U.S. Patent No. 10,987,574: Head mounted display
Issued April 27, 2021, to Sony Interactive Ent. Inc.
Filed: January 7, 2020 (claiming priority to June 9, 2013)
Overview:
U.S. Patent No. 10,987,574 (the ‘574 patent) relates to a head mounted display (HMD) that uses a depth camera to track and render a user’s hand in virtual reality. The ‘574 patent details an HMD with a depth camera in the HMD’s housing. The camera is oriented to capture depth data of an area in front of the housing and the HMD has a processor which uses that data to identify movement of real objects and render the objects (and the objects’ movement) in virtual reality. The real object is the hand of the HMD user and the hand’s virtual counterpart is displayed from a perspective in front of the user. The virtual hand is displayed as a continuation of at least part of the arm of the user, to convey depth to the user as the user extends their arm into virtual reality. The ‘574 patent could be used to make virtual reality experiences more immersive by representing more movements that the user is making with their real body in the virtual world.
Abstract:
A head mounted display (HMD) is provided. In one example configuration, the HMD has housing and a view port. The view port has a screen for rendering a virtual reality scene. The HMD has a communications device for exchanging data over a network. The HMD has a depth camera integrated in the housing and oriented to capture depth data of an environment in front of the housing. A processor is provided and is configured to use the depth data captured by the depth camera to identify real objects in the environment. A real object is rendered into the virtual reality scene. The real object is tracked such that movements of the real object are shown as movements in the virtual reality scene. The real object captured by the depth camera in the environment is a hand of a user wearing the HMD. The hand of the user is rendered as a virtual hand, and movements of the virtual hand are displayed in the screen of the viewport from a perspective that is in front of the user.
Illustrative Claim:
- A head mounted display (HMD), comprising, a housing; a view port of the housing, the view port having a screen for rendering a virtual reality scene; a communications device for exchanging data over a network; a depth camera integrated in the housing and oriented to capture depth data of an environment in front of the housing; and a processor is configured to use the depth data captured by the depth camera to identify real objects in the environment, wherein a real object is rendered into the virtual reality scene, the real object being tracked such that movements of the real object are shown as movements in the virtual reality scene; wherein the real object captured by the depth camera in the environment is a hand of a user wearing the HMD, and said hand of the user is rendered as a virtual hand, and movements of the virtual hand are displayed in the screen of the viewport from a perspective that is in front of the user, wherein at least part of an arm of the user extended into the virtual reality scene in front of the user provides for the virtual hand to appear depth-wise as a continuation of the arm to the virtual hand.