US 9,459,692 B1Granted

Virtual reality headset with relative motion head tracker

AssigneeAriadne's Thread (USA), Inc.

InventorAdam Li

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A virtual reality headset that tracks motion of a user relative to a moving vehicle in which the user is located. The system updates the headset's display based on relative motion, rather than on absolute motion due to vehicle movement. Data from sensors on the headset, the vehicle, or both is analyzed to determine the pose (orientation, position, or both) of the headset relative to the vehicle. Sensors may include headset-mounted cameras that observe the vehicle's interior from the user's viewpoint. Analysis of camera images may use optical flow or it may compare images to reference images captured from known poses. The system may also combine data from headset sensors and vehicle sensors to calculate the relative pose. Headset-mounted cameras may function both as relative pose sensors for virtual reality, and as image capture devices for display of the real environment on the headset.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A virtual reality headset with a relative motion head tracker, comprising

a headset coupled to a head of a user, wherein said user is located in or on a vehicle that may move;
a display coupled to said headset and viewable by said user;
and,
a relative motion head tracker comprising
one or more sensors that generate sensor data, wherein said sensor data measures one or more characteristics that vary based on one or both of a pose of said headset and a pose of said vehicle;
and,
a processor coupled to said one or more sensors and to said display;
wherein said processor is configured to
receive said sensor data;
calculate a pose of said headset relative to said vehicle from said sensor data;
generate, retrieve, select, or modify a display image based on said pose of said headset relative to said vehicle;
and,
transmit said display image to said display;
wherein said one or more characteristics comprise an acceleration of said vehicle on at least one axis;
and,
wherein said processor is further configured to
when said acceleration of said vehicle is outside a normal range, generate, retrieve, select, or modify said display image based on a last pose of said headset relative to said vehicle that was calculated when said acceleration of said vehicle was in said normal range.

14 more elements

A virtual reality headset with a relative motion head tracker, comprising

a headset coupled to a head of a user, wherein said user is located in or on a vehicle that may move;
a display coupled to said headset and viewable by said user;
and,
a relative motion head tracker comprising
one or more sensors that generate sensor data, wherein said sensor data measures one or more characteristics that vary based on one or both of a pose of said headset and a pose of said vehicle;
and,
a processor coupled to said one or more sensors and to said display;
wherein said processor is configured to
receive said sensor data;
calculate a pose of said headset relative to said vehicle from said sensor data;
generate, retrieve, select, or modify a display image based on said pose of said headset relative to said vehicle;
and,
transmit said display image to said display;
wherein said one or more sensors comprise a camera coupled to said headset and oriented to capture a time series of images of at least a portion of said vehicle;
wherein said calculate a pose of said headset relative to said vehicle from said sensor data comprises
analyze said time series of images to determine said pose of said headset relative to said vehicle;
and,
wherein said analyze said time series of images comprises
compare an image of said time series of images to one or more reference images of said vehicle, each associated with a reference pose of said headset relative to said vehicle;
calculate a pose transformation that aligns said image with a selected reference image of said one or more reference images;
and,
calculate said pose of said headset relative to said vehicle by applying said pose transformation to said reference pose associated with said selected reference image.

19 more elements

A virtual reality headset with a relative motion head tracker, comprising

a headset coupled to a head of a user, wherein said user is located in or on a vehicle that may move;
a display coupled to said headset and viewable by said user;
a relative motion head tracker comprising
one or more sensors that generate sensor data, wherein said sensor data measures one or more characteristics that vary based on one or both of a pose of said headset and a pose of said vehicle;
and,
a processor coupled to said one or more sensors and to said display;
wherein said processor is configured to
receive said sensor data;
calculate a pose of said headset relative to said vehicle from said sensor data;
generate, retrieve, select, or modify a display image based on said pose of said headset relative to said vehicle;
and,
transmit said display image to said display;
wherein said one or more sensors comprise a camera coupled to said headset and oriented to capture a time series of images of at least a portion of said vehicle;
wherein said calculate a pose of said headset relative to said vehicle from said sensor data comprises
analyze said time series of images to determine said pose of said headset relative to said vehicle;
wherein said analyze said time series of images comprises
compare an image of said time series of images to one or more reference images of said vehicle, each associated with a reference pose of said headset relative to said vehicle;
calculate a pose transformation that aligns said image with a selected reference image of said one or more reference images;
and,
calculate said pose of said headset relative to said vehicle by applying said pose transformation to said reference pose associated with said selected reference image;
one or more reference pose sensors configured to measure said reference pose associated with each of said one or more reference images;
and,
a reference image acquisition system configured to
capture said one or more reference images using said camera;
for each of said one or more reference images, obtain a corresponding reference pose from said one or more reference pose sensors;
store each of said one or more reference images and its corresponding reference pose in a reference image database.

23 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/084,327Filed 29 Mar 2016
Granted: 4 Oct 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification29 codes

G06F 3/012
Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality: head tracking input arrangements
B60K 35/10
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle,…
B60K 35/235
Head-up displays [HUD]: with means for detecting the driver's gaze direction or eye points
B60K 35/81
Arrangements for controlling instruments: for controlling displays