Method and system for making natural movement in displayed 3D environment

Abstract

Techniques for rendering the motions of a selected object as naturally as possible in a 3D environment are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, relative changes in position of a controller in the physical world are used to control the motion of a selected (target) object in a virtual world by imparting inertia into the selected object in a relationship to the changes in speed and duration of the controller. As a result, the movements of the object are rendered naturally in a displayed scene in accordance with the changes in motion or position of the controller.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling an object in a 3D environment being displayed on a display, the method comprising:
 selecting the object with a hand-held controller including one or more self-contained inertial sensors generating sensor signals;   computing position and orientation of the controller relative to the display, responsive to the sensor signals;   capturing inertia of the object relative to the 3D environment at a moment when the object is caused to make a sudden movement;   updating the inertia of the object with the controller and the captured inertia; and   effectuating the sudden movement so as to show visually a smooth and natural transition of the object relatively in the 3D environment.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said effectuating the sudden movement comprises: applying a linear offset to a mapping between a physical space of the controller and the 3D environment to produce a refined mapping. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the linear offset is a ratio of what happens in the physical space to what is being displayed in the 3D environment. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising: mapping movements of the controller into movements of the object in a non-linear fashion to allow small motions to generate more precision for small adjustments, while large motions generate rapid changes in position. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said effectuating the sudden movement further comprises: causing the object to move relatively the same distance in the 3D environment when the controller is moved suddenly in one motion or in several smaller motions. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said effectuating the sudden movement further comprises: causing the object to move more in the 3D environment when the controller is moved suddenly in one motion instead of in several smaller motions. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said effectuating the sudden movement comprises:
 detecting a location of the object in the 3D environment; and   allowing the location of the object within the 3D environment to keep changing when the controller has released a control on the object.   
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining inertia of the controller; and   imparting the inertia of the controller into the object in a relationship to changes in speed and duration of the controller.   
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein relative changes in position and orientation of the controller is used to control motions of the object in the 3D environment by imparting inertia of the controller into the object in a relationship to changes in speed and duration of the controller. 
     
     
         10 . A system for controlling an object in a 3D environment being displayed on a display, the system comprising:
 a controller used to select the object, wherein the controller includes one or more self-contained inertial sensors generating sensor signals;   a computing unit configured to receive the sensor signals from which position and orientation of the controller relative to the display are computed, wherein the computing unit is further configured to:
 capture inertia of the object relative to the 3D environment at a moment when the object is caused to make a sudden movement; 
 update the inertia of the object with the controller and the captured inertia; and 
 effectuate the sudden movement so as to show visually a smooth and natural transition of the object relatively in the 3D environment. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the computing unit is caused to apply a linear offset to a mapping between a physical space of the controller and the 3D environment to produce a refined mapping. 
     
     
         12 . The system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the linear offset is a ratio of what happens in the physical space to what is being displayed in the 3D environment. 
     
     
         13 . The system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the computing unit is caused to map movements of the controller into movements of the object in a non-linear fashion to allow small motions to generate more precision for small adjustments, while large motions generate rapid changes in position. 
     
     
         14 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the computing unit is caused to move the object relatively the same distance in the 3D environment when the controller is moved suddenly in one motion or in several smaller motions. 
     
     
         15 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the computing unit is caused to move the object more in the 3D environment when the controller is moved suddenly in one motion instead of in several smaller motions. 
     
     
         16 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the computing unit is caused to:
 detect a location of the object in the 3D environment; and   allow the location of the object within the 3D environment to keep changing when the controller has released a control on the object.   
     
     
         17 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the computing unit is caused to:
 determine inertia of the controller; and   impart the inertia of the controller into the object in a relationship to changes in speed and duration of the controller.   
     
     
         18 . The system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein relative changes in position and orientation of the controller is used to control motions of the object in the 3D environment by imparting inertia of the controller into the object in a relationship to changes in speed and duration of the controller.