Presenting a view within a three dimensional scene

• US 9,202,306 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: zSpace Inc.
• Original Assignee: zSpace Inc.
• Inventors: Vesely, Michael A., Gray, Alan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAJNIK, DANIEL F
• Application Number:
  US14/268,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• 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 3/04815 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 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/279 the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by the viewers or determined by tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes

Abstract

Presenting a view based on a virtual viewpoint in a three dimensional (3D) scene. The 3D scene may be presented by at least one display, which includes displaying at least one stereoscopic image of the 3D scene by the display(s). The 3D scene may be presented according to a first viewpoint. A virtual viewpoint may be determined within the 3D scene that is different than the first viewpoint. The view of the 3D scene may be presented on the display(s) according to the virtual viewpoint and/or the first view point. The presentation of the view of the 3D scene is performed concurrently with presenting the 3D scene.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing program instructions for presenting a view based on a virtual viewpoint in a three dimensional (3D) scene, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

track a user position via a position input device, wherein the user position comprises position and orientation in physical space;

determine a user viewpoint based on said tracking;

determine a user perspective relative to at least one display surface, wherein the user perspective comprises a mapping between angle and orientation of the at least one display surface and a render plane to the user viewpoint, wherein the mapping is based on the tracking of the position of the user, and wherein to determine the user perspective, the program instructions are executable by a processor to;

determine a first user eyepoint based on user position; and

correlate user position to a position of the at least one display surface, wherein the correlation is relative to an angle and orientation of the at least one display surface;

render and display the 3D scene within a virtual space by at least one display, wherein the at least one display comprises the at least one display surface, where said rendering and displaying is based on a projection in virtual space to the render plane, wherein the render plane has a correlation to the position and orientation of the at least one display, and wherein the correlation is based on the user perspective;

determine a first virtual viewpoint, wherein the first virtual viewpoint is controlled by a first position, angle and orientation of at least a portion of a hand of the user in the physical space without use of hand-held tools and corresponds to a first position, angle and orientation in the virtual space;

establish a first field of view and first view volume of the 3D scene, wherein the first field of view and first view volume are based on the first virtual viewpoint;

store the first field of view and first view volume;

determine a second virtual viewpoint, wherein the second virtual viewpoint is controlled by a second position, angle and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user in the physical space without use of hand-held tools and corresponds to a second position, angle and orientation in the virtual space;

establish a second field of view and second view volume of the 3D scene, wherein the second field of view and second view volume are based on the second virtual viewpoint; and

store the second field of view and second view volume.

2. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first position, angle, and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user is in open space.

3. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the second position, angle, and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user is in open space.

4. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the user position comprises at least one of:

a user head position;

a user eye position; and

a user eye pair position.

5. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the second virtual viewpoint is different than the first virtual viewpoint.

6. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the user perspective further comprises an oblique viewpoint, wherein the render plane corresponds to the oblique viewpoint, wherein the render plane has a first oblique render plane angle, and wherein an additional render plane corresponds to the oblique viewpoint wherein the additional render plan has a second oblique render plane angle.

7. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 6, wherein the 3D scene renders in stereo and the display surface is a stereo 3D display surface.

8. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable by a processor to:

present, via the at least one display, the 3D scene according to one of the stored first field of view and first view volume and the stored second field of view and second view volume;

wherein said presenting the 3D scene according to one of the stored first field of view and first view volume and the stored second field of view and second view volume is performed concurrently with said rendering and displaying.

9. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the 3D scene renders in stereo and the display surface is a stereo 3D display surface.

10. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first virtual viewpoint is in open space.

11. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first virtual viewpoint is in inner space.

12. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing program instructions for presenting a view based on a virtual viewpoint in a three dimensional (3D) scene, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

determine a first user viewpoint by tracking a first user position via a position input device in the physical space;

determine a first user perspective to a display surface of at least one display, wherein said determining comprises assessing a first user eyepoint based on the first user position;

render and display the 3D scene on the at least one display based on a first projection in virtual space to a first render plane in physical space according to the first user perspective and the first position, angle and orientation of the display surface, wherein the first user perspective correlates to a corresponding first frustum and the first render plane of the 3D scene;

determine a virtual viewpoint in a virtual space, wherein the virtual viewpoint corresponds to a first virtual position, virtual angle, and virtual orientation in the virtual space and is controlled by a first position, angle, and orientation of at least a portion of a hand of the user input device in physical space without use of hand-held tools;

establish a first field of view and first view volume of the 3D scene, wherein the first field of view and first view volume are based on the virtual viewpoint;

store the first field of view and first view volume;

determine a second user viewpoint by tracking a second user position via the position input device in the physical space;

determine a second user perspective to the display surface, wherein said determining comprises assessing a second user eyepoint based on the second user position; and

determine that the first position, angle, and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user in the physical space has not changed.

13. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12, wherein the first position, angle, and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user is in open space.

14. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12, wherein the user position comprises at least one of:

a user head position;

a user eye position; and

a user eye pair position.

15. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12,

wherein the first user perspective comprises a first perpendicular and first oblique viewpoint, wherein the first perpendicular viewpoint corresponds to the first render plane with a first render plane angle, and wherein the first oblique viewpoint corresponds to a second render plane with a second render plane angle;

and

wherein the second user perspective comprises a second perpendicular and second oblique viewpoint, wherein the second perpendicular viewpoint corresponds to a third render plane with a third render plane angle, and wherein the second oblique viewpoint corresponds to a fourth render plane with a fourth render plane angle.

16. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 15, wherein the 3D scene renders in stereo and the display surface is a stereo 3D display surface.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable by a processor to:

present, via the at least one display, the 3D scene according to the stored first field of view and first view volume;

wherein said presenting the 3D scene according to the stored first field of view and first view volume is performed concurrently with said rendering and displaying.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12, wherein the 3D scene comprises a stereoscopic 3D scene.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12,

wherein to track the first user position the program instructions are further executable by a processor to assess first X, Y, and Z coordinates, angle, and orientation of the first user position in physical space;

wherein to track the second user position the program instructions are further executable by a processor to assess second X, Y, and Z coordinates, angle, and orientation of the second user position in physical space; and

wherein to determine the virtual viewpoint in the virtual space, the program instructions are further executable by a processor to assess third X, Y, and Z coordinates, angle, and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user in physical space.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 19, wherein the virtual viewpoint in virtual space corresponds to the third X, Y, and Z coordinates, angle, and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user in physical space.

21. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12, wherein the first user perspective correlates to the display surface oriented at a display surface angle, wherein the first perspective comprises a first mapping between angle and orientation of the display surface and the first render plane to the first user viewpoint, wherein the first mapping is based on the tracking of the first user position.

22. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 21, wherein the second user perspective correlates to the display surface oriented at the display surface angle, wherein the second perspective additionally correlates to a corresponding second frustum and second render plane at a second render plane angle of the 3D scene, wherein the second perspective comprises a second mapping between angle and orientation of the display and the second render plane to the second user viewpoint, and wherein the second mapping is based on the tracking of the second user position.

23. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable by a processor to:

retain the first field of view and first view volume in response to determining that the first position, angle, and orientation of the user input device has not changed.

24. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 23, wherein the retained first field of view and first view volume may be of the 3D scene.

25. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 23, wherein the retained first field of view and first view volume may be of a change of the 3D scene.

26. A method for presenting a view based on a virtual viewpoint in a three dimensional (3D) scene, comprising:

tracking a user position via a position input device, wherein the user position comprises position and orientation in physical space;

determining a user viewpoint based on said tracking;

determining a user perspective relative to at least one display surface, wherein the user perspective comprises a mapping between angle and orientation of the at least one display surface and a render plane to the user viewpoint, wherein the mapping is based on the tracking of the position of the user, and wherein said determining the user perspective comprises;

determining a first user eyepoint based on user position; and

correlating user position to a position of the at least one display surface, wherein the correlation is relative to an angle and orientation of the at least one display surface;

rendering and displaying the 3D scene within a virtual space by at least one display, wherein the at least one display comprises the at least one display surface, and where said rendering and displaying is based on a projection in virtual space to the render plane, wherein the render plane has a correlation to the position and orientation of the at least one display, and wherein the correlation is based on the user perspective;

determine a first virtual viewpoint, wherein the first virtual viewpoint is controlled by a first position, angle and orientation of at least a portion of a hand of the user in the physical space without use of hand-held tools and corresponds to a first position, angle and orientation in the virtual space;

establishing a first field of view and first view volume of the 3D scene, wherein the first field of view and first view volume are based on the first virtual viewpoint;

storing the first field of view and first view volume;

determine a second virtual viewpoint, wherein the second virtual viewpoint is controlled by a second position, angle and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user in the physical space without use of hand-held tools and corresponds to a second position, angle and orientation in the virtual space;

establishing a second field of view and second view volume of the 3D scene, wherein the second field of view and second view volume are based on the second virtual viewpoint; and

storing the second field of view and second view volume.

27. A method for presenting a view based on a virtual viewpoint in a three dimensional (3D) scene, comprising:

determining a first user viewpoint by tracking a first user position via a position input device in the physical space;

determining a first user perspective to a display surface of at least one display, wherein said determining comprises assessing a first user eyepoint based on the first user position;

rendering and displaying the 3D scene on the at least one display based on a first projection in virtual space to a first render plane in physical space according to the first user perspective and the first position, angle and orientation of the display surface, wherein the first user perspective correlates to a corresponding first frustum and the first render plane of the 3D scene;

determine a virtual viewpoint in a virtual space, wherein the virtual viewpoint corresponds to a first virtual position, virtual angle, and virtual orientation in the virtual space and is controlled by a first position, angle, and orientation of at least a portion of a hand of the user input device in physical space without use of hand-held tools;

establishing a first field of view and first view volume of the 3D scene, wherein the first field of view and first view volume are based on the virtual viewpoint;

storing the first field of view and first view volume;

determining a second user viewpoint by tracking a second user position via the position input device in the physical space;

determining a second user perspective to the display surface, wherein said determining comprises assessing a second user eyepoint based on the second user position; and

determining that the first position, angle, and orientation of the at least a portion of the hand of the user in the physical space has not changed.