US 9,791,897 B2Granted

Handheld display device for navigating a virtual environment

AssigneeMONKEYmedia, Inc.

InventorsEric Justin Gould Bear, Rachel M. Strickland, Jim McKee

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Abstract

Departing from one-way linear cinema played on a single rectangular screen, this multi-channel virtual environment involves a cinematic paradigm that undoes habitual ways of framing things, employing architectural concepts in a polylinear video/sound construction to create a type of experience that allows the world to reveal itself and permits discovery on the part of participants. Techniques are disclosed for peripatetic navigation through virtual space with a handheld computing device, leveraging human spatial memory to form a proprioceptive sense of location, allowing a participant to easily navigate amongst a plurality of simultaneously playing videos and to center in front of individual video panes in said space, making it comfortable for a participant to rest in a fixed posture and orientation while selectively viewing any one of the video streams, and providing spatialized 3D audio cues that invite awareness of other content unfolding simultaneously in the virtual environment.

Claims46

Dependent claims

One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed by a handheld computer having a visual display and one or more sensors, are capable of causing the handheld computer to:

a. generate a virtual environment with a ground plane structure;
b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment;
c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment;
d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment in a direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure using x-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot up or pivot down of the handheld computer and an x-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of x-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the orientation of the virtual camera;
and
e. generate a signal to update the orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using v-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot left or pivot right of the handheld computer and a v-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of v-axisometer sensor data to update the orientation of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of x-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the location of the virtual camera.

3 more elements

a. generate a virtual environment with a ground plane structure;
b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment;
c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment;
and
d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using z-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating tip left or tip right of the handheld computer and a z-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of z-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of z-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the orientation of the virtual camera, and:
i. the location of the virtual camera is established in a direction perpendicularly left of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the z-axisometer data indicates a tip left posture of the handheld computer relative to the z-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
ii. the location of the virtual camera is established in a direction perpendicularly right of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the z-axisometer data indicates a tip right posture of the handheld computer relative to the z-axisometer sensor reference data.

5 more elements

a. generate a three-dimensional virtual environment comprising a ground plane structure, a plurality of video panes and a plurality of virtual speakers, wherein:
i. a plurality of videos play simultaneously in distinct locations in the virtual environment;
and
ii. a plurality of sounds are produced for display as if coming from distinct locations in the virtual environment;
b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment;
c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment;
d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment in a direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure using x-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot up or pivot down of the handheld computer and an x-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of x-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the orientation of the virtual camera, and:
i. the location of the virtual camera is established in a direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the x-axisometer data indicates a pivot down posture relative to the x-axisometer sensor reference data;
ii. the location of the virtual camera is established in an opposite direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the x-axisometer data indicates a pivot up posture relative to the x-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
iii. the magnitude of virtual camera location change is based on x-axisometer data relative to x-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
e. generate a signal to update the orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using v-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot left or pivot right of the handheld computer and a v-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of v-axisometer sensor data to update the orientation of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of x-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the location of the virtual camera, and:
i. the orientation of the virtual camera is established left if the v-axisometer data indicates an aim left posture relative to a v-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
ii. the orientation of the virtual camera is established right if the v-axisometer data indicates an aim right posture relative to the v-axisometer sensor reference data.

13 more elements

A virtual environment navigation system comprising a handheld computer having a microprocessor, a visual display, and one or more sensors, wherein the handheld computer is configured to, while the visual display is oriented in a person's hand(s) such that a horizontal line of sight of the person aligns more closely with the z-axis of the visual display than with the y-axis of the visual display:

a. generate a virtual environment with a ground plane structure;
b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment;
c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment;
d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment in a direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure using x-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot up or pivot down of the handheld computer and an x-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of x-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the orientation of the virtual camera;
and
e. generate a signal to update the orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using v-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot left or pivot right of the handheld computer and a v-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of v-axisometer sensor data to update the orientation of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of x-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the location of the virtual camera.

3 more elements

a. generate a virtual environment with a ground plane structure;
b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment;
c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment;
and
d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using z-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating tip left or tip right of the handheld computer and a z-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of z-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of z-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the orientation of the virtual camera, and:
i. the location of the virtual camera is established in a direction perpendicularly left of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the z-axisometer data indicates a tip left posture of the handheld computer relative to the z-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
ii. the location of the virtual camera is established in a direction perpendicularly right of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the z-axisometer data indicates a tip right posture of the handheld computer relative to the z-axisometer sensor reference data.

5 more elements

a. generate a three-dimensional virtual environment comprising a ground plane structure, a plurality of video panes and a plurality of virtual speakers, wherein:
i. a plurality of videos play simultaneously in distinct locations in the virtual environment;
and
ii. a plurality of sounds are produced for display as if coming from distinct locations in the virtual environment;
b. generate a signal to establish a location of a virtual camera in the virtual environment;
c. generate a signal to establish an orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment;
d. generate a signal to update the location of the virtual camera in the virtual environment in a direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure using x-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot up or pivot down of the handheld computer and an x-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of x-axisometer sensor data to update the location of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of v-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the orientation of the virtual camera, and:
i. the location of the virtual camera is established in a direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the x-axisometer data indicates a pivot down posture relative to the x-axisometer sensor reference data;
ii. the location of the virtual camera is established in an opposite direction of the orientation of the virtual camera on a plane parallel to the ground plane structure if the x-axisometer data indicates a pivot up posture relative to the x-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
iii. the magnitude of virtual camera location change is based on x-axisometer data relative to x-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
e. generate a signal to update the orientation of the virtual camera in the virtual environment using v-axisometer data from at least one of the sensors indicating pivot left or pivot right of the handheld computer and a v-axisometer sensor reference data, wherein said use of v-axisometer sensor data to update the orientation of the virtual camera is effectively decoupled from use of x-axisometer sensor data, thereby enabling x-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to be used independently of v-axisometer sensor data of the handheld computer to update the location of the virtual camera, and:
i. the orientation of the virtual camera is established left if the v-axisometer data indicates an aim left posture relative to a v-axisometer sensor reference data;
and
ii. the orientation of the virtual camera is established right if the v-axisometer data indicates an aim right posture relative to the v-axisometer sensor reference data.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/810,262Filed 27 Jul 2015 · continuation
Priority: 29 Jun 2012
Published: US 2017/0031391 A12 Feb 2017
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification44 codes

G06F 1/1694
Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675: the I/O peripheral…
A63F 13/211
Characterised by their sensors, purposes or types: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
A63F 13/213
Characterised by their sensors, purposes or types: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells
A63F 13/428
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…:…

Family

Application61/666,216Us provisional application · filed 29 Jun 2012
Application13/540,695Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jul 2012
US 2017/0031391 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Feb 2017
US 2014/0002580 A1Published application
US 9,791,897 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.