Method, apparatus and computer program for displaying an image of a real world object in a virtual reality enviroment
Examples of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus and computer program for displaying images. In certain examples, a real world physical object, which is located in a real world point of view of a user of a head mountable display, is detected. Such a detection triggers a display, on the head mountable display, of at least one captured image of at least a part of the detected real world physical object.
1. A method comprising:
displaying, on a head mountable display, a virtual reality environment;
determining an opportunity for user interaction with a real world object within the virtual reality environment, wherein the user interaction with the real world object is in response to a request for user input within the virtual reality environment;
triggering detection of the real world object located in a real world point of view of a user of the head mountable display in dependence upon determining that there is the request for user input within the virtual reality environment, thereby conserving resources by triggering detection of the real world object in response to the request for user input;
in response to the detection of the real world object located in the real world point of view of the user of the head mountable display, causing one or more images comprising a sequence of captured images, a captured video, images captured in real time, or a live camera feed of at least a part of the detected real world object to be displayed on the head mountable display; and
transforming a display of the virtual reality environment displayed on the head mountable display by compressing, stretching, or morphing the virtual reality environment display for simultaneous display of at least one captured image of the real world object and display of the virtual reality environment.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the real world point of view of the user of the head mountable display corresponds to a point of view of the user if the user is not wearing the head mountable display.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a mixing of virtual reality and real world images in which at least one captured image of the real world object is integrated into a display of the virtual reality environment.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the real world object is a user input device.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the user's real world point of view and positioning the one or more images for display on the head mountable display in dependence on the monitored user's real world point of view.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising capturing at least one image of the user's real world point of view.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detection of the real world object in the user's real world point of view comprises performing object recognition on the at least one captured image of the user's real world point of view.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the live camera feed comprises live footage of the user operating the real world object within the virtual reality environment.
9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the memory comprising machine-readable instructions, that when executed cause the apparatus to:
display, on a head mountable display, a virtual reality environment;
determine an opportunity for user interaction with a real world object within the virtual reality environment, wherein the user interaction with the real world object is in response to a request for user input within the virtual reality environment;
trigger detection of the real world physical object located in a real world point of view of a user of the head mountable display in dependence upon determining that there is the request for user input within the virtual reality environment, thereby conserving resources by triggering detection of the real world object in response to the request for user input;
in response to the detection of the real world object located in the real world point of view of the user of the head mountable display, cause one or more images comprising a sequence of captured images, a captured video, images captured in real time, or a live camera feed of at least a part of the detected real world object to be displayed on the head mountable display; and
transform a display of the virtual reality environment displayed on the head mountable display by compressing, stretching, or morphing the virtual reality environment display for simultaneous display of at least one captured image of the real world object and display of the virtual reality environment.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the real world point of view of the user of the head mountable display corresponds to a point of view of the user if the user is not wearing the head mountable display.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 further caused to: provide a mix of virtual reality and real world images in which at least one captured image of the real world object is integrated into a display of the virtual reality environment.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the real world object is a user input device.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 further caused to: monitor the user's real world point of view and position the one or more images for display on the head mountable display in dependence on the monitored user's real world point of view.
14. The apparatus of claim 9 further caused to: capture at least one image of the user's real world point of view.
15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein detection for the real world object in the user's real world point of view comprises performing object recognition on the at least one captured image of the user's real world point of view.
16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is coupled to a chipset, module, device, or the head mountable display.
17. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the live camera feed comprises live footage of the user operating the real world object within the virtual reality environment.
18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to:
display, on a head mountable display, a virtual reality environment;
determine an opportunity for user interaction with a real world object within the virtual reality environment, wherein the user interaction with the real world object is in response to a request for user input within the virtual reality environment;
trigger detection of the real world object located in a real world point of view of a user of the head mountable display in dependence upon determining that there is the request for user input within the virtual reality environment, thereby conserving resources by triggering detection of the real world object in response to the request for user input;
in response to the detection of the real world object located in the real world point of view of the user of the head mountable display, cause one or more images comprising a sequence of captured images, a captured video, images captured in real time, or a live camera feed of at least a part of the detected real world object to be displayed on the head mountable display; and
transform a display of the virtual reality environment displayed on the head mountable display by compressing, stretching, or morphing the virtual reality environment display for simultaneous display of at least one captured image of the real world object and display of the virtual reality environment.