EP-4742005-A1 - METHOD FOR SUPPORTING OBJECT SELECTION IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE SUPPORTING SAME

EP4742005A1EP 4742005 A1EP4742005 A1EP 4742005A1EP-4742005-A1

Abstract

An embodiment disclosed herein provides a method for supporting object selection in a virtual environment, and an electronic device supporting same. An electronic device according to one embodiment may comprise a display, memory, and a processor. The electronic device may operate to recognize an input device in a virtual environment. The electronic device according to one embodiment may operate to determine a virtual space for determining target virtual objects on the basis of attributes of the input device. The electronic device according to one embodiment may operate to determine the target virtual objects on the basis of the virtual space. The electronic device according to one embodiment may operate to generate affordances corresponding to the respective target virtual objects. The electronic device according to one embodiment may operate to display the affordances according to a designated arrangement mode.

Inventors

AHN, SOHMIN
KANG, DONGHEE
YI, Taeha
LEE, Hyeonggeon

Assignees

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20240809

Claims (15)

An electronic device, comprising: a display; at least one processor including processing circuitry; and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: recognize an input device in a virtual environment; determine a virtual space for determining target virtual objects based on an attribute of the input device; determine the target virtual objects based on the virtual space; generate affordances corresponding to the respective target virtual objects; and display the affordances according to a designated arrangement mode.
The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: display, through the display, an execution screen for the virtual environment including a plurality of virtual objects; recognize the input device while displaying the execution screen; and recognize an indicator (900) corresponding to the input device based on recognizing the input device, and wherein the input device includes a device supporting a user input for manipulating a virtual object in the virtual environment.
The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the affordance includes a designated object supporting to enable a direct selection for the target virtual object among the plurality of virtual objects.
The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: determine the attribute of the input device; and calculate a virtual space corresponding to the attribute of the input device based on the indicator.
The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the virtual space includes a virtual sphere formed with a resolution value based on the attribute of the input device as a diameter centered on the indicator, and wherein the resolution value includes a first resolution value predefined for the input device and a second resolution value related to user noise generated by a user using the input device.
The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to calculate the resolution value based on the first resolution value and the second resolution value.
The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: map a center of gravity of the virtual space based on the indicator; and form the virtual space having the diameter based on the center of gravity.
The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to determine a size and/or an interval of the affordance based on the resolution value.
The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: determine, based on the virtual space, the target virtual object included in the virtual space among the plurality of virtual objects of the execution screen; determine whether the target virtual object included in the virtual space satisfies a designated condition; and enter a guide generation mode for providing the affordance when the target virtual object satisfies the designated condition.
The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the designated condition includes a condition in which the target virtual object is a plurality of target virtual objects of at least two target virtual objects, and a distance between centers of gravity of each of the plurality of target virtual objects is equal to or less than a designated proximity distance.
The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: determine whether a plurality of target virtual objects are included in the virtual space; determine, when the plurality of target virtual objects are included, a center of gravity respectively corresponding to the plurality of target virtual objects; determine distances between the centers of gravity of each of the plurality of target virtual objects; compare the distances between the centers of gravity with a designated proximity distance; and enter the guide generation mode when at least one distance among the distances between the centers of gravity is equal to or less than the designated proximity distance.
The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the designated arrangement mode includes a first mode of providing affordances by arranging the affordances in a space contacting a surface of the virtual space and the target virtual object, and a second mode of providing affordances by arranging the affordances as a list corresponding to the respective target virtual objects outside the virtual space.
The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: provide an object-based affordance based on a space in which the target virtual object contacts the surface of the virtual space when the target virtual object spans the virtual space; provide an object-based affordance based on a space on an extension line from the target virtual object toward the surface of the virtual space when the target virtual object is inside the virtual space; and provide a list-based affordance in an outer peripheral space of the virtual space when an interval between the target virtual objects is smaller than a radius of the virtual space.
A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising: recognizing an input device in a virtual environment; determining a virtual space for determining target virtual objects based on an attribute of the input device; determining the target virtual objects based on the virtual space; generating affordances corresponding to the respective target virtual objects; and displaying the affordances according to a designated arrangement mode.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions causing a processor of an electronic device to perform operations when executed by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform: recognizing an input device (720) in a virtual environment (400, 700); determining a virtual space (740) for determining target virtual objects (750) based on an attribute of the input device (720); determining the target virtual objects (750) based on the virtual space (740); generating affordances (760) corresponding to the respective target virtual objects (750); and displaying the affordances (760) according to a designated arrangement mode.

Description

[Technical Field] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method capable of supporting object selection in a virtual environment, and an electronic device supporting the same. [Background Art] Recently, research and development on an extended reality (XR) technology such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and/or mixed reality (MR) are being conducted. Recently, VR, AR, and/or MR technologies are being variously utilized in various fields (e.g., an entertainment field, an infotainment field, a smart home field, and/or a smart factory field), and a hardware part and/or a software part of an electronic device for the utilization are continuously being researched and developed. For example, a wearable electronic device may, alone (e.g., a standalone scheme) or by interworking between at least two devices with each other (e.g., a tethered scheme), provide, through an application related to an AR service, one image through a display of the wearable electronic device by overlapping (or by overlaying) various digital contents (e.g., a virtual image) on a real world. For example, recently, an AR environment such as a tethered AR scheme of connecting an electronic device (e.g., a smart phone) and a wearable electronic device and providing virtual contents generated by the electronic device through a display of the wearable electronic device, and a standalone AR scheme of, without connection with an electronic device, generating virtual contents by the wearable electronic device alone and providing the virtual contents through a display, is being implemented. As described above, due to a technological development of a recent AR service, users using an AR service are increasing, and user needs (needs) according to the increase are also increasing. For example, for a user using an AR service, a demand to more accurately, intuitively, and conveniently select and display contents of an AR environment is increasing. The information described above may be provided as the related art for the purpose of enhancing the understanding of the present disclosure. No assertion or determination is made with respect to the applicability of any of the above-mentioned as the prior art related to the present disclosure. [Disclosure of Invention] [Technical Problem] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for supporting object selection in a virtual environment and an electronic device supporting the same are provided. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for providing, based on an input device recognized in the virtual environment, an affordance (or a guide handle) by which an object in the virtual environment may be easily selected, and an electronic device supporting the same are provided. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for determining a display position of an affordance supporting object selection in the virtual environment and a type of the affordance, and the electronic device supporting the same are provided. Technical problems to be solved by this document are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems, which are not described above, may be clearly understood from the following descriptions by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. [Solution to Problem] An electronic device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may include a display, at least one processor including processing circuitry, and a memory storing instructions (or commands). In an embodiment, the memory may store instructions causing the electronic device to perform operations, when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively. The instructions according to an embodiment, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to recognize an input device in a virtual environment. The instructions according to an embodiment, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to determine a virtual space for determining target virtual objects based on an attribute of the input device. The instructions according to an embodiment, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to determine the target virtual objects based on the virtual space. The instructions according to an embodiment, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to generate affordances corresponding to the respective target virtual objects. The instructions according to an embodiment, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the electronic device to display the affordances according to a designated arrangement mode. An operation method of the electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an operation of recognizing an input device in a virtual environment. The operation method may include an operation of determining a virtual space for det