US 10,540,941 B2Granted

Eclipse cursor for mixed reality displays

AssigneeMagic Leap, Inc.

InventorsJohn Austin Day, Lorena Pazmino, James Cameron Petty, Paul Armistead Hoover, Chris Sorrell, James M. Powderly, Savannah Niles

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Abstract

Systems and methods for displaying a cursor and a focus indicator associated with real or virtual objects in a virtual, augmented, or mixed reality environment by a wearable display device are disclosed. The system can determine a spatial relationship between a user-movable cursor and a target object within the environment. The system may render a focus indicator (e.g., a halo, shading, or highlighting) around or adjacent objects that are near the cursor. The focus indicator may be emphasized in directions closer to the cursor and deemphasized in directions farther from the cursor. When the cursor overlaps with a target object, the system can render the object in front of the cursor (or not render the cursor at all), so the object is not occluded by the cursor. The cursor and focus indicator can provide the user with positional feedback and help the user navigate among objects in the environment.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A wearable display system comprising:

a display configured to be positioned in front of an eye of a user, the display configured to project virtual content toward the eye of the user;
a user input device configured to receive user input data associated with movement of a virtual cursor;
and
a hardware processor in communication with the display and the user input device, the hardware processor programmed to:
identify a location of the virtual cursor in an environment of the user;
determine a spatial relationship between the virtual cursor and an object in the environment of the user;
and
direct the display to render a focus indicator associated with the object, wherein to direct the display to render the focus indicator, the hardware processor is programmed to:
perform a first render pass to render a cursor glow to a first buffer, a location of the cursor glow based at least partly on the location of the virtual cursor,
perform a second render pass to render a shape mask representation of the object to a second buffer,
perform a third render pass to render a glow mask associated with the object to a third buffer, and
perform a fourth render pass configured to combine at least the first buffer, the second buffer, and the third buffer for presentation to the user.

9 more elements

A wearable display system comprising:

a display configured to be positioned in front of an eye of a user, the display configured to project virtual content toward the eye of the user;
a user input device configured to receive user input data associated with movement of a virtual cursor;
and
a hardware processor in communication with the display and the user input device, the hardware processor programmed to:
identify a location of the virtual cursor in an environment of the user;
determine a spatial relationship between the virtual cursor and an object in the environment of the user;
determine an orientation between the location of the virtual cursor and the object;
and
based at least partly on the spatial relationship, direct the display to render the focus indicator preferentially toward the orientation of the virtual cursor, wherein the focus indicator is associated with the object.

6 more elements

An augmented reality display system comprising:

a user input device configured to receive user input related to a position of a cursor in an environment of the user;
a display through which a user can perceive virtual objects in the environment of the user;
a hardware processor in communication with the user input device and the display, the hardware processor programmed to:
cause first and second virtual objects to be rendered via the display;
track, based at least in part on the user input, a position of the cursor in the environment;
identify a position of the first virtual object;
identify a position of the second virtual object;
determine whether a first distance between the first virtual object and the position of the cursor satisfies a first distance threshold;
determine whether a second distance between the second virtual object and the position of the cursor satisfies a second distance threshold;
in response to a determination that the first distance satisfies the first distance threshold, cause a first focus indicator proximate the first virtual object to be rendered via the display;
and
in response to a determination that the second distance satisfies the second distance threshold, cause a second focus indicator proximate the second virtual object to be rendered via the display.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/884,117Filed 30 Jan 2018
Published: US 2019/0237044 A11 Aug 2019
Granted: 21 Jan 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

G06F 3/147
Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units: using display panels
G09G 5/08
Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators: cursor circuits
G02B 27/017
Head-up displays: head mounted
G06F 3/011
Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer: arrangements for interaction with the…