Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods and apparatus to provide a wireless, powered portable virtual reality headset.
Virtual reality (VR) headsets provide an audiovisual experience for the wearer that requires substantial audio and visual processing to give the VR experience to the wearer. Such VR systems typically have the user in a stationary or sitting position. Immersive or more realistic VR experiences allow the user to get up and move. Systems providing these VR experiences allow the user to stand and even walk with a VR host. However, such immersive systems must be portable, require substantial processing power, and consume substantially more electrical power than stationary headset systems. There is a need in the art to provide a system to power a portable VR host without being cumbersome or impeding the movement of the user, so as to allow freedom of movement by the user and long periods of VR experience enjoyment for the user.
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.
Virtual Reality (VR) headsets provide an immersive experience to end-users. Compared to the standard stationary VR experience in which the user is sitting on a chair to watch images while wearing a VR headset, the immersive or “walking” VR experience with portable VR “host” becomes a new product line with different technical problems and interests. A VR host typically includes a high performance processor and hence consumes a lot of power. Thus, to make the VR host portable so it can operate for a sufficient time period a large capacity battery was necessary for the host system, which adds total system weight to the end-user. Also, the longer an end-user wants to experience VR, the larger they system battery must be. A hot-swap battery approach might be used to resolve the usable time issue, but will not address the weight problem, requires pausing of the game (which is not practical in online gaming) and also requires time to change out the battery. Some hot-swap approaches have a short battery life of about 2 to 3 hours, but these require frequent charging of VR headset batteries between gameplay sessions. Prolonged gaming requires longer battery life such as 8 to 10 hours. That cannot be achieved with conventional power supplies and still keep the form factor and weight of the VR host to a comfortable level.
To address the issues presented above, the present subject matter provides methods and apparatus in various embodiments to provide power to a portable virtual reality host system that allows for free movement by the user. In various embodiments, the present subject matter enables the user to receive power to a virtual reality host processing system to make the system portable. In various embodiments, the present subject matter provides power and signal connections to a virtual reality host processing system that allow for free movement by the user. In various embodiments the present subject matter provides connections on the footwear of the user that supply electrical power to a VR host worn by the user. In various embodiments of the present subject matter, a connection technology is employed to provide connections between the user wearing the VR host system and conductive mats, plates, or flooring that are powered to provide electrical power to the VR host system via connections to the user's footwear when standing. One example of a standard connection technology is the OPEN DOTS™ technology by the OPEN DOTS ALLIANCE, which is described at opendotsalliance.org and the Open Dots Technology Specification provided at http://opendotsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/OpenDotsSpecifications1dot2.pdf. Other forms of connection technology may be employed. For example, in various embodiments an inductive or radio frequency signal wireless technology is employed which uses traces in the form of one or more wireless power receiver coils (or antennae) to receive power that is provided to the VR host worn by the user. In various applications, the radio frequency signal technology includes Qi wireless charging, such as described at www.qiwireless.com. In various applications the radio frequency signal technology includes AirFuel wireless charging, such as described at www.airfuel.org. Other wireless charging technologies may be employed without departing from the present subject matter.
In various embodiments of the present subject matter, the connection technology is used to drive the PC refresh of the virtual reality processor. In such embodiments, smaller batteries may be employed for the VR host because is it getting charged as the user moves about the conductive area of the floor. One aspect of such systems is that they weigh less, because they are consistently charging a battery of the VR host, even under movement by the user. One aspect of such systems is that they are mobile and portable because there is no set of fixed wires to restrain the VR host. In certain embodiments, minimal battery capacity is required on the VR host as power buffer and power will be gathered from the ground with an embedded transmitter device (TX) to a receiver (RX) residing in or under the soles of the user's footwear. This enables the battery on the host processor to charge as long as at least one foot of the user is standing on the ground. Such approaches allow the weight of VR host to be minimized and yet the time the user can experience VR is virtually unlimited.
In an example, a power cable from the VR host is connected to the receiver contacts on the footwear of the user. The material and design of such cabling can be varied to meet the needs of the wearer. The system provides the user a lighter weight VR host system, and increases the spatial freedom of the user to enjoy an immersive, moving VR experience with a practically unlimited power supply. This avoids the need to swap out power sources, to recharge them separately, and to replace multiple recharging batteries. The overall form factor and weight of the VR host system can be reduced and even minimized.
In an example, the connection technology is employed between the floor and footwear of the user. In various embodiments, the connection technology can be employed in other surfaces, including, but not limited to chairs, stools, seats, and beds. The connection technology can be used with props, such as a car prop, that may be used in a virtual reality application. the connection technology can be used with any object in the environment (room, VR arena, club, or other place) that is in proximity or close contact with the apparel of the wearer and can be used to deliver power to the battery of the VR host system of the wearer. The connection technology can be used with other articles of clothing besides footwear, such as pants, suits, jackets, coats, gloves, backpacks, and the like. Therefore, a connection technology can be employed whether the person is sitting, standing, laying down, or engaged in some other form of activity (e.g., riding a bicycle). Various combinations of connection technology can be employed to enhance the wearer's immersive experience.
In various embodiments, a wireless inductive or radio frequency signal charging system can be used.
There are multiple positions (postures) for a user playing VR games, including standing and sitting.
In the case when the user is sitting on chair 450 and playing VR games, such as in
Examples, as described herein, may include, or may operate by, logic or a number of components, or mechanisms. Circuitry is a collection of circuits implemented in tangible entities that include hardware (e.g, simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuitry membership may be flexible over time and underlying hardware variability. Circuitries include members that may, alone or in combination, perform specified operations when operating. In an example, hardware of the circuitry may be immutably designed to carry out a specific operation (e.g., hardwired). In an example, the hardware of the circuitry may include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) including a computer readable medium physically modified (e g, magnetically, electrically, moveable placement of invariant massed particles, etc.) to encode instructions of the specific operation. In connecting the physical components, the underlying electrical properties of a hardware constituent are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor or vice versa. The instructions enable embedded hardware (e g, the execution units or a loading mechanism) to create members of the circuitry in hardware via the variable connections to carry out portions of the specific operation when in operation. Accordingly, the computer readable medium is communicatively coupled to the other components of the circuitry when the device is operating. In an example, any of the physical components may be used in more than one member of more than one circuitry. For example, under operation, execution units may be used in a first circuit of a first circuitry at one point in time and reused by a second circuit in the first circuitry, or by a third circuit in a second circuitry at a different time.
Processor system 600 (e.g., computer system) may include a hardware processor 602 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 604 and a static memory 606, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnect (e.g, bus) 608. The processor system 600 may further include a display unit 610, an alphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 614 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit 610, input device 612 and UI navigation device 614 may be a touch screen display. The machine processor system 600 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit) 616, a signal generation device 618 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 620, and one or more sensors 621, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or other sensor. Processor system 600 may include an output controller 628, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, card reader, VR headset 101 etc.).
The storage device 616 may include a machine readable medium 622 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 624 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 624 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 604, within static memory 606, or within the hardware processor 602 during execution thereof by the processor system 600 In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 602, the main memory 604, the static memory 606, or the storage device 616 may constitute machine readable media.
While the machine readable medium 622 is illustrated as a single medium, the term “machine readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) configured to store the one or more instructions 624.
The term “machine readable medium” may include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the processor system 600 and that cause the machine processor system 600 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting machine-readable medium examples may include solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. In an example, a massed machine-readable medium comprises a machine-readable medium with a plurality of particles having invariant (e.g., rest) mass. Accordingly, massed machine-readable media are not transitory propagating signals. Specific examples of massed machine-readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.
The instructions 624 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network 626 using a transmission medium via the network interface device 620 utilizing any one of a number of transfer protocols (e.g, frame relay, internet protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g, the Internet), mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks), Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi®, IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax®), IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others. In an example, the network interface device 620 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communications network 626. In an example, the network interface device 620 may include a plurality of antennas to wirelessly communicate using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) techniques. The term “transmission medium” shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the processor system 600, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of such software.
Example 1 is a virtual reality (VR) system for a user configured to be wirelessly charged by a wireless power transmitter, comprising, a VR headset; a VR host to communicate with the VR headset, the VR host having a battery; and a wireless connection system to receive power from the wireless power transmitter and to charge the battery of the VR host, the wireless connection system providing portability of the VR host and freedom of movement to the user.
In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 optionally includes wherein the wireless connection system comprises a distribution of conductors on a surface that the user is proximal to or in contact with, the distribution of conductors connected to the wireless power transmitter.
In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 optionally includes wherein the conductors are disposed at least in part on a floor.
In Example 4, the subject matter of Example 3 optionally includes wherein the conductors are disposed at least in part on a mat on the floor.
In Example 5, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 2-4 optionally include wherein the conductors are disposed at least in part on a piece of furniture.
In Example 6, the subject matter of Example 5 optionally includes wherein the furniture is a prop.
In Example 7, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 2-6 optionally include contacts disposed on apparel worn by the user, the contacts configured to electrically connect with at least some of the conductors as the user moves about.
In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 7 optionally includes wherein the contacts are metal dots configured to provide at least two points of contact with the conductors so as to receive electric current from the conductors for a variety of different orientations of the contacts with respect to the conductors
In Example 9, the subject matter of Example 8 optionally includes a detachable cable to connect the contacts with the VR host.
In Example 10, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 8-9 optionally include a rectifier to convert alternating current to direct current.
In Example 11, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 8-10 optionally include wherein the contacts and conductors are configured according to the OPEN DOTS technology.
In Example 12, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 8-11 optionally include a detachable cable to connect the contacts with the VR host.
In Example 13, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 2-12 optionally include a plurality of wireless power receiver coils or antennae disposed on apparel worn by the user, the wireless power receiver coils or antennae configured to receive power inductively or by radio frequency signals from at least some of the conductors connected to the wireless power transmitter as the user moves about and to provide that to the VR host, and wherein the conductors connected to the wireless power transmitter are coils.
In Example 14, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 11-13 optionally include wherein the plurality of wireless power receiver coils or antennae are connected to rectifiers to convert alternating current to direct current.
In Example 15, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 11-14 optionally include wherein the plurality of wireless power receiver coils or antennae are connected to the VR host by a detachable cable.
Example 16 is a method for wirelessly charging a battery of a virtual reality (VR) host of a user wearing a VR head mounted apparatus in communication with the VR host, the wireless charging of the battery of the VR host performed using an external wireless power transmitter, comprising: connecting the VR host to a plurality of wireless receivers of power disposed in or on apparel of the user; providing a plurality of conductors or coils in an environment of the user, the conductors or coils connected to the external wireless power transmitter and arranged in a pattern to transmit electric power to the plurality of wireless receivers depending on the motion and location of the user; and charging a battery of the VR host using the power received by the wireless receivers.
In Example 17, the subject matter of Example 16 optionally includes wherein the providing a plurality of conductors or coils comprises arranging the conductors or coils in a distribution on a surface that the user is proximal to or in contact with, the distribution of conductors or coils connected to the external wireless power transmitter.
In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 optionally includes disposing the conductors or coils at least in part on the floor.
In Example 19, the subject matter of Example 18 optionally includes disposing the conductors at least in part on a mat on the floor.
In Example 20, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-19 optionally include disposing the conductors at least in part on a piece of furniture or object in a room that is proximal or in contact with the user.
In Example 21, the subject matter of Example 20 optionally includes wherein the furniture is a prop.
In Example 22, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-21 optionally include wherein the receivers are contacts disposed on the apparel worn by the user, the contacts configured to electrically connect with at least some of the conductors as the user moves about.
In Example 23, the subject matter of Example 22 optionally includes wherein the contacts are metal dots configured to provide at least two points of contact with the conductors so as to receive electric current from the conductors for a variety of different orientations of the contacts with respect to the conductors.
In Example 24, the subject matter of Example 23 optionally includes wherein the contacts and conductors are configured according to the OPEN DOTS technology.
In Example 25, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-24 optionally include disposing a plurality of wireless power receiver coils or antennae on the apparel worn by the user, the coils or antennae configured to receive power inductively or by radio frequency signals from at least some of the conductors as the user moves about and to provide that power to the VR host.
In Example 26, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-25 optionally include wherein the apparel includes one or two shoes.
In Example 27, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-26 optionally include wherein the apparel includes one or two socks.
In Example 28, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-27 optionally include wherein the apparel includes a jacket or a backpack.
In Example 29, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-28 optionally include wherein the apparel includes one or two gloves.
In Example 30, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 17-29 optionally include wherein the apparel includes pants or skirts.
Example 31 is at least one machine-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations of any of the methods of Examples 16-30.
Example 32 is an apparatus comprising means for performing any of the methods of Examples 16-30.
Example 33 is an apparatus for wirelessly charging a battery of a virtual reality (VR) host of a user wearing a VR head mounted apparatus in communication with the VR host, the wireless charging of the battery of the VR host received from an external wireless power transmitter, comprising: means for connecting the VR host to a plurality of wireless receivers of power disposed in or on apparel of the user, means for providing a plurality of conductors in an environment of the user, the conductors connected to the external wireless power transmitter and arranged in a pattern to transmit electric power to the plurality of wireless receivers depending on the motion and location of the user; and means for charging a battery of the VR host using the power received by the wireless receivers.
In Example 34, the subject matter of Example 33 optionally includes wherein the means for providing a plurality of conductors comprises means for arranging the conductors in a distribution on a surface that the user is proximal to or in contact with, the distribution of conductors or coils connected to the external wireless power transmitter.
In Example 35, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 33-34 optionally include wherein the means for providing a plurality of conductors are disposed at least in part on the floor.
In Example 36, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 34-35 optionally include wherein the means for providing a plurality of conductors are disposed at least in part on a mat on the floor.
In Example 37, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 34-36 optionally include wherein the conductors are disposed at least in part on a piece of furniture.
In Example 38, the subject matter of Example 37 optionally includes wherein the furniture is a prop.
In Example 39, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 34-38 optionally include contact means disposed on apparel worn by the user, the contact means configured to electrically connect with at least some of the conductor means as the user moves about.
In Example 40, the subject matter of Example 39 optionally includes wherein the contact means are metal dots configured to provide at least two points of contact with the conductor means so as to receive electric current from the conductor means for a variety of different orientations of the contact means with respect to the conductor means.
In Example 41, the subject matter of Example 40 optionally includes a detachable cable to connect the contact means to the VR host.
In Example 42, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 40-41 optionally include a rectifier to convert alternating current to direct current.
In Example 43, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 40-42 optionally include wherein the contact means and conductor means are configured according to the OPEN DOTS technology.
In Example 44, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 40-43 optionally include a detachable cable to connect the contact means with the VR host.
In Example 45, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 35-44 optionally include a plurality of wireless power receiver coils or antennae disposed on apparel worn by the user, the wireless power receiver coils or antennae configured to receive power inductively or by radio frequency signals from at least some of the conductor means as the user moves about and to provide that to the VR host.
In Example 46, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 43-45 optionally include wherein the plurality of wireless power receiver coils or antennae are connected to rectifiers to convert alternating current to direct current.
In Example 47, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 43-46 optionally include wherein the plurality of wireless power receiver coils or antennae are connected to the VR host by a detachable cable.
The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments that may be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” Such examples may include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the present inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.
All publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s) should be considered supplementary to that of this document, for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.
The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description. The scope of the embodiments should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US16/62185 | 11/16/2016 | WO | 00 |