Environmental interrupt in a head-mounted display and utilization of non field of view real estate

• US 9,437,159 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Moravetz, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Drennan, Barry
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRADDOCK, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/283,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 345/633
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• 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 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• 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 3/017 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: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

A wearable computing device includes a head-mounted display (HMD) that generates a virtual reality environment. Through the generation and tracking of positional data, a the virtual environment may be interrupted or paused. Upon pausing the environment, a user may access a number of ancillary menus and controls not otherwise available during normal operation of the virtual environment.

Claims

1. A method for interrupting a virtual environment in a head-mounted display, the method comprising:

storing information in memory regarding at least one control setting that associates a function with a change in position of the head-mounted display;

calibrating the head-mounted display, wherein a start position of the head-mounted display is identified;

generating positional data that tracks movement of the head-mounted display;

determining that a current position of the head-mounted display is indicative of a change from the start position that exceeds the change in position of the control setting;

executing the function associated with the control setting, wherein the function comprises interrupting the virtual environment in the head-mounted display by pausing the environment; and

offering menu functionality in a peripheral vision area once the environment has been paused.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a gyroscope.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from an accelerometer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a magnetometer.

5. A system for interrupting a virtual environment in a head-mounted display, the system comprising:

memory that stores information regarding at least one control setting that associates a function with a change in position of the head-mounted display;

at least one of a gyroscope, magnetometer, and an accelerometer that;

calibrates the head-mounted display, wherein a start position of the head-mounted display is identified, and

generates positional data that tracks movement of the head-mounted display;

a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to;

determine that a current position of the head-mounted display is indicative of a change from the start position that exceeds the change in position of the control setting; and

execute the function associated with the control setting; and

a head-mounted display including at least one lens to display the virtual environment, wherein execution of the function interrupts the environment by pausing the environment; and

wherein the head-mounted display further offers menu functionality in a peripheral vision area once the environment has been paused.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from the gyroscope.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from the accelerometer.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from the magnetometer.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for interrupting a virtual environment in a head-mounted display, the method comprising:

storing information regarding at least one control setting that associates a function with a change in position of the head-mounted display;

calibrating the head-mounted display, wherein a start position of the head-mounted display is identified;

generating positional data that tracks movement of the head-mounted display;

determining that a current position of the head-mounted display is indicative of a change from the start position that exceeds the change in position of the control setting;

executing the function associated with the control setting, wherein the function comprises interrupting the virtual environment in the head-mounted display by pausing the environment; and

offering menu functionality in a peripheral vision area once the environment has been paused.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a gyroscope.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from an accelerometer.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a magnetometer.