System and method for presenting virtual reality content to a user

• US 9,392,212 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mindshow, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Visionary VR, Inc.
• Inventors: Ross, Jonathan Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Mishawn
• Application Number:
  US14/489,128
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 386/230, 386/239, 386/240, 348/51, 348/53, 345/158, 345/633
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9305 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system configured to present primary and secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content to a user. Primary virtual reality content may be displayed to a user, and, responsive to the user turning his view away from the primary virtual reality content, a sensory cue is provided to the user that indicates to the user that his view is no longer directed toward the primary virtual reality content, and secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content may be displayed to the user. Primary virtual reality content may resume when the user returns his view to the primary virtual reality content. Primary virtual reality content may be adjusted based on a user'"'"'s interaction with the secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content. Secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content may be adjusted based on a user'"'"'s progression through the primary virtual reality content, or interaction with the primary virtual reality content.

Claims

1. A system configured to present virtual reality content to a user, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to a view direction of the user, the view direction of the user corresponding to a physical direction toward which a gaze of the user is directed, the view direction including a first view direction that corresponds to a first physical direction toward which the gaze of the user is directed and a second view direction that corresponds to a second physical direction toward which the gaze of the user is directed;

a display configured to present the virtual reality content to the user such that the presented virtual reality content corresponds to the view direction of the user;

the virtual reality content comprising primary virtual reality content that is presented to the user within a first field of view, and secondary virtual reality content that is presented to the user within a second field of view; and

one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to;

determine the view direction of the user based on the output signals;

cause the display to present the virtual reality content based on the determined view direction such that primary virtual reality content is presented to the user responsive to the view direction of the user being within the first field of view and secondary virtual reality content is presented to the user responsive to the view direction of the user being within the second field of view; and

cause the display to provide a sensory cue to the user responsive to the view direction of the user changing between the first field of view and the second field of view

wherein the sensory cue comprises a visually perceptible darkening of the primary virtual reality content and a brightening of the secondary virtual reality content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that the first field of view and the second field of view share a first field boundary.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that the cue is provided responsive to the view direction moving across the first field boundary.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to facilitate adjustment of the first field of view, the second field of view and/or the first field boundary by the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to cause the display to pause the presentation of the primary virtual reality content responsive to the view direction of the user changing from the first field of view to the second field of view.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to facilitate:

interaction between the user and the primary virtual reality content; and

interaction between the user and the secondary virtual reality content.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to adjust the primary virtual reality content presented to the user based on interaction between the user and the secondary virtual reality content.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to adjust the secondary virtual reality content presented to the user based on one or more of interaction between the user and the primary virtual reality content, or a progression of the user through the primary virtual reality content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to cause the display to stop presenting the virtual reality content to the user responsive to the user removing the headset from his head and/or resume presenting the virtual reality content responsive to the user replacing the headset on his head.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is included in a virtual reality headset worn by the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that the primary virtual reality content is a movie.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that the secondary virtual reality content is associated with the movie.

13. A method for presenting virtual reality content to a user, the method comprising:

generating output signals conveying information related to a view direction of the user, the view direction of the user corresponding to a physical direction toward which a gaze of the user is directed, the view direction including a first view direction that corresponds to a first physical direction toward which the gaze of the user is directed and a second view direction that corresponds to a second physical direction toward which the gaze of the user is directed;

determining the view direction of the user based on the output signals;

presenting the virtual reality content to the user such that the presented virtual reality content corresponds to the view direction of the user;

the virtual reality content comprising primary virtual reality content that is presented to the user within a first field of view, and secondary virtual reality content that is presented to the user within a second field of view, the presenting comprising;

causing a display to present the virtual reality content based on the determined view direction such that the primary virtual reality content is presented to the user responsive to the view direction of the user being within the first field of view and the secondary virtual reality content is presented to the user responsive to the view direction of the user being within the second field of view; and

causing the display to provide a sensory cue to the user responsive to the view direction of the user changing between the first field of view and the second field of view,

wherein the sensory cue comprises a visually perceptible darkening of the primary virtual reality content and a brightening of the secondary virtual reality content.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first field of view and the second field of view share a first field boundary.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cue is provided responsive to the view direction moving across the first field boundary.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising facilitating adjustment of the first field of view, the second field of view and/or the first field boundary by the user.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing the display to pause the presentation of the primary virtual reality content responsive to the view direction of the user changing from the first field of view to the second field of view.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising facilitating:

interaction between the user and the primary virtual reality content; and

interaction between the user and the secondary virtual reality content.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adjusting the primary virtual reality content presented to the user based on interaction between the user and the secondary virtual reality content.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising adjusting the secondary virtual reality content presented to the user based on one or more of interaction between the user and the primary virtual reality content, or a progression of the user through the primary virtual reality content.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the display is included in a virtual reality headset worn by the user.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the primary virtual reality content is a movie.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the secondary virtual reality content is associated with the movie.