Virtual character inter-reality crossover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11055918-B2
Application number	US-201916355627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A method is provided, including the following operations: presenting on a display device a virtual scene including a virtual character, the display device disposed in a local environment; providing a view of the local environment through a head-mounted display, the view through the head-mounted display including the display device and the virtual scene being presented thereon; animating the virtual character to show the virtual character moving from the virtual scene presented on the display device to the local environment as viewed through the head-mounted display, wherein the animating includes transitioning, from rendering the virtual character as part of the virtual scene presented on the display device, to rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment provided through the head-mounted display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
presenting on a display device a virtual scene including a virtual character associated with a game, the display device disposed in a local environment;
providing a view of the local environment through a head-mounted display worn by a user, wherein a position of the head-mounted display identifies a position of the user in the local environment, such that the view through the head-mounted display is rendered from a first-person perspective of the user in the local environment, the view through the head-mounted display including the display device and the virtual scene being presented thereon;
while providing the view through the head-mounted display, providing access to the game presented on the display device via a controller device that is controlled by the user of the head-mounted display, the controller device providing inputs for interaction with and control of the virtual character in the virtual scene while the virtual character is within a context of the display device;
responsive to input via the controller device of the user, animating the virtual character to show the virtual character moving from the virtual scene presented within the context of the display device to the local environment as viewed through the head-mounted display, wherein the animating includes transitioning, from rendering the virtual character as part of the virtual scene presented within the context of the display device, to rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment provided through the head-mounted display, to enable viewing and controlling of the virtual character in the local environment through the head-mounted display as rendered from the first-person perspective of the user, wherein when the transitioning of the rendering of the virtual character occurs, control of the virtual character transitions from being controlled via the controller device in the virtual scene to being controlled via the controller device in the local environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the view through the head-mounted display is provided from an externally facing camera of the head-mounted display.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a 3D model of the local environment;
wherein rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment includes using the 3D model of the local environment to determine placement of the virtual character in the view of the local environment.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment includes using the 3D model of the local environment to detect virtual collisions of the virtual character with one or more objects in the local environment.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment includes using the 3D model of the local environment to define permissible locations or movements of the virtual character in the view of the local environment.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the 3D model of the local environment includes scanning the local environment with a depth sensing device of the head-mounted display.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transitioning includes, identifying the display device in the view of the local environment, and rendering the virtual character in proximity to the display device in the view of the local environment.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein rendering the virtual character in proximity to the display device includes animating the virtual character in the view of the local environment as emerging from the display device into the local environment.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transitioning includes, identifying in the view of the local environment the virtual scene that is presented on the display device, and rendering the virtual character in proximity to the virtual scene in the view of the local environment.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause said computing device perform a method including the following:
presenting on a display device a virtual scene including a virtual character associated with a game, the display device disposed in a local environment;
providing a view of the local environment through a head-mounted display worn by a user, wherein a position of the head-mounted display identifies a position of the user in the local environment, such that the view through the head-mounted display is rendered from a first-person perspective of the user in the local environment, the view through the head-mounted display including the display device and the virtual scene being presented thereon;
while providing the view through the head-mounted display, providing access to the game presented on the display device via a controller device that is controlled by the user of the head-mounted display, the controller device providing inputs for interaction with and control of the virtual character in the virtual scene while the virtual character is within a context of the display device;
responsive to input via the controller device of the user,_animating the virtual character to show the virtual character moving from the virtual scene presented within the context of the display device to the local environment as viewed through the head-mounted display, wherein the animating includes transitioning, from rendering the virtual character as part of the virtual scene presented within the context of the display device, to rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment provided through the head-mounted display, to enable viewing and controlling of the virtual character in the local environment through the head-mounted display as rendered from the first-person perspective of the user, wherein when the transitioning of the rendering of the virtual character occurs, control of the virtual character transitions from being controlled via the controller device in the virtual scene to being controlled via the controller device in the local environment.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the view through the head-mounted display is provided from an externally facing camera of the head-mounted display.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating a 3D model of the local environment;
wherein rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment includes using the 3D model of the local environment to determine placement of the virtual character in the view of the local environment.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment includes using the 3D model of the local environment to detect virtual collisions of the virtual character with one or more objects in the local environment.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein rendering the virtual character as an augmented element in the view of the local environment includes using the 3D model of the local environment to define permissible locations or movements of the virtual character in the view of the local environment.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein generating the 3D model of the local environment includes scanning the local environment with a depth sensing device of the head-mount

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Arroyo Palacios Jorge
• Osman Steven
• Marks Richard

Classifications

• H04R2499/15

  Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops · CPC title

• H04S7/30

  Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field · CPC title

• H04S2400/11

  Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63F13/56

  Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding · CPC title

• A63F13/358

  Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients · CPC title