Inertial Sensor Head-Mounted Display for Natural VR Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current virtual reality systems fail to provide users with a natural and immersive interaction experience, as they lack effective methods to translate real-world movements into corresponding actions within the virtual environment.

Innovation Solution

The use of head-mounted displays equipped with inertial sensors that generate data to correlate user movements with actions within the virtual reality scene, allowing users to control their viewpoint or objects through natural gestures like leaning, turning, and tilting, which are then processed by a computer system to update the virtual environment in real-time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional virtual reality control methods are used, then the system structure remains simple, but the user interaction naturalness and immersion are poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser interaction naturalnessVSAvoidsystem structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical control interfaces (buttons, joysticks, controllers) with inertial sensing technology. Inertial sensors detect user movements and gestures, translating physical motions into virtual reality commands. This substitution enables more natural interaction by directly mapping user body movements to virtual actions, eliminating the need for separate control devices while significantly improving interaction naturalness and immersion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If inertial sensors are added to track user movements, then the interaction naturalness is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemovement tracking accuracyVSAvoidsensor integration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inertial sensor system is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: tracking head position, detecting body gestures, measuring movement velocity, and determining orientation. By consolidating these diverse tracking requirements into a single inertial sensing platform, the system achieves high measurement precision for various movement types without proportionally increasing device complexity. The multi-functional design allows one sensor system to replace what would otherwise require multiple specialized sensors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Speed

If real-time movement processing is implemented, then the interaction responsiveness is improved, but the computational load increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinteraction responsivenessVSAvoidcomputational energy
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system processes only the essential movement parameters required for virtual reality interaction in real-time, such as head position, orientation, and major gesture directions. Less critical details are processed at lower priorities or in batches. This selective processing approach maintains high interaction responsiveness for critical actions while reducing the overall computational energy burden compared to processing every movement detail at maximum speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enhances user interaction by providing a more immersive and natural control mechanism within virtual reality environments, allowing users to seamlessly navigate and interact with virtual scenes using real-world movements, thereby improving the overall virtual reality experience.

Implementation Method 1

The inertial sensors are within the head mounted display and generate inertial sensor data which indicates movement of the head mounted display in accordance with movement of a user by whom the head mounted display is worn

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInertial sensing: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP3241088B1Methods and systems for user interaction within virtual or augmented reality scene using head mounted display
Publication Date: 2023.11.22 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP3241088B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3241088B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3241088B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~3B

AI summary

Inertial sensors within a head mounted display are used to track movement of the head mounted display. The tracked movement of the head mounted display is correlated to an action within a virtual reality scene that is currently displayed to a user wearing the head mounted display. The action within the virtual reality scene is based on a context of the virtual reality scene that is currently displayed. The detected movement of the head mounted display can be combined with other sensor data, such as gaze detection data, to determine the action within the virtual reality scene. In this manner, movements of the user as detected using the inertial sensors within the head mounted display are used as inputs to cause actions within the current context of the virtual reality scene as displayed to the user within the head mounted display.