Head Mounted Display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016129346-A1
Application number	US-201614996163-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2013
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for operating a head mounted display (HMD) is provided. The HMD has a head attachment portion and a viewing module coupled to the head attachment portion. The viewing module includes an inner side having a view port into a screen configuring for rendering a virtual reality scene and an exterior housing. A communications module for exchanging data with a computer system is provided and the computer system is configured to generate the virtual reality scene for the screen. A depth camera is integrated into the viewing module and is oriented to capture depth data of an environment in front of the exterior housing. One method includes processing, by the computer system, the depth data captured by the depth camera to identify hands of a user wearing the HMD in the environment. The hands are rendered into the virtual reality scene. The hands are tracked such that movements of the hands appear as movements of virtual hands extending into the virtual reality scene.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A head mounted display (HMD) system, comprising,
a head attachment portion; a viewing module coupled to the head attachment portion, the viewing module including an inner side having a view port into a screen configuring for rendering a virtual reality scene, and an exterior housing; a communications module for exchanging data with a computer system, the computer system is configured to generate the virtual reality scene for the screen; and a depth camera integrated into the viewing module and oriented to capture depth data of an environment in front of the exterior housing; the computer system is configured to use the depth data captured by the depth camera to identify real objects in the environment, wherein a real object is rendered into the virtual reality scene, the real object being tracked such that movements of the real object appear as movements in the virtual reality scene.

2 . The HMD system of claim 1 , wherein the real object captured by the depth camera in the environment is a hand of a user wearing the HMD system.

3 . The HMD system of claim 2 , wherein the real object being the hand of the user is rendered in the virtual reality scene as a virtual hand.

4 . The HMD system of claim 3 , wherein the virtual hand is rendered in the virtual reality scene along with a virtual reality object, wherein movement of the virtual hand in the virtual reality scene to be in contact with the virtual object produces virtual interaction between the virtual object and the virtual hand.

5 . The HMD system of claim 2 , wherein the depth camera is configured to capture the hand of the user, the hand of the user is rendered in the virtual reality scene from a perspective of the user as if the user is reaching into the virtual reality scene.

6 . The HMD system of claim 2 , wherein a controller captured by the depth camera is rendered into the virtual reality scene as a virtual object other than the controller, wherein movements of the controller are correlated to movements of the virtual object, the hand of the user being on the controller when captured by the depth camera.

7 . The HMD system of claim 2 , wherein the depth camera is configured to capture a second hand of the user, the second hand of the user being rendered into the virtual reality scene as a second virtual hand, wherein the virtual hand and the second virtual hand shown to extend into the virtual reality scene from a perspective in front of the user.

8 . The HMD system of claim 2 , wherein the depth camera is configured to capture the hand of the user holding a controller, the hand of the user rendered as a virtual hand handling a virtual object other than the controller.

9 . The HMD system of claim 1 , wherein the data exchanged by the communications module includes input data, image data, audio data, or inertial data, or combinations of two or more thereof.

10 . The HMD system of claim 1 , wherein the exterior housing has one or more illuminating elements used to track the HMD using a camera directed toward the HMD when worn by a user, the camera being interfaced with the computer system.

11 . The HMD system of claim 10 , wherein the illuminating elements are defined as light emitting diodes (LEDs) or infrared (IR) emitters.

12 . The HMD system of claim 11 , wherein the LEDs are defined to illuminate in one or more colors, the illumination of the one or more colors being controlled by illumination logic when commanded by the computer system.

13 . The HMD system of claim 1 , wherein the communications module has one of a wired connection or wireless connection with the computer system.

14 . The HMD system of claim 1 , wherein inertial data is generated by inertial sensors integrated in the HMD, the inertial data produced in response to detected movement of the HMD when worn by a user.

15 . The HMD system of claim 1 , wherein audio data is provided to the HMD as associated with content of the virtual reality scene.

16 . The HMD system of claim 15 , wherein the content includes game data, video data, internet navigation data, interactive data, combinations of game data and internet data, social media data, or combinations thereof.

17 . A method for operating a head mounted display (HMD), comprising,
providing the HMD having a head attachment portion and a viewing module coupled to the head attachment portion, the viewing module including an inner side having a view port into a screen configuring for rendering a virtual reality scene, and an exterior housing; providing a communications module for exchanging data with a computer system, the computer system is configured to generate the virtual reality scene for the screen; providing a depth camera integrated into the viewing module and oriented to capture depth data of an environment in front of the exterior housing; and processing, by the computer system, the depth data captured by the depth camera to identify hands of a user wearing the HMD in the environment, wherein the hands are rendered into the virtual reality scene, the hands being tracked such that movements of the hands appear as movements of virtual hands extending into the virtual reality scene.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one of virtual hands is rendered in the virtual reality scene along with a virtual reality object, wherein movement of the virtual hand in the virtual reality scene render virtual interaction between the virtual object and the virtual hand when the user moves the virtual hand toward the virtual object.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the virtual hands of the user are rendered to appear as if the user of the HMD is reaching into the virtual reality scene.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising,
detecting a controller held by at least one of the hands of the user; and rendering a virtual object other than the controller as being hand by at least one of the virtual hands of the user when rendered in the virtual reality scene.

Assignees

• Sony Computer Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Mikhailov Anton
• Mao Xiadong

Classifications

• G02B2027/0187

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

• H04N13/254

  in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects · CPC title

• A63F13/285

  Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback · CPC title

• A63F13/26

  having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth · CPC title

• A63F13/00

  Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions · CPC title