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SamsungGranted patentAR, VR & displaysInterest 6/10

Samsung patents VR headset hand tracking that uses head sensors

Samsung has been granted a patent for a method that helps virtual reality headsets identify which hand a user is moving. The system combines camera footage with data from internal head sensors to distinguish the user's hands from other objects in the room. Once identified, the device tracks the hand to recognize gestures and control the headset.

Why it mattersThis could make virtual reality interactions feel more natural by allowing users to control the system with simple hand movements rather than holding physical controllers.

In the filing’s own words

A method is provided. The method includes obtaining a video including a plurality of frames, estimating a field of view (FoV) trajectory indicating movements of a FoV of the camera, by using the frames of the video, detecting feature points of one or more objects in each of the frames of the video, estimating object trajectories indicating movements of the one or more objects, based on the feature points, determining hand candidates of a user from among the one or more objects, based on the FoV trajectory of the camera and the object trajectories, obtaining a head movement trajectory indicating movements of a head of the user, determining a hand of the user, based on the head movement trajectory and the object trajectories corresponding to the hand candidates of the user, tracking the determined hand of the user in the video, and recognizing a gesture.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method, performed by a head mounted display (HMD) device, of determining hands of a user in a video, the method comprising: obtaining a video comprising a plurality of frames, by using a camera of the HMD device; estimating a field of view (FoV) trajectory indicating movements of a FoV of the camera, by using the plurality of frames of the video; detecting feature points of one or more objects in the plurality of frames of the video; estimating object trajectories indicating movements of the one or more objects, based on the feature points of the one or more objects, the object trajectories being estimated based on movement information of a center point of the feature points; determining hand candidates of a user from among the one or more objects, based on the FoV trajectory of the camera and the object trajectories; obtaining a head movement trajectory indicating movements of a head of the user using one or more sensors included in the HMD device, the one or more sensors being different from a camera; determining a hand of the user, based on the head movement trajectory and the object trajectories corresponding to the hand candidates of the user; tracking the determined hand of the user in the video and recognizing a gesture; and executing a control command for controlling the HMD device, based on the recognized gesture.

Facts

Company
Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
Official title
Method and electronic device for determining user's hand in video
Patent number
US12731438B2
Application number
18457636
Filed
Aug 29, 2023
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Inventors
1
Claims
20

Classified under

G06V 40/28 Physics & computingG06F 3/012 Physics & computingG06F 3/017 Physics & computingG06T 7/194 Physics & computingG06T 7/246 Physics & computingG06T 2207/10016 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.