Interaction with virtual objects based on determined restrictions

Abstract

Motion and/or rotation of an input mechanism can be tracked and/or analyzed to determine limits on a user's range of motion and/or a user's range of rotation in three-dimensional space. The user's range of motion and/or the user's range of rotation in three-dimensional space may be limited by a personal restriction for the user (e.g., a broken arm). The user's range of motion and/or the user's range of rotation in three-dimensional space may additionally or alternatively be limited by an environmental restriction (e.g., a physical object in a room). Accordingly, the techniques described herein can take steps to accommodate the personal restriction and/or the environmental restriction thereby optimizing user interactions involving the input mechanism and a virtual object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a display configured to present virtual content;   an interface communicatively coupled to an input mechanism that is configured to collect data associated with motion of the input mechanism based on a current location of a user;   one or more processors communicatively coupled to the display; and   memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, via the interface and from the input mechanism, first data associated with first motion of the input mechanism; 
 analyzing the first data associated with the first motion of the input mechanism to determine a range of motion of the input mechanism; 
 adjusting, based at least in part on the range of motion, a parameter that correlates an amount of motion of the input mechanism to an amount of motion of a virtual element presented by the display; 
 receiving, via the interface and from the input mechanism, second data associated with second motion of the input mechanism; and 
 converting, using the adjusted parameter, the second motion of the input mechanism into correlated motion of the virtual element. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the analyzing reveals that the first motion of the input mechanism is indicative of a number of repeated attempts to perform a same interaction between the virtual element and a virtual object presented by the display; and   the operations further comprise:
 determining that the number of repeated attempts exceeds a threshold number of attempts; and 
 determining that the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited based at least in part on the determining that the number of repeated attempts exceeds the threshold number of attempts. 
   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the analyzing reveals that the first motion of the input mechanism is associated with a period of time during which the user is attempting to perform an individual interaction; and   the operations further comprise:
 determining that the period of time exceeds a threshold period of time; and 
 determining that the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited based at least in part on the determining that the period of time exceeds the threshold period of time. 
   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the motion of the input mechanism occurs within a first three-dimensional coordinate space;   the motion of the virtual element occurs within a second three-dimensional coordinate space that is larger than the first three-dimensional coordinate space; and   the adjusting the parameter increases the amount of motion of the virtual element within the second three-dimensional coordinate space relative to the amount of motion of the input mechanism within the first three-dimensional coordinate space.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first three-dimensional coordinate space is associated with three-dimensional space within reach of an arm and a hand of the user;   the second three-dimensional coordinate space is associated with three-dimensional space within a view of the user; and   the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited due to a detected impossibility or a detected difficulty for the user to move the input mechanism to a position in the first three-dimensional coordinate space.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a transparent display that presents virtual content in association with real-world content within a view of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the data associated with the motion of the input mechanism comprises a change in position of the input mechanism over time. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual element comprises at least one of a cursor element or a pointer element. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the input mechanism is further configured to collect data associated with rotation of the input mechanism, the data associated with the rotation of the input mechanism comprising a change in orientation of the input mechanism; and   the operations further comprise:
 receiving, via the interface and from the input mechanism, third data associated with rotation of the input mechanism; 
 analyzing the third data associated with the rotation of the input mechanism to determine a range of rotation of the input mechanism; and 
 adjusting, based at least in part on the range of rotation, another parameter that increases an amount of rotation of the input mechanism relative to an amount of rotation of the virtual element presented by the display. 
   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 storing the adjusted parameter in an interaction profile associated with the current location of the user;   determining that the user has returned to the current location at a later time; and   activating the interaction profile to enable subsequent interactions using the adjusted parameter.   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from an input mechanism that is communicatively coupled to a device, first data associated with first motion of the input mechanism;   analyzing, by one or more processors, the first data associated with the first motion of the input mechanism to determine a range of motion of the input mechanism;   adjusting, based at least in part on the range of motion, a parameter that correlates an amount of motion of the input mechanism to an amount of motion of a virtual element presented by a display;   receiving, from the input mechanism, second data associated with second motion of the input mechanism; and   converting, using the adjusted parameter, the second motion of the input mechanism into correlated motion of the virtual element.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the analyzing reveals that the first motion of the input mechanism is indicative of a number of repeated attempts to perform a same interaction between the virtual element and a virtual object presented by the display; and   the method further comprises:
 determining that the number of repeated attempts exceeds a threshold number of attempts; and 
 determining that the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited based at least in part on the determining that the number of repeated attempts exceeds the threshold number of attempts. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the analyzing reveals that the first motion of the input mechanism is associated with a period of time during which the user is attempting to perform an individual interaction; and   the method further comprises:
 determining that the period of time exceeds a threshold period of time; and 
 determining that the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited based at least in part on the determining that the period of time exceeds the threshold period of time. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the motion of the input mechanism occurs within a first three-dimensional coordinate space;   the motion of the virtual element occurs within a second three-dimensional coordinate space that is larger than the first three-dimensional coordinate space; and   the adjusting the parameter increases the amount of motion of the virtual element within the second three-dimensional coordinate space relative to the amount of motion of the input mechanism within the first three-dimensional coordinate space.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first three-dimensional coordinate space is associated with three-dimensional space within reach of an arm and a hand of a user;   the second three-dimensional coordinate space is associated with three-dimensional space within a view of the user; and   the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited due to a detected impossibility or a detected difficulty for the user to move the input mechanism to a position in the first three-dimensional coordinate space.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing the adjusted parameter in an interaction profile associated with a current location of the user;   determining that the user has returned to the current location at a later time; and   activating the interaction profile to enable subsequent interactions using the adjusted parameter.   
     
     
         17 . One or more computer storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from an input mechanism that is communicatively coupled to the device, first data associated with first motion of the input mechanism;   analyzing the first data associated with the first motion of the input mechanism to determine a range of motion of the input mechanism;   adjusting, based at least in part on the range of motion, a parameter that correlates an amount of motion of the input mechanism to an amount of motion of a virtual element presented by a display;   receiving, from the input mechanism, second data associated with second motion of the input mechanism; and   converting, using the adjusted parameter, the second motion of the input mechanism into correlated motion of the virtual element.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the analyzing reveals that the first motion of the input mechanism is indicative of a number of repeated attempts to perform a same interaction between the virtual element and a virtual object presented by the display; and   the operations further comprise:
 determining that the number of repeated attempts exceeds a threshold number of attempts; and 
 determining that the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited based at least in part on the determining that the number of repeated attempts exceeds the threshold number of attempts. 
   
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the analyzing reveals that the first motion of the input mechanism is associated with a period of time during which the user is attempting to perform an individual interaction; and   the operations further comprise:
 determining that the period of time exceeds a threshold period of time; and 
 determining that the range of motion of the input mechanism is limited based at least in part on the determining that the period of time exceeds the threshold period of time. 
   
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer storage media of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 storing the adjusted parameter in an interaction profile associated with a current location of a user;   determining that the user has returned to the current location at a later time; and   activating the interaction profile to enable subsequent interactions using the adjusted parameter.