Positioning virtual content based on detected objects

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to virtual content positioned based on detected objects. Various embodiments disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for using an object as a background for virtual content. Some embodiments involve obtaining an image of a physical environment. Based on the image, a position of a surface of an object is detected. A virtual content position for displaying virtual content is determined, wherein the virtual content position corresponds to the position of the surface of the object. Then, a view of the physical environment and the virtual content displayed at the virtual content position is provided.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 863,359, filed on June 19, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and particularly to systems, methods, and devices for displaying virtual content. Background Art

[0004] Text, images, and other virtual augmented content included in virtual content may be difficult for a human to see or understand. For example, the virtual content may be partially or completely blended with the surrounding physical environment with which it is displayed. In the case of an optical see-through display, the limited dynamic range of the transparent display, the lighting conditions in the physical environment (e.g., bright sunlight), or the spatial frequencies (e.g., brightness or chromaticity) of the observed physical environment may make it difficult for a human to see or understand the virtual content. For example, in situations where the physical environment is brightly lit or contains edges of different colors, depth, or high-frequency contrast, the virtual content may be difficult for a human to see or understand. Summary of the invention

[0005] Various embodiments disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for providing computer-generated reality (CGR) content, which includes virtual content displayed based on the surface of a specific detected object (such as a user's hand). In various embodiments in an optical see-through head-mounted device (HMD), the background of the virtual content (e.g., text) is the physical environment seen directly through the see-through portion of the HMD. The HMD may have little control (if any) over the appearance of the physical environment, as seen through the see-through portion of the HMD. In addition, the virtual content may be viewed by the user as a combination of the background physical environment, the ambient light source (e.g., reddish sunlight), and the actual color of the virtual content. In some embodiments, in addition to the light provided by the physical environment, the virtual content is provided as an overlay by adding light at the see-through display. The virtual content is seen in conjunction with the physical environment (e.g., by the user). In these and other cases, the visibility of the virtual content is improved by selectively displaying the virtual content in a position relative to the surface, and the surface has features that make the virtual content easier to see or understand. For example, displaying virtual content on the relatively consistent and flat surface of a user's hand may make the virtual object easier to see than displaying the virtual content in front of a tree with changing colors and moving leaves.

[0006] Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that use a user's hand as a detectable and relatively well-defined background capable of rendering augmented content (e.g., virtual content) in a CGR environment. In some implementations, using a hand (e.g., a palm, a fist, the back of a hand, or a surface thereof) as a background has advantages. The hand may have a consistent shape, color, brightness, or position, assuming that the user holds his or her hand relatively still. In addition, the rendered virtual content may be displayed (e.g., visually optimized) based on the reflection of the user's hand (e.g., its color) relative to the current lighting conditions at the HMD (e.g., which may be sensed by a sensor such as an ambient light sensor or any other camera sensor).

[0007] Some implementations use sensors located at or in communication with the HMD to detect and track the position of the hand relative to the HMD. In various implementations, detection and tracking are performed using simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) based techniques or RGB-D based techniques. In various implementations, detecting and tracking the position of the hand involves associating hand color or a hand model with a depth map, etc. to detect and track the shape and pose (e.g., orientation and position) of the hand relative to the HMD.

[0008] In some implementations, after detecting a hand, augmented content (e.g., a virtual content overlay) is positioned relative to the hand surface (e.g., a plane in front of the hand surface or a plane fitted to the hand surface). In some implementations, the appearance of the virtual content is modified or corrected (e.g., for visibility or contrast) based on the color of the hand and lighting conditions. Generally speaking, virtual content with a hand as a background may be easier to see or understand for the HMD user because the skin of the hand may contain fewer high-frequency texture changes.

[0009] In some implementations, virtual content can be easily enlarged by applying a fixed scale to the detected hand size, for example, the virtual content can be directly enlarged by moving the hand closer to the HMD, and the size of the virtual content can be reduced by moving the hand further away from the HMD.

[0010] Although the specific implementations described herein primarily refer to the user's hands as a detectable or relatively well-defined background capable of rendering augmented content (e.g., virtual content) in an optical see-through CGR environment, the present application is not intended to be limited to this, as any detected part of the user's body or object held by the user's hand or other body part (e.g., a book, wallet, etc.) may be used.

[0011] In some implementations, at an electronic device having a processor and a sensor implementation, a method includes obtaining an image of a physical environment. Detecting a position of a surface of an object based on the image, wherein the object is a part of a user's body (e.g., a hand) or the object is held by the part of the user's body. Determining a virtual content position for displaying virtual content. The virtual content position corresponds to the position of the surface of the object. Then, providing a view of the physical environment and virtual content positioned at the virtual content position.

[0012] According to some specific implementations, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, which are computer-executable to perform or cause the performance of any of the methods described herein. According to some specific implementations, a device includes one or more processors, a non-transitory memory, and one or more programs; the one or more programs are stored in the non-transitory memory and are configured to be executed by one or more processors, and the one or more programs include instructions for performing or causing the performance of any of the methods described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] So that the present disclosure may be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, a more detailed description may be obtained with reference to aspects of some exemplary implementations, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary operating environment according to some implementations.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example controller according to some implementations.

[0016] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic device according to some implementations.

[0017] Figure 4A is a block diagram illustrating a physical environment for the first time when a device provides a CGR environment to a user according to some implementations.

[0018] Figure 4B is a diagram showing the second time when the device continues to provide the CGR environment to the user according to some specific implementations Figure 4A Block diagram of the physical environment.

[0019] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of determining suitable background conditions or locations in a physical environment to overlay virtual content in a CGR environment, according to some implementations.

[0020] As is common practice, the various features shown in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. Therefore, the sizes of the various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some drawings may not depict all components of a given system, method, or device. Finally, throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to represent similar features. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Many details are described in order to provide a thorough understanding of the example implementations shown in the drawings. However, the drawings illustrate only some example aspects of the present disclosure and should not be considered limiting. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other effective aspects or variations do not include all of the specific details described herein. In addition, well-known systems, methods, components, devices, and circuits are not described in detail in order to avoid obscuring more relevant aspects of the example implementations described herein. Although Figure 1-Figure 3 Exemplary implementations are depicted involving handheld electronic devices, but other implementations need not necessarily involve handheld electronic devices and may involve other types of devices, including but not limited to watches and other wearable electronic devices, mobile devices, laptop computers, desktop computers, gaming devices, home automation devices, head-mounted devices (HMDs), devices with transparent or additional displays, and other devices that include or use image capture devices.

[0022] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary operating environment 100 according to some specific implementations. Although relevant features are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize from the present disclosure that various other features are not shown for the sake of brevity and in order not to obscure more relevant aspects of the exemplary specific implementations disclosed herein. To this end, as a non-limiting example, the operating environment 100 includes a controller 110 and an electronic device 120, one or both of which may be in a physical environment. The physical environment refers to the physical world that people can sense and / or interact with without the help of electronic systems. A physical environment, such as a physical park, includes physical objects, such as physical trees, physical buildings, and physical people. People can directly sense and / or interact with the physical environment, such as through vision, touch, hearing, taste, and smell.

[0023] In some implementations, the controller 110 is configured to manage and coordinate a user's computer generated reality (CGR) environment. In some implementations, the controller 110 includes a suitable combination of software, firmware, or hardware. Figure 2 Controller 110 is described in further detail. In some implementations, controller 110 is a computing device that is located locally or remotely relative to physical environment 105.

[0024] In one example, the controller 110 is a local server located within the physical environment 105. In another example, the controller 110 is a remote server (e.g., a cloud server, a central server, etc.) located outside the physical environment 105. In some implementations, the controller 110 is communicatively coupled to the electronic device 120 via one or more wired or wireless communication channels 144 (e.g., Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 802.16x, IEEE 802.3x, etc.).

[0025] In some implementations, the controller 110 and the electronic device 120 are configured to together present a CGR environment to a user.

[0026] In some implementations, the electronic device 120 is configured to present a CGR environment to a user. In some implementations, the electronic device 120 includes a suitable combination of software, firmware, or hardware. Figure 3 The electronic device 120 is described in more detail. In some implementations, the functionality of the controller 110 is provided by or combined with the electronic device 120, for example, in the case of an electronic device used as a stand-alone unit.

[0027] According to some specific implementations, when the user appears in the physical environment 105, the electronic device 120 presents a CGR environment to the user. A CGR environment refers to a fully or partially simulated environment that people sense and / or interact with via an electronic system. In CGR, a subset of a person's physical movements or a representation thereof is tracked, and in response, one or more features of one or more virtual objects simulated in the CGR environment are adjusted in a manner that complies with at least one physical law. For example, the CGR system can detect a person's head rotation, and in response, adjust the graphical content and sound field presented to the person in a manner similar to the way such views and sounds change in the physical environment. In some cases (e.g., for accessibility reasons), the adjustment of features of virtual objects in the CGR environment can be performed in response to a representation of physical movement (e.g., a voice command).

[0028] A person may sense and / or interact with a CGR object using any of their senses, including vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. For example, a person may sense and / or interact with an audio object that creates a 3D or spatial audio environment that provides the perception of a point audio source in 3D space. As another example, an audio object may enable audio transparency that selectively introduces ambient sounds from the physical environment with or without computer-generated audio. In some CGR environments, a person may sense and / or interact only with an audio object.

[0029] Examples of CGR include virtual reality and mixed reality. A virtual reality (VR) environment refers to a simulated environment designed to be based entirely on computer-generated sensory input to one or more senses. A VR environment includes virtual objects that a person can sense and / or interact with. For example, trees, buildings, and computer-generated images representing avatars of people are examples of virtual objects. A person can sense and / or interact with virtual objects in a VR environment through a simulation of the person's presence within the computer-generated environment, and / or through a simulation of a subset of the person's physical movements within the computer-generated environment.

[0030] In contrast to VR environments, which are designed to be based entirely on computer-generated sensory input, a mixed reality (MR) environment refers to a simulated environment designed to include sensory input from the physical environment, or representations thereof, in addition to computer-generated sensory input (e.g., virtual objects). On the virtuality continuum, a mixed reality environment is anything between a fully physical environment at one end and a virtual reality environment at the other end, but not including both ends.

[0031] In some MR environments, computer-generated sensory input can respond to changes in sensory input from the physical environment. In addition, some electronic systems used to render the MR environment can track position and / or orientation relative to the physical environment to enable virtual objects to interact with real objects (i.e., physical items from the physical environment or representations thereof). For example, the system can cause motion so that virtual trees appear stationary relative to the physical ground.

[0032] Examples of mixed reality include augmented reality and augmented virtuality. An augmented reality (AR) environment refers to a simulated environment in which one or more virtual objects are superimposed on a physical environment or a representation thereof. For example, an electronic system for presenting an AR environment may have a transparent or translucent display through which a person can directly view the physical environment. The system may be configured to present virtual objects on a transparent or translucent display so that a person uses the system to perceive virtual objects superimposed on a physical environment. Alternatively, the system may have an opaque display and one or more imaging sensors that capture images or videos of a physical environment that are representations of the physical environment. The system combines the image or video with the virtual object and presents the composition on an opaque display. People use the system to indirectly view the physical environment via an image or video of the physical environment and perceive virtual objects superimposed on the physical environment. As used herein, a video of a physical environment displayed on an opaque display is referred to as a "transparent video," meaning that the system uses one or more image sensors to capture images of the physical environment and uses those images when presenting an AR environment on an opaque display. Further alternatively, the system may have a projection system that projects virtual objects into a physical environment, for example as a hologram or on a physical surface, so that a person using the system perceives the virtual objects superimposed on the physical environment.

[0033] An augmented reality environment also refers to a simulated environment in which a representation of a physical environment is transformed by computer-generated sensory information. For example, in providing a pass-through video, the system may transform one or more sensor images to apply a selected perspective (e.g., a viewpoint) that is different from the perspective captured by the imaging sensor. For another example, a representation of a physical environment may be transformed by graphically modifying (e.g., enlarging) portions thereof so that the modified portions may be representative but not true versions of the original captured images. For another example, a representation of a physical environment may be transformed by graphically eliminating portions thereof or blurring portions thereof.

[0034] An augmented virtual (AV) environment refers to a simulated environment in which a virtual or computer-generated environment is combined with one or more sensory inputs from a physical environment. The sensory input may be a representation of one or more features of the physical environment. For example, an AV park may have virtual trees and virtual buildings, but the faces of people are realistically reproduced from images taken of physical people. For another example, a virtual object may take the shape or color of a physical object imaged by one or more imaging sensors. For another example, a virtual object may take a shadow that conforms to the position of the sun in the physical environment.

[0035] There are many different types of electronic systems that enable people to sense and / or interact with various CGR environments. Examples include head-mounted systems, projection-based systems, head-up displays (HUDs), vehicle windshields with integrated display capabilities, windows with integrated display capabilities, displays formed as lenses designed to be placed on people's eyes (e.g., similar to contact lenses), headphones / earpieces, speaker arrays, input systems (e.g., wearable or handheld controllers with or without tactile feedback), smart phones, tablets, and desktop / laptop computers. A head-mounted system can have one or more speakers and an integrated opaque display. Alternatively, a head-mounted system can be configured to accept an external opaque display (e.g., a smart phone). A head-mounted system can incorporate one or more imaging sensors for capturing images or videos of a physical environment, and / or one or more microphones for capturing audio of a physical environment. Instead of an opaque display, a head-mounted system can have a transparent or translucent display. A transparent or translucent display can have a medium through which light representing an image is directed to a person's eyes. The display can utilize digital light projection, OLED, LED, uLED, silicon-based liquid crystal, laser scanning light source, or any combination of these technologies. The medium can be an optical waveguide, a hologram medium, an optical combiner, an optical reflector, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, a transparent or translucent display can be configured to selectively become opaque. A projection-based system can employ retinal projection technology that projects a graphic image onto a person's retina. The projection system can also be configured to project a virtual object into a physical environment, such as a hologram or onto a physical surface.

[0036] Figure 2is a block diagram of an example of a controller 110 according to some implementations. While some specific features are shown, those skilled in the art will recognize from this disclosure that various other features are not shown for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more relevant aspects of the implementations disclosed herein. To this end, as a non-limiting example, in some specific implementations, the controller 110 includes one or more processing units 202 (e.g., a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a central processing unit (CPU), a processing core, etc.), one or more input / output (I / O) devices 206, one or more communication interfaces 208 (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB), FIREWIRE, THUNDERBOLT, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 802.16x, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), global positioning system (GPS), infrared (IR), Bluetooth, ZIGBEE, or similar type interface), one or more programming (e.g., I / O) interfaces 210, a memory 220, and one or more communication buses 204 for interconnecting these components and various other components.

[0037] In some implementations, the one or more communication buses 204 include circuits that interconnect system components and control communications between system components. In some implementations, the one or more I / O devices 206 include at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a joystick, one or more microphones, one or more speakers, one or more image capture devices or other sensors, one or more displays, etc.

[0038] The memory 220 includes a high-speed random access memory, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a double data rate random access memory (DDR RAM), or other random access solid-state memory devices. In some specific implementations, the memory 220 includes a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. The memory 220 optionally includes one or more storage devices located away from the one or more processing units 202. The memory 220 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In some specific implementations, the memory 220 or the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of the memory 220 stores the following programs, modules, and data structures or a subset thereof, including an optional operating system 230 and a computer-generated reality (CGR) experience module 240.

[0039] Operating system 230 includes processes for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware-related tasks.

[0040] In some implementations, the CGR module 240 is configured to create, edit, present, or experience a CGR environment. In some implementations, the CGR module 240 includes a CGR virtual content location unit 242 and a CGR presentation unit 244. The CGR virtual content location unit 242 is configured to determine a virtual content location for placing virtual content based on a detected body part or an object held by a body part. The CGR presentation unit 244 is configured to present virtual content (e.g., 3D content) to be used as part of a CGR environment for one or more users. For example, a user may view and otherwise experience a CGR-based user interface that allows the user to select, place, move, and otherwise present a CGR environment based on the virtual content location, such as via gestures, voice commands, input device input, etc.

[0041] Although these modules and units are shown as residing on a single device (e.g., controller 110), it should be understood that in other specific implementations, any combination of these modules and units may be located in separate computing devices. Figure 2 It is more of a functional description of various features present in a particular implementation, as opposed to a schematic diagram of the implementations described herein. As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, items shown separately may be combined, and some items may be separated. For example, Figure 2 Some functional modules shown separately in the figure may be implemented in a single module, and the various functions of a single functional block may be implemented by one or more functional blocks in various specific implementations. The actual number of modules and the division of specific functions and how the features are allocated among them will vary depending on the specific implementation, and in some specific implementations, it depends in part on the specific combination of hardware, software, or firmware selected for a specific specific implementation.

[0042] Figure 3is a block diagram of an example of an electronic device 120 according to some implementations. While some specific features are shown, those skilled in the art will recognize from this disclosure that various other features are not shown for the sake of brevity and so as not to obscure more relevant aspects of the implementations disclosed herein. To this end, as a non-limiting example, in some specific implementations, the electronic device 120 includes one or more processing units 302 (e.g., microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, CPUs, processing cores, etc.), one or more input / output (I / O) devices and sensors 306, one or more communication interfaces 308 (e.g., USB, FIREWIRE, THUNDERBOLT, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 802.16x, GSM, CDMA, TDMA, GPS, IR, BLUETOOTH, ZIGBEE, SPI, I2C, or similar types of interfaces), one or more programming (e.g., I / O) interfaces 310, one or more displays 312, one or more internal or external-facing image sensors 314, a memory 320, and one or more communication buses 304 for interconnecting these components and various other components.

[0043] In some implementations, one or more communication buses 304 include circuits that interconnect and control communications between system components. In some implementations, one or more I / O devices and sensors 306 include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a thermometer, one or more physiological sensors (e.g., a blood pressure monitor, a heart rate monitor, a blood oxygen sensor, a blood glucose sensor, etc.), one or more microphones, one or more speakers, a haptic engine, or one or more depth sensors (e.g., structured light, time of flight, etc.), etc.

[0044] In some implementations, one or more displays 312 are configured to present a CGR environment to a user. In some implementations, one or more displays 312 correspond to holographic, digital light processing (DLP), liquid crystal display (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), organic light emitting field effect transistor (OLET), organic light emitting diode (OLED), surface conduction electron emitter display (SED), field emission display (FED), quantum dot light emitting diode (QD-LED), microelectromechanical system (MEMS) or similar display types. In some implementations, one or more displays 312 correspond to diffraction, reflection, polarization, holographic, etc. waveguide displays. For example, the electronic device 120 includes a single display. As another example, the electronic device 120 includes a display for each eye of the user.

[0045] In some implementations, one or more internally facing or externally facing sensor systems 314 include an image capture device or array that captures image data or an audio capture device or array that captures audio data (e.g., a microphone). The one or more image sensor systems 314 may include one or more RGB cameras (e.g., with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors or charge coupled device (CCD) image sensors), monochrome cameras, IR cameras, or event-based cameras, etc. In various implementations, the one or more image sensor systems 314 also include an illumination source that emits light, such as a flash. In some implementations, the one or more image sensor systems 314 also include an on-camera image signal processor (ISP) that is configured to perform multiple processing operations on the image data.

[0046] The memory 320 includes a high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random access solid-state memory devices. In some specific implementations, the memory 320 includes a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. The memory 320 optionally includes one or more storage devices located away from the one or more processing units 302. The memory 320 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In some specific implementations, the memory 320 or the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of the memory 320 stores the following programs, modules and data structures or their subsets, including an optional operating system 330 and a CGR module 340.

[0047] Operating system 330 includes processes for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware-related tasks.

[0048] In some implementations, the CGR module 340 is configured to create, edit, present or experience a CGR environment. In some implementations, the CGR module 340 includes a CGR virtual content location unit 342 and a CGR presentation unit 344. The CGR virtual content location unit 342 is configured to determine a virtual content location for placing virtual content based on a detected body part or an object held by a body part. The CGR presentation unit 344 is configured to present virtual content (e.g., 3D content) that will be used as part of a CGR environment for one or more users. For example, a user may view and otherwise experience a CGR-based user interface that allows the user to select, place, move, and otherwise present a CGR environment based on a virtual content location, such as via gestures, voice commands, input device input, etc. Although these modules and units are shown as residing on a single device (e.g., electronic device 120), it should be understood that in other implementations, any combination of these modules and units may be located in a separate computing device.

[0049] also, Figure 3 It is more of a functional description of various features present in a particular implementation, as opposed to a schematic diagram of the implementations described herein. As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, items shown separately may be combined, and some items may be separated. For example, Figure 3 Some functional modules shown separately in the figure may be implemented in a single module, and the various functions of a single functional block may be implemented by one or more functional blocks in various specific implementations. The actual number of modules and the division of specific functions and how the features are allocated among them will vary depending on the specific implementation, and in some specific implementations, it depends in part on the specific combination of hardware, software, or firmware selected for a specific specific implementation.

[0050] In various implementations, physical environments that may not be controllable by the user or the HMD may be visible to the user. For example, with an optical see-through head mounted display, the underlying physical environment may make it difficult to see or understand virtual content added to the optical see-through HMD. As another example, even well-defined virtual text added to the CGR environment may be difficult or unreadable. The optical see-through head mounted display may not provide uniform display conditions or controllable display conditions for adding virtual content. In addition, the preferred location for displaying virtual content on the optical see-through head mounted display cannot be predetermined (or maintained once selected) because the physical environment is independent of the CGR environment and is also based on the variable viewpoint of the HMD user.

[0051] Many physical environments provide a background for the CGR environment that includes moving or different colored pixels. For example, the physical environment observed when a user is looking out the window of a moving bus or walking down the street presents a cluttered, rapidly changing background. In addition, situations such as watching live sports (e.g., a baseball game) or playing sports (e.g., skiing on a sunny day) can present a cluttered or changing background. Even in a physical environment with a neat appearance, the user's movable gaze still presents a changing, uncontrollable background for virtual content.

[0052] In various implementations, the electronic device determines appropriate background conditions or locations in the current physical environment to overlay virtual content in the CGR environment. In some implementations, an electronic device such as an HMD (including systems, methods, and devices for optically see-through CGR environments) uses a user's body part or an object held by a user's body part as a background or location to display virtual content in the CGR environment.

[0053] In some implementations, the user's hands are a detectable background or relatively well-defined background that can render augmented content (e.g., virtual content) in the optical see-through CGR environment of the HMD. In some implementations, using the HMD user's hands (e.g., body parts) (e.g., palms, fists, backs of hands, or surfaces thereof) has advantages, including that the rendered virtual content can be displayed (e.g., visible or visually optimized) according to the reflection of the user's hands (e.g., their colors) in the physical environment. In some implementations, using the hands has advantages including that the rendered virtual content can be displayed (e.g., visible or visually optimized) according to the surrounding environment or current lighting in the physical environment. In some implementations, using the hands has advantages including that the rendered virtual content can be displayed (e.g., visible or visually optimized) according to the hue of the display of the optical see-through device. In some implementations, using an object held by a hand (e.g., a body part) of an HMD user for a CGR environment has advantages including being able to accurately display (e.g., visible or visually optimized) rendered virtual content based on the object's reflection (e.g., its color), current ambient lighting conditions, or the hue of an optical see-through device display in the physical environment. In some implementations, the held object is a book, a cell phone, etc. In some implementations, the held object has a consistent color on some or all of one or more surfaces on which virtual content can be overlaid. In some implementations, the held object is a color that provides a desired visual contrast to the virtual content. In some implementations, the held object has features that increase its visual detectability (e.g., shape or color).

[0054] In various implementations, the HMD detects or tracks the user's hands in a physical environment. In various implementations, the HMD detects or tracks the gestures of the user's hands in a physical environment. In some implementations, the HMD includes a sensor (e.g., a camera) that acquires an image (e.g., a representation) of the physical environment. In some implementations, the HMD tracks the user's hands in the image (e.g., see Figure 5 , block 520 described herein), and displaying the virtual content at the virtual content location within the outline of the hand relative to the HMD user's viewpoint (e.g., eyes). In some implementations, there is a buffer (e.g., a specified spatial distance) between the displayed virtual content and the outline of the user's hand. In some implementations, there is a visible border around the virtual content.

[0055] In some implementations, the HMD detects a hand of a user in an image, determines the position of the hand in a physical environment, and identifies a plane based on the hand. The plane may be selected based on the plane being substantially orthogonal to a gaze direction toward the hand. The virtual content is displayed at the virtual content position on the plane. In some implementations, the plane is a specified distance in front of the hand, at the surface of the hand, or through a portion of the hand. In some implementations, the plane is a specified distance in front of a portion of the hand (e.g., a palm), at the surface of the portion of the hand, or through a portion of the portion of the hand. In some implementations, a portion of the hand of the surface of the object meets one or more predetermined criteria. For example, a portion of the hand is at least a certain size, continuous, colored, or is a finger, etc. In some implementations, the plane is continuous, deformable, curved, or includes a set of planes that each corresponds to a detected portion of the hand.

[0056] In some implementations, virtual content is displayed using a color (e.g., text color) selected based on the color of the user's hand, ambient light, or the color (hue) of the wearable display. In some implementations, the visible displayed virtual content is seen by the user as a combined color (e.g., cumulative color) in an optical see-through CGR environment. In some implementations, the selected color of the virtual content renders the virtual content with sufficient contrast for the HMD user. In some implementations, the selected color of the virtual content accurately renders the virtual content (e.g., Brand X soda may always be red). In some implementations, the selected color of the virtual content increases its visibility or readability to the HMD user.

[0057] Figure 4A 4 is a block diagram of an electronic device that provides a CGR environment 430 depicting a physical environment 405 at a first time. In some implementations, an HMD is used as the electronic device 120 to present the CGR environment 430 to a user. Figure 4A The CGR environment 430 is discussed as being provided using the optical see-through display 420, but in other implementations, the CGR experience is not provided via an optical see-through display (eg, the CGR environment may be provided as a video pass-through).

[0058] like Figure 4A As shown, an object 414 and a user's arm 410 holding the object 414 are shown in (and detectable in) the physical environment 405. In some implementations, one or more outward-facing additional sensors (e.g., image capture devices or arrays (e.g., cameras)) capture image data that can be used to detect the object 414 and the user's arm 410 holding the object 414 in the physical environment 405. In some implementations, the object 414 has features that increase its visual detectability (e.g., shape or color).

[0059] Figure 4B 4 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device that provides a CGR environment 430 at a later second time. Figure 4B As shown, virtual content 470 is displayed to the user in front of object 414 in CGR environment 430. In one example, virtual content 470 may identify or provide information about things in physical environment 405. In another example, virtual content 470 may relate to things unrelated to physical environment 405. In one example, upon receiving virtual content 470 (e.g., a birthday icon), the virtual content 470 is displayed to the user in front of object 414 in CGR environment 430. In another example, upon receiving a text message, virtual content 470 may include the text of the text message displayed to the user on the surface of object 414 in CGR environment 430. In some implementations, a border may optionally be provided around virtual content 470.

[0060] Some implementations involve a setup or initialization mode. In some implementations, the initialization mode sets one or more criteria for displaying virtual content in a CGR environment. For example, in the initialization mode, the user's skin color can be detected and stored. Additional criteria such as, but not limited to, text size, preferred text color (e.g., when multiple colors are recognized), initiating voice commands, and terminating voice commands (e.g., for starting and ending the display of CGR virtual content using the HMD user's hands, ambient light detection, object recognition, etc.). In some implementations, fonts, font styles, text effects, and other user customizations are included in the initialization mode. In some implementations, the virtual home screen provides access to the initialization mode for overlaying virtual content in the user's hands in the physical environment in the CGR environment.

[0061] In some implementations, the hand tracking functionality at the HMD also supports gesture recognition. In some implementations, gesture recognition using machine learning (ML) or other image-based recognition techniques is used. In various implementations, a system, method, or apparatus provides intuitive interaction with virtual content for the HMD in a CGR environment using a user's hands as a suitable background or background location.

[0062] In some implementations, gesture recognition provides a direct user interface with various CGR virtual content display operations. For example, it may be difficult (e.g., even in the case of initialization or customization) to appropriately set the size of overlapping virtual content in a CGR environment for the HMD. Therefore, in one implementation, a detected gesture of a hand moving closer to the HMD during display of virtual content increases the size of the virtual content (e.g., is recognized as a command to "zoom in" or increase the display size of the virtual content). Similarly, a detected gesture of a hand moving away from the HMD during display of virtual content decreases the size of the virtual content (e.g., is recognized as a command to "zoom out" or decrease the display size of the virtual content).

[0063] In some implementations, gestures are used to initiate or terminate the function of displaying virtual content at the user's hand at the HMD. For example, a closed first clockwise or counterclockwise rotation turns on or off the display of virtual content at the user's hand at the HMD. In another implementation, vertical or horizontal movement of the user's hand (e.g., vertical or horizontal head shaking) turns on or off the display of virtual content at the user's hand at the HMD. In some implementations, sequentially detecting the user's hand (or hand color) being stationary within a preset time interval in the user's view switches the display of virtual content to "on" at the user's hand and then "off" at the HMD.

[0064] In some implementations, the physical environment (e.g., context) initiates or terminates the display of CGR virtual content at the hands of the HMD user. For example, there are situations where the display of virtual content at the hands of the user is turned off because one or more of the user's hands are otherwise occupied (e.g., playing sports or driving a car). In some implementations, the user can control (e.g., allow or prevent) the display of available virtual content at the hands of the HMD user based on the physical environment (e.g., displaying advertisements when shopping, or displaying museum / historical information when sightseeing). In some implementations, the user controls the selection of available virtual content for display at the hands of the user based on the physical environment. For example, when walking down a street, only advertisements related to food or restaurants are allowed to be displayed at the hands of the user.

[0065] In some implementations, various CGR virtual contents visible to the HMD user can be manipulated as desired. For example, selecting (e.g., circling with fingers) virtual contents visible at the HMD causes the selected virtual contents (e.g., distant, small, or otherwise illegible virtual contents) to be redisplayed at the hand of the HMD user. Alternatively, a gesture of "grabbing" visible virtual contents with the left hand causes the virtual contents to be redisplayed at the right hand of the user.

[0066] In some implementations, virtual content available to an HMD user may include viewing constraints (e.g., ownership or content provider restrictions) on its use. For example, a movie poster displayed at a theater, and additional virtual content (e.g., character actions related to the movie, advertisements, or trailers) is available and visible through an optical see-through HMD. In this case, the content provider may not allow the virtual content to be selected or redisplayed (e.g., displayed with a different background, coloring, or image quality) outside of the movie poster (e.g., at the hand of the HMD user).

[0067] In some implementations, an HMD providing an optical see-through CGR environment uses a transparent display for augmented content (e.g., virtual content) of the CGR environment. In some implementations, the transparent display includes a tint or tint. In some implementations, the optical see-through HMD is provided as wearable glasses with separate transparent lenses for each eye. In some implementations, the optical see-through HMD is provided as a single transparent display with separate overlay virtual content for each eye to provide a stereoscopic CGR environment.

[0068] Although the embodiments described herein primarily refer to the user's hands as a detectable and relatively well-defined backdrop for rendering augmented content (e.g., virtual content) in an optical see-through CGR environment, the present application is not intended to be limited in this regard, as any detected user body part or object held by a user's hand or other body part may be used in the various embodiments described herein.

[0069] Figure 5 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for determining suitable background conditions or background positions in a current physical environment to overlay virtual content in a CGR environment according to some implementations. In some implementations, method 500 is performed by a device (e.g., Figure 1-Figure 3 The method 500 is performed by a controller 100 or an electronic device 120 of the embodiment of the present invention. The method 500 can be performed for an optical see-through CGR environment using an HMD or by multiple devices communicating with each other. In some implementations, the method 500 is performed by a processing logic component (including hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof). In some implementations, the method 500 is performed by a processor executing code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a memory).

[0070] At block 510, method 500 obtains an image of the physical environment. In some implementations, a sensor (e.g., a camera) on the HMD is used to obtain the image of the physical environment. In some implementations, the camera can be an RGB camera, a depth camera, an RGB-D camera, one or more 2D cameras, a thermal camera, etc. In some implementations, the sensor is used to estimate the shape, orientation, and position of the HMD user's hand (e.g., other body parts or objects held by the other body parts). In some implementations, the sensor is mounted on an electronic device that is an optical see-through head-mounted display.

[0071] At block 520, method 500 detects the position of an object (e.g., a surface of an object) based on the image. In some implementations, the object is a hand, a portion of a hand and an arm, a body part, or an object held by a body part of an HMD user. In some implementations, the position of the object includes the depth of the object (e.g., the distance from the HMD). In some implementations, the surface of the object is a 3D area corresponding to the detected object. In some implementations, the surface of the object is a 2D area corresponding to the detected object. In some implementations, the surface of the object is used to determine a display plane (e.g., flat or deformable) that is located at a specified distance in front of the object, passes through the object, etc.

[0072] In some implementations, at block 520, an object (e.g., a hand of an HMD user) is detected or tracked. For example, a depth sensor may be used to construct and analyze a depth map to reconstruct the hand of the HMD user and track the movement and posture (e.g., position and orientation) of the hand. In some implementations, two or more cameras (e.g., stereo rendering) that generate a 3D map of the physical environment may be used to detect and track the hand. Alternatively, in some implementations, a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) process and corresponding sensors may be used to track the hand. In some implementations, an event camera and a corresponding process may be used to track the hand. In one implementation, a 2D camera may use machine learning techniques to fit a hand model to a 2D image for detecting and tracking the hand. In some implementations, a pre-scanned geometric representation of the hand of the HMD user (e.g., without reconstruction) may be used with a video stream of the physical environment to detect and track the hand in the video stream. In some implementations, a motion prediction method is used to accurately predict hand motion that occurs during delays caused by camera readout or data processing. In some implementations, the activity sensor tracks the hands of the HMD user, for example, using signals from transmitters at the hands of the HMD user that are detected by corresponding receivers at the HMD to detect and track the hands of the HMD user. In some implementations, color images may be used. Alternatively, in some implementations, grayscale images may be used. Furthermore, in some implementations, a combination of these tracking techniques are used.

[0073] In some implementations, detecting a surface of an object can involve first detecting an object (e.g., a hand) and secondly detecting a surface of the object (e.g., a palm). In some implementations, the detected surface of the hand also meets certain criteria (e.g., substantially flat, continuous, a specified color, a shape). In some implementations, detecting an object involves detecting that the object is held by a body part of the HMD user.

[0074] In some implementations, detecting an object of a certain type (e.g., a hand) and having certain surface features (e.g., a visible flat palm) can be a trigger condition for displaying CGR virtual content based on the surface of the object. In some implementations, additionally or alternatively, other trigger conditions (e.g., gestures) can be used to initiate display of CGR virtual content at the hand of the HMD user (e.g., the palm faces the right and wraps around to the right) or terminate display of CGR virtual content at the hand of the HMD user (e.g., the palm faces the left and wraps around to the left).

[0075] At block 530, method 500 determines a virtual content position to display CGR virtual content (e.g., augmented text, content), wherein the virtual content position corresponds to a position of an object (e.g., a surface of an object). In some implementations, the virtual content position is determined such that the object (e.g., a hand) provides a known background (e.g., color) for the CGR virtual content that is subsequently displayed to the HMD user. In some implementations, the virtual content position is determined such that the object (e.g., a hand) provides a known spatial position for the CGR virtual content that is subsequently displayed to the HMD user (e.g., the HMD user knows the position of his hand).

[0076] In some implementations, determining the virtual content position may involve determining a 3D representation of the object and identifying a plane aligned with or in front of the object at block 530. In some implementations, determining the virtual content position may involve determining a boundary of the object in front of which the CGR virtual content is to be presented.

[0077] At block 530, method 500 may determine characteristics (e.g., color) of virtual content to display based on other aspects of the object or physical environment (e.g., background color, ambient light, or tint of a display of the HMD (e.g., if any)). In some implementations, the optical see-through head mounted display displays a CGR environment, wherein the generated CGR virtual content is viewed by the HMD user as a combination of the background color in the physical environment, the color of the ambient light, and the color of the CGR virtual content. Thus, when virtual text is displayed at a virtual content location (e.g., at or in front of a hand), the virtual text can be provided in a color determined to have sufficient contrast for visibility (e.g., readability) to the HMD user.

[0078] At block 540, method 500 provides a view of the physical environment and the virtual content positioned at the virtual content location. In some implementations, the CGR environment is an optical see-through AR. In some implementations, the CGR environment is a video pass-through AR.

[0079] As described herein, the virtual content that can be displayed at the virtual content position is intended to include any virtual object implemented by the CGR environment. In some specific implementations, the virtual content that can be displayed includes information about objects in the CGR environment, received virtual content (e.g., text messages), created virtual content, selected virtual content (e.g., selected images captured by a camera), etc. For example, the virtual content that can be displayed can be an object or view captured and enhanced by an associated camera, for example, a small text / image seen by a camera can be enlarged and covered on the user's hand. In some specific implementations, in response to a prescribed gesture or when the user's hand is close enough (e.g., at a threshold distance) to enhance the text / image, the enhanced text / image virtual content is displayed at the user's hand. For example, in response to a gesture near an optional text / image, an enhanced text / image is displayed at the user's hand (e.g., a user with a palm facing the small text / image raises his hand so that an enlarged version of the text / image is displayed at the user's hand).

[0080] Numerous specific details are set forth herein to provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, devices, or systems known to those of ordinary skill are not described in detail so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter.

[0081] In some specific implementations, a system includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and one or more processors, the one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program instructions, and the program instructions, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the system to perform the exemplary methods disclosed herein. In some specific implementations, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores program instructions that can be executed on a computer to perform the operations of the exemplary methods disclosed herein.

[0082] Unless otherwise specifically noted, it should be understood that throughout the specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "process," "compute," "calculate," "determine," and "identify" refer to the actions or processes of a computing device, such as one or more computers or similar electronic computing devices, that manipulate or transform data represented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities within a memory, register, or other information storage device, transmission device, or display device of a computing platform.

[0083] The one or more systems discussed herein are not limited to any particular hardware architecture or configuration. A computing device may include any suitable arrangement of components that provide results conditioned on one or more inputs. Suitable computing devices include multi-purpose microprocessor-based computer systems that access stored software that programs or configures the computing system from a general-purpose computing device to a dedicated computing device that implements one or more specific implementations of the subject matter of the present invention. Any suitable programming, scripting, or other type of language or combination of languages ​​may be used to implement the teachings contained herein in software for programming or configuring a computing device.

[0084] The specific implementation of the method disclosed herein can be performed in the operation of such a computing device. The order of the boxes presented in the above examples can be changed, for example, the boxes can be reordered, combined or divided into sub-boxes. Some boxes or processes can be executed in parallel.

[0085] The use of "suitable for" or "configured to" herein is meant to be open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices that are suitable for or configured to perform additional tasks or steps. In addition, the use of "based on" is meant to be open and inclusive, as a process, step, calculation, or other action "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated. The headings, lists, and numbers included herein are for ease of explanation only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0086] It will also be understood that, although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe various objects in this article, these objects should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one object from another object. For example, a first node may be referred to as a second node, and similarly, a second node may be referred to as a first node, which changes the meaning of the description, as long as all occurrences of the "first node" are consistently renamed and all occurrences of the "second node" are consistently renamed. Both the first node and the second node are nodes, but they are not the same node.

[0087] The terms used herein are only for describing specific implementations and are not intended to limit the claims. As used in the description of this specific implementation and the appended claims, the singular forms of "a" and "the" are intended to also cover the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term "or" used herein refers to and covers any and all possible combinations of one or more items in the associated listed items. It will also be understood that the terms "including" or "comprising" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, objects or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, objects, components or their groupings.

[0088] As used herein, the term “if” may be interpreted to mean “when the antecedent is true” or “when the antecedent is true” or “in response to determining” or “upon determining” or “in response to detecting” that the antecedent is true, depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined that [the antecedent is true]” or “if [the antecedent is true]” or “when [the antecedent is true]” is interpreted to mean “upon determining that the antecedent is true” or “in response to determining” or “upon determining” that the antecedent is true or “when detecting that the antecedent is true” or “in response to detecting” that the antecedent is true, depending on the context.

[0089] The foregoing specific embodiments and the content of the invention of the present invention should be understood to be illustrative and exemplary in every aspect, rather than restrictive, and the scope of the present invention disclosed herein is determined not only by the detailed description of the exemplary specific implementation, but by the full breadth allowed by the patent law. It should be understood that the specific implementation shown and described herein is only an illustration of the principles of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can implement various modifications without departing from the scope and essence of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method comprising: At a head mounted device HMD having a processor: Get an image of the physical environment; detecting a position of a surface of an object based on the image, wherein the object is part of a body of a user or the object is held by the user; determining a virtual content position to display virtual content, the virtual content position corresponding to the position of the surface of the object; detecting a first color of the surface of the object; detecting ambient light conditions of the physical environment; Selecting a second color different from the first color, wherein the second color is selected based on: a color that contrasts with the first color of the surface of the object; and the detected ambient light conditions; and In response to detecting the first color of the surface of the object and selecting the second color, providing a view of the physical environment with the virtual content positioned at the virtual content location such that the virtual content is displayed in the second color different from the first color.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the HMD is an optical see-through head mounted display, and wherein the second color is selected further based on a color of the optical see-through head mounted display.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the view of the physical environment and the virtual content comprises: Provide users with a computer generated reality (CGR) environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the location of the surface of the object comprises detecting a hand of the user in the image, and wherein providing the view of the physical environment with the virtual content positioned at the virtual content location and within a contour of the surface of the object comprises: The virtual content is displayed at the virtual content location within the outline of the hand.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first color of the surface of the object comprises a color of the hand, and wherein the second color is further selected based on a color of a wearable display.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: increasing a size of the virtual content based on determining that the hand moves closer to the HMD; or The size of the virtual content is reduced based on determining that the hand moves further away from the HMD. The method of claim 4 , wherein displaying the virtual content comprises initializing the virtual content display based on detecting the position of the surface of the object.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the position of the surface of the object comprises: detecting a hand of the user in the image; determining a position of the hand in the physical environment; identifying a plane based on the hand, wherein the plane is substantially orthogonal to a gaze direction toward the hand; as well as The virtual content location is disposed on the plane, wherein providing the view of the physical environment and the virtual content positioned at the virtual content location includes displaying the virtual content at the virtual content location in front of the hand.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual content location is a portion of the surface of the object that meets a predetermined criterion.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting a first gesture as a first trigger condition to start providing the virtual content at the virtual content location; as well as A second gesture is detected as a second trigger condition to terminate providing the virtual content at the virtual content location.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the position of the surface of the object comprises tracking the surface of the object relative to the HMD.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein tracking the surface of the object relative to the HMD comprises: Using sensors to achieve simultaneous localization and mapping of said object; Using a depth camera and fitting a preset model of the object to the detected depth; as well as The shape, orientation and position of an object are estimated using the depth camera, a stereo or monoscopic field using a 2D camera, using a structured light camera, using a thermal camera or using an event camera.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual content comprises text, image or video content. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual content is selected based on the physical environment.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the view of the physical environment with the virtual content comprises: The virtual content is displayed with shadows consistent with positions of light sources in the physical environment.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on a user manipulation of the virtual content, stopping displaying the virtual content at the virtual content position; as well as The virtual content is redisplayed at a new virtual content location corresponding to the portion of the body of the user associated with the user manipulation.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the location of the surface of the object comprises detecting a visible flat palm of the user's hand in the image, and providing the view of the physical environment with the virtual content positioned at the virtual content location and within a contour of the surface of the object comprises: Displaying the virtual content at the virtual content location is triggered in response to detecting the visible flat palm.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the second color is selected further based on a hue of a display of the HMD.

19. A head mounted display (HMD), comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; as well as One or more processors coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes program instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the HMD to perform operations including: Get an image of the physical environment; detecting a position of a surface of an object based on the image, wherein the object is part of a body of a user or the object is held by the user; determining a virtual content position to display virtual content, the virtual content position corresponding to the position of the surface of the object; detecting a first color of the surface of the object; detecting ambient light conditions of the physical environment; Selecting a second color different from the first color, wherein the second color is selected based on: a color that contrasts with the first color of the surface of the object; and the detected ambient light conditions; and In response to detecting the first color of the surface of the object and selecting the second color, providing a view of the physical environment with the virtual content positioned at the virtual content location such that the virtual content is displayed in the second color different from the first color.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable program instructions on a computer to perform operations including: Get an image of the physical environment; detecting a position of a surface of an object based on the image, wherein the object is part of a body of a user or the object is held by the user; determining a virtual content position to display virtual content, the virtual content position corresponding to the position of the surface of the object; detecting a first color of the surface of the object; detecting ambient light conditions of the physical environment; Selecting a second color different from the first color, wherein the second color is selected based on: a color that contrasts with the first color of the surface of the object; and the detected ambient light conditions; and In response to detecting the first color of the surface of the object and selecting the second color, providing a view of the physical environment with the virtual content positioned at the virtual content location such that the virtual content is displayed in the second color different from the first color.

Images