Fiducial rings in virtual reality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10712818-B2
Application number	US-201816106633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Nov 1, 2016
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

A virtual reality system enables a user to interact with virtual objects. The system includes a fiducial ring, an imaging device and a console. The fiducial ring includes a ring body that includes a plurality of fiducial markers that each correspond to a different location on the ring body. An imaging device is configured to capture one or more images of the fiducial ring. The console receives the images that include an image of one or more fiducial markers. Based on the received images of the fiducial markers, the console determines a location on the fiducial ring that corresponds to the imaged fiducial marker. The console determines a position of the fiducial ring based on the determined location of the fiducial marker on the fiducial ring. The console provides content to a head mounted display (HMD) based on the determined position of the fiducial ring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a fiducial device including a body that includes a plurality of fiducial markers that each are positioned at different locations on the body and that each emit light, the body configured to fit on a portion of a user's body;
an imaging device separate from the fiducial device and the user's body, the imaging device configured to capture one or more images of the fiducial device by capturing the light emitted from at least one of the fiducial markers; and
a console configured to:
determine that a virtual touch event occurred based on a movement of the portion of the user's body,
responsive to the determination, receive the one or more images including at least one image of at least one of the fiducial markers,
determine a position of the fiducial device in a virtual space based part on the at least one image of the at least one fiducial marker,
determine a position of the portion of the user's body in the virtual space, based on the determined position of the fiducial device, and
generate a haptic feedback signal comprising a haptic feedback for a user, based on the determined position of the portion of the user's body in the virtual space.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the console is further configured to:
provide content to a head-mounted display (HMD) based on the determined position of the fiducial device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial device further comprises a sensor coupled to the body, the sensor configured to determine the movement of the portion of the user's body by sensing a motion on the fiducial device coupled to the portion of the user's body.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial device further comprises a sensor configured to:
determine a force applied on the body; and
in response to the determination,
generate an information signal including a value of the force, and
transmit the information signal to the system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sensor detects a change in pressure on the sensor to determine the force applied on the body.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial marker is a stationary locatable active device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the console is further configured to:
transmit the haptic feedback signal to the fiducial device for providing the haptic feedback to the user.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the console is further configured to:
receive at least one of first calibration data from the fiducial device and second calibration data from the imaging device; and
determine the movement of the portion of the user's body, based on the at least one of the first calibration data and the second calibration data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the console is further configured to:
receive information about a force applied on the body; and
determine that the virtual touch event occurred, based on the received information.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial device is configured to receive the haptic feedback signal including an actuation signal and an amount of actuation, and the system further comprising:
an actuation device coupled to the fiducial device, the actuation device configured to actuate the fiducial device to provide the haptic feedback to the user according to the amount of actuation.

11. A method comprising:
instructing at least one of a plurality of fiducial markers to emit light, each fiducial marker positioned at a different location on a body of a fiducial device, the body configured to fit on a portion of a user's body;
capturing, by an imaging device separate from the fiducial device and the user's body, one or more images of the fiducial device by capturing the light emitted from the at least one fiducial marker, the one or more images including an image with a fiducial marker of the plurality of fiducial markers;
determining that a virtual touch event occurred based on a movement of the portion of the user's body;
responsive to the determination, receiving the one or more images including at least one image of at least one of the fiducial markers;
determining a position of the fiducial device in a virtual space based in part on the at least one image of the at least one fiducial marker;
determining a position of the portion of the user's body in the virtual space, based on the determined position of the fiducial device; and
generating a haptic feedback signal comprising a haptic feedback for a user, based on the determined position of the portion of the user's body in the virtual space.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing content to a head-mounted display (HMD) based on the determined position of the fiducial device.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by a sensor of the fiducial device coupled to the body, the movement of the portion of the user's body by sensing a motion on the fiducial device coupled to the portion of the user's body.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by a sensor of the fiducial device, a force applied on the body;
in response to the determination,
generating an information signal including a value of the force, and
transmitting the information signal to the system.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a change in pressure on the sensor to determine the force applied on the body.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting the haptic feedback signal to the fiducial device for providing the haptic feedback to the user.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving at least one of first calibration data from the fiducial device and second calibration data from the imaging device; and
determining the movement of the portion of the user's body, based on the at least one of the first calibration data and the second calibration data.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving information about a force applied on the body; and
determining that the virtual touch event occurred, based on the received information.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, at the fiducial device, the haptic feedback signal including an actuation signal and an amount of actuation; and
actuating, by an actuation device coupled to the fiducial device, the fiducial device to provide the haptic feedback to the user according to the amount of actuation.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
instruct at least one of a plurality of fiducial markers to emit light, each fiducial marker positioned at a different location on a body of a fiducial device, the body configured to fit on a portion of a user's body;
capture, by an imaging device separate from the fiducial device and the user's body, one or more images of the fiducial device by capturing the light emitted from the at least one fiducial marker, the one or more images including an image with a fiducial marker of the plurality of fiducial markers;
determine that a virtual touch event occurred based on a movement of the portion of the user's body;
responsive to the determination, receive the one or more images including at least one image of at least one of the fiducial markers;
determine a position of the fiducial device in a virtual space based in part on the at least one image of the at least one fiducial marker;
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Assignees

• Facebook Tech Llc

Inventors

• Keller Sean Jason
• Perek David R
• Trutna Tristan Thomas
• Ochs Garett Andrew
• Corson Nicholas Roy
• King Raymond

Classifications

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0187

  slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G06F3/147

  using display panels · CPC title

• G09G2320/0693

  Calibration of display systems · CPC title