Hand control interfaces and methods in virtual reality environments

Abstract

A method for a user in a virtual reality environment to select an icon by virtually pressing the icon with the user's finger and displaying the icon as being pushed like a button in a real world environment when launching or activating a software application, setting or menu item represented by the icon.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing an interactive control interface in a virtual reality environment comprising:
 detecting that a user using a virtual reality environment via a virtual reality hardware device is using their hands to interact with the interactive control interface including an icon that appears as a button that represents at least one of a software application, setting and a menu item;   receiving a pressing action from a tracked finger of the user to the icon;   displaying the icon in the virtual reality environment to mimic the appearance of a button being pushed in a real world environment; and   launching or activating the corresponding software application, setting or menu item represented by the icon after receiving the pressing action from the tracked finger.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the interactive control interface to appear within arm length distance of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the interactive control interface to appear at a user-selected distance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating an interface display distance based on at least one of arm length and height of the user and displaying the interactive control interface to appear at the interface display distance. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the interactive control interface to appear at a distance based on at least one of an average arm length and height of a plurality of users of the virtual reality environment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting when a user discontinues use of a controller to interact with the virtual reality environment and changing appearance of the interactive control interface to appear closer to the user when using their hands to interact with the interactive control interface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising displaying the interactive control interface to appear closer within arm length distance of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising displaying the interactive control interface to appear closer at a user-selected distance. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising calculating a closer interface display distance based on at least one of arm length and height of the user and displaying the interactive control interface to appear at the closer interface display distance. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the interactive control interface to appear at a closer distance based on at least one of an average arm length and height of a plurality of users of the virtual reality environment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting when a user discontinues use of a controller to interact with the virtual reality environment and changing appearance of the icon from a 2-dimensional representation of a button to a 3-dimensional representation of a button. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting a pulling action from a hand of the user and displaying a scrolling of the icon to correspond to a direction of the pulling action. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting a sliding action from a hand of the user and displaying a scrolling of the icon to correspond to a direction of the sliding action. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying one or more scroll buttons adjacent the icon and receiving a selection of a scroll button and displaying a scrolling of the icon to correspond to a direction of the scroll button that is selected. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more scroll buttons include one or both of an up arrow button and a down arrow button. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the icon appears in a grid of a plurality of icons of the interactive control interface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the icon appears in a grid of a plurality of icons of the interactive control interface. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the icon appears in a grid of a plurality of icons of the interactive control interface. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the icon appears in a grid of a plurality of icons of the interactive control interface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the icon appears in a grid of a plurality of icons of the interactive control interface.