VR interactive catching mechanic.
A system designed to provide a dynamic physical interaction for a user during a virtual reality (VR) experience in a VR experience space. The system includes a VR system having a headset with a display screen and a VR rendering module generating a video output, and the display screen displays an image of a virtual world using the video output. The system includes an object delivery system delivering a physical object into the VR experience space to move toward or near to the user wearing the headset. The system includes, in the VR system, an interaction module generating a predicted trajectory for the physical object in the VR experience space. The image of the virtual world includes a virtual object corresponding to the physical object, and the image of the virtual object follows a virtual object trajectory in the virtual world differing from the predicted trajectory for the physical object.
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Description(1) The present description relates, in general, to virtual reality (VR) systems and their uses to generate unique user experiences, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing the user of a VR system with an ability to experience playing catch including the physical sensations or haptic interactions of catching an object (e.g., a ball) and, in some cases, throwing the object, while the VR user/player is experiencing a VR world or environment provided by the VR system.2. Relevant Background(2) There is a growing interest in virtual reality (VR) games and applications in the entertainment and education industries. VR typically refers to computer technologies that use virtual reality headsets (or head mounted displays (HMDs)) to generate realistic images, sounds, and other sensations that replicate a real environment or create an imaginary setting. VR also simulates a user's physical presence in this environment. VR has been defined as a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional 360-degree environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body or as an immersive, interactive experience generated by a computer.(3) A person using virtual reality equipment is able to “look around” the artificial world, and, with higher quality VR systems, move about in it and virtually interact with features or items depicted in the headset. A virtual world or environm
1. A system for providing a dynamic physical interaction to a user during a virtual reality (VR) experience in a VR experience space, comprising: a VR system including a headset with a display screen and a VR rendering module generating a video output, wherein the display screen displays an image of a virtual world based on the video output; a physical object moving in the VR experience space toward the user wearing the headset; and in the VR system, an interaction module generating a predicted trajectory for the physical object in the VR experience space, wherein the image of the virtual world includes an image of a virtual object corresponding to the physical object, wherein the image of the virtual object is rendered such that the image of the virtual object moves along a travel path in the virtual world, wherein the image of the virtual object follows a virtual object trajectory as the image of the virtual object moves along the travel path in the virtual world that differs in at least one aspect from the predicted trajectory for the physical object in the VR experience space, and wherein the virtual object trajectory is time synchronized with the predicted trajectory whereby a virtual interaction between the user and the virtual object in the virtual world occurs simultaneously with a physical interaction between the user and the physical object in the VR experience space.
9. A system for providing a dynamic physical interaction to a user during a virtual reality (VR) experience in a VR experience space, comprising: a VR rendering module generating a video of a virtual world; a headset, wearable by a participant in the VR experience, with a screen displaying the video of the virtual world; a tracking system for tracking velocity and location of at least one portion of a body of the participant in a space; a physical object moving in the space, wherein the VR rendering module operates to include an image of a virtual object in the virtual world based corresponding to the physical object and an image of a virtual body part corresponding to the at least one portion of the body of the participant based on the velocity and the location from the tracking system; and an interaction module determining a predicted trajectory for the physical object in the space, wherein the VR rendering module generates the video of the virtual world with the virtual object following a virtual object trajectory that differs from the predicted trajectory as the virtual object is rendered to move along a travel path in the virtual world toward or away from the image of the virtual body part.
16. A system for providing a dynamic physical interaction to a user during a virtual reality (VR) experience in a VR experience space, comprising: a VR system including a headset with a display screen and a VR rendering module generating a video output, wherein the display screen displays an image of a virtual world based on the video output; an object delivery system delivering a physical object into the VR experience space to move toward the user wearing the headset; and in the VR system, an interaction module generating a predicted trajectory for the physical object in the VR experience space, wherein the image of the virtual world includes an image of a virtual object corresponding to the physical object, wherein the image of the virtual object follows a virtual object trajectory in the virtual world as the image of the virtual object is rendered to move along a travel path in the virtual world, wherein the object delivery system delivers by the physical object by launching or by dropping the physical object such that the physical object is untethered as it flies or falls along a travel path through the VR experience space, wherein the travel path for the virtual object differs in at least one aspect from a travel path for the physical object defined by the predicted trajectory for the physical object in the VR experience space, and wherein the virtual object trajectory is time synchronized with the predicted trajectory whereby a virtual interaction between the user and the virtual object in the virtual world occurs simultaneously with a physical interaction between the user and the physical object in the VR experience space.