Menu navigation in a head-mounted display

• US 9,588,343 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• 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): Salomon, Phenuel
• Application Number:
  US14/283,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

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 focal point may be tracked with respect to one or menu navigation elements. Following the fixated positioning of the focal point over the menu navigation element for a predetermined amount of time, a process corresponding to the menu navigation element is executed.

Claims

1. A method for menu navigation in a head-mounted display, the method comprising:

generating positional data of the head-mounted display;

displaying a virtual environment that includes a focal point of the head-mounted display;

tracking a position of the displayed focal point of the head-mounted display, wherein the position of the displayed focal point is moved over one or more other visual elements displayed within the virtual environment;

detecting that the displayed focal point is within an operational range of a displayed menu navigation element in the virtual environment, wherein the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element corresponds to a defined area that extends around the displayed menu navigation element, and wherein detecting that the focal point is within the operational range of the displayed menu navigation comprises detecting that the focal point is located within the defined area;

executing a fixation timer corresponding to the displayed menu navigation element, wherein the fixation timer counts down a predetermined amount of time when the displayed focal point is within the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element, and wherein the fixation timer stops counting when the displayed focal point moves out of the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element; and

implementing a corresponding function of the displayed menu navigation element upon expiration of the predetermined amount of time as indicated by the fixation timer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the 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. The method of claim 1, wherein the focal point comprises an associated area around the focal point, and wherein determining that the focal point is within the operational range of the menu navigation comprises determining that the associated area is within the operational range of the menu navigation element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the focal point and the menu navigation element each includes an associated area, and wherein determining that the focal point is within the operational range of the menu navigation comprises determining that the associated area of the focal point overlaps the associated area of the menu navigation element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the fixation timer corresponding to the navigation element comprises determining whether the focal point has moved out of the operational range since the fixation timer began execution.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein executing the fixation timer corresponding to the navigation element further comprises confirming that the focal point remains within the operational range of the menu navigation element.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein executing the fixation timer corresponding to the navigation element further comprises confirming that an area associated with the focal point remains within the operational range of the menu navigation element.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein executing the fixation timer corresponding to the navigation element further comprises confirming that an area associated with the focal point continues to overlap an area associated with the menu navigation element.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of the focal point during the execution of the timer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of the navigation element during execution of the timer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of an area associated with the focal point during execution of the timer.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of an area associated with the navigation element during execution of the timer.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of the focal point and the navigation element during execution of the timer.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of the focal point and an area associated with the navigation element during execution of the timer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an appearance of an area associated with the focal point and the navigation element during execution of the timer.

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

generating positional data of the head-mounted display;

displaying a virtual environment that includes a focal point of the head-mounted display;

tracking a position of the displayed focal point of the head-mounted display, wherein the position of the displayed focal point is moved over one or more other visual elements displayed within the virtual environment;

detecting that the displayed focal point is within an operational range of a displayed menu navigation element in the virtual environment, wherein the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element corresponds to a defined area that extends around the displayed menu navigation element, and wherein detecting that the focal point is within the operational range of the displayed menu navigation comprises detecting that the focal point is located within the defined area;

executing a fixation timer corresponding to the displayed menu navigation element, wherein the fixation timer counts down a predetermined amount of time when the displayed focal point is within the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element, and wherein the fixation timer stops counting when the displayed focal point moves out of the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element; and

implementing a corresponding function of the displayed menu navigation element upon expiration of the predetermined amount of time as indicated by the fixation timer.

19. A system for menu navigation, the system comprising:

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

a head-mounted display including at least one lens to display a virtual environment that includes a focal point and a menu navigation element;

a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to;

process the positional data to track the position of the displayed focal point of the head-mounted display, wherein the position of the displayed focal point is moved over one or more other visual elements displayed within the virtual environment,

detect that the displayed focal point is within an operational range of the displayed menu navigation element in the virtual environment, wherein the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element corresponds to a defined area that extends around the displayed menu navigation element, and wherein detecting that the focal point is within the operational range of the displayed menu navigation comprises detecting that the focal point is located within the defined area,

execute a fixation timer corresponding to the displayed menu navigation element, wherein the fixation timer counts down a predetermined amount of time when the displayed focal point is within the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element, and wherein the fixation timer stops counting when the displayed focal point moves out of the operational range of the displayed menu navigation element, and

execute a functionality associated with the displayed menu navigation element upon expiration of the predetermined amount of time as indicated by the fixation timer.