Approach for offset motion-based control of a computer

• US 8,669,938 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Naturalpoint Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Naturalpoint Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Richardson, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US11/943,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,303 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345 7- 9, 345157-167, 702/94, 702/95, 463/30
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation

Abstract

A system for controlling a computing device. The system includes, a plurality of sensed locations corresponding to a sensed object, a sensing apparatus to sense a position of the sensed locations relative to the sensing apparatus, and a motion control engine executable on a computing device, in response to the motion control engine receiving position data indicative of the position of the sensed locations from the sensing apparatus, the motion control engine to generate an adjusted position based on the position data, wherein the adjusted position is offset from the position of the sensed locations, and wherein the adjusted position is fixed relative to the position of the sensed locations.

Claims

1. A system for controlling presentation of a rendered scene based on user-controlled movement of a sensed object, comprising:

one or more sensed locations affixed to the sensed object in a position offset from a desired control position associated with the sensed object;

a sensing apparatus to sense an actual position of the sensed locations relative to the sensing apparatus; and

a motion control engine executable on a computing device, in response to the motion control engine receiving position data indicative of the actual position of the sensed locations from the sensing apparatus, the motion control engine being configured to generate an adjusted position based on the position data, wherein the adjusted position is offset from the actual position of the sensed locations to correspond to the desired control position of the sensed object, wherein the adjusted position is fixed relative to the actual position of the sensed locations, and wherein the adjusted position corresponding to the desired control position of the sensed object is used to control a presentation of a rendered scene generated by a computing device on a display positioned away from a user in a fixed location while the user moves relative to the display.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a presentation application in communication with the motion control engine, the presentation application being configured to display a rendered scene based on the adjusted position, and configured to change the rendered scene in response to a change in position of the adjusted position.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the position data of the sensed locations includes six degrees, each degree corresponding to a different axis of movement of the sensed locations, and wherein the adjusted position includes six offset values, each offset value corresponding to a different one of the six degrees and the offset values differing relative to the six different axes of movement.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensed locations include a fixed array of at least three infrared light emitting diodes and the sensing apparatus includes an infrared camera device to detect the respective position of each of the at least three infrared light emitting diodes.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensed object is a head of a user and the sensed locations are secured to the head of the user and the adjusted position is offset from the actual position of the sensed locations to substantially a center position of the head of the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensed locations is a plurality of sensed locations, and wherein the motion control engine is configured to offset the adjusted position by a predetermined set of values that differs based on a configuration of the plurality of sensed locations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensed locations are configured to be selectively coupled with an intermediary object and the motion control engine is configured to offset the adjusted position by a predetermined set of values based on at least one of an orientation of the sensed locations relative to the intermediary object and an orientation of the intermediary object to a user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the motion control engine is configured to receive an indication of a type of intermediary object and configured to offset the adjusted position by a predetermined set of values based on the type of intermediary object.

9. A method of controlling a rendered scene presentable on a display of a computing device based on user-controlled movement of an intermediary object, the method comprising:

receiving positional data from a sensing apparatus, the positional data indicative of an actual position of one or more sensed locations affixed to the intermediary object in a position offset from a desired control position associated with the intermediary object, the actual position relative to a reference position;

offsetting the actual position of the sensed locations to the desired control position for the intermediary object, where the desired control position is fixed relative to the actual position; and

generating control commands based on the desired control position, the control commands to control presentation of the rendered scene generated by a computing device on a display positioned away from a user, wherein the control commands adjust the rendered scene responsive to movements of the desired control position, the movements of the desired control position representing movements of the intermediary object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the desired control position is user selected.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the desired control position is defined by a calibration procedure that includes exercising axes of the intermediary object to create a plurality of data points, defining a set of limitations of motion corresponding to each axis of movement of the intermediary object, and iteratively defining offset values of the desired control position based on the data points and the set of motion limitations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the desired control position is selectable from a plurality of predefined positions.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing at least one of the desired control position and offset values associated with the desired control position in a profile of a user, wherein the profile is one of a plurality of user profiles.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

updating the user profile with a modified at least one of the desired control position and offset values associated with the desired control position based on adaptively learned user tendencies.

15. A motion-based control system to control presentation of a rendered scene based on user-controlled movement of a sensed object, the system comprising:

a motion control engine executable on a computing device, in response to the motion control engine receiving position data from a sensing apparatus indicative of an actual position of one or more sensed locations affixed to the sensed object in a position offset from a desired control position associated with the sensed object, the motion control engine being configured to generate an adjusted position that is offset from the actual position of the sensed locations to correspond to the desired control position and is fixed relative to the actual position of the sensed locations, wherein the adjusted position is adaptively learned as user tendencies change, and wherein presentation of the rendered scene is generated by a computing device on a display positioned away from a user and is based on the adjusted position; and

a user interface configured to receive user input, wherein the user input defines a characteristic of the adjusted position, and the motion control engine being configured to calibrate the adjusted position based on one or more of the user input and movement tendencies of a user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user input includes a plurality of physical properties that defines a sensed object, and the motion control engine being configured to calibrate the adjusted position based on the plurality of physical properties.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user input includes positional data generated from a calibration procedure, wherein the calibration procedure includes exercising the sensed locations in six axes of movement to determine a range of motion of the sensed locations.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user input includes selection of the desired control position.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the user input includes selection of a predetermined offset profile from a plurality of different offset profiles.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of different offset profiles includes at least one sensed location that is positioned relative to a user differently than at least one sensed location of a different predetermined offset profile.