Automatic control of avatar perspective view in a graphical user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9478064-B2
Application number	US-201514608613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2015
Priority date	Jan 29, 2015
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

Systems ( 100 ) and methods ( 800 ) for visually rendering a multi-dimensional model of a portion of a system ( 100 ) having mechanical joints ( 228 - 238 ). The methods comprise: determining a first current physical joint configuration of a first mechanical joint and a second current physical joint configuration of a second mechanical joint; determining at least one first viewing direction (d 234 ) along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis (a 234 ) of the first mechanical joint ( 234 ) having the first current physical joint configuration and at least one second viewing direction (d 236 ) along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis (a 236 ) of the second mechanical joint ( 236 ) having the second current physical joint configuration; computing an avatar view perspective direction (σ 234-236 ) based on the first and second viewing directions; and dynamically adjusting a perspective view of a visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system using the avatar view perspective direction.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for visually rendering a multi-dimensional model of at least a portion of a system having a plurality of mechanical joints, comprising:
determining, by an electronic circuit, a first current physical joint configuration of a first mechanical joint and a second current physical joint configuration of a second mechanical joint;
determining, by the electronic circuit, at least one first viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the first mechanical joint having the first current physical joint configuration and at least one second viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the second mechanical joint having the second current physical joint configuration, wherein the determination of the first and second viewing directions is absent of a user input requirement;
computing, by the electronic circuit, an Avatar View Perspective Direction (“AVPD”) based exclusively on a weighted average of at least the first and second viewing directions; and
dynamically adjusting, by the electronic circuit, a perspective view of a visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system using the AVPD which was previously computed.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the system is an unmanned ground vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mechanical joints is part of a manipulator arm.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the AVPD is further based on at least one preferred viewing direction.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising scaling a magnitude of the AVPD prior to using the AVPD to dynamically adjust the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising automatically adjusting the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model many times at a pre-specified rate of change.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising automatically adjusting the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model only when a newly computed AVPD is larger than a currently used AVPD by a threshold value.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising constraining a yaw, pitch, roll or zoom of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model in response to a user-software interaction setting a value thereof.

9. A system, comprising:
at least one electronic circuit configured to:
determine a first current physical joint configuration of a first mechanical joint and a second current physical joint configuration of a second mechanical joint;
determine at least one first viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the first mechanical joint having the first current physical joint configuration and at least one second viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the second mechanical joint having the second current physical joint configuration, wherein the determination of the first and second viewing directions is absent of a user input requirement;
compute an Avatar View Perspective Direction (“AVPD”) based exclusively on a weighted average of at least the first and second viewing directions; and
dynamically adjust a perspective view of a visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system using the AVPD.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the system is an unmanned ground vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first and second mechanical joints are part of a manipulator arm.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the AVPD is further based on at least one preferred viewing direction.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to scale a magnitude of the AVPD prior to using the AVPD to dynamically adjust the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system.

14. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to automatically adjust the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model many times at a pre-specified rate of change.

15. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to automatically adjust the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model only when a newly computed AVPD is larger than a currently used AVPD by a threshold value.

16. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to constrain a yaw, pitch, roll or zoom of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model in response to a user-software interaction setting a value thereof.

17. A method for visually rendering a multi-dimensional model of at least a portion of a system having a plurality of mechanical joints, comprising:
determining, by an electronic circuit, a first current physical joint configuration of a first mechanical joint and a second current physical joint configuration of a second mechanical joint;
determining at least one first viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the first mechanical joint having the first current physical joint configuration and at least one second viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the second mechanical joint having the second current physical joint configuration;
computing an Avatar View Perspective Direction (“AVPD”) based on the first and second viewing directions;
dynamically adjusting a perspective view of a visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system using the AVPD;
determining, by the electronic circuit, at least one third viewing direction opposite to the first viewing direction and a fourth viewing direction opposite to the second viewing direction;
computing a plurality of AVPDs using different pair combinations of the first, second, third and fourth viewing directions; and
using the AVPD of the plurality of AVPDs with a largest magnitude to dynamically adjust the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system.

18. A system, comprising:
at least one electronic circuit configured to:
determine a first current physical joint configuration of a first mechanical joint and a second current physical joint configuration of a second mechanical joint;

determine at least one first viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the first mechanical joint having the first current physical joint configuration and at least one second viewing direction along a rotational axis or perpendicular to a linear extension axis of the second mechanical joint having the second current physical joint configuration;
compute an Avatar View Perspective Direction (“AVPD”) based on the first and second viewing directions;
dynamically adjust a perspective view of a visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system using the AVPD;
determine at least one third viewing direction opposite to the first viewing direction and a fourth viewing direction opposite to the second viewing direction;
compute a plurality of AVPDs using different pair combinations of the first, second, third and fourth viewing directions; and
use the AVPD of the plurality of AVPDs with a largest magnitude to dynamically adjust the perspective view of the visually rendered multi-dimensional model of the system.

Assignees

• Harris Corp

Inventors

• Bosscher Paul M
• Summer Matthew D

Classifications

• G05D1/0011 Primary

  associated with a remote control arrangement · CPC title

• G05D1/0016

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title

• G05B2219/40171

  Set a common coordinate system for all remotely controlled robots · CPC title

• G05B2219/40124

  During manipulator motion, sensor feedback to adapt model in memory · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title