Detecting and mitigating motion sickness in augmented and virtual reality systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020124845-A1
Application number	US-201816168361-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Oct 23, 2018
Publication date	Apr 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods for detecting and mitigating conditions associated with motion sickness and visual fatigue for users of augmented or virtual reality systems include receiving, during operation of a head-mounted display device, sensor data from inertial measurement unit sensors of the device, determining, dependent on the sensor data, that a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists, and modifying, in response to determining that the condition exists, an operating parameter for the device to mitigate the detected condition. The sensor data may include acceleration data with respect to six degrees of freedom. Detecting a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue may include comparing change rates for the sensor data to predetermined gradient thresholds. Modifying an operating parameter may include changing a rendering resolution, a spatial quality setting, or an effective field of view to, at least partially, mitigate the detected condition. The method may be repeated periodically.

First claim

1 . An information handling system, comprising:
an interface through which a head-mounted display is communicatively coupled to the information handling system; a processor; and non-transitory computer readable memory media storing instructions executable by the processor for:
receiving, during operation of the head-mounted display device from one or more inertial measurement unit sensors of the head-mounted display device, sensor data comprising data indicating respective acceleration values for the head-mounted display device with respect to each of a plurality of degrees of freedom;
determining, dependent on the sensor data, whether a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists, the determining comprising, for sensor data indicating acceleration values for the head-mounted display device with respect to a given degree of freedom:
computing a hysteresis-based average of a plurality of the acceleration values;
computing a gradient value associated with the given degree of freedom dependent on the computed hysteresis-based average of the plurality of the acceleration values and a previously computed hysteresis-based average of acceleration values with respect to the given degree of freedom; and
determining whether the computed gradient value associated with the given degree of freedom meets or exceeds a predetermined gradient threshold value for the head-mounted display device with respect to the given degree of freedom; and

modifying, in response to determining that a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists, an operating parameter for the head-mounted display device to mitigate the detected condition.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor for determining the gradient threshold value through a calibration exercise associated with the head-mounted display device.

4 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor for repeating, at predetermined intervals dependent on a frequency at which the sensor data is received, determining whether a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists.

5 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the instructions are further executable by the processor for receiving eye gaze tracking data from one or more eye tracking sensors of the head-mounted display device; and determining whether a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists is further dependent on the eye gaze tracking data.

6 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the instructions are further executable by the processor for, in response to determining that a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue does not exist:
obtaining one or more of a rendering resolution for rendering frames to be displayed on the head-mounted display device and a spatial quality setting for frames to be displayed on the head-mounted display device; and
determining whether at least one of the rendering resolution and the spatial quality setting is less than a respective predetermined maximum value for the rendering resolution or the spatial quality setting; and
modifying an operating parameter for the head-mounted display device comprises increasing the rendering resolution or the spatial quality in response to determining that at least one of the rendering resolution and the spatial quality setting is less than the respective predetermined maximum value.

7 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the instructions are further executable by the processor for:
obtaining timing data associated with frames rendered for display on the head-mounted display device;
calculating, dependent on the timing data, frame rates for the head-mounted display device in terms of frames per second;
applying a hysteresis-based averaging of the frame rates; and
determining that the hysteresis-based average of the frame rates is less than a predetermined target frame rate; and
modifying an operating parameter for the head-mounted display device comprises reducing one or more of:
a rendering resolution for rendering frames to be displayed on the head-mounted display device;
an effective field of view of the head-mounted display device; and
a spatial quality setting for frames to be displayed on the head-mounted display device.

8 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the instructions are further executable by the processor for:
obtaining timing data associated with frames rendered for display on the head-mounted display device;
obtaining simultaneous localization and mapping data from the head-mounted display device;
computing, based on the timing data and the simultaneous localization and mapping data, a motion parallax velocity; and
determining that the motion parallax velocity indicates motion parallax; and
modifying the operating parameter for the head-mounted display device comprises increasing an effective field of view of the head-mounted display device by an amount dependent on the motion parallax velocity.

9 . A method, comprising:
receiving, during operation of a head-mounted display device from one or more inertial measurement unit sensors of the head-mounted display device, sensor data comprising data indicating respective acceleration values for the head-mounted display device with respect to each of a plurality of degrees of freedom; determining, dependent on the sensor data, that a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists, the determining comprising, for sensor data indicating acceleration values for the head-mounted display device with respect to a given degree of freedom:
computing a hysteresis-based average of a plurality of the acceleration values;
computing a gradient value associated with the given degree of freedom dependent on the computed hysteresis-based average of the plurality of the acceleration values and a previously computed hysteresis-based average of acceleration values with respect to the given degree of freedom; and
determining that the computed gradient value associated with the given degree of freedom meets or exceeds a predetermined gradient threshold value for the head-mounted display device with respect to the given degree of freedom; and
modifying, in response to determining that a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists, an operating parameter for the head-mounted display device to mitigate the detected condition.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining the gradient threshold value through a calibration exercise associated with the head-mounted display device.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the method further comprises receiving eye gaze tracking data from one or more eye tracking sensors of the head-mounted display device; and determining that a condition associated with motion sickness or visual fatigue exists is further dependent on the eye gaze tracking data.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the method further comprises:
obtaining timing data associated with frames rendered for display on the head-mounted display device;
calculating, dependent on the timing data, frame rates for the head-mounted display device in terms of frames per second;
applying a hysteresis-based averaging of the frame rates; and
determining that the hysteresis-based average of the frame rates is less than a predetermined target frame rate; and
modifying an operating parameter for the head-mounted display

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Smith Hana Schuster
• Iyer Vivek Viswanathan

Classifications

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G02B2027/0147

  comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image · CPC title

• G02B2027/0129

  comprising devices for correcting parallax · CPC title

• G02B2027/0123

  comprising devices increasing the field of view · CPC title

• G02B27/0093 Primary

  with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking · CPC title