Method and apparatus for processing virtual world

• US 9,597,592 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Jae Joon, Han, Seung Ju, Bang, Won Chul, Kim, Do Kyoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BIBBEE, CHAYCE R
• Application Number:
  US13/641,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20130093665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• 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 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• 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 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• 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

Abstract

A virtual world processing apparatus and method. An angle value is obtained by measuring an angle of a body part of a user of a real world using sensor capability, which is information on capability of a bending sensor, and is transmitted to a virtual world, thereby achieving interaction between the real world and the virtual world. In addition, based on the sensor capability and the angle value denoting the angle of the body part, control information is generated to control a part of an avatar of the virtual world, corresponding to the body part, and then transmitted to the virtual world. Accordingly, interaction between the real world and the virtual world is achieved.

Claims

1. A virtual world processing apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to;

receive an angle value, sensed by a bending sensor, of at least one sensed location of the bending sensor, and

receive sensor capability information of the bending sensor;

a processor configured to generate control information for controlling an object of a virtual world corresponding to the at least one sensed location, based on the received angle value and the sensor capability information; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the control information to the virtual world;

a calculator configured to calculate a third angle value related to a third location, not sensed by a bending sensor, disposed between a first sensed location and a second sensed location, based on a first angle value related to the first sensed location, sensed by a first bending sensor, and a second angle value related to the second sensed location, sensed by a second bending sensor,

wherein the processor is configured to generate the control information based on the first angle value, the second angle value, the third angle value, and the sensor capability information, and

wherein the sensor capability information comprises at least one of;

a number of sensed locations of the bending sensor, or

a distance between the sensed locations.

2. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor capability information further comprises a maximum value and a minimum value of the angle value measurable by the bending sensor.

3. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor generates the control information when the angle value is less than or equal to the maximum value and is greater than or equal to the minimum value.

4. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sensor capability information further comprises an accuracy and an offset.

5. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensed location of the bending sensor comprises the first sensed location and the second sensed location, and wherein the sensor capability information comprises the distance between the first sensed location and the second sensed location.

6. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received angle value is a sum total of a plurality of angle values measured by a plurality of bending sensors when the plurality of the bending sensors measures the plurality of angle values with respect to the at least one sensed location.

7. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of bending sensors simultaneously measures the at least one sensed location.

8. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor capability information further comprises metadata encoded into a binary format.

9. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the metadata encoded into the binary format comprises a data field related to at least one attribute selected from a group consisting of:

the number of sensed locations, a number of axes, and a number of sensors.

10. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bending sensor is configured to generate the metadata by encoding the sensor capability information into the binary format.

11. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third angle value is calculated as an average of the first angle value and the second angle value.

12. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor capability information is generated based on a binary representation syntax;

the binary representation syntax defines attributes related to the number of sensed locations, the distance between the sensed locations, and a number of axes, and flags corresponding to the attributes; and

the sensor capability information comprises the flags and at least one attribute corresponding to at least one flag having a predetermined logic value.

13. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor capability information comprises:

the number of sensed locations that describes the number of locations that the bending sensor can sense bending angles;

the distance between the sensed locations that describes the distance between adjacent sensing locations; and

a number of axes that describes a dimension that the bending sensor can perceive the bending angles.

14. A virtual world processing method, comprising:

receiving an angle value, sensed by a bending sensor, of at least one sensed location of the bending sensor;

receiving sensor capability information of the bending sensor;

generating control information for controlling an object of a virtual world corresponding to the at least one sensed location, based on the received angle value and the sensor capability information;

calculating a third angle value related to a third location, not sensed by a bending sensor and disposed between a first sensed location and a second sensed location, based on a first angle value, related to the first sensed location, sensed by a first bending sensor and a second angle value, related to the second sensed location, sensed by a second bending sensor,

wherein the generating control information comprises generating the control information based on the first angle value, the second angle value, the third angle value, and the sensor capability information; and

transmitting the control information to the virtual world,

wherein the sensor capability information comprises at least one of;

a number of sensed locations of the bending sensor, or

a distance between the sensed locations.

15. The virtual world processing method of claim 14, wherein the angle value is a sum total of a plurality of angle values measured by a plurality of bending sensors when the plurality of the bending sensors measures the plurality of angle values with respect to the at least one sensed location.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 14.

17. A method of interacting between a real world and a virtual world, the method comprising:

sensing angle values, by bending sensors disposed at sensed locations of a user;

receiving sensor capability information;

calculating a third angle value, associated with a third sensing location between a first sensing location and a second sensing location, based on a first angle value sensed by a first bending sensor at the first sensing location and a second angle value sensed by a second bending sensor at the second sensing location; and

generating control information for controlling an avatar of a virtual world corresponding to the sensed locations, based on the sensed angle values and the sensor capability information,

wherein the sensor capability information comprises at least one of;

a number of sensed locations of the bending sensors,

a distance between the sensed locations.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sensor capability information comprises information related to a capability of a bending sensor of the bending sensors.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sensor capability information further comprises

a maximum measurable angle value,

a minimum measurable angle value,

the number of the sensed locations, and

the distance between the sensed locations.