Volatility Based Cursor Tethering

• US 20170220134A1
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Burns, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 10,209,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• 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 3/0346 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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

Abstract

Modifying a tether linked to a cursor based on depth volatility of the cursor is disclosed. Multiple displays show a three-dimensional image that seems to be at the same real world location regardless of the location of the display. One person operates a cursor in the three-dimensional image. Volatility of depth of the cursor from the viewpoint of the cursor operator is tracked. The appearance of the tether is changed in other displays in response to the depth volatility. The tether may include a line from the cursor towards the cursor operator. The tether is not necessarily displayed all of the time so as to not obscure the view of the three-dimensional image. When there is not any depth volatility for some time, the tether is not displayed. In response to high depth volatility, the tether may be displayed as a long line from the cursor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a near-eye, see-through display; and

logic configured in communication with the near-eye, see-through display and configured to;

display a three-dimensional image in the near-eye, see-through display such that it appears to be located in a real world environment;

display a cursor at a position in the three-dimensional image from a viewpoint of a location of the apparatus, wherein the cursor has a depth position in another viewpoint of the three-dimensional image from a different location; and

change an appearance of a tether linked to the cursor in response to depth position changes of the cursor from the other viewpoint.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

display the tether in the near-eye, see-through display to have a size that is proportional to depth position volatility of the cursor from the other viewpoint.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

make the tether more visible in response to increases in depth position volatility of the cursor; and

make the tether less visible in response to decreases in depth position volatility of the cursor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

display the tether as a line linked to the cursor in the near-eye, see-through display; and

change a length of the line in response to depth position volatility of the cursor from the other viewpoint.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

make the tether appear in the near-eye, see-through display in response to the cursor going from stationary with respect to depth from the other viewpoint to changing in depth position from the other viewpoint; and

make the tether gradually disappear in the near-eye, see-through display in response to the cursor being stationary with respect to depth position changes from the other viewpoint.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

display the tether in the near-eye, see-through display to have a brightness that is proportional to depth position volatility of the cursor from the other viewpoint.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the logic is further configured to:

increase brightness of the tether in response to depth position volatility of the cursor from the other viewpoint exceeding a first threshold; and

gradually decrease the brightness of the tether in response to depth position volatility of the cursor from the other viewpoint being below a second threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cursor is operated by an entity that is remote from the apparatus and the logic is further configured to:

display an avatar in the in the near-eye, see-through display that represents the remote entity; and

display the tether as a line from the cursor towards the avatar.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cursor is operated by an entity that is local to the apparatus and the logic is further configured to display the tether as a line from the cursor towards a local location of the cursor operator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

smooth position changes of the cursor over time.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to link the cursor to either a real world object or to a virtual object in the three-dimensional image.

12. A method comprising:

displaying a cursor in a three-dimensional image in a first see-through, mixed reality display device from a viewpoint of a location of the first see-through, mixed reality display device, wherein the cursor has a depth position in the three-dimensional image from the viewpoint of the first see-through, mixed reality display device;

displaying the cursor in the three-dimensional image in a second see-through, mixed reality display device from a viewpoint of a location of the second see-through, mixed reality display device, wherein the cursor appears to be in the same physical location in the first and second see-through, mixed reality display devices; and

changing an appearance of a tether linked to the cursor in the second see-through, mixed reality display device in response to a change in the depth position of the cursor in the first see-through, mixed reality display device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein changing the appearance of the tether comprises:

displaying the tether in the second see-through, mixed reality display device to have a length that is proportional to volatility of the depth position.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein changing the appearance of the tether comprises:

making the tether appear in the second see-through, mixed reality display device in response to the cursor going from stationary with respect to the depth position to the depth position changing; and

making the tether gradually disappear in the second see-through, mixed reality display device in response to the cursor remaining stationary with respect to the depth position.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein changing the appearance of the tether comprises:

making visibility of the tether respond to depth position volatility of the cursor.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein changing the appearance of the tether comprises:

displaying the tether in the second see-through, mixed reality display device to have a brightness that is proportional to volatility of the depth position.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the cursor in the three-dimensional image in the second see-through, mixed reality display device comprises:

smoothing changes in location of the cursor in the three-dimensional image in the second see-through, mixed reality display device over time.

18. A system comprising:

a plurality of near-eye, see-through displays that each display a three-dimensional image such that elements in the three-dimensional image appear to be at the same physical location regardless of location of the near-eye, see-through display;

wherein a first of the near-eye, see-through displays is configured to display a cursor in the three-dimensional image as seeming to appear at a certain physical location, wherein the cursor has a z-depth in the three-dimensional image from a viewpoint of the first near-eye, see-through display, wherein the first near-eye, see-through display is configured to receive input that changes the z-depth of the cursor; and

wherein a second of the near-eye, see-through displays is configured to display the cursor in the three-dimensional image as seeming to appear at the certain physical location, wherein the second near-eye, see-through display is configured to change an appearance of a tether line linked to the cursor in response to the z-depth changes of the cursor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second near-eye, see-through display is configured to change a length of a tether line from the cursor towards the location of the first near-eye, see-through display in response to the z-depth changes of the cursor, wherein the length of the tether line is proportional to the z-depth changes.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second near-eye, see-through display is configured to:

increase the length of the tether line in response to high volatility of the z-depth; and

gradually decrease the length of the tether line in response to low or no volatility of the z-depth.