Open-loop controller
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling the movements of an avatar in a virtual environment, comprising:
- a gamepad including a first joystick and a second joystick and having a plurality of outputs responsive to user-controlled movements of each joystick and user-controlled buttons;
a tracker to provide an open-loop control over a head pose;
a processor programmed for running a virtual environment software program including an avatar programmed to move in the virtual environment with a course, heading, and displacement and a control mapping algorithm for mapping the outputs of the gamepad to the avatar course, heading, and displacement, wherein the first joystick is mapped to provide an open loop directional control over the steering of the avatar and the second joystick is mapped to provide an open loop directional control over the offset of the avatar to thereby provide an open-loop control over the course and heading of the avatar, the avatar moves in accordance to a computed situated-heading and the head-pose, wherein the situated-heading is a global four degrees-of-freedom (X, Y, Z, Yaw) describing a translation and orientation of the head of the avatar, the head-pose has six degrees-of-freedom describing a translation (X,Y, Z) and rotation (Yaw, Pitch, Roll) of the head of the avatar relative to the situated-heading, and the head-pose combines with the situated-heading to yield a viewpoint of the avatar that is a global six degrees-of-freedom describing the translation and rotation of the head of the avatar in a virtual world, thereby varying the head-pose separately from the situated-heading to direct the viewpoint without redirecting the avatar'"'"'s course or heading; and
a display for displaying the movement of the avatar in the virtual environment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the movements of an avatar in a virtual environment includes a user input means, such as a gamepad with a plurality of joystick-controlled and button-controlled outputs, a tracker, and optional sliding foot pedals; a processor for running virtual environment (VE) software that includes an avatar moving through the VE; and a control mapping algorithm. The algorithm maps the gamepad, tracker, and optional sliding foot pedal outputs to the avatar'"'"'s course, heading, displacement, and view, with the joysticks mapped to provide open loop directional control over the course and heading of the avatar, the tracker providing open loop control over the view, and the optional sliding foot pedals providing open loop control over displacement. The operator-controlled movement of the avatar in the virtual environment is displayed to the operator on a computer desktop display or a head mounted display.
24 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling the movements of an avatar in a virtual environment, comprising:
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a gamepad including a first joystick and a second joystick and having a plurality of outputs responsive to user-controlled movements of each joystick and user-controlled buttons; a tracker to provide an open-loop control over a head pose; a processor programmed for running a virtual environment software program including an avatar programmed to move in the virtual environment with a course, heading, and displacement and a control mapping algorithm for mapping the outputs of the gamepad to the avatar course, heading, and displacement, wherein the first joystick is mapped to provide an open loop directional control over the steering of the avatar and the second joystick is mapped to provide an open loop directional control over the offset of the avatar to thereby provide an open-loop control over the course and heading of the avatar, the avatar moves in accordance to a computed situated-heading and the head-pose, wherein the situated-heading is a global four degrees-of-freedom (X, Y, Z, Yaw) describing a translation and orientation of the head of the avatar, the head-pose has six degrees-of-freedom describing a translation (X,Y, Z) and rotation (Yaw, Pitch, Roll) of the head of the avatar relative to the situated-heading, and the head-pose combines with the situated-heading to yield a viewpoint of the avatar that is a global six degrees-of-freedom describing the translation and rotation of the head of the avatar in a virtual world, thereby varying the head-pose separately from the situated-heading to direct the viewpoint without redirecting the avatar'"'"'s course or heading; and a display for displaying the movement of the avatar in the virtual environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for controlling the movements of an avatar in a virtual environment, comprising:
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a pair of dual-axis directional input control devices having a plurality of outputs responsive to user-controlled operations of the directional control axes and user-controlled buttons; a tracker to provide an open-loop control over a head pose; a processor programmed for running a virtual environment software program including an avatar programmed to move in the virtual environment with a course, heading, and displacement and a control mapping algorithm for mapping the outputs of the directional input control devices to the avatar course and heading, wherein a first directional control axes are mapped to provide open loop directional control over the steering of the avatar and a second directional control axes are mapped to provide an open loop directional control over the offset of the avatar to thereby provide an open-loop control over the course and heading of the avatar, the avatar moves in accordance to a computed situated-heading and the head-pose, wherein the situated-heading is a global four degrees-of-freedom (X, Y, Z, Yaw) describing a translation and orientation of the head of the avatar, the head-pose has six degrees-of-freedom describing a translation (X, Y, Z) and rotation (Yaw, Pitch, Roll) of the head of the avatar relative to the situated-heading, and the head-pose combines with the situated-heading to yield a viewpoint of the avatar that is a global six degrees-of-freedom describing the translation and rotation of the head of the avatar in a virtual world, thereby varying the head-pose separately from the situated-heading to direct the viewpoint without redirecting the avatar'"'"'s course or heading; and a display for displaying the movement of the avatar in the virtual environment. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for controlling the movements of an avatar in a virtual environment, comprising:
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a gamepad including a first joystick and a second joystick and having a plurality of outputs responsive to user-controlled movements of each joystick and user-controlled buttons; a tracker to provide an open-loop control over a head pose; a processor programmed for running a virtual environment software program including an avatar programmed to move in the virtual environment with a course, heading, and displacement, and a control mapping algorithm for mapping the outputs of the gamepad to the avatar course and heading, wherein the first joystick is mapped to provide an open loop directional control over the steering of the avatar when the second joystick is not engaged, control over the course and heading are uncoupled when the second joystick is engaged, such that the first joystick provides open loop directional control over the heading and the second joystick is mapped to provide an open loop directional control over the offset of the course from the heading in effect when the second joystick becomes engaged, thereby providing open loop control over the course and heading of the avatar while facilitating a transition between steering, oblique, and scanning motions, the avatar moves in accordance to a computed situated-heading and the head-pose, wherein the situated-heading is a global four degrees-of-freedom (X, Y, Z, Yaw) describing a translation and orientation of the head of the avatar, the head-pose has six degrees-of-freedom describing a translation (X, Y, Z) and rotation (Yaw, Pitch, Roll) of the head of the avatar relative to the situated-heading, and the head-pose combines with the situated-heading to yield a viewpoint of the avatar that is a global six degrees-of freedom describing the translation and rotation of the head of the avatar in a virtual world, thereby varying the head-pose separately from the situated-heading to direct the viewpoint without redirecting the avatar'"'"'s course or heading; and a display for displaying the movement of the avatar in the virtual environment.
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Specification