Patent Description:
Any embodiments which do not fall within the scope of the appended set of claims are to be interpreted as example embodiments of background information, useful for understanding the invention.

Various examples will be described below referring to the following figures:.

Virtual reality (VR) systems allow a user to interact with an environment that is generally unavailable to the user in the physical world. One goal of VR systems is to provide the user with an experience that is a close analog to the user's experience and interaction with the physical world. To achieve a convincing experience, the VR system generally visually isolates the user from the physical environment by blocking the user's vision with respect to the physical environment. Some systems may further enhance experience of the virtual world by isolating the user's hearing to the virtual world. Thus, the user's experience in VR may be limited to only the video and audio signals generated by the VR system. While such visual and auditory isolation may enhance the user's experience in the virtual world, the user remains subject to forces present in the physical world.

Because the user of a VR system is sensorially isolated from the physical environment, the user may be vulnerable, or feel vulnerable, to conditions present in the physical environment. For example, objects that move in the physical environment proximate the VR system user will generally be invisible to the user and a collision between the object and the user may occur. Such objects may include other users of the VR system, human beings or animals generally, and other objects subject to change of proximity to the user caused by movement of the user or movement of the object.

The VR system disclosed herein monitors the physical environment in which a VR system user operates to identify objects with which the user may collide. The VR system includes a plurality of monitoring stations that capture video images of the physical environment. The monitoring stations may be disposed at the periphery of the VR system operational environment to capture images of the environment from different angles. The images captured by the monitoring stations may be provided to an image processing device, such as a computer, that identifies objects in the captured images that present potential collision hazards for the VR system user. On identification of an object that presents a potential collision hazard, the image processing device may transmit information to the VR headset of the user that informs the user of the presence of the identified object. For example, on receipt of the information from the image processing system, the VR headset may display a representation of the object at location relative the user that approximates the location of the object relative the user in the physical environment. Accordingly, the VR system disclosed herein may apprise the user of the VR system of the presence of an object in the physical environment and allow the user to avoid a collision with object.

<FIG> shows a VR system <NUM> with object detection in accordance with various examples, and describes some of the features of the independent claims. The VR system <NUM> includes a monitoring stations <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> (collectively referred to as monitoring stations <NUM>), a VR headset <NUM>, and an image processing device <NUM>. While two monitoring stations <NUM> are shown in the VR system <NUM>, some examples of the VR system <NUM> may include more or less than two monitoring stations <NUM>. Similarly, although <FIG> depicts the image processing device <NUM> as separate from the VR headset <NUM> and the monitoring stations <NUM>, in some implementations of the VR system <NUM> the image processing device <NUM> may a component of or integrated with the VR headset <NUM> or one of the monitoring stations <NUM>.

Each of the monitoring stations <NUM> includes a distinct image sensor. For example, monitoring station <NUM>-<NUM> may include an imaging sensor <NUM>-<NUM>. Monitoring station <NUM>-<NUM> may include an imaging sensor <NUM>-<NUM>. Imaging sensors <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> may be collectively referred to as imaging sensor <NUM>. The image sensor <NUM> may be an infra-red (IR) depth sensing camera, a camera that captures luma and/or chroma information, or other image sensor suitable for capturing images of objects in a VR operating environment. In <FIG>, monitoring stations <NUM> are disposed to capture images of the VR operating environment <NUM>.

The VR operating environment <NUM> is the physical area in which a user of the VR system <NUM>, i.e., a user of the VR headset <NUM>, interacts with the virtual world presented to the user via the VR headset <NUM>. For example, the VR headset <NUM> includes video display technology that displays images of the virtual world to the user of the VR headset <NUM>. The monitoring stations <NUM> may be disposed at different locations in the VR operating environment <NUM> to capture images of the VR operating environment <NUM> from different angles.

The image processing device <NUM> is communicatively coupled to the monitoring stations <NUM>. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the monitoring stations <NUM> via a wired or wireless communication link, such as a IEEE <NUM> wireless network, an IEEE <NUM> wired network, or any other wired or wireless communication technology that allows the images of the VR operating environment <NUM> captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> to be transferred from the monitoring stations <NUM> to the image processing device <NUM>. The spatial relationship of the monitoring stations <NUM> may be known to the image processing device <NUM>. For example, the relative angle(s) of the optical center lines of the image sensors <NUM> of the monitoring stations <NUM> may be known to the image processing device <NUM>. That is, the monitoring stations <NUM> may be disposed to view the VR operating environment <NUM> at a predetermined relative angle, or the angle at which the monitoring stations <NUM> are disposed relative to one another may be communicated to the image processing device <NUM>.

The image processing device <NUM> processes the images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> to identify objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The image processing device <NUM> may apply motion detection to detect objects in the VR operating environment <NUM> that may collide with the user of the VR headset <NUM>. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may compare the time sequential images (e.g., video frames) of the VR operating environment <NUM> received from each monitoring station <NUM> to identify image to image changes that indicate movement of an object. In <FIG>, a person <NUM> is moving in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The person <NUM> is representative of any object that may be moving in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The monitoring stations <NUM> capture images of the VR operating environment <NUM>, and transmit the images to the image processing device <NUM>. For each monitoring station <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> compares the images received from the monitoring station <NUM> and identifies differences in the images as motion of an object. For example, movement of the person <NUM> will cause differences in the images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM>, and the image processing device <NUM> will identify the image to image difference as movement of the person <NUM>.

When the image processing device <NUM> detects an object in the VR operating environment, the image processing device <NUM> communicates to the VR headset <NUM> information regarding the detected object. The image processing device <NUM> is communicatively connected to the VR headset <NUM>. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the VR headset <NUM> via a wired or wireless communication link, such as a IEEE <NUM> wireless network, an IEEE <NUM> wired network, or any other wired or wireless communication technology that allows information to be transferred from the image processing device <NUM> to the VR headset <NUM>.

The image processing device <NUM> may determine the location (in three-dimensional space) of an object detected as moving (and pixels representing points of the object) in the images captured by each of the monitoring stations <NUM> at a given time. Using the relative locations of the monitoring stations <NUM> known by the image processing device <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> can determine the location of the detected object (e.g., determine the location of a point of the object identified in images captured by different monitoring stations <NUM>) by applying triangulation. That is, the image processing device <NUM> may determine the location of a detected object in three-dimensional space by triangulating a common point found in multiple two-dimensional images captured by different monitoring stations <NUM> (e.g., monitoring station <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>). The image processing device <NUM> may transmit location information for a detected object to the VR headset <NUM>.

The image processing device <NUM> may also determine the identity of an object detected in the VR operating environment <NUM>. For example, on detection of an object in the VR operating environment <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> may apply a Viola-Jones object detection framework to identify the object based on the features of the object captured in an image. The image processing device <NUM> may transmit identity information (e.g., person, animal, etc.) for a detected object to the VR headset <NUM>.

The VR headset <NUM> displays the information provided by the image processing device <NUM> for communication to a user. If the image processing device <NUM> renders the video displayed by the VR headset <NUM>, then the image processing device <NUM> may include the information identifying a detected object in the video frames transmitted to the VR headset <NUM>. If the VR headset <NUM> itself produces the video data displayed by the VR headset <NUM>, then the VR headset <NUM> may receive the information about the detected object from the image processing device <NUM> and integrate the information in the video generated by the VR headset <NUM>. Having been made aware of the presence of detected object, and optionally the objects location and/or identity, by the information presented via the VR headset <NUM>, the user will not be surprised by the presence of the detected object in the VR operating environment and can avoid collision with the detected object.

<FIG> shows additional detail of the VR system <NUM> in accordance with various examples, and describes some of the features of the claims. The VR system <NUM> may also include one or more controllers <NUM>. The controller <NUM> is an input device that the user of the VR headset <NUM> manipulates to interact with the virtual world. The controller <NUM> may be, for example, a handheld device that the user operates to digitally interact with virtual objects in the virtual world. According to the claimed invention, to identify objects in the VR operating environment <NUM> that may interfere with the user of the VR headset <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> identifies an area about the VR headset <NUM> and the controller <NUM> as corresponding to the user. The image processing device <NUM> defines an area <NUM> extending from above the VR headset <NUM> to the floor and to a maximum or predetermined extension of the controller <NUM> about a central axis corresponding to the user as representing the area occupied by the user of the VR system. The image processing device <NUM> disregards motion detected within the area <NUM> when detecting objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>. Thus, the image processing device <NUM> detects motion outside the area <NUM> as corresponding to an object that may be of interest to the user of the VR system <NUM> while ignoring motion inside the area <NUM> with respect to object detection.

Some implementations of the image processing device <NUM> may dynamically map the body and limbs of a user of the VR headset <NUM> to define an area within which motion is disregarded. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may determine the location of the controller(s) <NUM> knowing that the distal end of the user's arm is attached to a controller <NUM>. The VR headset <NUM> identifies the location of the user's body and the user's legs are connected to the body. Using this information, the image processing device <NUM> may determine a dynamic amorphous boundary that defines an area within which motion is disregarded.

<FIG> shows a block diagram of a monitoring station <NUM> for object detection in a VR system in accordance with various examples. The monitoring station <NUM> includes an image sensor <NUM> and a transmitter <NUM>. The image sensor <NUM> may be a red-green-blue light sensor of any resolution suitable for detection of movement in the VR operating environment <NUM>. In some implementations of the monitoring station <NUM>, the image sensor <NUM> may be an IR depth sensor that includes an IR projector and an IR camera. In the IR depth sensor, the IR projector may project a pattern of IR points and the IR camera may capture images of the points reflected from objects in the VR operating environment that can processed to determine distance.

The image sensor <NUM> is communicatively coupled to the transmitter <NUM>. Images captured by image sensor <NUM> are transferred to the transmitter <NUM>, which transmits the images to the image processing device <NUM>. The transmitter <NUM> may include circuitry to transmit the images via wired or wireless media. The monitoring station <NUM> may include additional components that have been omitted from <FIG> in the interest of clarity. For example, the monitoring station <NUM> may include a processor coupled to the image sensor <NUM> and the transmitter <NUM>, where the processor provides control and image transfer functionality in the monitoring station <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a block diagram of a monitoring station <NUM> for object detection in a VR system in accordance with various examples. The monitoring station <NUM> of <FIG> is similar to that shown in <FIG> and further includes headset and controller transducers <NUM>. The headset and controller transducers <NUM> may generate optical timing signals that allow the location and orientation of the VR headset <NUM> and each VR controller <NUM> to be determined with sufficient specificity to facilitate accurate determination of the position of the VR headset <NUM> and the VR controller <NUM> in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The headset and controller transducers <NUM> may include IR emitters that generate timed signals (e.g., a reference pulse and swept plane) for reception by sensors on the VR headset <NUM> and the VR controller <NUM>. The location and orientation of the VR headset <NUM> and controller <NUM> can be determined based on which sensors of the VR headset <NUM> and controller <NUM> detect signals generated by the transducers <NUM> and relative timing of pulse and sweep detection.

<FIG> shows a block diagram of an image processing device <NUM> for object detection in a VR system in accordance with various examples. The image processing device <NUM> includes a transceiver <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, and storage <NUM>. The image processing device <NUM> may also include various components and systems that have been omitted from <FIG> in the interest of clarity. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may include display systems, user interfaces, etc. The image processing device <NUM> may be implemented in a computer as known in the art. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may be implemented using a desktop computer, a notebook computer, rack-mounted computer, a tablet computer or any other computing device suitable for performing the image processing operations described herein for detection of objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>.

The transceiver <NUM> communicatively couples the image processing device <NUM> to the monitoring stations <NUM> and the VR headset <NUM>. For example, the transceiver <NUM> may include a network adapter that connects the image processing device <NUM> to a wireless or wired network that provides communication between the monitoring stations <NUM> and the image processing device <NUM>. Such a network may be based on any of a variety of networking standards (e.g., IEEE <NUM>) or be proprietary to communication between devices of the VR system <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> is coupled to the transceiver <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may include a general-purpose microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, a graphics processor, or other device capable of executing instructions retrieved from a computer-readable storage medium. Processor architectures generally include execution units (e.g., fixed point, floating point, integer, etc.), storage (e.g., registers, memory, etc.), instruction decoding, instruction and data fetching logic, peripherals (e.g., interrupt controllers, timers, direct memory access controllers, etc.), input/output systems (e.g., serial ports, parallel ports, etc.) and various other components and sub-systems.

The storage <NUM> is a computer-readable medium that stores instructions and data for access and use by the processor <NUM>. The storage <NUM> may include any of volatile storage such as random access memory, non-volatile storage (e.g., a hard drive, an optical storage device (e.g., CD or DVD), FLASH storage, read-only-memory), or combinations thereof. The storage <NUM> includes object detection <NUM>, object identification <NUM>, object location <NUM>, object prioritization <NUM>, and images <NUM>. The images <NUM> include images of the VR operating environment <NUM> captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> and transferred to the image processing device <NUM> via the transceiver <NUM>. The object detection <NUM>, object identification <NUM>, object location <NUM>, and object prioritization <NUM> include instructions that are executed by the processor <NUM> to process the images <NUM>.

The objection detection <NUM> includes instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> to detect objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The objection detection <NUM> may include motion detection <NUM>. The motion detection <NUM> includes instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> to detect motion in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The motion detection <NUM> may detect motion by identifying image to image changes in images <NUM>, by identifying a difference between a reference image and a given one of the images <NUM>, or by other motion detection processing. The object detection <NUM> ignores motion detected within the area <NUM> corresponding to a user of the VR headset <NUM>. The object detection <NUM> may identify points associated with a detected object using edge detection. The presence of a detected object may be communicated to the VR headset <NUM> by the image processing device <NUM>.

The object location <NUM> includes instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> to determine the three dimensional location of an object detected by the objection detection <NUM>. For example, if the object detection <NUM> identifies an object in images <NUM> captured by different monitoring stations <NUM>, then the object location <NUM> can determine the location of the object in the three dimensional VR operating environment <NUM> by triangulation based on the known locations of the monitoring stations <NUM> and the known angles between the optical centerlines of the image sensors <NUM> of the different monitoring stations <NUM>. The location of the object may be communicated to the VR headset <NUM> by the image processing device <NUM>.

The object identification <NUM> includes instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> to determine the identity of an object detected by the objection detection <NUM>. For example, the object identification <NUM> may include a Viola-Jones Framework trained to identify a variety of objects that may be present in the VR operating environment <NUM>, such as people and pets. The pixels corresponding to the detected object may be processed by the Viola-Jones Framework to identify the object. The identity of the object may be communicated to the VR headset <NUM> by the image processing device <NUM>.

The object prioritization <NUM> includes instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> to prioritize the object-related information provided to the VR headset <NUM> by the image processing device <NUM>. Prioritization may be based on object size, distance between the object and the VR headset <NUM>, object elevation, and/or other factors indicative of collision between the detected object and a user of the VR headset <NUM>. The object prioritization <NUM> prioritizes a plurality of detected objects according to a risk of collision between the object and the user of the VR headset <NUM> and communicate information concerning the objects to the VR headset <NUM> in order of highest determined collision risk.

The storage <NUM> may include additional logic that has been omitted from <FIG> in the interest of clarity. For example, the storage <NUM> may include VR headset communication that includes instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> to transfer information concerning a detected object (e.g., object presence, location, and/or identity) to the VR headset <NUM>. In some implementations, the image processing device <NUM> may produce the video frames displayed by the VR headset <NUM>. In such implementations, the image processing device <NUM> may include video rendering instructions that are executable by the processor <NUM> to generate the video frames displayed by the VR headset <NUM>, and may include in the video frames information concerning a detected object.

<FIG> show display of object detection information in the VR headset <NUM> in accordance with various examples. The displays of <FIG> may be stereoscopic in practice, but are shown as monoscopic in <FIG> to promote clarity. In <FIG>, the VR headset <NUM> displays an object detection warning as a text field <NUM>. The text field <NUM> may specify the location and identity of the object in addition to the presence of the object.

In <FIG>, the VR headset <NUM> displays an object detection warning as an outline <NUM> or silhouette of a detected object. The outline <NUM> of the object may correspond to the identity of the object determined by the object identification <NUM>, and the location of the object in the display of the VR headset <NUM> may correspond to the location of the object determined by the object location <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the VR headset <NUM> displays a warning symbol <NUM> indicating that an object has been detected and is to the left of the viewing field of the VR headset <NUM>. Some implementations may combine the object information displays of <FIG>. For example, an object outside of the viewing area of the VR headset <NUM> may be indicated as per <FIG>, and as the VR headset <NUM> is turned towards the object an outline <NUM> or silhouette of the object may be displayed as per <FIG>. Similarly, text display <NUM> may be combined with either the warning symbol <NUM> or the object outline <NUM> to provide additional information to the user of the VR headset <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a flow diagram for a method <NUM> for object detection in a VR system in accordance with various examples, and describes some of the features of the independent claims. Though depicted sequentially as a matter of convenience, at least some of the actions shown can be performed in a different order and/or performed in parallel. Additionally, some implementations may perform only some of the actions shown. In some implementations, at least some of the operations of the method <NUM> can be implemented as instructions stored in a storage device and executed by one or more processors.

In block <NUM>, the monitoring stations <NUM> capture images of the VR operating environment <NUM>. The monitoring stations <NUM> are disposed at different locations along the perimeter of the VR operating environment <NUM>. The locations of the monitoring stations <NUM> and the angles of intersection of the optical centerlines of the image sensors <NUM> of the monitoring stations <NUM> may be known to the image processing device <NUM>. The images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> may include color information (chroma) and brightness information (luma), or may include only luma. The monitoring stations may capture images as a video stream. For example, the monitoring station <NUM> may capture images at a rate of <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, etc. images per second. The monitoring stations <NUM> transfer the captured images to the image processing device <NUM> for use in object detection.

In block <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> processes the images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> to detect objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The processing may include application of motion detection to identify an object in the VR operating environment <NUM>. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may detect motion by comparing two images and identifying differences between the two images. The two images may be images captured by the same monitoring station <NUM> (e.g., monitoring station <NUM>-<NUM>) at different times. One of the images may be a reference image. Further, as explained with regard to <FIG>, the image processing device <NUM> may identify the VR headset <NUM> and/or a VR controller <NUM> in the images and ignore differences in the images (i.e., ignore motion) in a predetermined area <NUM> about the VR headset <NUM> and/or a VR controller <NUM> as attributable to movement of a user of the VR headset <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> has detected an object in the VR operating environment <NUM> and transmits information concerning the detected object to the VR headset <NUM>. The information may include a notification of the objects presence in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The information may be embedded in a video stream provided by the image processing device <NUM> for display by the VR headset <NUM>, or provided separately from any video information transferred to the VR headset <NUM>. The information may be transferred via a wired or wireless communication channel provided between the image processing device <NUM> and the VR headset <NUM>. The communication channel may include a wired or wireless network in accordance with various networking standards.

In block <NUM>, the VR headset <NUM> displays the information received from the image processing device <NUM> concerning the detected object. The information may be displayed in conjunction with a VR scene displayed by the VR headset <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a flow diagram for a method <NUM> for object detection in a VR system in accordance with various examples. Though depicted sequentially as a matter of convenience, at least some of the actions shown can be performed in a different order and/or performed in parallel. Additionally, some implementations may perform only some of the actions shown. In some implementations, at least some of the operations of the method <NUM> can be implemented as instructions stored in a storage device and executed by one or more processors.

In block <NUM>, the monitoring stations <NUM> capture images of the VR operating environment <NUM>. The monitoring stations <NUM> are disposed at different locations at the perimeter of the VR operating environment <NUM>. The locations of the monitoring stations <NUM> and the angles of intersection of the optical centerlines of the image sensors <NUM> of the monitoring stations <NUM> may be known to the image processing device <NUM>. The images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> may include color information (chroma) and brightness information (luma), or may include only luma. The monitoring stations may capture images as a video stream. For example, the monitoring station <NUM> may capture images at a rate of <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, etc. images per second. The monitoring stations <NUM> transfer the captured images to the image processing device <NUM> for use in object detection.

In block <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> processes the images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> to detect objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The processing may include application of motion detection to identify an object in the VR operating environment <NUM>. For example, the image processing device <NUM> may detect motion by comparing two images and identifying differences between the two images. The two images may be images captured by the same monitoring station <NUM> at different times. One of the images may be a reference image. The image processing device106 may identify the VR headset <NUM> and/or a VR controller <NUM> in the images and ignore differences in the images (i.e., ignore motion) in a predetermined area <NUM> about the VR headset <NUM> and/or a VR controller <NUM> as attributable to movement of a user of the VR headset <NUM>.

In block <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> processes the images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> to determine the location of any detect objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The location determination processing may include identifying the detected object in time coincident images captured by different monitoring stations <NUM>, and applying triangulation to points of the detected object locate the object in three dimensions.

In block <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> processes the images captured by the monitoring stations <NUM> to determine the identity of any objects detected in the VR operating environment <NUM>. The identify determination processing may include extracting and/or isolating an image of a detected object from an image captured by a monitoring station <NUM>, and providing the image of the detected object to a Viola-Jones Framework. The Viola-Jones Framework may extract features from the image and apply one or more classifiers to identify the object. Various other object identification algorithms may be used in some implementations of the identity determination processing.

In block <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> prioritizes detected objects for presentation to the VR headset <NUM>. Prioritization may be based on object size, distance between the object and the VR headset <NUM>, object elevation, rate of movement towards the user, and/or other factors indicative of collision between the detected object and a user of the VR headset <NUM>. Prioritization processing prioritizes a plurality of detected objects according to a risk of collision between the object and the user of the VR headset <NUM> and communicates information concerning the objects to the VR headset <NUM> in order of highest determined collision risk.

In block <NUM>, the image processing device <NUM> has detected an object in the VR operating environment <NUM> and transmits information concerning the detected object to the VR headset <NUM>. The information may include one or more notifications of the objects present in the VR operating environment <NUM>, location of the detected objects in the VR operating environment <NUM>, and identity of the detected objects. The information may be embedded in a video stream provided by the image processing device <NUM> for display by the VR headset <NUM>, or provided separately from any video information transferred to the VR headset <NUM>. The information may be transferred via a wired or wireless communication channel provided between the image processing device <NUM> and the VR headset <NUM>. The communication channel may include a wired or wireless network in accordance with various networking standards.

In block <NUM>, the VR headset <NUM> displays the information received from the image processing device <NUM> concerning the detected object to allow a user of the VR headset <NUM> to become aware of the detected object, and potentially avoid a collision with the detected object. The information may be displayed in conjunction with a VR scene displayed by the VR headset <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A virtual reality, VR, system, comprising:
a VR headset (<NUM>);
a VR controller (<NUM>);
a plurality of monitoring stations (<NUM>) disposed at different locations, each of the monitoring stations (<NUM>) comprising a distinct image sensor (<NUM>, <NUM>) to capture images of the VR headset (<NUM>) and an environment in which the VR headset (<NUM>) is used;
an image processing device (<NUM>) to:
process the images captured by the monitoring stations (<NUM>) to detect a plurality of objects in the environment;
prioritize the plurality of detected objects according to a risk of collision between the object and the user of the VR headset (<NUM>);
transmit, to the VR headset (<NUM>), information comprising notification of the plurality of detected objects in order of the highest determined collision risk;
identify an area about the VR headset (<NUM>) and the VR controller (<NUM>) as corresponding to the user by defining an area extending from above the VR headset (<NUM>) to the floor and to a predetermined extension of the VR controller (<NUM>) about a central axis corresponding to the user as representing the area occupied by the user of the VR system, wherein the image processing device (<NUM>) is to disregard motion detected within the area when detecting objects in the VR operating environment; and
detect the objects by detecting movement outside of the area.