Patent ID: 8659658

Claim:
A processor-implemented method for tracking user movement in a motion capture system, comprising the processor-implemented steps of: tracking a body of a user in a field of view of the motion capture system, the tracking comprises determining a model of the body; determining reference points of the model, the reference points identify shoulders of the body and include a reference point which represents one of the shoulders; determining a size of the body based on the reference points; determining a natural biomechanical range of movement of a hand of the body based on the reference points; determining a size and position of a zone encompassing the natural biomechanical range of movement of the hand based on the reference points, the zone is a 3-D volume in the field of view and has a coordinate system which is defined relative to one of the reference points, the size of the zone is based on the size of the body, and the determining the size and position of the zone comprises determining a distance from the reference point which represents the one of the shoulders to a rear surface of the zone, wherein a gap exists between the reference point which represents the one of the shoulders and the rear surface of the zone, and determining a distance between the rear surface of the zone and a front surface of the zone; tracking movement of the hand in the zone relative to the coordinate system of the zone; and based on the tracking of the movement of the hand, translating the movement of the hand in the zone to a corresponding movement of a cursor on a display.