IP Library Granted Patent US 10,607,413
Granted Patent B1
US 10,607,413 · App. 15/256,446 · Granted Mar 31, 2020

Systems and methods of rerendering image hands to create a realistic grab experience in virtual reality/augmented reality environments

Inventors: Alex Marcolina (San Francisco, CA); David Holz (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Ultrahaptics IP Two Limited
G06T19/006G06F3/011G06F3/017G06K9/00355G06T7/0044G06T19/20G06T2207/30196
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,607,413
App. No.
15/256,446
Granted
Mar 31, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to a method of realistic rendering of a real object as a virtual object in a virtual space using an offset in the position of the hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space. An offset between expected positions of the eye(s) of a wearer of a head mounted device and a sensor attached to the head mounted device for sensing a position of at least one hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space is determined. A position of the hand in the three-dimensional (3D) sensory space can be sensed using a sensor. The sensed position of the hand can be transformed by the offset into a re-rendered position of the hand as would appear to the wearer of the head mounted device if the wearer were looking at the actual hand. The re-rendered hand can be depicted to the wearer of the head mounted device.

Claims (54)

1. A system of realistic displacement of a virtual object to render a realistic representation of a hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space as a virtual object in a virtual space, the system including:

a head mounted device depicting at least a visual presentation to a wearer;

a hand-gesture sensor attached to the head mounted device; and

a processor and a computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions configured for performing:

determining an offset between expected positions of one or more eyes of a wearer of a head mounted device and an actual position of a hand-gesture sensor attached to the head mounted device;

using the hand-gesture sensor, obtaining a sequence of images correlated to construct a 3-D solid model of the hand, including its position and shape, and using the 3-D solid model of the hand computing a sensed position of hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space, wherein the computing includes determining positions of fingers, thumb and palm of the hand;

calculating a transformation matrix using the determined offset, such that the transformation matrix, when applied to the sensed position of the hand, decreases a rendered size of the hand in accordance with the determined offset;

applying the transformation matrix to the sensed position of the hand to transform the sensed position of the hand into a re-rendered position of the hand, the re-rendered position of the hand placing in the 3D sensory space the positions of the fingers, thumb and palm of the re-rendered position of the hand at the offset with respect to the sensed position of the hand such that the wearer of the head mounted device perceives the re-rendered position of the hand situated in the 3D sensory space as expected by the wearer when the wearer is looking at the actual hand in the 3D sensory space; and

depicting to the wearer of the head mounted device a re-rendered image hand using the re-rendered position of the hand.

2. The system of claim 1 , further configured to perform:

sensing one or more additional positions of the hand and determining therefrom motion or gesture; and

applying the offset to the additional positions of the hand to transform the sensed additional positions to re-rendered positions of the hand as seen by the wearer, thereby providing the re-rendered image hand having the motion or gesture of the hand.

3. The system of claim 2 , further configured to perform:

sensing an indication of quality of tracking for the hand-gesture sensor, the indication of quality of tracking indicating whether the hand-gesture sensor is tracking position or motion of the hand; and

adding to the re-rendered image hand a visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking; thereby providing the wearer with a visual cue of how well the hand-gesture sensor is tracking the hand.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the indication of quality of tracking includes an indication that the hand-gesture sensor is able to recognize the hand in captured images.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking includes a colored outline circumscribed about the re-rendered image hand when the hand-gesture sensor is able to recognize the hand in captured images.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking includes a colored outline circumscribed about the re-rendered image hand when the hand-gesture sensor is unable to recognize the hand in captured images.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transformation matrix is an affine matrix.

8. A method of realistic displacement of a virtual object to render a realistic representation of a hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space as a virtual object in a virtual space, the method including:

determining an offset between expected positions of one or more eyes of a wearer of a head mounted device and an actual position of a hand-gesture sensor attached to the head mounted device;

using the hand-gesture sensor, obtaining a sequence of images correlated to construct a 3-D solid model of the hand, including its position and shape, and using the 3-D solid model of the hand computing a sensed position of at least one hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space, wherein the computing includes determining positions of fingers, thumb and palm of the hand;

calculating a transformation matrix using the determined offset, such that the transformation matrix, when applied to the sensed position of the hand, decreases a rendered size of the hand in accordance with the determined offset;

applying the transformation matrix to the sensed position of the hand to transform the sensed position of the hand into a re-rendered position of the hand, the re-rendered position of the hand placing in the 3D sensory space the positions of the fingers, thumb and palm of the re-rendered position of the hand at the offset with respect to the sensed position of the hand such that the wearer of the head mounted device perceives the re-rendered position of the hand situated in the 3D sensory space as expected by the wearer when the wearer is looking at the actual hand in the 3D sensory space; and

depicting to the wearer of the head mounted device a re-rendered image hand using the re-rendered position of the hand.

9. The method of claim 8 , further including:

sensing one or more additional positions of the hand and determining therefrom motion or gesture; and

applying the offset to the additional positions of the hand to transform the sensed additional positions to re-rendered positions of the hand as seen by the wearer, thereby providing the re-rendered image hand having the motion or gesture of the hand.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including:

sensing an indication of quality of tracking for the hand-gesture sensor, the indication of quality of tracking indicating whether the hand-gesture sensor is tracking position or motion of the hand; and

adding to the re-rendered image hand a visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking; thereby providing the wearer with a visual cue of how well the hand-gesture sensor is tracking the hand.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the indication of quality of tracking includes an indication that the hand-gesture sensor is able to recognize the hand in captured images.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking includes a colored outline circumscribed about the re-rendered image hand when the hand-gesture sensor is able to recognize the hand in captured images.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking includes a colored outline circumscribed about the re-rendered image hand when the hand-gesture sensor is unable to recognize the hand in captured images.

14. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon for performing realistic displacement of a virtual object to render a realistic representation of a hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space as a virtual object in a virtual space, the performing including:

determining an offset between expected positions of one or more eyes of a wearer of a head mounted device and an actual position of a hand-gesture sensor attached to the head mounted device;

using the hand-gesture sensor, obtaining a sequence of images correlated to construct a 3-D solid model of the hand, including its position and shape, and using the 3-D solid model of the hand computing a sensed position of at least one hand in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space, wherein the computing includes determining positions of fingers, thumb and palm of the hand;

calculating a transformation matrix using the determined offset, such that the transformation matrix, when applied to the sensed position of the hand, decreases a rendered size of the hand in accordance with the determined offset;

applying the transformation matrix to the sensed position of the hand to transform the sensed position of the hand into a re-rendered position of the hand, the re-rendered position of the hand placing in the 3D sensory space the positions of the fingers, thumb and palm of the re-rendered position of the hand at the offset with respect to the sensed position of the hand such that the wearer of the head mounted device perceives the re-rendered position of the hand situated in the 3D sensory space as expected by the wearer when the wearer is looking at the actual hand in the 3D sensory space; and

depicting to the wearer of the head mounted device a re-rendered image hand using the re-rendered position of the hand.

15. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , the instructions further implementing performing:

sensing one or more additional positions of the hand and determining therefrom motion or gesture; and

applying the offset to the additional positions of the hand to transform the sensed additional positions to re-rendered positions of the hand as seen by the wearer, thereby providing the re-rendered image hand having the motion or gesture of the hand.

16. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , the instructions further implementing performing:

sensing an indication of quality of tracking for the hand-gesture sensor, the indication of quality of tracking indicating whether the hand-gesture sensor is tracking position or motion of the hand; and

adding to the re-rendered image hand a visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking; thereby providing the wearer with a visual cue of how well the hand-gesture sensor is tracking the hand.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16 , wherein the indication of quality of tracking includes an indication that the hand-gesture sensor is able to recognize the hand in captured images.

18. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17 , wherein the visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking includes a colored outline circumscribed about the re-rendered image hand when the hand-gesture sensor is able to recognize the hand in captured images.

19. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17 , wherein the visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking includes a colored outline circumscribed about the re-rendered image hand when the hand-gesture sensor is unable to recognize the hand in captured images.

20. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17 , wherein the visual indication corresponding to the indication of quality of tracking includes coloring the re-rendered image hand a different color when the hand-gesture sensor is able to recognize the hand in captured images than when the hand-gesture sensor is unable to recognize the hand in captured images.

21. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , the instructions further implementing performing:

sensing an indication of whether the hand has grabbed a virtual object; and

adding to the re-rendered image hand a visual indication corresponding to the indication of whether the hand has grabbed the virtual object; thereby providing the wearer with a visual cue of whether the virtual object is grabbed.

22. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 21 , the instructions further implementing performing: depicting a stretched version of the virtual object grabbed.

Assignments (12)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2026
From: SIM IP HXR LLC
To: UNITY MASTER LLC SERIES XIX
Reel/Frame 075365/0907 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2026
From: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
To: SIM IP HXR LLC
Reel/Frame 075127/0545 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2026
From: ULTRAHAPTICS LIMITED; ULTRAHAPTICS IP LIMITED; ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED; ULTRALEAP LIMITED
To: SIM IP HXR LLC
Reel/Frame 074403/0864 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2020
From: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC
To: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 052902/0571 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
To: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC
Reel/Frame 052848/0240 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2020
From: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC.
To: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 051580/0165 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2020
From: LEAP MOTION, INC.
To: LMI LIQUIDATING CO., LLC.
Reel/Frame 052914/0871 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2019
From: HAYNES BEFFEL WOLFELD LLP
To: LEAP MOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 049926/0631 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2019
From: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
To: LEAP MOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 049337/0130 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2019
From: MARCOLINA, ALEX; HOLZ, DAVID
To: LEAP MOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 048876/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2019
From: LEAP MOTION, INC.
To: HAYNES BEFFEL WOLFELD LLP
Reel/Frame 048919/0109 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2017
From: LEAP MOTION, INC.
To: TRIPLEPOINT CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 044469/0592 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 62215701 · Sep 8, 2015
Cited By (16)
US 50,598 US 12,244,936 US 12,260,023 US 12,260,427 US 12,306,301 US 12,321,672 US 12,361,708 US 12,373,020 US 12,387,449 US 12,400,414 US 12,554,902 US 12,572,217 US 12,613,609 US 12,650,734 US 12,693,717 US 12,704,936