Virtual object movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10672103-B2
Application number	US-201916426740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 27, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

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 on a computing device, comprising:
displaying a virtual object;
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, where a shape of the input indicator is derived from a shape of the virtual object;
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 collision indicator has a same size and shape as the virtual object.

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

4. The method of claim 1 , where an appearance of the input indicator differs from an appearance of the collision indicator according to one or more of color, size, and transparency.

5. The method of claim 4 , where a difference in appearance between the collision indicator and the input indicator changes based on a distance between the collision indicator and the input indicator.

6. The method of claim 5 , 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.

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

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

9. 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.

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

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

12. The method of claim 11 , 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.

13. The method of claim 12 , where the condition of separation is a 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.

14. The method of claim 12 , 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.

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

16. 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, where an appearance of the collision indicator mimics an appearance of the virtual object, a shape of the input indicator is derived from a shape of the virtual object, and an appearance 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.

17. The computing device of claim 16 , where the collision indicator and input indicator differ in appearance according to one or more of color, size, and transparency.

18. The computing device of claim 16 , 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 a 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.

19. The computing device of claim 18 , where movement of the collision indicator is further based on a simulated attractive force that pulls the collision indicator toward the input indicator.

20. A method for moving a virtual object on a computing device, comprising:
displaying a virtual object;
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, where an appearance of the input indicator changes based on a distance between the input indicator and the collision indicator, and where a shape of the input indicator is derived from a shape of the virtual object;
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 a 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

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• G06T19/20

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

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G06T3/20 Primary

  Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning · CPC title