Facilitate user manipulation of a virtual reality environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016284136-A1
Application number	US-201514871558-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method facilitating a user to manipulate a virtual reality (VR) environment are disclosed. The user may provide an input via a touch sensitive surface of a computing device associated with the user to bind a virtual object in the VR environment to the computing device. The user may then move and/or rotate the computing device to cause the bound virtual object to move and/or rotate in the VR environment accordingly. In some examples, the bound virtual object may cast a ray into the VR environment. The movement and/or rotation of the virtual object controlled by the computing device in those examples can change the direction of the ray. In some examples, the virtual object may include a virtual camera. In those examples, the user may move and/or rotate the virtual camera in the VR environment by moving and/or rotate the computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for facilitating a user to manipulate a virtual reality (VR) environment, the method comprising:
receiving, by the server, from a computing device associated with the user, a first user input, the first input being provided by the user via a touch sensitive surface associated with the computing device; after the first input having been received, binding, by the server, the device to a first virtual object in the VR environment; obtaining, by the server, first movement information indicating a movement of the computing device; and based on the first movement information, determining, by the server, a new position of the first virtual object in the VR environment.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first movement information includes information indicating a translational and/or a rotational movement of the computing device.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual object is capable of casting a ray in a direction into the VR environment, and wherein the method further comprises determining, by the server, the ray cast by the first virtual object into the VR environment at the new position, wherein the determination of the ray includes determining the direction in which the ray is cast by the first virtual object into the VR environment at the new position.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the ray includes determining one or more targets in the VR environment are intersected by the ray at the new position.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the ray includes determining one or more damages incurred by the ray in the VR environment at the new position.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determination of the ray includes determining a distance traveled by the ray in the VR environment at the new position.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining ray information regarding the ray for presentation to the user in a view of the VR environment.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising demining a menu of one or more user selectable virtual objects for binding with the computing device in response to the first user input being received, wherein the user selectable objects include the first virtual object.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual object includes a virtual camera, and wherein the method further comprises determining a view of the VR for display to the user based on the new position of the first virtual camera.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling the user to select one or more virtual objects appearing in a view of the VR for binding to the computer device in response to the first user input being received.

11 . A server for facilitating a user to manipulate a virtual reality (VR) environment, the server comprising:
a processor configured to: receive from a computing device associated with the user, a first user input, the first input being provided by the user via a touch sensitive surface associated with the computing device; after the first input having been received, bind the device to a first virtual object in the VR environment; obtain first movement information indicating a movement of the computing device; and based on the first movement information, determining a new position of the first virtual object in the VR environment.

12 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the first movement information includes information indicating a translational and/or a rotational movement of the computing device.

13 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the first virtual object is capable of casting a ray in a direction into the VR environment, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine the ray cast by the first virtual object into the VR environment at the new position, wherein the determination of the ray includes determining the direction in which the ray is cast by the first virtual object into the VR environment at the new position.

14 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the determination of the ray includes determining one or more targets in the VR environment are intersected by the ray at the new position.

15 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the determination of the ray includes determining one or more damages incurred by the ray in the VR environment at the new position.

16 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the determination of the ray includes determining a distance traveled by the ray in the VR environment at the new position.

17 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine ray information regarding the ray for presentation to the user in a view of the VR environment.

18 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to demine a menu of one or more user selectable virtual objects for binding with the computing device in response to the first user input being received, wherein the user selectable objects include the first virtual object.

19 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the first virtual object includes a virtual camera, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine a view of the VR for display to the user based on the new position of the first virtual camera.

20 . The server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable the user to select one or more virtual objects appearing in a view of the VR for binding to the computer device in response to the first user input being received.

Assignees

• Lucasfilm Entertainment Co Ltd

Inventors

• Johnston Darby
• Wakelin Ian

Classifications

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title