Method And System For Receiving Gesture Input Via Virtual Control Objects

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide computer systems, apparatuses, computer-executable methods and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media for receiving gesture input via virtual controls. Examples include a computer-implemented method that includes receiving data indicating a physical environment state, processing the data to determine a physical position of at least one user, determining at least one physical anchor position within the physical environment state, mapping the physical anchor position to a virtual anchor position within a virtual environment state, wherein the virtual environment state includes a plurality of virtual coordinate positions that map to at least a portion of the physical environment state, determining a particular virtual coordinate position for at least one virtual control from the plurality of virtual coordinate positions, and instructing a display device configured to display the virtual environment state to display the virtual control at the particular virtual coordinate position.

1 . A computer-implemented method for implementing a virtual control in a virtual reality environment, the method comprising:
 receiving data indicating a physical environment state;   processing, by a processor, the data indicating the physical environment state to determine a physical position of at least one user;   determining a view angle of the at least one user;   determining, by the processor, that the view angle of the at least one user includes an area of a physical environment encompassing a fixed virtual coordinate position predefined by virtual environment state management circuitry, the fixed virtual coordinate position identifying a position for a virtual control; and   only in response to determining that the view angle of the at least one user includes an area of a physical environment encompassing a fixed virtual coordinate position predefined by virtual environment state management circuitry, instructing a display device configured to display the virtual environment state to display the virtual control at the particular fixed virtual coordinate position.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the physical position of at least a portion of the user is within a defined area of a physical environment corresponding to the physical environment state that maps to the particular virtual coordinate position; and   in response to mapping the physical position of the at least one the user to the particular virtual coordinate position, executing functionality associated with the virtual control.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising executing the functionality associated with the virtual control only in response to determining that the physical position of the at least one user has been proximate to the physical position that maps to the particular virtual coordinate position for at least a threshold period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physical position of the at least one user is the user's head or shoulders. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual control is associated with one or more particular gestures, and wherein functionality of the virtual control is only executed in response to performing at least one of the one or more gestures at a physical position that maps to a defined area around the particular virtual coordinate position. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data indicating the physical environment state is received from at least one sensor and wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a camera or an infrared receiver. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display device is a head-mounted display. 
     
     
         8 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method of claim  10 , wherein the view angle of the user is determined based at least in part on a sensor reading received from a head-mounted device. 
     
     
         12 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement a virtual control in a virtual reality environment, by at least:
 receiving data indicating a physical environment state;   processing the data indicating the physical environment state to determine a physical position of at least one user;   determining a view angle of the at least one user;   determining, by the processor, that the view angle of the at least one user includes an area of a physical environment encompassing a fixed virtual coordinate position predefined by virtual environment state management circuitry, the fixed virtual coordinate position identifying a position for a virtual control; and   only in response to determining that the view angle of the at least one user includes an area of a physical environment encompassing a fixed virtual coordinate position predefined by virtual environment state management circuitry, instructing a display device configured to display the virtual environment state to display the virtual control at the fixed virtual coordinate position.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , the instructions further comprising:
 determining that the physical position of at least a portion of the user is within a defined area of a physical environment corresponding to the physical environment state that maps to the particular virtual coordinate position; and   in response to mapping the physical position of the at least one the user to the particular virtual coordinate position, executing functionality associated with the virtual control.   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , the instructions further comprising executing the functionality associated with the virtual control only in response to determining that the physical position of the at least one user has been proximate to the physical position that maps to the particular virtual coordinate position for at least a threshold period of time. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the physical position of the at least one user is the user's head or shoulders. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the virtual control is associated with one or more particular gestures, and wherein functionality of the virtual control is only executed in response to performing at least one of the one or more gestures at a physical position that maps to a defined area around the particular virtual coordinate position. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the data indicating the physical environment state is received from at least one sensor and wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a camera or an infrared receiver. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the display device is a head-mounted display. 
     
     
         29 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the view angle of the user is determined based at least in part on a sensor reading received from a head-mounted device. 
     
     
         35 - 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . An apparatus for implementing a virtual control in a virtual reality environment, the apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving data indicating a physical environment state;   means for processing the data indicating physical environment state to determine a physical position of at least one physical object;   means for determining a view angle of the at least one user;   means for determining that the view angle of the at least one user includes an area of a physical environment encompassing a fixed virtual coordinate position, the fixed virtual coordinate position identifying a position for a virtual control; and   means for, only in response to determining that the view angle of the at least one user includes an area of a physical environment encompassing a fixed virtual coordinate position predefined by virtual environment state management circuitry, instructing a display device to display the virtual control at the particular fixed virtual coordinate position.   
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , further comprising:
 means for determining that the physical position of at least a portion of the user is within a defined area of a physical environment corresponding to the physical environment state that maps to the particular virtual coordinate position; and   means for, in response to mapping the physical position of the at least one the user to the particular virtual coordinate position, executing functionality associated with the virtual control   
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , further comprising means for executing the functionality associated with the virtual control only in response to determining that the physical position of the at least one user has been proximate to the physical position that maps to the particular virtual coordinate position for at least a threshold period of time 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein the virtual control is associated with one or more particular gestures, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for executing the functionality of the virtual control only in response to performing at least one of the one or more gestures at a physical position that maps to a defined area around the particular virtual coordinate position