Systems and methods for augmented reality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016259404-A1
Application number	US-201615062104-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 5, 2016
Priority date	Mar 5, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Configurations are disclosed for presenting virtual reality and augmented reality experiences to users. An augmented reality display system comprises a handheld component housing an electromagnetic field emitter, the electromagnetic field emitter emitting a known magnetic field, the head mounted component coupled to one or more electromagnetic sensors that detect the magnetic field emitted by the electromagnetic field emitter housed in the handheld component, wherein a head pose is known, and a controller communicatively coupled to the handheld component and the head mounted component, the controller receiving magnetic field data from the handheld component, and receiving sensor data from the head mounted component, wherein the controller determining a hand pose based at least in part on the received magnetic field data and the received sensor data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An augmented reality (AR) display system, comprising:
an electromagnetic field emitter to emit a known magnetic field; an electromagnetic sensor to measure a parameter related to a magnetic flux at the electromagnetic sensor as a result of the emitted known magnetic field, wherein world coordinates of the electromagnetic sensor are known; a controller to determine pose information relative to the electromagnetic field emitter based at least in part on the measured parameter related to the magnetic flux at the electromagnetic sensor; and a display system to display virtual content to a user based at least in part on the determined pose information relative to the electromagnetic field emitter.

2 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic field emitter resides in a mobile component of the AR display system.

3 . The AR display system of claim 2 , wherein the mobile component is a hand-held component.

4 . The AR display system of claim 2 , wherein the mobile component is a totem.

5 . The AR display system of claim 2 , wherein the mobile component is a head-mounted component of the AR display system.

6 . The AR display system of claim 1 , further comprising a head-mounted component that houses the display system, wherein the electromagnetic sensor is operatively coupled to the head-mounted component.

7 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the world coordinates of the electromagnetic sensor is known based at least in part on SLAM analysis performed to determine head pose information, wherein the electromagnetic sensor is operatively coupled to a head-mounted component that houses the display system.

8 . The AR display system of claim 7 , further comprising one or more cameras operatively coupled to the head-mounted component, and wherein the SLAM analysis is performed based at least on data captured by the one or more cameras.

9 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic sensors comprise one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs).

10 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the pose information corresponds to at least a position and orientation of the electromagnetic field emitter relative to the world.

11 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the pose information is analyzed to determine world coordinates corresponding to the electromagnetic field emitter.

12 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the controller detects an interaction with one or more virtual contents based at least in part on the pose information corresponding to the electromagnetic field emitter.

13 . The AR display system of claim 12 , wherein the display system displays virtual content to the user based at least in part on the detected interaction.

14 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic sensor comprises at least three coils to measure magnetic flux in three directions.

15 . The AR display system of claim 14 , wherein the at least three coils are housed together at substantially the same location, the electromagnetic sensor being coupled to a head-mounted component of the AR display system.

16 . The AR display system of claim 14 , wherein the at least three coils are housed at different locations of the head-mounted component of the AR display system.

17 . The AR display system of claim 1 , further comprising a control and quick release module to decouple the magnetic field emitted by the electromagnetic field emitter.

18 . The AR display system of claim 1 , further comprising additional localization resources to determine the world coordinates of the electromagnetic field emitter.

19 . The AR display system of claim 18 , wherein the additional localization resources comprises a GPS receiver.

20 . The AR display system of claim 18 , wherein the additional localization resources comprises a beacon.

21 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic sensor comprises a non-solid ferrite cube.

22 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic sensor comprises a stack of ferrite disks.

23 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic sensor comprises a plurality of ferrite rods each having a polymer coating.

24 . The AR display system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic sensor comprises a time division multiplexing switch.

25 . A method to display augmented reality, comprising:
emitting, through an electromagnetic field emitter, a known magnetic field; measuring, through an electromagnetic sensor, a parameter related to a magnetic flux at the electromagnetic sensor as a result of the emitted known magnetic field, wherein world coordinates of the electromagnetic sensor are known; determining pose information relative to the electromagnetic field emitter based at least in part on the measured parameter related to the magnetic flux at the electromagnetic sensor; and displaying virtual content to a user based at least in part on the determined pose information relative to the electromagnetic field emitter.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the electromagnetic field emitter resides in a mobile component of the AR display system.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the mobile component is a hand-held component.

28 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the mobile component is a totem.

29 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the mobile component is a head-mounted component of the AR display system.

30 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising housing the display system in a head-mounted component, wherein the electromagnetic sensor is operatively coupled to the head-mounted component.

31 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the world coordinates of the electromagnetic sensor is known based at least in part on SLAM analysis performed to determine head pose information, wherein the electromagnetic sensor is operatively coupled to a head-mounted component that houses the display system.

32 . The method of claim 31 , capturing image data through one or more cameras that are operatively coupled to the head-mounted component, and wherein the SLAM analysis is performed based at least on data captured by the one or more cameras.

33 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the electromagnetic sensors comprise one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs).

34 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the pose information corresponds to at least a position and orientation of the electromagnetic field emitter relative to the world.

35 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the pose information is analyzed to determine world coordinates corresponding to the electromagnetic field emitter.

36 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising detecting an interaction with one or more virtual contents based at least in part on the pose information corresponding to the electromagnetic field emitter.

37 . The method of claim 36 , further comprising displaying virtual content to the user based at least in part on the detected interaction.

38 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the electromagnetic sensor comprises at least three coils to measure magnetic flux in three directions.

Assignees

• Magic Leap Inc

Inventors

• Woods Michael J

Classifications

• G06F3/012 Primary

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G01S19/42

  Determining position · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title