Altering a view perspective within a display environment

• US 9,498,718 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Latta, Stephen G., Snook, Gregory N., McBride, Justin, Tomlin, Arthur Charles, Sarrett, Peter, Geisner, Kevin, Markovic, Relja, Vuchetich, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUANG, JUNG-MU T
• Application Number:
  US12/474,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for altering a view perspective within a display environment. For example, gesture data corresponding to a plurality of inputs may be stored. The input may be input into a game or application implemented by a computing device. Images of a user of the game or application may be captured. For example, a suitable capture device may capture several images of the user over a period of time. The images may be analyzed and processed for detecting a user'"'"'s gesture. Aspects of the user'"'"'s gesture may be compared to the stored gesture data for determining an intended gesture input for the user. The comparison may be part of an analysis for determining inputs corresponding to the gesture data, where one or more of the inputs are input into the game or application and cause a view perspective within the display environment to be altered.

Claims

1. A method for processing a gesture input for controlling an avatar movement on a display, the method comprising:

based at least upon determining a gesture indicative of a desire to define a central position of a user, defining, by a processor, a central area of a physical area, defining a first region of the physical area, and defining a second region of the physical area, the first region and the second region each defined with respect to a location on a floor in the central area, the central area, the first region and the second region each being three-dimensional and discrete from each other;

receiving, by the processor, first image data representing the user located in the first region, and determining, by the processor, from the first image data that the user has performed a gesture within the first region with a first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

receiving, by the processor, second image data representing the user located in the second region, and determining, by the processor, from the second image data that the user has performed the gesture within the second region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

receiving, by the processor, third image data representing the user located in the first region, and determining, by the processor, from the third image data that the user has performed the gesture within the first region with a second portion of the user'"'"'s body;

processing, by the processor, the gesture in a first manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the first region with a first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

processing, by the processor, the gesture in a second manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the second region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

processing, by the processor, the gesture in a third manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the first region with the second portion of the user'"'"'s body;

subsequently after processing the gesture to display and control the movement of the avatar in the first manner, in the second manner, or in the third manner on the display,

receiving, by the processor, fourth image data representing the user located at least in part in the central area, and determining from the fourth image data that the user is located at least in part in the central area;

determining, by the processor, based on the fourth image data, that the user has moved at least in part to the central area from the first region or the second region;

halting, by the processor, the corresponding movement of the avatar in the first manner, in the second manner, or in the third manner on the display based at least on determining that the user has moved at least in part to the central area from the first region or the second region after performing the gesture in the first region or the second region; and

based at least upon determining, by the processor, a gesture indicative of a desire to redefine the central position of the user, redefining the central area of the physical area, redefining the first region of the physical area, and redefining the second region of the physical area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the processor, first image data representing the user located in the first region, and determining, by the processor, from the first image data that the user has performed the gesture within the first region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body comprises:

filtering conditions comprising an angular distance or a linear distance from a skeletal bone position or a skeletal joint position of a model generated from the first image data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the processor, first image data representing the user located in the first region, and determining, by the processor, from the first image data that the user has performed the gesture within the first region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body comprises:

filtering conditions comprising a velocity or an acceleration of a skeletal bone or a skeletal joint of a model generated from the first image data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the processor, first image data representing the user located in the first region, and determining, by the processor, from the first image data that the user has performed the gesture within the first region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body comprises:

detecting, by the processor, that the first image data is indicative of a forward movement, a backward movement, a turn movement, a duck movement, a crouch movement, a swim movement, a flying movement, a zoom movement, a strafe movement, or a circle movement.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

altering, by the processor, a view perspective within a display environment in response to receiving the first image data indicative of the user being located within the first region.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, that a region of the physical area is the first region in response to receiving, by the processor, image data indicative of the user identifying a current location of the user as corresponding to the first region.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving, by the processor, image data indicative of the user having redefined a region of the physical area as corresponding to not altering a view perspective within a display environment,

determining, by the processor, that the first region no longer corresponds to altering the view perspective within the display environment, and

determining, by the processor, that a third region corresponds to altering the view perspective within the display environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the third manner of processing comprises determining, by the processor, that the gesture does not comprise a tracked gesture and disregarding the gesture.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tracked gesture comprises a sweeping gesture.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the user'"'"'s body is a left side of a user'"'"'s body and the second portion of the user'"'"'s body is a right side of the user'"'"'s body.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, fifth image data representing the user located in the first region or the second region, and determining, by the processor, from the fifth image data that the user has performed a different gesture within the first region or the second region, the different gesture comprising a movement or a position of a third portion of the user'"'"'s body; and

processing, by the processor, the different gesture in a fourth manner based at least on the different gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the first region and comprises the movement or the position of the third portion of the user'"'"'s body.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the user'"'"'s body comprises the user'"'"'s leg, the second portion of the user'"'"'s body comprises the user'"'"'s opposite leg, and the third portion of the user'"'"'s body comprises the user'"'"'s arms.

13. A system for processing a gesture input for controlling an avatar movement on a display, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor when the system is operational, the memory bearing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the system at least to;

based at least upon determining a gesture indicative of a desire to define a central position of a user, define a central area of a physical area, define a first region of the physical area, and define a second region of the physical area, the first region and the second region each defined with respect to a location on a floor in the central area, the central area, the first region and the second region each being three-dimensional and discrete from each other;

receive first image data representing the user located in the first region, and determine from the first image data that the user has performed a gesture within the first region with a first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

receive second image data representing the user located in the second region, and determine from the second image data that the user has performed the gesture within the second region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

receive third image data representing the user located in the first region, and determine from the third image data that the user has performed the gesture within the first region with a second portion of the user'"'"'s body;

process the gesture in a first manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the first region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

process the gesture in a second manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the second region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

process the gesture in a third manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the first region with the second portion of the user'"'"'s body;

subsequently after processing the gesture to display and control the movement of the avatar in the first manner, in the second manner, or in the third manner on the display,

receive fourth image data representing the user located at least in part in the central area, and determine from the fourth image data that the user is located at least in part in the central area;

determine, based on the fourth image data, the user has moved at least in part to the central area from the first region or the second region;

halt the corresponding movement of the avatar in the first manner, in the second manner, or in the third manner on the display based at least on determining that the user has moved at least in part to the central area from the first region or the second region after performing the gesture in the first region or the second region; and

based at least upon determining a gesture indicative of a desire to redefine the central position of the user, redefine the central area of the physical area, redefining the first region of the physical area, and redefining the second region of the physical area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor-executable instructions that cause the system at least to process the recognized gesture in a first manner further cause the system at least to:

detect that the first image data is indicative of a forward movement, a backward movement, a turn movement, a duck movement, a crouch movement, a swim movement, a flying movement, a zoom movement, a strafe movement, or a circle movement.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the system at least to:

in response to determining that the user has performed the gesture, a view perspective within a display environment and display the altered view perspective of the display environment, the display environment comprising a three-dimensional virtual environment or a displayed real environment.

16. A computer-readable device that is not a signal, bearing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform operations for processing a gesture input for controlling an avatar movement on a display comprising:

based at least upon determining a gesture indicative of a desire to define a central position of a user, defining a central area of a physical area, defining a first region of the physical area, and defining a second region of the physical area, the first region and the second region each defined with respect to a location on a floor in the central area, the central area, the first region and the second region each being three-dimensional and discrete from each other;

receiving first image data representing the user located in the first region, and determining from the first image data that the user has performed a gesture within the first region with a first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

receiving second image data representing the user located in the second region, and determining from the second image data that the user has performed the gesture within the second region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

receiving third image data representing the user located in the first region, and determining from the third image data that the user has performed the gesture within the first region with a second portion of the user'"'"'s body;

processing the gesture in a first manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the first region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

processing the gesture in a second manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the second region with the first portion of the user'"'"'s body;

processing the gesture in a third manner to display and control a movement of the avatar on the display based at least on the gesture having been recognized to have been performed within the first region with the second portion of the user'"'"'s body;

subsequently after processing the gesture to display and control the movement of the avatar in the first manner, in the second manner, or in the third manner on the display,

receiving fourth image data representing the user located at least in part in the central area, and determining from the fourth image data that the user is located at least in part in the central area;

determining, based on the fourth image data, the user has moved at least in part to the central area from the first region or the second region;

halting the corresponding movement of the avatar in the first manner, in the second manner, or in the third manner on the display based at least on determining that the user has moved at least in part to the central area from the first region or the second region after performing the gesture in the first region or the second region; and

based at least upon determining a gesture indicative of a desire to redefine the central position of the user, redefining the central area of the physical area, redefining the first region of the physical area, and redefining the second region of the physical area.

17. The computer-readable device of claim 16, wherein processing the gesture in a first manner comprises detecting that the first image data is indicative of a forward movement, a backward movement, a turn movement, a duck movement, a crouch movement, a swim movement, a flying movement, a zoom movement, a strafe movement, or a circle movement.

18. The computer-readable device of claim 16, further bearing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

in response to determining that the user has performed the gesture, altering a view perspective within a display environment and displaying the altered view perspective of the display environment, the display environment comprising a three-dimensional virtual environment or a displayed real environment.