Fine-Motion Virtual-Reality or Augmented-Reality Control Using Radar
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsIvan Poupyrev, Patrick M. Amihood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This document describes techniques for fine-motion virtual-reality or augmented-reality control using radar. These techniques enable small motions and displacements to be tracked, even in the millimeter or sub-millimeter scale, for user control actions even when those actions are small, fast, or obscured due to darkness or varying light. Further, these techniques enable fine resolution and real-time control, unlike conventional RF-tracking or optical-tracking techniques.
Claims42
A computer-implemented method for fine-motion virtual-reality (VR) or augmented-reality (AR) control, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- presenting a VR/AR object within a VR world or an AR viewport;
- tracking a user interaction with the VR/AR object, the user interaction including a fine-motion in a millimeter or sub-millimeter range, the tracking comprising:
- receiving a radar signal representing a superposition of reflections of two or more spatially separated points over time within a radar field provided by a radar system;
- calculating a first radial distance for a first point of the points at a first time based on the received radar signal;
- calculating a first radial velocity for the first point at the first time using an observed Doppler frequency for the first point at the first time;
- calculating a second radial distance for the first point at a second time based on the received radar signal;
- calculating a second radial velocity for the first point at the second time using an observed Doppler frequency for the first point at the second time;
- determining a movement of the first point between the first and second times based on the first and second radial distances and first and second radial velocities;
- and
- establishing the user interaction based on the determined movement of the first point;
- altering the VR/AR object in real time corresponding to the user interaction;
- and
- passing a control input corresponding to the user interaction effective to control the VR world, the AR viewport, or an application or device external to the VR world or the AR viewport.
A computer-implemented method for fine-motion virtual-reality (VR) or augmented-reality (AR) control, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- presenting a VR/AR object within a VR world or an AR viewport;
- tracking a user interaction with the VR/AR object, the user interaction including a fine-motion in a millimeter or sub-millimeter range, the tracking comprising:
- receiving a radar signal representing a superposition of reflections of two or more spatially separated points over time within a radar field provided by a radar system;
- distinguishing the spatially separated points by determining respective Doppler centroids for the points;
- determining a movement of a first point of the points between first and second times based on spatially resolving the first point at the first and second times;
- and
- establishing the user interaction based on the determined movement of the first point;
- altering the VR/AR object in real time corresponding to the user interaction;
- and
- passing a control input corresponding to the user interaction effective to control the VR world, the AR viewport, or an application or device external to the VR world or the AR viewport.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.