# US 9,437,159 B2 · Environmental interrupt in a head-mounted display and utilization of non field of view real estate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,159 B2 - Document ID: US9437159B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/283,083 - Filed: 2014-05-20 - Published: 2015-07-30 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-25 - Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC - Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC - Inventors: Justin Moravetz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437159B2 ## CPC - G06T 19/006: {Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00)} - G02B 27/0093: {with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking} - G02B 27/017: {Head mounted} - G02B 27/0179: {Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed} - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) - G09G 3/003: {to produce spatial visual effects} - G09G 3/006: {Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays (testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309)} - G09G 5/006: {Details of the interface to the display terminal (specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04)} - G02B 2027/014: {comprising information/image processing systems} - G02B 2027/0187: {slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye} - G09G 2320/0693: Calibration of display systems - G09G 2320/08: Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal - G09G 2354/00: Aspects of interface with display user - G09G 2370/10: Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline - G09G 2370/12: Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 A wearable computing device includes a head-mounted display (HMD) that generates a virtual reality environment. Through the generation and tracking of positional data, a the virtual environment may be interrupted or paused. Upon pausing the environment, a user may access a number of ancillary menus and controls not otherwise available during normal operation of the virtual environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for interrupting a virtual environment in a head-mounted display, the method comprising: storing information in memory regarding at least one control setting that associates a function with a change in position of the head-mounted display; calibrating the head-mounted display, wherein a start position of the head-mounted display is identified; generating positional data that tracks movement of the head-mounted display; determining that a current position of the head-mounted display is indicative of a change from the start position that exceeds the change in position of the control setting; executing the function associated with the control setting, wherein the function comprises interrupting the virtual environment in the head-mounted display by pausing the environment; and offering menu functionality in a peripheral vision area once the environment has been paused. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a gyroscope. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from an accelerometer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a magnetometer. ### Claim 5 A system for interrupting a virtual environment in a head-mounted display, the system comprising: memory that stores information regarding at least one control setting that associates a function with a change in position of the head-mounted display; at least one of a gyroscope, magnetometer, and an accelerometer that: calibrates the head-mounted display, wherein a start position of the head-mounted display is identified, and generates positional data that tracks movement of the head-mounted display; a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to: determine that a current position of the head-mounted display is indicative of a change from the start position that exceeds the change in position of the control setting; and execute the function associated with the control setting; and a head-mounted display including at least one lens to display the virtual environment, wherein execution of the function interrupts the environment by pausing the environment; and wherein the head-mounted display further offers menu functionality in a peripheral vision area once the environment has been paused. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from the gyroscope. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from the accelerometer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from the magnetometer. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for interrupting a virtual environment in a head-mounted display, the method comprising: storing information regarding at least one control setting that associates a function with a change in position of the head-mounted display; calibrating the head-mounted display, wherein a start position of the head-mounted display is identified; generating positional data that tracks movement of the head-mounted display; determining that a current position of the head-mounted display is indicative of a change from the start position that exceeds the change in position of the control setting; executing the function associated with the control setting, wherein the function comprises interrupting the virtual environment in the head-mounted display by pausing the environment; and offering menu functionality in a peripheral vision area once the environment has been paused. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a gyroscope. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from an accelerometer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating positional data includes processing data from a magnetometer.