Hand calibration system for virtual reality vehicle simulator
First Claim
1. A system for presenting to a person an image of a virtual space, including a portion of the person'"'"'s body as it would appear to the person were the person present in the virtual space, comprising:
- a position marker positionable on a first portion of the person'"'"'s body;
a position system disposed for sensing the position of the marker, the position system generating a position signal representative of the position of the marker;
a calibration element positioned at a fixed location in the system, the calibration element being manipulable by a second portion of the person'"'"'s body distanced from the first portion, the calibration element generating a timing signal when the calibration element is manipulated; and
a computer in communication with the position system and calibration element for respectively receiving the position signal and timing signal therefrom and determining the distance between the first and second portions of the body in response thereto, whereby the computer generates an image signal representative of the first and second portions of the person'"'"'s body in the virtual space.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual reality vehicle simulator has a seat for supporting a person in a sitting position. The person wears goggles that present to the person an image of a virtual vehicle, as well as a virtual image of the person'"'"'s hand and any objects, such as coffee cups, that the person may grasp in his hand. A position sensing system senses the position of a marker that is attached to a marked portion of the person'"'"'s hand, e.g., the back of the hand. The person may be tasked to manipulate a virtual object, e.g., a virtual pushbutton, with a contact portion of his hand, e.g., the index finger. To calibrate the distance between the marked and contact portions so that a virtual image of the hand accurately may be displayed, a control surface is positioned adjacent the seat such that the person can manipulate the control surface. Based on the manipulation, the distance between the marked and contact portions is determined, thus calibrating the size of the virtual hand to accurately model the person'"'"'s actual hand.
48 Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A system for presenting to a person an image of a virtual space, including a portion of the person'"'"'s body as it would appear to the person were the person present in the virtual space, comprising:
-
a position marker positionable on a first portion of the person'"'"'s body; a position system disposed for sensing the position of the marker, the position system generating a position signal representative of the position of the marker; a calibration element positioned at a fixed location in the system, the calibration element being manipulable by a second portion of the person'"'"'s body distanced from the first portion, the calibration element generating a timing signal when the calibration element is manipulated; and a computer in communication with the position system and calibration element for respectively receiving the position signal and timing signal therefrom and determining the distance between the first and second portions of the body in response thereto, whereby the computer generates an image signal representative of the first and second portions of the person'"'"'s body in the virtual space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A computer program device comprising:
-
a computer program storage device readable by a digital processing apparatus; and a program means on the program storage device and including instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus for performing method steps for displaying an image of a virtual space, the method steps comprising; (a) receiving a signal from a position system representative of the position of a movable position element, the movable position element being associated with a reference object juxtaposed with the movable position element; (b) receiving a signal from a positionally fixed timing element when the timing element is manipulated by a manipulating object spaced from the reference object by a distance δ
;(c) determining the distance δ
in response to the received signals; and(d) presenting an image of the virtual space including the reference object and the manipulating object such that the manipulating object appears to be spaced the distance δ
from the reference object. - View Dependent Claims (7)
-
-
8. A vehicle simulator, comprising:
-
a seat for supporting a person in a sitting position; a calibration system including a control surface positioned adjacent the seat such that a person sitting in the seat can manipulate the control surface with a marked portion of a hand, the calibration system generating a timing signal when the control surface is manipulated for establishing the position in actual space of the marked portion of the hand; a hand position sensing system including a position marker attached to a contact portion of the hand that is spaced from the marked portion by a distance δ
, the hand position sensing system generating a position signal representative of the position of the marker in actual space; anda virtual reality display system for receiving the timing and position signals and generating a virtual image of the hand in response thereto, such that the marked portion of the hand appears in the virtual image to be spaced the distance δ
from the contact portion of the hand. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification