input device includes detecting a third physical movement of the input device, corresponding to a shift in a teleport arrival position relative to the selected second virtual location, including:

at least one of

detecting a physical movement of the input device corresponding to a virtual shift in the portion of the beam in a lateral direction, or

detecting a physical movement of the input device corresponding to a virtual shift in the portion of the beam in a forward and rearward direction; and

shifting the teleport arrival position relative to the selected second virtual location based on the detected third physical movement of the input device and corresponding virtual shift of the portion of the beam.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale includes:

detecting a release of the actuation of the manipulation device of the input device after detecting the selection of the second virtual location, detecting the selection of the second virtual scale, and shifting the teleport arrival position; and

teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale and at the shifted teleport arrival position in response to the detected release of the actuation of the manipulation device of the input device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale and at the shifted teleport arrival position includes teleporting to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale and at the shifted teleport arrival position simultaneously.

14. A system, comprising:

a computing device configured to generate a virtual environment, the computing device including;

a memory storing executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to;

display a virtual rendering of a first virtual location of a virtual environment for viewing at a first virtual scale within the virtual environment;

receive an input indicating a selection of a second virtual location in the virtual environment, and a selection of second virtual scale for viewing of the second virtual location; and

teleport to the second virtual location at the second virtual scale after receipt of the input.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to detect the input, the input being received at a handheld electronic device operably coupled with the computing device, the input including an actuation of an input device of the handheld electronic device.

16. The system of claim 15, the detection of the input also including:

detection of portion of a virtual beam generated in response to the actuation of the input device, the detected portion of the virtual beam corresponding to the selection of the second virtual location; and

detection of a virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam, the detected virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam corresponding to the selection of the second virtual scale.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the detected virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam includes at least one of:

a first virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam, including at least one of a virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam in an upward direction corresponding to an increase in virtual scale from the first virtual scale to the second virtual scale, or a virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam in a downward direction corresponding to a decrease in virtual scale from the first virtual scale to the second virtual scale;

or

a second virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam corresponding to a virtual shift in a teleport arrival position relative to the selected second virtual location, including at least one of a virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam in lateral direction, or a virtual movement of the portion of the virtual beam in a forward and rearward direction.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:

detect a cancellation movement of the input device and a corresponding movement of the portion of the virtual beam in a direction away from the second virtual location, after detecting the selection of the second virtual location and the selection of the virtual scale, and before teleporting to the second virtual location in response to the input; and

cancel selection of the second virtual location and the second virtual scale in response to the detected cancellation movement of the input device and corresponding movement of the portion of the virtual beam.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cancellation movement of the input device and a corresponding movement of the portion of the virtual beam includes detection of a movement of the input device that is greater than a preset angular distance.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device includes at least one of a trigger of the handheld electronic device, a button of the handheld electronic device, a joystick of the handheld electronic device, a toggle switch of the handheld electronic device, or a touch sensitive surface of the handheld electronic device.