Presentation of virtual reality object based on one or more conditions

• US 10,248,189 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Nathan J., Weksler, Arnold S., Stewart, Aaron Michael, Mese, John Carl, VanBlon, Russell Speight
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Peter
• Application Number:
  US15/223,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20180032125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

In one aspect, an apparatus includes a housing, a processor coupled to the housing, a display coupled to the housing and accessible to the processor, and storage coupled to the housing and accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to determine that at least one condition is satisfied for presentation of a virtual reality object to control a device different from the apparatus. The instructions are also executable by the processor to present the virtual reality object on the display responsive to the determination.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

at least one processor coupled to the housing;

a display coupled to the housing and accessible to the at least one processor; and

storage coupled to the housing and accessible to the at least one processor, the storage bearing instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

determine that at least one condition is satisfied for presentation of a virtual reality object to control a device different from the apparatus; and

responsive to the determination, present the virtual reality object on the display so that the virtual reality object appears to a user, while viewing the display, to be within arms-reach of the user relative to a current location of the user by presenting the virtual reality object on the display so that it appears to be disposed on an actual surface in three-dimensional space that is within arms-reach of the user relative to the current location of the user, the actual surface being different from the display, wherein a first portion of the actual surface is selected by the apparatus for use to present the virtual reality object based on identification of a real-world object as already being disposed at a second portion of the actual surface that is different from the first portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one condition comprises that no one is present in the room in which the device is disposed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one condition comprises at least one of a particular day and a particular time of day.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein e condition comprises that the user is looking at the device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises at least one of:

receipt of a voice command from the user, the user pointing at the device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality object is a virtual switch to turn the device at least one of on and off.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:

transmit a command to the device to adjust operation of the device, the command transmitted based on detection of the user as interacting with the virtual reality object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an augmented reality headset and wherein the virtual reality object at least in part establishes augmented reality content presented via the augmented reality headset.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a virtual reality headset and wherein the virtual reality object at least in part establishes virtual reality content presented via the virtual reality headset.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, herein the instructions are executable to:

present a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising an option that is selectable to enable the apparatus to present virtual reality objects so that they appear to be within arms-reach, the presentation of virtual reality objects so that they appear to be within arms-reach otherwise not being enabled.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality object comprises a switch, and wherein the switch is presented so that it reflects a current operational state of the device so that if the device is powered on then the switch will indicate, prior to user interaction with the switch subsequent to its presentation, that the device is powered on and so that if the device is powered off then the switch will indicate, prior to user interaction with the switch subsequent o its presentation, that the device is powered off, the apparatus not indicating more than one operational state of the device at the same time.

12. A method, comprising:

determining that at least one condition is satisfied for presentation of a virtual reality object on a display of a first device, the virtual reality object being interactable to control output from a second device;

presenting, responsive to the determining, the virtual reality object on the display so that the virtual reality object appears to a user, while viewing the display, to be within reach of the user relative to a current location of the user by presenting the virtual reality object on the display so that the virtual reality object appears to be disposed on an actual surface in three-dimensional space that is within reach of the user relative to the current location of the user, the actual surface being different from the display, wherein a first portion of the actual surface is selected for presentation of the virtual reality object based on identification of a real-world object as already being disposed at a second portion of the actual surface that is different from the first portion;

identifying user interaction with the virtual reality object; and

controlling, responsive to the identifying, output from the second device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one condition comprises that the user is about to go to sleep.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual reality object is a button.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising an option that is selectable to enable the first device to present virtual reality objects so that they appear to be within reach, the function of using the first device for presentation of virtual reality objects so that they appear to be within reach otherwise not being enabled.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a first processor;

a network adapter; and

storage bearing instructions executable by a second processor for;

determining that at least one condition is satisfied for presentation, on a display of an apparatus, of a virtual reality object to control a device different from the apparatus;

identifying a surface, the surface being different from the display; and

presenting, based on the determining and based on the identifying, the virtual reality object on the display so that the virtual reality object appears to a user, while viewing the display, to be disposed on the surface, wherein a first portion of the surface is selected for use to present the virtual reality object based on identification of a real-world object as already being disposed at a second portion of the surface that is different from the first portion;

wherein the first processor transfers the instructions to the second processor over a network via the network adapter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable by the second processor for:

transmitting a command to the device to adjust operation of the device, the command transmitted based on detection of the user as interacting with the virtual reality object.