Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Vpl Research, Inc.

Michael A Teitel

Jaron Z Lanier

Ann Lasko-Harvill

Jean-Jacques G Grimaud

Young L Harvill

Mark L Oberman

Robert Horton

Daniel Maddy

Chuck L Blanchard

Apparatus is disclosed for viewing computer generated images and for tracking the positions of the user's head and hand. One alternative of the apparatus includes a frame element, versatilely mountable, with sensors for the head tracking of a user whose bodily movement is constrained to a small area. Short range and inexpensive sensors are deployed for tracking the position of the user's head; these sensors are deployed partly on a on the user's head and partly on the tracking frame. All the electronics for tracking and user input are enclosed in a mobile pack. In another alternative of the tracking invention natural forces such as gravity, the Earth's magnetic field, and inertia are used, so additional references. The display allows for interchangeable optical elements so that it may be tailored to suit the needs of a particular user or application. One optical element disclosed is a bicolor polarizer, which allows an lcd to inexpensively provide a bicolor display without loss of resolution.

Low cost virtual reality system

Hood-shaped support frame for a low cost virtual reality system

A method and apparatus is disclosed for transmitting data about an object within a defined field and using the transmitted data to generate a virtual object on the display screen of a computer. In one embodiment of the present invention the object used to transmit input data is a wireless glove assembly. The glove assembly supports a transmitting device which transmits data bursts, containing position and gesture information, in the radio frequency wavelength to four stationary receivers. The received signal is converted to a digital signal and input to a microprocessor control unit. The software used in the microprocessor control unit uses an averaging method to generate a virtual object on the computer display screen. The position of the virtual object is calculated based on the strength of the signal received. The movement of the virtual object on the computer display screen is in the same direction as and is proportional to the glove movement.

Radio frequency tracking system

A head-coupled display device for use in presenting electronically generated visual images to a viewer. The device includes a headpiece worn by a viewer, and an image display screen mounted in the headpiece for presenting electronically generated images. A fresnel lens is positioned adjacent the screen for focusing images from the screen at a selected position for viewing as a virtual image. The lens has a set of concentric converging rings whose surface curvatures act to minimize rectilinear distortion of the virtual images perceived by the viewer over the entire field of view of the image.

Virtual image display device

A position tracker wherein a base unit scans a selected path with electromagnetic signals. A remote unit whose position relative to the base unit is to be detected includes a sensor for detecting the signals from the base unit. When the scanning signals are detected by the remote unit, the remote unit transmits a response signal to the base unit. The base unit may calculate the angular position of the remote unit relative to the base unit by comparing the time intervals between successive response signals. By locating multiple base units in different positions, the position of the remote unit along multiple coordinate axes may be determined. By adding multiple sensors and response transmitters to the remote unit, the roll, pitch and yaw of the remote unit also may be calculated.

Absolute position tracker

A computer model of a virtual environment is continuously modified by input from various participants. The virtual environment is displayed to the participants using sensory displays such as head-mounted visual and auditory displays which travel with the wearer and track the position and orientation of the wearer's head in space. Participants can look at each other within the virtual environment and see virtual body images of the other participants in a manner similar to the way that people in a physical environment see each other. Each participant can also look at his or her own virtual body in exactly the same manner that a person in a physical environment can look at his or her own real body. The participants may work on a common task together and view the results of each other's actions.

Method and system for generating objects for a multi-person virtual

A radiation source directs radiation toward a radiation sensor in such a way that the intensity of radiation sensed by the radiation sensor alternates in a periodic manner as the radiation source moves radially relative to the radiation sensor. The radiation sensor generates either a '1' or a '0' depending upon whether the intensity of the radiation sensed by the radiation sensor is above or below a particular reference value. Thus, the angular position of the radiation source relative to the radiation sensor is indicated by an alternating series of '1's and '0's. A multi-bit binary value which indicates the absolute position of the radiation source relative to the radiation sensor can be generated. In this case, a band of radiation is directed toward the radiation sensor. The radiation band is separated into a plurality of portions, the intensity of each successive portion being twice the frequency of the preceding portion. Each portion of the radiation band impinges upon a corresponding sensor. The signal generated by each sensor element is thus one bit of a multi-bit binary value which varies as the radiation source moves radially relative to the radiation sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Portola Valley, CA, United States of America

Michael A Teitel