Virtual reality system and method for controlling operation modes of virtual reality system

• US 9,952,652 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Wei-Chih, Tseng, Mong-Yu, Cheng, Nai-Jui
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Jr., Duane N
• Application Number:
  US14/939,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20160162012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A virtual reality system is provided. A head mounted display apparatus is coupled to a host device via a transmission cable. A multimedia module receives multimedia content via a first signal path of the transmission cable. A multi-sensing module obtains sensing information regarding the head mounted display apparatus and the user. A power management device controls the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub according to a power voltage via a third signal path of the transmission cable. The micro control unit detects in which mode the virtual reality system is operating according to the signal status of the first and second signal paths of the transmission cable to notify the power management device to control the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub.

Claims

1. A virtual reality system, comprising:

a host device;

a transmission cable;

a head mounted display apparatus to be worn by a user and coupled to the host device via the transmission cable, comprising;

a multimedia module, receiving multimedia content from the host device via a first signal path of the transmission cable;

a multi-sensing module, obtaining sensing information regarding the head mounted display apparatus and the user;

a peripheral hub, receiving communication data from the host device via a second signal path of the transmission cable, and providing the sensing information to the host device via the second signal path of the transmission cable;

a power management device, controlling power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub according to a power voltage from the host device via a third signal path of the transmission cable; and

a micro control unit, detecting in which mode the virtual reality system is operating according to signal status of the first and second signal paths of the transmission cable, so as to notify the power management device to control the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub;

a connection control unit coupled between the host device and the transmission cable, enhancing signal strength of the communication data and the sensing information; and

a base station, comprising;

a signal broadcasting module, providing reference information to the head mounted display apparatus;

a first Bluetooth transceiver, communicating with a second Bluetooth transceiver of the connection control unit, and providing position information to the head mounted display apparatus via the connection control unit; and

a timer,

wherein in response to a trigger signal from the second Bluetooth transceiver of the connection control unit, the timer is reset to count time.

2. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the micro control unit detects that no signal exists in the second signal path of the transmission cable, the micro control unit notifies the power management device that the virtual reality system is operating in a mobile mode.

3. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the virtual reality system is operating in the mobile mode, the power status of the multimedia module is active, and the power status of the multi-sensing module and the peripheral hub are inactive.

4. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multimedia module comprises:

a display section, displaying a video part of the multimedia content;

an audio unit, delivering an audio part of the multimedia content or recording sound from the user; and

a multimedia bridge coupled to the first signal path of the transmission cable, providing the multimedia content from the first signal path of the transmission cable to the display section and the audio unit, and providing the recorded sound from the audio unit to the first signal path of the transmission cable.

5. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the micro control unit detects that a first signal exists in the first signal path of the transmission cable and a second signal exists in the second signal path of the transmission cable, the micro control unit notifies the power management device that the virtual reality system is operating in a full operation mode.

6. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the virtual reality system is operating in the full operation mode, the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub are active.

7. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro control unit further detects the type of operation mode in which the virtual reality system is operating according to the sensing information.

8. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the sensing information indicates that the head mounted display apparatus is not being worn by the user, the micro control unit notifies the power management device that the virtual reality system is operating in a display off mode.

9. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the virtual reality system is operating in the display off mode, the power status of the multimedia module is inactive, and the power status of the peripheral hub is active.

10. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multi-sensing module comprises:

a position sensing device, obtaining position information corresponding to the head mounted display apparatus;

a user sensing device, obtaining user information of the user; and

an environment sensing device, obtaining environment information,

wherein the multi-sensing module obtains the sensing information according to the position information, the user information, and the environment information.

11. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the micro control unit detects that a first signal exists in the first signal path of the transmission cable and a second signal exists in the second signal path of the transmission cable, the position sensing device, the user sensing device and the environment sensing device are active.

12. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the position information corresponding to the head mounted display apparatus indicates that the head mounted display apparatus is not being worn by the user and the first and second signals exist, the position sensing device is active, and the user sensing device and the environment sensing device are inactive.

13. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the position information comprises movement information, orientation information, tilt angle information, and/or location information of the head mounted display apparatus, the user information comprises biometrical information about the user and/or an eye view information, and the environment information comprises images/video and/or depth information captured by the environment sensing device.

14. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the host device comprises:

a computing device, generating the multimedia content according to a multimedia source and the sensing information, and generating the communication data according to the sensing information; and

a connection control unit coupled between the computing device and the transmission cable, enhancing signal strength of the communication data and the sensing information.

15. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a power source coupled to the connection control unit, providing the power voltage to the third signal path of the transmission cable via the connection control unit.

16. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the multimedia source is obtained from a storage unit of the computing device or Internet network.

17. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the connection control unit further comprises:

a Bluetooth transceiver, communicating with a mobile phone,

wherein when an event from the mobile phone is received via the Bluetooth transceiver, the computing device provides the multimedia content in response to the event.

18. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a controller, comprising;

a first wireless module, communicating with a second wireless module of the head mounted display apparatus;

a motion sensor, sensing a motion of the controller, and providing information regarding the motion of the controller to the head mounted display apparatus via the first wireless module;

a user interface, comprising at least a button, and providing information regarding the button to the head mounted display apparatus via the first wireless module; and

a battery,

wherein when the head mounted display apparatus notifies the controller that the head mounted display apparatus is not being worn by the user, the controller is operating in a power saving mode.

19. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the battery is charged by a charger coupled to the controller or the information regarding the motion of the controller indicates that the controlled has not been moved over a specific time period, the controller is operating in the power saving mode.

20. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the button is pressed over a specific time period, the first wireless module, and the motion sensor are inactive after the controller provides a key event corresponding to the pressed button and receives a response from the head mounted display apparatus corresponding to the key event.

21. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 19, wherein when the controller obtains a wakeup event, the controller enters a normal mode from the power saving mode, so as to provide the information regarding the motion of the controller, the information regarding the button or a status of the battery to the head mounted display apparatus.

22. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the wakeup event is present when the head mounted display apparatus is being worn by the user, the information regarding the motion of the controller indicates that the controlled has been moved, the button has been pressed, or the controller is disconnected from the charger.

23. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection control unit periodically provides the trigger signal to the base station when the head mounted display apparatus is being worn by the user.

24. The virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a specific time period is counted by the timer and no trigger signal is provided from the connection control unit, the controller is powered off.

25. A method for controlling operation modes of a virtual reality system, wherein the virtual reality system comprises a host device, a head mounted display apparatus to be worn by a user, and a transmission cable coupled between the host device and the head mounted display apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting whether multimedia content exists in a first signal path of the transmission cable when a power voltage from the host device is received, by the head mounted display apparatus;

detecting whether communication data or sensing information exists in a second signal path of the transmission cable when the multimedia content is received, by the head mounted display apparatus;

controlling the head mounted display apparatus to operate in a full operation mode when the multimedia content exists in the first signal path of the transmission cable and the communication data or sensing information exists in the second signal path of the transmission cable, by the head mounted display apparatus;

controlling the head mounted display apparatus to operate in a mobile mode when the multimedia content exists in the first signal path of the transmission cable and the communication data or sensing information does not exist in the second signal path of the transmission cable, by the head mounted display apparatus;

enhancing signal strength of the communication data and the sensing information, by a connection control unit coupled between the host device and the transmission cable; and

communicating with a Bluetooth transceiver of the connection control unit and providing position information to the head mounted display apparatus via the connection control unit, by a base station;

wherein in response to a trigger signal from the Bluetooth transceiver of the connection control unit, a timer of the base station is reset to count time, and

wherein the first signal path is separated from the second signal path in the transmission cable.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the head mounted display apparatus comprises:

a multimedia module, receiving the multimedia content from the host device via the first signal path of the transmission cable, and;

a multi-sensing module, obtaining sensing information regarding the head mounted display apparatus and the user;

a peripheral hub, receiving the communication data from the host device via the second signal path of the transmission cable, and providing the sensing information to the host device via the second signal path of the transmission cable;

a power management device, controlling power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub according to a power voltage from the host device via a third signal path of the transmission cable; and

a micro control unit, detecting in which mode the virtual reality system is operating according to the signal status of the first and second signal paths of the transmission cable, so as to notify the power management device to control the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein when the virtual reality system is operating in the mobile mode, the power status of the multimedia module is active, and the power status of the multi-sensing module and the peripheral hub are inactive.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the multimedia module comprises:

a display section, displaying a video part of the multimedia content;

an audio unit, delivering an audio part of the multimedia content or recording sound from the user; and

a multimedia bridge coupled to the first signal path of the transmission cable, providing the multimedia content from the first signal path of the transmission cable to the display section and the audio unit, and providing the recorded sound from the audio unit to the first signal path of the transmission cable.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein when the virtual reality system is operating in the full operation mode, the power status of the multimedia module, the multi-sensing module, and the peripheral hub are active.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the micro control unit further detects the type of operation mode in which the virtual reality system is operating according to the sensing information.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

controlling the head mounted display apparatus to operate in a display off mode when the sensing information indicates that the head mounted display apparatus is not being worn by the user.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein when the virtual reality system is operating in the display off mode, the power status of the multimedia module is inactive, and the power status of the peripheral hub are active.