# US 9,159,152 B1 · Mapping between a capture volume and a virtual world in a motion capture simulation environment

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- Number: US 9,159,152 B1
- Document ID: US9159152B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 13/551,173
- Filed: 2012-07-17
- Granted: 2015-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-18
- Assignees: Motion Reality, Inc.
- Applicants: Robert Michael Glover; Nels Howard Madsen; Thomas Michael McLaughlin
- Inventors: Robert Michael Glover; Nels Howard Madsen; Thomas Michael McLaughlin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9159152B1

## CPC

- G06T 13/40: of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
- A63F 13/212: using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
- A63F 13/213: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence)
- A63F 13/42: by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
- G06T 13/00: Animation
- G06T 19/003: {Navigation within 3D models or images}
- A63F 2300/5553: user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
- A63F 2300/6607: for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A motion capture simulation system can include a capture volume. A participant disposed in the capture volume can be motion captured and immersed into a virtual environment. The virtual environment may be larger in size than the capture volume. In the virtual environment, the participant may be represented by an avatar. The avatar in the virtual environment can be moved in a first direction based on a motion of the participant in the first direction in the capture volume. As the participant moves in the first direction in the capture volume, the participant may approach a boundary of the capture volume, while the participant's avatar may have space to move further in the first direction in the larger virtual environment. Approaching the boundary, the participant can change direction, for example turning around to avoid the boundary. The redirected participant can continue driving the avatar to move in the first direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for moving an avatar in a virtual environment based on movement of a person in a motion capture volume, the method comprising:
determining that the person is approaching a physical boundary of the motion capture volume, wherein the motion capture volume is bounded by the physical boundary; and
in response to the determination that the person is approaching the physical boundary of the motion capture volume,
changing a correlation between a movement of the avatar and the movement of the person when the person changes a direction of the movement to avoid collision with the physical boundary, wherein changing the correlation between the movement of the avatar and the movement of the person comprises maintaining a direction of the movement of the avatar in the virtual environment when the person changes the direction of the movement in the motion capture volume.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a transformation that maps the person from the motion capture volume to the virtual environment to change the correlation between the movement of the avatar and the movement of the person.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising reorienting the virtual environment to change the correlation between the movement of the avatar and the movement of the person.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication to the person that the person is approaching the physical boundary of the motion capture volume to avoid collision with the physical boundary.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the virtual environment to the person in the motion capture volume via a head mounted display equipment of the person.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a first transformation that maps the person to a coordinate system representing the motion capture volume; and applying a second transformation that maps the person from the coordinate system representing the motion capture volume to a coordinate system representing the virtual environment.

### Claim 7

A system comprising:
a simulator engine configured to:
move a participant's avatar in a direction in a virtual environment based on a movement of the participant in the direction in a motion capture volume;
determine if the participant is within a threshold distance from a boundary of the motion capture volume;
if the participant is within the threshold distance, then move the participant's avatar in the direction based on the movement of the participant in another direction;
determining if the participant desires to change an operational location of the participant's avatar in the virtual environment based on a simulation scenario; and
responsive to a positive determination, change the operational location of the participant's avatar in the virtual environment based on a change in direction of movement of the participant from the direction to the another direction in the motion capture volume independent of whether the participant is within the threshold distance from the boundary of the motion capture volume.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the simulator engine is configured to modify a transformation that maps the participant from the motion capture volume to the virtual environment to move the participant's avatar in the direction based on movement of the participant in the another direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the direction and the another direction are opposite to one another.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the direction and the another direction are different from one another.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the simulator engine is configured to reorient the virtual environment to move the participant's avatar in the direction based on movement of the participant in the another direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the simulator engine is configured to provide an indication to the participant that the participant is within the threshold distance from the boundary of the motion capture volume.

### Claim 13

A method for moving an avatar of a person in a virtual environment based on a motion of the person in a capture volume, the method comprising:
moving the avatar along a vector responsive to the person moving in a first direction while disposed in the capture volume;
responsive to determining that the person is within a threshold distance from a boundary of the capture volume, moving the avatar along the vector responsive to the person moving in a second direction while disposed in the capture volume, the first direction different than the second direction; and
responsive to determining that an operational location of the avatar is to be changed based on a simulation scenario, changing the operational location of the avatar in the virtual environment based on the person changing a direction of movement from the first direction to the second direction while disposed in the capture volume.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein moving the avatar along the vector responsive the person moving in the second direction comprises modifying a rotational component of a transformation about a vertical axis, wherein the transformation maps the person from the capture volume to the virtual environment.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein moving the avatar along the vector responsive the person moving in the second direction comprises reorienting the virtual environment responsive to the person moving in the second direction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the virtual environment to the person in the capture volume via a head mounted display equipment of the person.