Location globe in virtual reality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10635259-B2
Application number	US-201715814103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2017
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

In one general aspect, a method can include triggering display of a virtual environment in a head mounted display (HMD) device operating in a physical environment, triggering display of a first virtual object representing a second virtual object, the first virtual object having a size smaller than a size of the second virtual object, receiving an indication of an interaction of a user with the first virtual object, the user having a first size larger than the size of the first virtual object, and triggering an interaction with the second virtual object in response to an interaction with the first virtual object, the user having a second size larger than the first size when interacting with the second virtual object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
triggering display of a virtual environment in a head mounted display (HMD) device operating in a physical environment;
triggering display of a first virtual object within the virtual environment, the first virtual object representing a second virtual object within the virtual environment, the first virtual object having a size smaller than a size of the second virtual object; and
receiving an indication of a first level of interaction of a user being represented within the virtual environment with the first virtual object, the user having a first size larger than the size of the first virtual object, the first level of interaction representing a general location within the first virtual object;
receiving an indication of a second level of interaction of the user with the first virtual object, the second level of interaction being a specific location within the first virtual object; and
triggering an interaction with the second virtual object in response to the second level of interaction with the first virtual object, the user being represented within the virtual environment having a second size larger or smaller than the first size when interacting with the second virtual object to change a view, wherein:
when the second size of the user is larger than the first size of the user, the view is further from ground level of a location within the second virtual object; and
when the second size of the user is smaller than the first size of the user, the view is closer to ground level of a location within the second virtual object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first level of interaction with the first virtual object includes selecting a location within the first virtual object.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the interaction with the second virtual object includes moving, in response to the second level of interaction with the first virtual object, within the second virtual object to a location within the second virtual object corresponding with the location within the first virtual object.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the moving includes teleporting in the second virtual object that corresponds to the location within the first virtual object.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first virtual object is a mini-globe of Earth.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first virtual object is an orb including a street level view of the location.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first virtual object is changed to the orb when a size of the user becomes smaller prior to receiving the indication of interaction of the user with the first virtual object.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second level of interaction with the first virtual object is directly translated into corresponding interaction with the second virtual object.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second level of interaction with the first virtual object is translated into corresponding interaction with the second virtual object at a later time.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user in the second level of interaction is smaller than the user in the first level of interaction.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual object is identical to the second virtual object, albeit scaled in size.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a first virtual controller to trigger displaying the first virtual object and a second virtual controller to trigger the interaction with the first virtual object.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the triggered interaction by the second virtual controller is a light indicator that intersects the first virtual object.

14. A method, comprising:
triggering display of a virtual environment in a head mounted display (HMD) device operating in a physical environment;
triggering display of a first virtual object within the virtual environment, the first virtual object being associated with a first controller and being a representation of a second virtual object, the first virtual object having a size smaller than a size of the second virtual object within the virtual environment, the displayed first virtual object being configured to be fixed at a distance proximate to a portion of the first controller that is displayed in the virtual environment;
selecting a location within the first virtual object, via a second controller, to trigger movement of a user being represented within the virtual environment to a location in the second virtual object, the user having a first size larger than the size of the first virtual object;
changing a view in response to the selection of the location within the first virtual object, the user having a second size larger or smaller than the first size when interacting with the second virtual object, wherein:
when the second size of the user is larger than the first size of the user, the view is further from ground level within the second virtual object; and
when the second size of the user is smaller than the first size of the user, the view is closer to ground level within the second virtual object; and

receiving an indication of an interaction within the second virtual object.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first virtual object is configured to move in response to a movement of the first controller.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first virtual object is configured to change state in response to selecting the location using the second controller.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a size of the first virtual object is expanded, when responding to selecting the location.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a size of the first virtual object is contracted, when no location is selected.

19. A system comprising:
a head mounted display (HMD) device;
a first controller and a second controller; and
a processor programmed to:
trigger display of a virtual environment in the HMD device operating in a physical environment;
trigger display of a first virtual object within the virtual environment, the first virtual object being associated with the first controller being a representation of a second virtual object, the first virtual object having a size smaller than a size of the second virtual object;
select a location within the first virtual object, via the second controller, to trigger movement of a user being represented within the virtual environment to a location in the second virtual object, the user having a first size larger than the size of the first virtual object, the second controller being configured to be displayed in the virtual environment while selecting the location within the first virtual object;
change a view in response to the selection of the location within the first virtual object, the user having a second size larger or smaller than the first size when interacting with the second virtual object, wherein:
when the second size of the user is larger than the first size of the user, the view is further from ground level within the second virtual object; and
when the second size of the user is smaller than the first size of the user, the view is closer to ground level within the second virtual object; and

receive an indication of an interaction within the second virtual object.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the first virtual object is configured to change state in response to selecting the location using the second controller.

21. A method, comprising:
triggering display of a virtual environment in a head mounted display (HMD)

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Tao Ran
• Abdel-Gawad Tarik
• Glazier Adam
• Kaeser Dominik Philemon
• Seegmiller Matthew
• Le Andre
• Ashkenazi Nadav
• Chu Han-Wei
• Kim Joanna
• Podwal Michael
• Jagnow Robert Carl
• Wang Chun-Po

Classifications

• G06F3/011 Primary

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

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/012

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G06T19/003

  Navigation within 3D models or images · CPC title

• G06T2200/24

  involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] · CPC title