Head-mounted display tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019046873-A1
Application number	US-201816162330-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 16, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	Feb 14, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD), a computer-implemented method, and a VR tracking system are described. Generally, a VR HMD includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and an optical sensor. When a second VR HMD is located in a same physical environment, the VR HMD can be operated to track a motion of the second VR HMD in the physical environment. For example, image data captured by the VR HMD in addition to inertial data of both VR HMDs are used to determine a three dimensional (3D) physical position of the second VR HMD and to track the 3D physical position over time. Three degrees of freedom (DOF) or six DOF for the motion are derived from the tracking.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
processing inertial data by a computer of a first virtual reality head mounted display, the computer further processing image data of a physical environment that comprises the first virtual reality head-mounted display, the image data generated by an optical sensor of a second virtual reality head-mounted display that is in the physical environment; determining, by the computer, a movement direction of the first virtual reality head-mounted display based on the inertial data; determining, by the computer, a change in position based on analysis of the image data that includes the first virtual reality head-mounted display; determining, by the computer, a position of the first virtual reality head-mounted display in the physical environment based on the movement direction and the change in position; and presenting, by the computer of the first virtual reality head mounted display, virtual reality content that is updated based on the position of the first virtual reality head-mounted display in the physical environment.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the image data being received from the second virtual reality head-mounted display over one of a wireless network or a peer-to-peer data communication network.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the position of the first virtual reality head-mounted display is tracked over time based on updates to the inertial data and the image data.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the inertial data is generated by an inertial measurement unit rigidly connected with the first virtual reality head-mounted display.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising,
receiving by the computer of the first virtual reality head-mounted display inertial data of the second virtual reality head-mounted display.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual reality head-mounted display includes one or more tags that are identified in the image data and said one or more tags are configured to be analyzed to assist in at least part of tracking of the first virtual reality head-mounted display in the physical environment.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the computer, the inertial data of the first virtual reality head-mounted display to the second virtual reality head-mounted display.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual reality head-mounted display comprises the computer and an inertial measurement unit coupled with the computer system, and wherein determining the position comprises:
generating, by the inertial measurement unit, the inertial data of the first virtual reality head-mounted display; generating, by the computer, a calibration offset based on second inertial data sent from the second virtual reality head-mounted display; and generating, by the computer, the position based on the inertial data of the first virtual reality head-mounted display and the calibration offset.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second virtual reality head-mounted displays include cameras.

10 . A computer-implemented method for tracking a first virtual reality head mounted display, comprising:
receiving, by a computer of a second virtual reality head mounted display, inertial data of first virtual reality head mounted display; capturing, by a camera of the second virtual reality head mounted display, image data of a physical environment in which the first and second virtual reality head mounted displays are present; determining, by the computer, a movement direction of the first virtual reality head-mounted display based on the inertial data; determining, by the computer, a change in position based on analysis of the image data that includes the first virtual reality head-mounted display; determining, by the computer, a position of the first virtual reality head-mounted display in the physical environment based on the movement direction and the change in position; and sending by the computer to the second virtual reality head mounted display, the position to cause an update to presentation of virtual reality content as viewed via the first virtual reality head mounted display.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second virtual reality head-mounted displays communicate over one of a wireless network or a peer-to-peer data communication network.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the position of the first virtual reality head-mounted display is tracked over time based on updates to the inertial data and the image data.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the inertial data is generated by an inertial measurement unit rigidly connected with the first virtual reality head-mounted display.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising,
processing, by the computer of the second virtual reality head-mounted display, inertial data of the second virtual reality head-mounted display.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the first virtual reality head-mounted display includes one or more identifiers that are visually captured in the image data and said one or more identifiers are configured to be analyzed to assist in at least part of tracking of the first virtual reality head-mounted display in the physical environment.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:
sending, by the computer of the second virtual reality head-mounted display, inertial data of the second virtual reality head-mounted display to the first virtual reality head-mounted display.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the second virtual reality head-mounted display is configured to position track the first virtual reality head-mounted display.

18 . A computer-implemented method for tracking a first virtual reality head mounted display, comprising:
receiving, by a computer of a second virtual reality head mounted display, inertial data of first virtual reality head mounted display; capturing, by a camera of the second virtual reality head mounted display, image data of a physical environment that includes the second virtual reality head mounted display; determining, by the computer, a movement change of the first virtual reality head-mounted display based on the inertial data; determining, by the computer, a location change of first virtual reality head-mounted display based on analysis of the image data that includes the first virtual reality head-mounted display; determining, by the computer, a position of the first virtual reality head-mounted display in the physical environment based on the movement change and the location change; and sending, by the computer to the second virtual reality head mounted display, the position to enable updates in virtual reality content being presented via the first virtual reality head mounted display.

19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein the first and second virtual reality head-mounted displays communicate over one of a wireless network or a peer-to-peer data communication network.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , further comprising,
processing by the computer of the second virtual reality head-mounted display inertial data o

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Black Glenn T

Classifications

• A63F13/25 Primary

  Output arrangements for video game devices · CPC title

• A63F13/323

  between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines · CPC title

• A63F2300/8082

  Virtual reality · CPC title

• G02B2027/0187

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

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title