Motion signal generation

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a detector to detect one or more features of a virtual environment generated by a data processing apparatus; and

a generator, responsive to an environment location of the one or more features and to a current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), to generate a motion signal to simulate head motion by a simulated wearer of the HMD, wherein:

the generator is responsive to data defining a maximum rate of movement of the simulated wearer of the HMD,

the detector is configured to detect one or more image features of images generated by the data processing apparatus,

the generator is responsive to an image location of the one or more image features and to the current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD,

the generator is configured to generate the motion signal to simulate successive instances of random or pseudorandom head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD, and

the detector is configured to detect a change in the images generated by a data processing apparatus in response to an instance of simulated random or pseudorandom head motion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which:

the detector is configured to detect one or more audio features of an audio signal generated by the data processing apparatus; and

the generator is responsive to a location in the virtual environment of the one or more audio features and to the current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , in which the detector is configured to detect audio features of a predetermined set of audio features.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , in which:

the detector is configured to detect a predetermined feature, of a set of one or more predetermined features, in the images generated by a data processing apparatus; and

the generator is configured to generate the motion signal to simulate an instance of head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD according to data associating the set of predetermined features with respective instances of simulated head motion.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , comprising a motion detector to detect at least one indicator of the extent of the simulated motion represented by the motion signal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising a comparator to compare the at least one indicator with a threshold value.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a data processing apparatus to provide generated images to the detector in response to the generated motion signal provided by the generator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , in which the data processing apparatus comprises a test controller to generate information indicative of image features of the generated images.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5 , in which the at least indicator comprises at least one of:

a cumulative simulated head motion; and

a peak displacement of the simulated head motion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which:

the detector is configured to detect a control display in the images generated by a data processing apparatus; and

the generator is configured to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD towards the control display.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which:

the detector is configured to detect a predetermined feature, of a set of one or more predetermined features, in the images generated by a data processing apparatus; and

the generator is configured to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD towards the detected predetermined feature.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the detector comprises a user control detector to detect operation of a user control indicating the one or more image features.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the detector is configured to derive the data defining the maximum rate of movement of the simulated wearer of the HMD.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the data processing apparatus is a computer games machine.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the generator is configured to provide the generated motion signal to the data processing apparatus.

16. A method comprising:

detecting one or more features of a virtual environment generated by a data processing apparatus; and

generating, in response to an environment location of the one or more features and to a current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), a motion signal to simulate head motion by a simulated wearer of the HMD, wherein:

the generating is responsive to data defining a maximum rate of movement of the simulated wearer of the HMD,

the detecting includes detecting one or more image features of images generated by the data processing apparatus,

the generating is responsive to an image location of the one or more image features and to the current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD,

the generating includes generating the motion signal to simulate successive instances of random or pseudorandom head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD, and

the detecting includes detecting a change in the images generated by a data processing apparatus in response to an instance of simulated random or pseudorandom head motion.

17. The method according to claim 16 , in which:

the detecting step comprises detecting one or more audio features of an audio signal generated by the data processing apparatus; and

the generating step is responsive to a location in the virtual environment of the one or more detected audio features and to the current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD.

18. The method according to claim 16 , in which:

the detecting step comprises detecting one or more image features of images generated by the data processing apparatus; and

the generating step is responsive to an image location of the one or more image features and to the current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD.

19. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:

providing the generated motion signal to the data processing apparatus.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable recording medium which stores computer software, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out actions, comprising:

detecting one or more features of a virtual environment generated by a data processing apparatus; and

generating, in response to an environment location of the one or more features and to a current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), a motion signal to simulate head motion by a simulated wearer of the HMD, wherein:

the generating is responsive to data defining a maximum rate of movement of the simulated wearer of the HMD,

the detecting includes detecting one or more image features of images generated by the data processing apparatus,

the generating is responsive to an image location of the one or more image features and to the current simulated orientation of a head mountable display (HMD), to generate the motion signal to simulate head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD,

the generating includes generating the motion signal to simulate successive instances of random or pseudorandom head motion by the simulated wearer of the HMD, and

the detecting includes detecting a change in the images generated by a data processing apparatus in response to an instance of simulated random or pseudorandom head motion.