# US 10,500,496 B2 · Physical obstacle avoidance in a virtual reality environment

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- Number: US 10,500,496 B2
- Document ID: US10500496B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/870,536
- Filed: 2018-01-12
- Published: 2019-07-18
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-12
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Adam T. Clark; Jeffrey K. Huebert; Aspen L. Payton; John E. Petri
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500496B2

## CPC

- A63F 13/25: Output arrangements for video game devices
- A63F 13/215: comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
- A63F 13/424: involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
- A63F 13/54: involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
- G06F 3/147: using display panels
- G06F 18/256: {of results relating to different input data, e.g. multimodal recognition}
- G06T 19/003: {Navigation within 3D models or images}
- H04S 7/303: {Tracking of listener position or orientation}
- G06F 3/14: Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units}
- G06V 20/20: in augmented reality scenes
- G09G 2354/00: Aspects of interface with display user
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

While a virtual reality environment is being presented to a user, at least a first sound in a real world environment in which the user physically is located can be detected. a nature of the first sound can be determined. Based on the nature of the first sound, a second sound that matches a theme of the virtual reality environment can be selected. The first sound can be masked by presenting the second sound to the user in the virtual reality environment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
while a virtual reality environment is being presented to a user, detecting at least a first sound emanating from a physical object in a real world environment in which the user physically is located, wherein spatial coordinates of a spatial location of the physical object in the real world environment are moving over time;
determining, using a processor, a nature of the first sound; and
based on the nature of the first sound, selecting a second sound that matches a theme of the virtual reality environment and masking the first sound by presenting the second sound to the user in the virtual reality environment, the presenting the second sound comprising mimicking movement of the physical object in the real world environment by producing audio stereo imaging effects that cause the user to perceive the second sound as being emanated at the spatial location of the physical object and spatially move over time in a direction, relative to the user, the physical object is moving by selectively controlling a volume of the second sound across a plurality of audio channels.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the second sound comprises selecting the second sound to match certain characteristics of the first sound.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
selecting a virtual object that matches the theme of the virtual reality environment to represent a source of the second sound and presenting the virtual object in the virtual reality environment at coordinates, relative to the user in the virtual reality environment, corresponding to coordinates of the physical object, which is a source of the first sound, relative to the user in the real world environment;
wherein the virtual object moves in the virtual reality environment further mimicking movement of the physical object in the real world environment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting the virtual object comprises selecting the virtual object to match at least one characteristic of the physical object that is the source of the first sound selected from a group consisting of a dimension, a size and a movement pattern.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
monitoring the movement of the physical object in the real world environment; and
translating the movement of the physical object in the real world environment to movement of the virtual object in the virtual reality environment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising:
determining a first distance between the user and the physical object in the real world environment;
determining a second distance by multiplying the first distance by a scaling factor that is greater than 1 or less than 1; and
presenting the virtual object at the determined second distance from the user in the virtual reality environment.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
translating movements of the user in the real world environment to movements of the user in the virtual reality environment that are scaled to the movements of the user in the real world environment by the scaling factor.

### Claim 8

An apparatus, comprising:
a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:
while a virtual reality environment is being presented to a user, detecting at least a first sound emanating from a physical object in a real world environment in which the user physically is located, wherein spatial coordinates of a spatial location of the physical object in the real world environment are moving over time;
determining a nature of the first sound; and
based on the nature of the first sound, selecting a second sound that matches a theme of the virtual reality environment and masking the first sound by presenting the second sound to the user in the virtual reality environment, the presenting the second sound comprising mimicking movement of the physical object in the real world environment by producing audio stereo imaging effects that cause the user to perceive the second sound as being emanated at the spatial location of the physical object and spatially move over time in a direction, relative to the user, the physical object is moving by selectively controlling a volume of the second sound across a plurality of audio channels.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the selecting the second sound comprises selecting the second sound to match certain characteristics of the first sound.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, the executable operations further comprising:
selecting a virtual object that matches the theme of the virtual reality environment to represent a source of the second sound and presenting the virtual object in the virtual reality environment at coordinates, relative to the user in the virtual reality environment, corresponding to coordinates of the physical object, which is a source of the first sound, relative to the user in the real world environment;
wherein the virtual object moves in the virtual reality environment further mimicking movement of the physical object in the real world environment.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selecting the virtual object comprises selecting the virtual object to match at least one characteristic of the physical object that is the source of the first sound selected from a group consisting of a dimension, a size and a movement pattern.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, the executable operations further comprising:
monitoring the movement of the physical object in the real world environment; and
translating the movement of the physical object in the real world environment to movement of the virtual object in the virtual reality environment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, the executable operations further comprising:
determining a first distance between the user and the physical object in the real world environment;
determining a second distance by multiplying the first distance by a scaling factor that is greater than 1 or less than 1; and
presenting the virtual object at the determined second distance from the user in the virtual reality environment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, the executable operations further comprising:
translating movements of the user in the real world environment to movements of the user in the virtual reality environment that are scaled to the movements of the user in the real world environment by the scaling factor.

### Claim 15

A computer program product, comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code executable by a data processing system to initiate operations including:
while a virtual reality environment is being presented to a user, detecting at least a first sound emanating from a physical object in a real world environment in which the user physically is located, wherein spatial coordinates of a spatial location of the physical object in the real world environment are moving over time;
determining a nature of the first sound; and
based on the nature of the first sound, selecting a second sound that matches a theme of the virtual reality environment and masking the first sound by presenting the second sound to the user in the virtual reality environment, the presenting the second sound comprising mimicking movement of the physical object in the real world environment by producing audio stereo imaging effects that cause the user to perceive the second sound as being emanated at the spatial location of the physical object and spatially move over time in a direction, relative to the user, the physical object is moving by selectively controlling a volume of the second sound across a plurality of audio channels.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the selecting the second sound comprises selecting the second sound to match certain characteristics of the first sound.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The computer program product of claim 15, the operations further comprising:
selecting a virtual object that matches the theme of the virtual reality environment to represent a source of the second sound and presenting the virtual object in the virtual reality environment at coordinates, relative to the user in the virtual reality environment, corresponding to coordinates of the physical object, which is a source of the first sound, relative to the user in the real world environment;
wherein the virtual object moves in the virtual reality environment further mimicking movement of the physical object in the real world environment.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the selecting the virtual object comprises selecting the virtual object to match at least one characteristic of the physical object that is the source of the first sound selected from a group consisting of a dimension, a size and a movement pattern.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, the operations further comprising:
determining a first distance between the user and the physical object in the real world environment;
determining a second distance by multiplying the first distance by a scaling factor that is greater than 1 or less than 1; and
presenting the virtual object at the determined second distance from the user in the virtual reality environment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The computer program product of claim 19, the operations further comprising:
translating movements of the user in the real world environment to movements of the user in the virtual reality environment that are scaled to the movements of the user in the real world environment by the scaling factor.