Sensory feedback systems and methods for guiding users in virtual reality environments
AssigneeValve Corporation
InventorsDavid Sawyer, Kenneth Birdwell, Kenneth Barnett, Tristan Reidford, Aaron Leiby, Emily Ridgway, Alexander C. Vlachos
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Abstract
Sensory feedback (“chaperoning”) systems and methods for guiding users in virtual/augmented reality environments such as walk-around virtual reality environments are described. Exemplary implementations assist with preventing collisions with objects in the physical operating space in which the user acts, among other potential functions and/or uses.
Claims14
A method for warning a user of a head-mounted display of potential collisions with real-world obstacles, comprising the steps of:
- defining the location of said obstacles relative to a reference point;
- continually monitoring a location of said user relative to said reference point;
- performing a first detection to determine when a first distance between said location of said user relative to a location of one of said obstacles is smaller than a first predetermined alarm threshold;
- in response to said first detection, displaying a visual alarm on said head-mounted display to provide an indication to said user of a potential collision with said one of said obstacles;
- and
- continually monitoring a location of an object held by said user, performing a second detection to determine when a second distance between said location of said object relative to said location of said one of said obstacles is smaller than said first predetermined alarm threshold, and, in response to said second detection, displaying a visual alarm on said head-mounted display to provide an indication to said user of a potential collision between said object and said one of said obstacles,
- wherein a step of defining said location of said obstacles relative to said reference point further comprises prompting said user to walk around a portion of the boundaries of a real operating space while holding said object, and detecting said location of said object at a plurality of points in time during an execution of said step.
A system for warning a user of a head-mounted display of potential collisions with real-world obstacles, comprising:
- one or more location-defining circuits for determining the location of said obstacles relative to a reference point;
- one or more circuits for user-location monitoring that continually monitor a location of said user relative to said reference point, perform a first detection to determine when a first distance between said location of said user relative to a location of one of said obstacles is smaller than a first predetermined alarm threshold, and in response to said first detection, display a visual alarm on said head-mounted display to provide an indication to said user of a potential collision with said one of said obstacles;
- and
- one or more circuits for object-location monitoring that continually monitor a location of an object held by said user, perform a second detection to determine when a second distance between said location of said object relative to said location of said one of said obstacles is smaller than said first predetermined alarm threshold, and, in response to said second detection, display a visual alarm on said head-mounted display to provide an indication to said user of a potential collision between said object and said one of said obstacles,
- wherein said one or more location-defining circuits prompt said user to walk around a portion of the boundaries of a real operating space while holding said object, and detect said location of said object at a plurality of points in time as said user walks around said portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.