Head-mounted display apparatus for navigating a virtual environment
First Claim
1. A virtual environment navigation system comprising a head-mounted apparatus, wherein the head-mounted apparatus comprises a microprocessor, a visual display and one or more sensors, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is positioned on a person'"'"'s face such that the visual display is positioned in front of the eye(s) of the person and the person'"'"'s line of sight aligns more closely with the z-axis of the visual display than with the y-axis of the visual display, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is configured to:
- a. generate a virtual environment;
b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment;
c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment;
d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment along the axis of the orientation of the virtual camera using x-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot down or pivot up of the head-mounted apparatus and an x-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of x-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to be used independently of x-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to update the orientation of the virtual camera; and
e. generate a signal to update the orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using v-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot left or pivot right of the head-mounted apparatus and a v-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of v-axisometer sensor data to update the orientation of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of x-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling x-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to be used independently of v-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to update the location of the virtual camera.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments, a head-mounted apparatus with a visual display and one or more sensors may make navigation of virtual environments more natural. The invention enables a participant to pivot, tip and aim the apparatus to orient and move through virtual space hands-free.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A virtual environment navigation system comprising a head-mounted apparatus, wherein the head-mounted apparatus comprises a microprocessor, a visual display and one or more sensors, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is positioned on a person'"'"'s face such that the visual display is positioned in front of the eye(s) of the person and the person'"'"'s line of sight aligns more closely with the z-axis of the visual display than with the y-axis of the visual display, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is configured to:
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a. generate a virtual environment; b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment; c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment; d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment along the axis of the orientation of the virtual camera using x-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot down or pivot up of the head-mounted apparatus and an x-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of x-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to be used independently of x-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to update the orientation of the virtual camera; and e. generate a signal to update the orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using v-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot left or pivot right of the head-mounted apparatus and a v-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of v-axisometer sensor data to update the orientation of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of x-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling x-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to be used independently of v-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to update the location of the virtual camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A virtual environment navigation system comprising a head-mounted apparatus, wherein the head-mounted apparatus comprises a microprocessor, a visual display and one or more sensors, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is positioned on a person'"'"'s face such that the visual display is positioned in front of the eye(s) of the person and the person'"'"'s line of sight aligns more closely with the z-axis of the visual display than with the v-axis of the visual display, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is configured to:
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a. generate a virtual environment; b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment; c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment; and d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using z-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating tip left or tip right of the head-mounted apparatus and a z-axisometer sensor reference data, and; i. the location of the virtual camera is established in the direction perpendicularly left of the orientation of the virtual camera if the z-axisometer data indicates a tip left posture of the head-mounted apparatus relative to the z-axisometer sensor reference data; and ii. the location of the virtual camera is established in the direction perpendicularly right of the orientation of the virtual camera if the z-axisometer data indicates a tip right posture of the head-mounted apparatus relative to the z-axisometer sensor reference data. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A virtual environment navigation system comprising a head-mounted apparatus, wherein the head-mounted apparatus comprises a microprocessor, a visual display and one or more sensors, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is positioned on a person'"'"'s face such that the visual display is positioned in front of the eye(s) of the person and the person'"'"'s line of sight aligns more closely with the z-axis of the visual display than with the y-axis of the visual display, wherein the head-mounted apparatus is configured to:
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a. generate a three-dimensional virtual environment comprising a plurality of video panes and a plurality of virtual speakers, wherein; i. a plurality of videos play simultaneously in distinct locations in the virtual environment; and ii. a plurality of sounds are produced for display as if coming from distinct locations in the virtual environment; b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment; c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment; d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment along the axis of the orientation of the virtual camera using x-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot up or pivot down of the head-mounted apparatus and an x-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of x-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to be used independently of x-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to update the orientation of the virtual camera, and; i. the location of the virtual camera is established in the direction of the orientation of the virtual camera if the x-axisometer data indicates a pivot down posture relative to the x-axisometer sensor reference data; ii. the location of the virtual camera is established in the opposite direction of the orientation of the virtual camera if the x-axisometer data indicates a pivot up posture relative to the x-axisometer sensor reference data; and iii. the magnitude of virtual camera location change is based on x-axisometer data relative to x-axisometer sensor reference data; and e. generate a signal to update the orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using v-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot left or pivot right of the head-mounted apparatus and a v-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of v-axisometer sensor data to update the orientation of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of x-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling x-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to be used independently of v-axisometer sensor data of the head-mounted apparatus to update the location of the virtual camera, and; i. the orientation of the virtual camera is established left if the v-axisometer data indicates an aim left posture relative to a v-axisometer sensor reference data; and ii. the orientation of the virtual camera is established right if the v-axisometer data indicates an aim right posture relative to the v-axisometer sensor reference data. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification