IP Library Granted Patent US 10,661,149
Granted Patent B2
US 10,661,149 · App. 16/002,860 · Granted May 26, 2020

Mixed-reality sports tracking and simulation

Inventors: Thomas Kudirka (Omaha, NE); Patrick J. Bennett (Omaha, NE)
Assignee: vSports, LLC
A63B71/0622A63B24/0021A63B69/00A63B69/0079A63B71/022A63F13/00A63F13/211A63F13/213A63F13/26A63F13/65A63F13/812G06F3/011G06F3/013G06F3/03548G06F3/147A63B69/0002A63B69/0015A63B69/0026A63B69/385A63B2024/0031A63B2024/0068A63B2024/0096A63B2069/0006A63B2069/0008A63B2071/0636A63B2071/0647A63B2071/0666A63B2220/803A63B2220/806A63B2220/833A63B2220/836A63B2220/89A63B2225/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,661,149
App. No.
16/002,860
Granted
May 26, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mixed-reality sport simulation system includes a projectile-tracking sub-system to generate projectile-tracking data when a projectile is launched by a user, a near-eye display to display mixed-reality virtual objects displayed over physical objects within a field of view of a user representing lines of sight of the user, and a controller. The controller may direct the near-eye display to display a mixed-reality environment including virtual objects within the field of view. The near-eye display may provide an unobstructed real-world view for view vectors below a selected pitch angle and at least a portion of the mixed-reality environment for view vectors above a selected pitch angle. The controller may receive projectile-tracking data in real-time from the projectile-tracking sub-system and may direct the near-eye display to display one or more virtual objects representing a trajectory of the projectile within the mixed-reality environment in real-time based on the projectile-tracking data.

Claims (54)

1. A mixed-reality sport simulation system comprising:

a projectile-tracking sub-system configured to generate projectile-tracking data when a projectile is launched by a user;

a near-eye display configured to display mixed-reality virtual objects displayed over physical objects within a field of view of a user, wherein the near-eye display includes one or more sensors to determine the field of view, wherein the field of view defines view vectors representing lines of sight of the user; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the projectile-tracking sub-system and the near-eye display, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:

direct the near-eye display to display a mixed-reality environment including virtual objects within at least a portion of the user field of view, wherein the near-eye display provides an unobstructed real-world view for view vectors below a selected pitch angle and display at least a portion of the mixed-reality environment for view vectors above a selected pitch angle;

receive projectile-tracking data of a projectile launched by the user in real-time from the projectile-tracking sub-system; and

direct the near-eye display to display one or more virtual objects representing a trajectory of the projectile within the mixed-reality environment in real-time, wherein the trajectory of the projectile is based on the projectile-tracking data.

2. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the projectile-tracking data generated when the projectile is launched by a user comprises:

projectile-tracking data generated when the projectile is at least one of thrown by the user or hit by the user.

3. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the projectile comprises:

at least one of a ball, a puck, a discus, a javelin, or a hammer.

4. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the launch window ends when motion of the projectile is hindered by a containment device, wherein the containment device comprises:

at least one of a net or a tether.

5. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the mixed-reality environment includes a virtual object displayed over a portion of the field of view, wherein at least a portion of the field of view is unobstructed to provide visualization of physical objects through the near-eye display, wherein a displayed perspective of the virtual object is continually updated based on a location of the user within the mixed-reality environment.

6. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the mixed-reality environment includes a virtual reality scene obstructing at least a portion of the field of view.

7. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the near-eye display is configured to display an unobstructed real-world view when the near-eye display determines that a gaze direction of the user is directed at the projectile prior to the user launching the projectile, wherein the near-eye display is further configured to transition to a display of the mixed-reality environment when the near-eye determines that a gaze direction of the user is directed above a selected angle.

8. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 7 , wherein the near-eye display is configured to fade transparency values of the one or more virtual objects of the mixed-reality environment based on the gaze direction of the user.

9. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the selected projectile-tracking data comprises:

a persistent trail indicative of at least a portion of the predicted trajectory.

10. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:

direct the near-eye display to display one or more virtual objects representing selected projectile-tracking data.

11. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the near-eye display includes a user input device, wherein the mixed-reality environment and the data display objects are selectable as preset modes via the user input device, wherein the preset modes include a training mode, wherein the training mode includes preset configurations of the mixed-reality environment, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:

receive a command to enter the training mode via the user input device;

receive a user location within the mixed-reality environment via the user input device; and

direct the near-eye display to display one or more virtual objects representing selected projectile-tracking data.

12. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the near-eye display includes a user input device, wherein the mixed-reality environment and the data display objects are selectable as preset modes via the user input device, wherein the preset modes include a play mode, wherein the play mode includes a set of user-selectable mixed-reality environments, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:

receive a command to enter the play mode via the user input device;

receive a user location within the mixed-reality environment via the user input device;

receive a launch type;

determine a trajectory objective based on the launch type; and

direct the near-eye display to display a virtual indicator of whether the trajectory objective was met based on at least one of the data from the projectile-tracking sub-system or the predicted trajectory.

13. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality scene comprises:

an avatar associated with a remote user.

14. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a user-tracking sub-system including one or more sensors to generate user-motion data indicative of motion of the user during a launch.

15. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:

direct the near-eye display to display a virtual object including an avatar representing the user, wherein the avatar replicates motion of the user based on the user-motion data.

16. The mixed-reality sport simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the near-eye display is integrated within a helmet.

17. A mixed-reality sport simulation system comprising:

a projectile-tracking sub-system configured to generate projectile-tracking data over a selected portion of a trajectory of a projectile launched by a user;

a near-eye display configured to display a mixed-reality scene including virtual objects displayed over physical objects within a field of view of the user,

wherein the near-eye display includes one or more sensors to determine a head orientation of the user; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the projectile-tracking sub-system and the near-eye display, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:

identify a projectile source for directing a projectile toward the user;

direct the near-eye display to provide an unobstructed real-world view of the projectile source regardless of the head orientation of the user;

receive projectile-tracking data of a projectile from the projectile source after the projectile is launched by the user; and

direct the near-eye display to display one or more virtual objects indicative of at least a portion of the projectile-tracking data.

18. A mixed-reality sport simulation system comprising:

a projectile-tracking sub-system configured to generate projectile-tracking data of a projectile over a launch window when the projectile is launched by a user;

a near-eye display configured to display mixed-reality virtual objects displayed over physical objects within a field of view of the user, wherein the near-eye display includes a user input device; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the projectile-tracking sub-system and the near-eye display, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:

direct the near-eye display to display a mixed-reality environment including virtual objects depicting one or more elements of an athletic field within at least a portion of the user field of view, wherein a location of the user within the mixed-reality environment is selectable via the user input device;

receive projectile-tracking data of a projectile over the launch window in real-time from the projectile-tracking sub-system as the user launches the projectile; and

direct the near-eye display to display a virtual object representing the projectile moving along a predicted trajectory after the launch window within the mixed-reality environment, wherein the predicted trajectory is determined based on the projectile-tracking data over the launch window.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2020
From: KUDIRKA, THOMAS; BENNETT, PATRICK J.
To: VSPORTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 051959/0648 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation In Part 15991867 · May 29, 2018
Continuation In Part 15914789 · Mar 7, 2018
Continuation In Part 15914812 · Mar 7, 2018
Provisional Application 62590556 · Nov 25, 2017
Provisional Application 62577551 · Oct 26, 2017
Provisional Application 62520127 · Jun 15, 2017
Provisional Application 62516155 · Jun 7, 2017
Provisional Application 62511657 · May 26, 2017
Provisional Application 62468044 · Mar 7, 2017
Related Publication 20190134487A1 · May 9, 2019
Cited By (5)
US 12,217,372 US 12,257,508 US 12,299,827 US 12,324,990 US 12,437,488