Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120308140 | SYSTEM FOR RECOGNIZING AN OPEN OR CLOSED HAND - A system and method are disclosed relating to a pipeline for generating a computer model of a target user, including a hand model of the user's hands, captured by an image sensor in a NUI system. The computer model represents a best estimate of the position of a user's hand or hands and whether the hand or hand is in an open or closed state. The generated hand model may be used by a gaming or other application to determine such things as user gestures and control actions. | 12-06-2012 |
20120309532 | SYSTEM FOR FINGER RECOGNITION AND TRACKING - A system and method are disclosed relating to a pipeline for generating a computer model of a target user, including a hand model of the user's hands and fingers, captured by an image sensor in a NUI system. The computer model represents a best estimate of the position and orientation of a user's hand or hands. The generated hand model may be used by a gaming or other application to determine such things as user gestures and control actions. | 12-06-2012 |
20130083063 | Service Provision Using Personal Audio/Visual System - A collaborative on-demand system allows a user of a head-mounted display device (HMDD) to obtain assistance with an activity from a qualified service provider. In a session, the user and service provider exchange camera-captured images and augmented reality images. A gaze-detection capability of the HMDD allows the user to mark areas of interest in a scene. The service provider can similarly mark areas of the scene, as well as provide camera-captured images of the service provider's hand or arm pointing to or touching an object of the scene. The service provider can also select an animation or text to be displayed on the HMDD. A server can match user requests with qualified service providers which meet parameters regarding fee, location, rating and other preferences. Or, service providers can review open requests and self-select appropriate requests, initiating contact with a user. | 04-04-2013 |
20130084970 | Sharing Games Using Personal Audio/Visual Apparatus - A game can be created, shared and played using a personal audio/visual apparatus such as a head-mounted display device (HMDD). Rules of the game, and a configuration of the game space, can be standard or custom. Boundary points of the game can be defined by a gaze direction of the HMDD, by the user's location, by a model of a physical game space such as an instrumented court or by a template. Players can be identified and notified of the availability of a game using a server push technology. For example, a user in a particular location may be notified of the availability of a game at that location. A server manages the game, including storing the rules, boundaries and a game state. The game state can identify players and their scores. Real world objects can be imaged and provided as virtual objects in the game space. | 04-04-2013 |
20130085345 | Personal Audio/Visual System Providing Allergy Awareness - A system provides a recommendation of food items to a user based on nutritional preferences of the user, using a head-mounted display device (HMDD) worn by the user. In a store, a forward-facing camera of the HMDD captures an image of a food item. The food item can be identified by the image, such as based on packaging of the food item. Nutritional parameters of the food item are compared to nutritional preferences of the user to determine whether the food item is recommended. The HMDD displays an augmented reality image to the user indicating whether the food item is recommended. If the food item is not recommended, a substitute food item can be identified. The nutritional preferences can indicate food allergies, preferences for low calorie foods and so forth. In a restaurant, the HMDD can recommend menu selections for a user. | 04-04-2013 |
20130127994 | VIDEO COMPRESSION USING VIRTUAL SKELETON - Optical sensor information captured via one or more optical sensors imaging a scene that includes a human subject is received by a computing device. The optical sensor information is processed by the computing device to model the human subject with a virtual skeleton, and to obtain surface information representing the human subject. The virtual skeleton is transmitted by the computing device to a remote computing device at a higher frame rate than the surface information. Virtual skeleton frames are used by the remote computing device to estimate surface information for frames that have not been transmitted by the computing device. | 05-23-2013 |
20130135180 | SHARED COLLABORATION USING HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY - Various embodiments are provided for a shared collaboration system and related methods for enabling an active user to interact with one or more additional users and with collaboration items. In one embodiment a head-mounted display device is operatively connected to a computing device that includes a collaboration engine program. The program receives observation information of a physical space from the head-mounted display device along with a collaboration item. The program visually augments an appearance of the physical space as seen through the head-mounted display device to include an active user collaboration item representation of the collaboration item. The program populates the active user collaboration item representation with additional user collaboration item input from an additional user. | 05-30-2013 |
20130141419 | AUGMENTED REALITY WITH REALISTIC OCCLUSION - A head-mounted display device is configured to visually augment an observed physical space to a user. The head-mounted display device includes a see-through display and is configured to receive augmented display information, such as a virtual object with occlusion relative to a real world object from a perspective of the see-through display. | 06-06-2013 |
20130141421 | AUGMENTED REALITY VIRTUAL MONITOR - A head-mounted display includes a see-through display and a virtual reality engine. The see-through display is configured to visually augment an appearance of a physical space to a user viewing the physical space through the see-through display. The virtual reality engine is configured to cause the see-through display to visually present a virtual monitor that appears to be integrated with the physical space to a user viewing the physical space through the see-through display. | 06-06-2013 |
20130141434 | VIRTUAL LIGHT IN AUGMENTED REALITY - A head-mounted display system includes a see-through display that is configured to visually augment an appearance of a physical environment to a user viewing the physical environment through the see-through display. Graphical content presented via the see-through display is created by modeling the ambient lighting conditions of the physical environment. | 06-06-2013 |
20130177296 | GENERATING METADATA FOR USER EXPERIENCES - A system and method for efficiently managing life experiences captured by one or more sensors (e.g., video or still camera, image sensors including RGB sensors and depth sensors). A “life recorder” is a recording device that continuously captures life experiences, including unanticipated life experiences, in image, video, and/or audio recordings. In some embodiments, video and/or audio recordings captured by a life recorder are automatically analyzed, tagged with a set of one or more metadata, indexed, and stored for future use. By tagging and indexing life recordings, a life recorder may search for and acquire life recordings generated by itself or another life recorder, thereby allowing life experiences to be shared minutes or even years later. | 07-11-2013 |
20130194164 | EXECUTABLE VIRTUAL OBJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH REAL OBJECTS - Embodiments for interacting with an executable virtual object associated with a real object are disclosed. In one example, a method for interacting with an executable virtual object associated with a real object includes receiving sensor input from one or more sensors attached to the portable see-through display device, and obtaining information regarding a location of the user based on the sensor input. The method also includes, if the location includes a real object comprising an associated executable virtual object, then determining an intent of the user to interact with the executable virtual object, and if the intent to interact is determined, then interacting with the executable object. | 08-01-2013 |
20130194259 | VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT GENERATING SYSTEM - A system and related methods for visually augmenting an appearance of a physical environment as seen by a user through a head-mounted display device are provided. In one embodiment, a virtual environment generating program receives eye-tracking information, lighting information, and depth information from the head-mounted display. The program generates a virtual environment that models the physical environment and is based on the lighting information and the distance of a real-world object from the head-mounted display. The program visually augments a virtual object representation in the virtual environment based on the eye-tracking information, and renders the virtual object representation on a transparent display of the head-mounted display device. | 08-01-2013 |
20130194304 | COORDINATE-SYSTEM SHARING FOR AUGMENTED REALITY - A method for presenting real and virtual images correctly positioned with respect to each other. The method includes, in a first field of view, receiving a first real image of an object and displaying a first virtual image. The method also includes, in a second field of view oriented independently relative to the first field of view, receiving a second real image of the object and displaying a second virtual image, the first and second virtual images positioned coincidently within a coordinate system. | 08-01-2013 |
20130196772 | MATCHING PHYSICAL LOCATIONS FOR SHARED VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE - Embodiments for matching participants in a virtual multiplayer entertainment experience are provided. For example, one embodiment provides a method including receiving from each user of a plurality of users a request to join the virtual multiplayer entertainment experience, receiving from each user of the plurality of users information regarding characteristics of a physical space in which each user is located, and matching two or more users of the plurality of users for participation in the virtual multiplayer entertainment experience based on the characteristics of the physical space of each of the two or more users. | 08-01-2013 |
20130335435 | COLOR VISION DEFICIT CORRECTION - Embodiments related to improving a color-resolving ability of a user of a see-thru display device are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes, on a see-thru display device, constructing and displaying virtual imagery to superpose onto real imagery sighted by the user through the see-thru display device. The virtual imagery is configured to accentuate a locus of the real imagery of a color poorly distinguishable by the user. Such virtual imagery is then displayed by superposing it onto the real imagery, in registry with the real imagery, in a field of view of the user. | 12-19-2013 |
20130342568 | LOW LIGHT SCENE AUGMENTATION - Embodiments related to providing low light scene augmentation are disclosed. One embodiment provides, on a computing device comprising a see-through display device, a method including recognizing, from image data received from an image sensor, a background scene of an environment viewable through the see-through display device, the environment comprising a physical object. The method further includes identifying one or more geometrical features of the physical object and displaying, on the see through display device, an image augmenting the one or more geometrical features. | 12-26-2013 |
20140043433 | AUGMENTED REALITY DISPLAY OF SCENE BEHIND SURFACE - Embodiments are disclosed that relate to augmenting an appearance of a surface via a see-through display device. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides, on a computing device comprising a see-through display device, a method of augmenting an appearance of a surface. The method includes acquiring, via an outward-facing image sensor, image data of a first scene viewable through the display. The method further includes recognizing a surface viewable through the display based on the image data and, in response to recognizing the surface, acquiring a representation of a second scene comprising one or more of a scene located physically behind the surface viewable through the display and a scene located behind a surface contextually related to the surface viewable through the display. The method further includes displaying the representation via the see-through display. | 02-13-2014 |
20140044305 | OBJECT TRACKING - Embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to the automatic tracking of objects. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of operating a mobile computing device having an image sensor. The method includes acquiring image data, identifying an inanimate moveable object in the image data, determining whether the inanimate moveable object is a tracked object, ate moveable object is a tracked object, then storing information regarding a state of the inanimate moveable object, detecting a trigger to provide a notification of the state of the inanimate moveable object, and providing an output of the notification of the state of the inanimate moveable object. | 02-13-2014 |
20140049558 | AUGMENTED REALITY OVERLAY FOR CONTROL DEVICES - Embodiments for providing instructional information for control devices are disclosed. In one example, a method on a see-through display device comprising a see-through display and an outward-facing image sensor includes acquiring an image of a scene viewable through the see-through display and detecting a control device in the scene. The method also includes retrieving information pertaining to a function of an interactive element of the control device and displaying an image on the see-through display augmenting an appearance of the interactive element of the control device with image data related to the function of the interactive element. | 02-20-2014 |
20140125574 | USER AUTHENTICATION ON DISPLAY DEVICE - Embodiments are disclosed that relate to authenticating a user of a display device. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes displaying one or more virtual images on the display device, wherein the one or more virtual images include a set of augmented reality features. The method further includes identifying one or more movements of the user via data received from a sensor of the display device, and comparing the identified movements of the user to a predefined set of authentication information for the user that links user authentication to a predefined order of the augmented reality features. If the identified movements indicate that the user selected the augmented reality features in the predefined order, then the user is authenticated, and if the identified movements indicate that the user did not select the augmented reality features in the predefined order, then the user is not authenticated. | 05-08-2014 |
20140125698 | MIXED-REALITY ARENA - A computing system comprises a see-through display device, a logic subsystem, and a storage subsystem storing instructions. When executed by the logic subsystem, the instructions display on the see-through display device a virtual arena, a user-controlled avatar, and an opponent avatar. The virtual arena appears to be integrated within a physical space when the physical space is viewed through the see-through display device. In response to receiving a user input, the instructions may also display on the see-through display device an updated user-controlled avatar. | 05-08-2014 |
20140128161 | CROSS-PLATFORM AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCE - A plurality of game sessions are hosted at a server system. A first computing device of a first user is joined to a first multiplayer gaming session, the first computing device including a see-through display. Augmentation information is sent to the first computing device for the first multiplayer gaming session to provide an augmented reality experience to the first user. A second computing device of a second user is joined to the first multiplayer gaming session. Experience information is sent to the second computing device for the first multiplayer gaming session to provide a cross-platform representation of the augmented reality experience to the second user. | 05-08-2014 |
20140139551 | AUGMENTED REALITY HELP - A system and related methods for an augmented reality help system in a head-mounted display device are provided. In one example, the head-mounted display device includes a plurality of sensors and a display system for presenting holographic objects. An augmented reality help program is configured to receive one or more user biometric parameters from the plurality of sensors. Based on the user biometric parameters, the program determines that the user is experiencing a stress response, and presents help content to the user via the head-mounted display device. | 05-22-2014 |
20140145914 | HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - A system and related methods for a resource management in a head-mounted display device are provided. In one example, the head-mounted display device includes a plurality of sensors and a display system for presenting holographic objects. A resource management program is configured to operate a selected sensor in a default power mode to achieve a selected fidelity. The program receives user-related information from one or more of the sensors, and determines whether target information is detected. Where target information is detected, the program adjusts the selected sensor to operate in a reduced power mode that uses less power than the default power mode. | 05-29-2014 |
20140237366 | CONTEXT-AWARE AUGMENTED REALITY OBJECT COMMANDS - Embodiments are disclosed that relate to operating a user interface on an augmented reality computing device comprising a see-through display system. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes receiving a user input selecting an object in a field of view of the see-through display system, determining a first group of commands currently operable based on one or more of an identification of the selected object and a state of the object, and presenting the first group of commands to a user. The method may further include receiving a command from the first group of commands, changing the state of the selected object from a first state to a second state in response to the command, determining a second group of commands based on the second state, where the second group of commands is different than the first group of commands, and presenting the second group of commands to the user. | 08-21-2014 |
20140320389 | MIXED REALITY INTERACTIONS - Embodiments that relate to interacting with a physical object in a mixed reality environment via a head-mounted display are disclosed. In one embodiment a mixed reality interaction program identifies an object based on an image from captured by the display. An interaction context for the object is determined based on an aspect of the mixed reality environment. A profile for the physical object is queried to determine interaction modes for the object. A selected interaction mode is programmatically selected based on the interaction context. A user input directed at the object is received via the display and interpreted to correspond to a virtual action based on the selected interaction mode. The virtual action is executed with respect to a virtual object associated with the physical object to modify an appearance of the virtual object. The modified virtual object is then displayed via the display. | 10-30-2014 |
20140333666 | INTERACTIONS OF VIRTUAL OBJECTS WITH SURFACES - Embodiments are disclosed that relate to operating a user interface on an augmented reality computing device comprising a display system. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes displaying a virtual object via the display system as free-floating, detecting a trigger to display the object as attached to a surface, and, in response to the trigger, displaying the virtual object as attached to the surface via the display system. The method may further include detecting a trigger to detach the virtual object from the surface and, in response to the trigger to detach the virtual object from the surface, detaching the virtual object from the surface and displaying the virtual object as free-floating. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337023 | SPEECH TO TEXT CONVERSION - Embodiments that relate to converting audio inputs from an environment into text are disclosed. For example, in one disclosed embodiment a speech conversion program receives audio inputs from a microphone array of a head-mounted display device. Image data is captured from the environment, and one or more possible faces are detected from image data. Eye-tracking data is used to determine a target face on which a user is focused. A beamforming technique is applied to at least a portion of the audio inputs to identify target audio inputs that are associated with the target face. The target audio inputs are converted into text that is displayed via a transparent display of the head-mounted display device. | 11-13-2014 |
20140375683 | INDICATING OUT-OF-VIEW AUGMENTED REALITY IMAGES - Embodiments are disclosed that relate to operating a user interface on an augmented reality computing device comprising a see-through display system. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes identifying one or more objects located outside a field of view of a user, and for each object of the one or more objects, providing to the user an indication of positional information associated with the object. | 12-25-2014 |
20150035832 | VIRTUAL LIGHT IN AUGMENTED REALITY - A head-mounted display system includes a see-through display that is configured to visually augment an appearance of a physical environment to a user viewing the physical environment through the see-through display. Graphical content presented via the see-through display is created by modeling the ambient lighting conditions of the physical environment. | 02-05-2015 |