Virtual object movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10311543-B2
Application number	US-201615336461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 27, 2016
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A method for moving a virtual object includes displaying a virtual object and moving the virtual object based on a user input. Based on the user input attempting to move the virtual object in violation of an obstacle, displaying a collision indicator and an input indicator. The collision indicator is moved based on user input and movement constraints imposed by the obstacle. The input indicator is moved based on user input without movement constraints imposed by the obstacle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for moving a virtual object with a virtual reality computing device including a near-eye display, comprising:
displaying a virtual object on the near-eye display;
moving the virtual object based on a user input;
based on the user input attempting to move the virtual object in violation of an obstacle, displaying a collision indicator and an input indicator on the near-eye display, the input indicator having a same size and shape as the collision indicator, where one or both of a color and a transparency of the input indicator changes based on a distance between the input indicator and the collision indicator;
moving the collision indicator based on user input and movement constraints imposed by the obstacle; and
moving the input indicator based on user input without movement constraints imposed by the obstacle.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the obstacle is a real world object.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the obstacle is a virtual object.

4. The method of claim 1 , where an appearance of the collision indicator mimics an appearance of the virtual object.

5. The method of claim 1 , where an appearance of the input indicator is different than but derived from an appearance of the virtual object.

6. The method of claim 1 , where rotation of the input indicator results in collision-permissible rotation of the collision indicator.

7. The method of claim 1 , where movement of the collision indicator is further based on a simulated attractive force that pulls the collision indicator toward the input indicator.

8. The method of claim 1 , where movement constraints imposed by the obstacle are relaxed as the distance between the collision indicator and the input indicator increases.

9. The method of claim 1 , where the collision indicator and input indicator replace the virtual object.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising replacing the collision indicator and the input indicator with the virtual object at a position of the input indicator based on a condition of separation between the collision indicator and the input indicator.

11. The method of claim 10 , where the condition of separation is the distance between the collision indicator and the input indicator, and the collision indicator and the input indicator are replaced with the virtual object at the position of the input indicator based on the distance exceeding a threshold.

12. The method of claim 10 , where upon replacing the collision indicator and the input indicator with the virtual object, the method further comprises moving the virtual object based on user input without movement constraints imposed by the obstacle.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a virtual window to maintain visibility of the input indicator or the virtual object.

14. A computing device, comprising:
a logic machine; and
a storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine to:
display a virtual object;
move the virtual object based on a user input; and
based on the user input attempting to move the virtual object in violation of an obstacle, replace the virtual object with a collision indicator and an input indicator, the input indicator having a same size and shape as the collision indicator, where one or both of a color and a transparency of the input indicator changes based on a distance between the input indicator and the collision indicator;
move the collision indicator based on user input and movement constraints imposed by the obstacle; and
move the input indicator based on user input without movement constraints imposed by the obstacle.

15. The computing device of claim 14 , where the instructions are further executable to replace the collision indicator and the input indicator with the virtual object at a position of the input indicator based on the distance between the collision indicator and the input indicator exceeding a threshold, and move the virtual object based on user input without movement constraints imposed by the obstacle.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , where movement of the collision indicator is further based on a simulated attractive force that pulls the collision indicator toward the input indicator.

17. A method for moving a virtual object with a virtual reality computing device including a near-eye display, comprising:
displaying a virtual object on the near-eye display;
moving the virtual object based on a user input; and
based on the user input attempting to move the virtual object in violation of an obstacle, replacing the virtual object with a collision indicator and an input indicator on the near-eye display, the input indicator having a same size and shape as the collision indicator, where one or both of a color and a transparency of the input indicator changes based on a distance between the input indicator and the collision indicator;
moving the collision indicator based on user input, movement constraints imposed by the obstacle, and a simulated attractive force that pulls the collision indicator toward the input indicator;
moving the input indicator based on user input without movement constraints imposed by the obstacle;
based on the distance between the collision indicator and the input indicator exceeding a threshold, replacing the collision indicator and the input indicator with the virtual object at a position of the input indicator; and
moving the virtual object from the position based on user input without movement constraints imposed by the obstacle.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Energin Semih
• Paolantonio Sergio
• Evans David
• Rehmeyer Eric Scott
• Held Robert Thomas
• Ouellet Maxime
• Gavriliuc Anatolie
• Giraldi Riccardo
• Muehlhausen Andrew Frederick

Classifications

• A63F13/53

  involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game · CPC title

• G06T19/20

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title

• A63F13/428 Primary

  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 title

• G06F3/04812

  Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title