Information processing system and information processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025035754-A1
Application number	US-202418913929-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 11, 2024
Priority date	Apr 14, 2022
Publication date	Jan 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information processing system includes: a station; a mobile body able to move with respect to the station; and at least one processor. The station has a first light source and a MEMS mirror driven two-dimensionally, and makes light beam from the first light source be reflected by the MEMS mirror while driving the MEMS mirror to be emitted to a space around the station so as to scan the space two-dimensionally by the light beam. The mobile body has a first photo sensor configured to detect reception of the light beam. At least one of the at least one processor is configured to identify a value of a direction parameter indicating a relative direction of the mobile body with respect to the station, based on a timing at which the first photo sensor detected reception of the light beam during the scan.

First claim

1 . An information processing system, comprising;
a station; and a mobile body movable with respect to the station; wherein; the station has a first light source and a MEMS mirror drivable two-dimensionally, and is configured to make a light beam from the first light source be reflected by the MEMS mirror while driving the MEMS mirror to be emitted to a space around the station so as to scan the space two-dimensionally by the light beam, the mobile body has a first photo sensor configured to detect reception of the light beam, and the information processing system further comprises one or more processors configured to identify a value of a direction parameter indicating a relative direction of the mobile body with respect to the station, based on a timing at which the first photo sensor detected reception of the light beam during the scan.

2 . The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to:
determine a position of a virtual object in a virtual space based on the value of the direction parameter; generate image data based on the position of the virtual object; and output the generated image data.

3 . The information processing system according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to output the image data to a display screen placed in real space.

4 . The information processing system according to claim 3 , wherein the station is placed near the display screen so that the light beam is emitted toward the space in front of the display screen.

5 . The information processing system according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to guide a user to place the station near the display screen so that the light beam is emitted toward the space in front of the display screen.

6 . The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein;
the station further has a second light source and a second photo sensor configured to detect reception of reflected light beam of the light beam emitted from the second light source, and at least one of the one or more processors is configured to identify a value of a distance parameter indicating a distance between the station and an object around the station, based on reflected light beam detected by the second photo sensor.

7 . The information processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit a light beam so as to enter the MEMS mirror and be reflected by the MEMS mirror.

8 . The information processing system according to claim 7 , wherein the second light source and the first light source are the same shared light source.

9 . The information processing system according to claim 8 , wherein;
the station is configured to alternately perform scan processing for position measurement by making the light beam from the shared light source perform a scan two-dimensionally so as to identify the value of the direction parameter, and scan processing for distance measurement by making the light beam from the shared light source perform a scan two-dimensionally so as to identify the value of the distance parameter, and the shared light source is configured to emit a light beam by different modes between the scan processing for position measurement and the scan processing for distance measurement.

10 . The information processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the shared light source is configured to emit a light beam comprised of continuous light beam and pulsed light beam superposed, while making the light beam from the shared light source perform a scan two-dimensionally.

11 . The information processing system according to claim 7 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are separate light sources configured to emit different light beams, beam.

12 . The information processing system according to claim 11 , wherein the first light source and the second light source are configured to emit light beams of different wavelengths.

13 . The information processing system according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to identify a value of a position parameter indicating a three-dimensional position of the mobile body with respect to the station, based on the value of the direction parameter and the value of the distance parameter.

14 . The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein;
the station is configured to perform a raster scan in which a linear scan in a first direction by a light beam from the first light source is performed multiple times in parallel while shifting in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one of the one or more processors is configured to identify a value of a direction parameter relating to the second direction of the mobile body corresponding to the orientation of the second direction of the light beam from the first light source when a reception time by the first photo sensor is the longest in one scan in the first direction.

15 . The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the station is configured to perform a raster scan in which a linear scan in a first direction by a light beam from the first light source is performed multiple times in parallel while shifting in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and at least one of the one or more processors is configured to identify a value of a direction parameter relating to the first direction of the mobile body based on a timing of change so that a reception intensity by the first photo sensor becomes higher.

16 . The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors configured to identify the value of the direction parameter is/are provided at the mobile body.

17 . An information processing method comprising:
making a light beam from a first light source of a station be reflected by a MEMS mirror while driving the MEMS mirror of the station to be emitted to a space around the station so as to scan that space two-dimensionally by that light beam; detecting reception of that light beam by a first photo sensor of a mobile body able to move relative to the station; and identifying a value of a direction parameter indicating a relative direction of the mobile body with respect to the station based on a timing at which the first photo sensor detected reception of the light beam during the scan.

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• AJIMIZU Tatsuya
• Tamura Yoshitaka
• Aoki Takafumi
• Fukushima Yuki
• Yamamoto Hiroshi

Classifications

• G02B26/101

  with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title

• G02B26/0833

  the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B) · CPC title

• A63F13/213

  comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence) · 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

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title