Systems and methods for processing incoming events while performing a virtual reality session

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124499-A1
Application number	US-201514657022-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A virtual reality (VR) system including a virtual reality display and a virtual reality host is provided. The virtual reality display is arranged for displaying a virtual environment for a virtual reality user. The virtual reality host is arranged for performing a virtual reality session to generate the virtual environment using the virtual reality display and creating a virtual interface to sync and interact with a source unit, wherein when the source unit receives an incoming event, the virtual reality host receives a notification regarding the incoming event from the source unit and provides the notification to the virtual interface to generate an alert for the notification to the screen of the virtual reality display in the virtual environment for the virtual reality user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A virtual reality (VR) system, comprising:
a virtual reality display, displaying a virtual environment for a virtual reality user; and a virtual reality host, performing a virtual reality session to generate the virtual environment using the virtual reality display and creating a virtual interface to sync and interact with a source unit, wherein when the source unit receives an incoming event, the virtual reality host receives a notification regarding the incoming event from the source unit and provides the notification to the virtual interface to generate an alert for the notification to the screen of the virtual reality display in the virtual environment for the virtual reality user.

2 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality host further switches to display a user interface corresponding to the virtual interface in the virtual environment through the virtual reality display in response to a user selection, wherein the user interface represents visual information corresponding to the incoming event.

3 . The virtual reality system of claim 2 , wherein the virtual reality host further terminates the displaying of the user interface and switches back to continue the virtual reality session in the virtual environment through the virtual reality display.

4 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality host further connects to and configures a wearable device as a human interface device (HID) of the virtual interface for controlling the virtual reality session in the virtual environment.

5 . The virtual reality system of claim 4 , wherein the virtual reality host further receives a user gesture from the wearable device and processes the incoming event in the virtual environment in response to the user gesture generated on the wearable device.

6 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality host is implemented by a desktop personal computer and the virtual reality display is implemented by a dedicated head-mounted display (HMD).

7 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality host and the virtual reality display are implemented by the same device.

8 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality host and the virtual reality display are implemented by a mobile device.

9 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality host, the virtual reality display and the source unit are implemented by the same device.

10 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality host or the virtual reality display is implemented by a mobile device.

11 . A method for processing incoming event, comprising:
using a virtual reality module, performing a virtual reality session to generate a virtual environment on a virtual reality display and creating a virtual interface to sync and interact with a source unit in a virtual reality host; receiving, by the virtual reality host, a notification regarding an incoming event from the source unit via a wireless transmission; and providing, by the virtual reality host, an alert for the notification to the screen of the virtual reality display within the virtual environment for the virtual reality user through the virtual interface.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
switching, by the virtual reality host, to display a user interface corresponding to the virtual interface in the virtual environment through the virtual reality display in response to a user selection, wherein the user interface represents visual information corresponding to the incoming event.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
terminating, by the virtual reality host, the displaying of the user interface and switching back to continue the virtual reality session in the virtual environment through the virtual reality display.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
connecting, by the virtual reality host, to and configuring a wearable device as a human interface device (HID) of the virtual interface for controlling the virtual reality session in the virtual environment.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving, by the virtual reality host, a user gesture from the wearable device; and processing, by the virtual reality host, the incoming event in the virtual environment in response to the user gesture generated on the wearable device.

16 . A mobile device, comprising:
a wireless communication unit, configured to sync and interact with a virtual interface in a virtual reality host; a touch panel; and a processing unit coupled to the wireless communication unit and the touch panel, upon receiving an incoming event, transmitting a notification regarding the incoming event to the virtual reality host via the wireless communication unit to enable the virtual reality host to generate an alert for the notification into the virtual environment for the virtual reality user through the virtual interface.

17 . A mobile device, comprising:
a wireless communication unit; a touch panel; and a processing unit coupled to the wireless communication unit and the touch panel, providing a virtual reality (VR) module to perform a virtual reality session to generate a virtual environment on the touch panel and creating a virtual interface, wherein upon receiving an incoming event, the processing unit provides a notification regarding the incoming event to the virtual interface to generate an alert for the notification into the virtual environment for the virtual reality user according to the notification.

18 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit further switches to display a user interface corresponding to the virtual interface in the virtual environment through the touch panel in response to a user selection, wherein the user interface represents visual information corresponding to the incoming event.

19 . The mobile device of claim 18 , wherein the processing unit further terminates the displaying of the user interface and switches back to continue the virtual reality session in the virtual environment through the touch panel.

20 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit further connects to and configures a wearable device as a human interface device (HID) of the virtual interface for controlling the virtual reality session in the virtual environment.

21 . The mobile device of claim 18 , wherein the processing unit further receives a user gesture from the wearable device and processes the incoming event in the virtual environment in response to the user gesture generated on the wearable device.

22 . A wearable device, comprising:
a wireless communication unit, configured to sync and interact with a virtual interface in a virtual reality host; a touch panel; and a processing unit coupled to the wireless communication unit and the touch panel, upon receiving an incoming event, transmitting a notification regarding the incoming event to the virtual reality host via the wireless communication unit to enable the virtual reality host to generate an alert for the notification into the virtual environment for the virtual reality user through the virtual interface.

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Shiu Da-Shan
• Chuang Shih-Jung

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

• H04M2250/52

  including functional features of a camera · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G06T13/40

  of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings · CPC title

• G06T2200/24

  involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] · CPC title