CAMERA BASED SAFETY MECHANISMS FOR USERS OF HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAYS

• US 20150094142A1
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Stafford, Jeffrey Roger
• Granted Patent: US 9,630,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• 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 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• 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 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L

Abstract

The disclosure provides methods and systems for warning a user of a head mounted display during gameplay of a video game. A game is executed causing interactive scenes of the game to be rendered on a display portion of a head mounted display (HMD) worn by a user. A change in position of the HMD worn by the user, while the user is interacting with the game, is detected. The change in position is evaluated, the evaluation causing a signal to be generated when the change exceeds a pre-defined threshold value. When the signal is generated, content is sent to interrupt the interactive scenes being rendered on the display portion of the HMD. The data sent provides descriptive context for the signal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

executing a game, the execution causing interactive scenes of the game to be rendered on a display portion of a head mounted display (HMD) worn by a user;

detecting change in position of the HMD worn by the user while the user is interacting with the game;

evaluating the change in position of the HMD worn by the user, the evaluation causing a signal to be generated when the change exceeds a pre-defined threshold value; and

sending data to interrupt the interactive scenes being rendered on the display portion of the HMD when the signal is generated, wherein the data sent provides descriptive context for the signal,

wherein the method operations are performed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptive context identifies an environmental condition detected in a vicinity of the user wearing the HMD.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptive context identifies severity of environmental safety condition detected in vicinity of the user wearing the HMD.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data sent for rendering on the HMD conveys a warning.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the warning identifies a warning level based on the severity of the environmental safety condition in the vicinity of the user wearing the HMD.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein when the warning identifies a low warning level, the data sent augments the interactive scenes being rendered on the display portion of the HMD.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein when the warning identifies a high warning level, the data sent corresponds to real-world scene captured from the vicinity of the user, so as to allow the display portion of the HMD to transition from the interactive scenes to the real-world scene.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transition from the interactive scenes to the real-world scene is performed gradually.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data sent includes data for augmenting the interactive scenes of the game or data for transitioning out of the interactive scenes based on severity of environmental safety condition detected in a vicinity of the user wearing the HMD.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data sent for augmenting the interactive scenes is sent in one of audio format, textual format, haptic format, static graphic format, animated graphic format, or any combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein change in position includes change in at least one of orientation, direction, location of the HMD worn by the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating includes,

determining amount of change in at least one variable defining the position of the HMD.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the variable is a marker element disbursed on an external surface of the HMD and the change in orientation of the at least one variable includes change in orientation of the marker.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating includes,

determining amount of change in at least one variable defining the position of a controller used by the user for interacting with the game.

15. A method, comprising:

executing a game, the execution causing interactive scenes of the game to be rendered on a display portion of a head mounted display (HMD) worn by a user;

determining a volume surrounding the HMD worn by the user, the volume defined using one or more coordinates in Cartesian space;

monitoring actions of the user during gameplay of the game;

when the actions result in a change in position of the HMD worn by the user,

evaluating the change in the position of the HMD worn by the user, the evaluation causing a signal to be generated when the change exceeds a pre-defined threshold value; and

sending data to interrupt the interactive scenes being rendered on the display portion of the HMD when the signal is generated, wherein the data sent provides descriptive context for the signal,

wherein the method operations are performed by a processor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the change in position is determined by computing a change in the one or more coordinates defining the volume surrounding the HMD.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the data sent for rendering on the HMD conveys a warning.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the warning identifies a warning level that is descriptive of severity of environmental safety condition detected in a vicinity of the user wearing the HMD.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the data sent includes data for augmenting the interactive scenes of the game or data for transitioning out of the interactive scenes based on severity of environmental safety condition detected in a vicinity of the user wearing the HMD.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the transitioning is performed gradually or rapidly based on severity of environmental safety condition detected in a vicinity of the user wearing the HMD.