Device pairing in augmented/virtual reality environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10334076-B2
Application number	US-201715438216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

In a system for pairing a first device and a second device in a virtual reality environment, the first device may be a sending device, and the second device may be a receiving device. The sending device may transmit an electromagnetic signal that is received by the receiving device. The receiving device may process the electromagnetic signal to verify physical proximity of the receiving device and the transmitting device, and extract identification information related to the sending device for pairing. The receiving device may display one or more virtual pairing indicators to be manipulated to verify the user's intention to pair the first and second devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:
detecting, by a head mounted device, a signal transmitted by a handheld device;
processing, by a processor of the head mounted device, the detected signal to detect a relative proximity of the head mounted device and the handheld device;
displaying, on a display of the head mounted device, a virtual object representing a virtual pairing indicator in response to the processing of the detected signal;
detecting a movement of the handheld device relative to a displayed position of the virtual pairing indicator based on the signal transmitted by the handheld device; and
pairing the head mounted device and the handheld device based on the detected movement of the handheld device relative to the displayed position of the virtual pairing indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying, on the display of the head mounted device, the virtual pairing indicator in response to the processing of the detected signal includes:
generating a rendered image defining a virtual alignment area; and
displaying the rendered image as the virtual object in a virtual environment displayed on the display of the head mounted device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the rendered image includes:
generating a three dimensional rendered image corresponding to at least one feature of the handheld device; and
displaying the three dimensional rendered image as the virtual object in the virtual environment displayed on the display of the head mounted device, for alignment of the handheld device in the virtual alignment area.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the movement of the handheld device relative to the displayed position of the virtual pairing indicator includes:
detecting an initial position and an initial orientation of the handheld device relative to the head mounted device;
tracking movement of the handheld device relative to the head mounted device; and
detecting an alignment of the handheld device with the virtual alignment area defined by the display of the virtual pairing indicator based on the tracked movement of the handheld device relative to the head mounted device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein pairing the head mounted device and the handheld device based on the detected movement of the handheld device relative to the virtual pairing indicator includes:
monitoring the alignment of the handheld device in the virtual alignment area; and
receiving verification of an input to pair the head mounted device and the handheld device in response to detecting the alignment of the handheld device with the virtual alignment area for greater than or equal to a set amount of time.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising pairing the head mounted device and the handheld device and enabling communication between the head mounted device and the handheld device in response to receiving the verification of the input to pair the head mounted device and the handheld device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying, on the display of the head mounted device, the virtual pairing indicator in response to the processing of the detected signal includes:
generating a pattern defining a virtual path; and
displaying the virtual path as the virtual object in a virtual environment displayed on the display of the head mounted device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein pairing the head mounted device and the handheld device based on the detected movement of the handheld device relative to the displayed position of the virtual pairing indicator includes:
tracking movement of the handheld device relative to the head mounted device;
mapping the tracked movement of the handheld device to a position and an orientation of the handheld device relative to the virtual path displayed on the display of the head mounted device;
monitoring alignment of the handheld device along the displayed virtual path; and
receiving verification of an input to pair the head mounted device and the handheld device in response to detected alignment of the handheld device along the displayed virtual path, from a first end of the virtual path to a second end of the virtual path.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising pairing the head mounted device and the handheld device, and enabling communication between the head mounted device and the handheld device, in response to receiving the verification of the input to pair the head mounted device and the handheld device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting, by the head mounted device, the signal transmitted by the handheld device includes:
detecting, by the head mounted device, an electromagnetic signal transmitted by the handheld device, the electromagnetic signal including position data and orientation data related to the handheld device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electromagnetic signal includes identification information related to the handheld device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting, by the head mounted device, the signal transmitted by a handheld device includes:
detecting, by the head mounted device, an acoustic signal transmitted by the handheld device, the acoustic signal including position data and orientation data related to the handheld device, and identification information related to the handheld device.

13. A computing device, comprising:
a head mounted device configured to display a virtual environment on a display thereof, the head mounted device including:
a memory storing executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions, to cause the computing device to:
detect a signal transmitted by a handheld device;
process the detected signal to detect a relative proximity of the head mounted device and the handheld device;
display a virtual object representing a virtual pairing indicator on the display of the head mounted device in response to the processing of the detected signal;
detect a movement of the handheld device relative to a displayed position of the virtual pairing indicator on the display of the head mounted device based on the signal transmitted by the handheld device; and
pair the head mounted device and the handheld device based on the detected movement of the handheld device relative to the displayed position of the virtual pairing indicator.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the virtual object representing the virtual pairing indicator includes a three dimensional rendered image corresponding to at least one feature of the handheld device, the three dimensional rendered image being displayed on the display of the head mounted device.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein, in pairing the head mounted device and the handheld device based on the detected movement of the handheld device relative to the displayed position of the virtual pairing indicator, the instructions also cause the computing device to:
detect an alignment of the handheld device in a virtual alignment area defined by the virtual pairing indicator;
monitor the alignment of the handheld device in the virtual alignment area;
detect verification of an input to pair the head mounted device and the handheld device in response to detected alignment of the handheld device in the virtual alignment area for greater than or equal to a set amount of time; and
pair the head mounted device and the handheld device to enable communication between the head mounted device and the handheld device in response to receiving verification of the input to pair the head mounted device and the handheld device.

16. The device of cl

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Mckenzie Chris
• Stein Murphy
• Browning Alan

Classifications

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G02B27/017 Primary

  Head mounted · CPC title

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title