Systems and methods for interacting with virtual objects using sensory feedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933851-B2
Application number	US-201615050329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

There is provided a system having a feedback device including a sensory feedback element, a non-transitory memory storing an executable code and a virtual object having a virtual surface, and a hardware processor. The hardware processor is configured to execute the executable code to determine a position of a hand of a first user, determine a location of the virtual surface of the virtual object, and transmit a first activation signal to the feedback device to cause a sensory feedback to be provided to the first user using the sensory feedback element of the feedback device based on the position of the hand of the first user relative to the location of the virtual surface of the virtual object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for playing a game, the system comprising:
a feedback device including a sensory feedback element;
a non-transitory memory storing an executable code and a virtual object having a virtual surface;
a hardware processor configured to execute the executable code to:
determine a position of a hand of a first user when playing the game;
determine a location of the virtual surface of the virtual object of the game; and
transmit a first activation signal to the feedback device to cause a sensory feedback to be provided to the first user using the sensory feedback element of the feedback device based on the position of the hand of the first user relative to the location of the virtual surface of the virtual object;
wherein the first activation signal indicates that the virtual object is virtually hollow when the hand of the first user passes through the virtual surface and is inside the virtual object, and the first activation signal indicates that the virtual object is virtually solid when the hand of the first user cannot pass through the virtual surface to be inside the virtual object, and wherein the virtual object is a virtual representation of an object and is shown on a display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor further executes the executable code to:
track the position of the hand of the first user;
change an intensity of the sensory feedback when the hand of the first user passes through the virtual object based on the position of the hand of the first user relative to the virtual surface of the virtual object.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor further executes the executable code to:
determine an orientation of the hand of the first user;
determine an orientation of the virtual surface of the virtual object;
transmit a second activation signal to the feedback device to cause a sensory feedback to be provided to the first user using the sensory feedback element of the feedback device based on the orientation of the hand of the first user relative to the orientation of the virtual surface of the virtual object.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensory feedback includes one of a haptic feedback and an audio feedback.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback device is one of a wearable feedback device and a handheld feedback device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual surface is a three-dimensional surface.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the display is an augmented reality display.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual object is a virtual representation of a second user located at a remote location.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual object is created by a second user.

10. A method for use with a system for playing the game, the system comprising a feedback device, a non-transitory memory, and a hardware processor, the method comprising:
determining, using the hardware processor, a position of a hand of a first user when playing the game;
determining, using the hardware processor, a location of the virtual surface of the virtual object of the game; and
transmitting, using the hardware processor, a first activation signal to the feedback device to cause a sensory feedback to be provided to the first user using the sensory feedback element of the feedback device based on the position of the hand of the first user relative to the location of the virtual surface of the virtual object;
wherein the first activation signal indicates that the virtual object is virtually hollow when the hand of the first user passes through the virtual surface and is inside the virtual object, and the first activation signal indicates that the virtual object is virtually solid when the hand of the first user cannot pass through the virtual surface to be inside the virtual object, and wherein the virtual object is a virtual representation of an object and is shown on a display.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
tracking, using the hardware processor, the position of the hand of the first user
changing, using the hardware processor, an intensity of the sensory feedback when the hand of the first user passes through the virtual object based on the position of the hand of the first user relative to the virtual surface of the virtual object.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, using the hardware processor, an orientation of the hand of the first user;
determining, using the hardware processor, an orientation of the virtual surface of the virtual object;
transmitting, using the hardware processor, a second activation signal to the feedback device to cause a sensory feedback to be provided to the first user using the sensory feedback element of the feedback device based on the orientation of the hand of the first user relative to the orientation of the virtual surface of the virtual object.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensory feedback includes one of a haptic sensory feedback and an audio sensory feedback.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the feedback device is one of a wearable feedback device and a handheld feedback device.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the virtual surface is a three-dimensional surface.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the display is an augmented reality display.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the virtual object is a virtual representation of a second user located at a remote location.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the virtual object is created by a second user.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Goslin Michael P
• Haseltine Eric C
• Olson Blade A

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title