Sensory stimulus management in head mounted display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016042566-A1
Application number	US-201514712575-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 14, 2015
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Feb 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing the sensory stimulus generated by a head mounted display (HMD). One method includes an operation for identifying the game state of a game being executed for display on a head mounted display (HMD). Further, the method includes an operation for determining the game intensity value for the game state based on user intensity ratings obtained from user play of the game. The user intensity ratings represent the level of sensory stimulus presented to users during the user play of the game via the HMDs of the respective users. Further, the method includes an operation for presenting the game intensity value to the HMD for rendering during execution of the game.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
identifying a game state of a game being executed for display on a head mounted display (HMD); determining a game intensity value for said game state based on user intensity ratings obtained from user play of the game, the user intensity ratings representing a level of sensory stimulus presented to users during the user play of the game via an HMD of the respective users; and presenting the game intensity value to the HMD for rendering during execution of the game, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user intensity ratings are received from users that subjectively rate an intensity being delivered by the game during the user play.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user intensity ratings are based on physical responses of the respective users while playing the game.

4 . The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the physical responses are tracked by one or more of monitoring eyes of the user via a camera in the HMD, or tracking HMD motion via inertial sensors in the HMD.

5 . The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the physical responses are tracked via a camera outside the HMD, the camera in communication with a computing device that is in communication with the HMD.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user intensity ratings are based on one or more of current game level, or user play history, or user age, or rate of user input for the game state.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining the game intensity value further includes:
identifying one or more of game developer intensity settings for the game state based on type of game activity taking place in the game.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein determining the game intensity value further includes:
calculating a weighted average of parameters related to intensity inputs entered by users, physical responses of users while playing the game, current game level, user play history, user age, rate of user input for the game state, game developer intensity settings for the game state, or type of game activity taking place.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the game state includes a location in a virtual world of an avatar controlled by a user wearing the HMD and an activity being performed in the game by the avatar.

10 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein presenting the game intensity value further includes:
presenting one or more of a game intensity bar, or a numerical value, or a sound, or a verbal output, or a color selected from a plurality of colors associated with respective game intensity values.

11 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a view presented on the display of the HMD includes a virtual reality scene presented in 3D.

12 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further including:
receiving a command to exit from the game; determining an exit strategy based on the game intensity value; and transitioning a view presented on a display of the HMD based on the exit strategy.

13 . A method comprising:
identifying a game state of a game being executed for display on a head mounted display (HMD); determining a general game intensity value for said game state based on user intensity ratings obtained from user play of the game, the user intensity ratings representing a level of sensory stimulus presented to users during the user play of the game via an HMD of the respective users; identifying a user intensity parameter for a user playing the game based on a profile of the user; and adjusting an intensity of multimedia content presented to the HMD based on the general game intensity value and the user intensity parameter, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

14 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the profile includes a desired intensity level configured by the user for playing the game.

15 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the profile includes a skill level of the user, demographic information about the user, social links, game configuration for the user, and play history for the user.

16 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the sensory stimulus includes one or more of rate of changes to the display, 3D effects, sounds, number of graphic elements on the display, vibration of the HMD, number of objects moving on the display, or number of colors displayed.

17 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein adjusting the intensity of multimedia content further includes:
determining an existence of intensity restrictions based on an age of the user.

18 . The method as recited in claim 13 , further including:
receiving user input to change the intensity of multimedia content; and changing the intensity of multimedia content in response to the received user input.

19 . A head mounted display (HMD) comprising:
a head attachment portion; a viewing module, coupled to the head attachment portion, for rendering image content; a communications module; and a processor configured to execute a game, wherein the processor identifies a game state of the game, and determines a game intensity value for said game state based on user intensity ratings obtained from user play of the game, the user intensity ratings representing a level of sensory stimulus presented to users during the user play of the game via an HMD of the respective users, and the processor is further configured to present the game intensity value in the rendered image content.

20 . The head mounted display as recited in claim 19 , further including:
one or more speakers, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust sound output through the one or more speakers based on the game intensity value.

21 . The head mounted display as recited in claim 19 , further including:
one or more inertial sensors for tracking motion of the HMD.

22 . The head mounted display as recited in claim 19 , further including:
one or more cameras configured to capture images of eyes of a user wearing the HMD, wherein the processor tracks a gaze of the user wearing the HMD based on image analysis of the captured images.

23 . A head mounted display (HMD) comprising:
a head attachment portion; a viewing module, coupled to the head attachment portion, for rendering image content; one or more cameras disposed in the HMD and directed toward a location of eyes of a user when wearing the HMD; a communications module; and a processor configured to execute code to manage the rendering of the image content, the processor further configured to process eye gaze information when worn by the user, the eye gaze information used to estimate an intensity of the rendered image content.

24 . The head mounted display as recited in claim 23 , further including:
one or more inertial sensors for tracking motion of the HMD, wherein the processor is further configured to analyzed the motion of the HMD to improve the estimate of the intensity.

25 . The head mounted display as recited in claim 23 , wherein a plurality of intensity values are stored while rendering the image content, each intensity value being associated with a respective time interval of the image content when the intensity value was estimated.

Assignees

• Sony Computer Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Mao Xiaodong

Classifications

• A63F13/213

  comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63F13/825

  Fostering virtual characters · CPC title

• A63F13/49

  Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game · CPC title

• A63F13/53

  involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game · CPC title

• A63F13/355

  Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client · CPC title