Information privacy in virtual reality

• US 10,445,523 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Clement, Manuel Christian, Welker, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tri M
• Application Number:
  US15/293,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20180107839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/031 Protect user input by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• 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 3/017 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 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security

Abstract

Systems and methods are described that are configured to obtain tracking data corresponding to a plurality of users accessing a virtual reality environment. The tracking data may include information associated with a plurality of movements performed by a first user in a physical environment. The systems and methods may be configured to modify display data associated with the plurality of movements, in response to determining that the information is private, and provide, in the virtual environment, the modified display data to a second user in the plurality of users, while displaying unmodified display data to the first user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining tracking data corresponding to a plurality of users accessing a virtual reality environment, the tracking data including information associated with a plurality of gestures detectable by the virtual reality environment and performed by a first user;

modifying in the virtual reality environment, at least a portion of the plurality of gestures and input data to obfuscate the portion of the plurality of gestures and the input data, in response to determining that the information is private; and

providing, in the virtual reality environment, the modified portion of the plurality of gestures and the input data to a second user in the plurality of users, while displaying the plurality of gestures and the input data in an unmodified form to the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gestures include at least one hand gesture performed by the first user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein tracking the plurality of gestures includes tracking at least one hand of the first user performing the at least one hand gesture and modifying at least a portion of the plurality of gestures includes scrambling hand motions associated with the at least one hand gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gestures are associated with the input data;

the input data includes text input provided by the first user at a computing device and determining that the information is private includes accessing, for the first user, preconfigured privacy settings on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gestures are associated with an audio input provided, in the virtual reality environment, by the first user, the method further comprising modifying audio data provided to the second user, the modification of the audio data including muting the first user until determining that the plurality of gestures are no longer private.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gestures include a plurality of movements, the method further comprising modifying the plurality of movements and displaying, in the virtual reality environment, the modified plurality of movements to the second user, wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of hiding the plurality of movements, scrambling the plurality of movements, changing the plurality of movements, muting the plurality of movements, hiding display data associated with the plurality of movements, hiding an information exchange mechanism associated with the plurality of movements in the virtual reality environment, modifying an information exchange mechanism associated with the plurality of movements in the virtual reality environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data corresponds to display data displayable in the virtual reality environment, the display data being associated with a respective computing device operated by the first user, and wherein the input data is configured, by the first user, as private data.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising modifying the display data to obfuscate the display data from the second user, wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of hiding the display data, scrambling the display data, and altering the display data.

9. A system comprising:

at least one electronic computing device generating a virtual reality experience in a virtual reality environment, the electronic computing device being portable within a physical environment;

a plurality of sensors in communication with the at least one electronic computing device, the plurality of sensors configured to detect motion associated with a user accessing the at least one electronic computing device within the physical environment; and

at least one processor configured to,

enable network communication to be established with a plurality of users accessing a virtual reality environment, each user being associated with a head mounted display device and at least one computing device;

track a plurality of gestures performed by at least one of the plurality of users providing input to the virtual reality environment;

modify, in the virtual reality environment, at least a portion of the plurality of gestures and input to obfuscate the portion of the plurality of gestures, in response to determining that the input is private; and

provide, in the virtual reality environment, the modified portion of the plurality of gestures to users other than the at least one user while displaying the plurality of gestures and the input in an unmodified form to the at least one user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of gestures include at least one hand gesture performed by the at least one user to provide the input, tracking the plurality of gestures includes tracking at least one hand of the at least one user, and modifying at least a portion of the plurality of gestures includes scrambling hand motions associated with the at least one hand gesture.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the input is associated with text input provided by the at least one user at the respective computing device and determining that the input is private includes accessing, for the at least one user, preconfigured privacy settings.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the input is associated with an audio input provided, in the virtual reality environment, by the at least one user, and modified audio data is provided to users other than the at least one user, the modified audio data including a muted version of audio for the at least one user until determining that the audio input is no longer private.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the input corresponds to display data displayable in the virtual reality environment, the display data being associated with the respective computing device and configured, by the at least one user, as private data.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising modifying the display data to obfuscate the display data from users other than the at least one user, wherein the modification includes scrambling the display data.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

obtain tracking data corresponding to a plurality of users accessing a virtual reality environment, the tracking data including information associated with a plurality of gestures rendered in the virtual reality environment and performed by a first user;

modify, in the virtual reality environment, at least a portion of the plurality of gestures and input data to obfuscate the portion of the plurality of gestures, in response to determining that the information is private; and

provide, in the virtual reality environment, the modified portion of the plurality of gestures to a second user in the plurality of users, while displaying the plurality of gestures and the input data in an unmodified form to the first user.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the plurality of gestures include at least one hand gesture performed by the at least one user to provide the input data, tracking the plurality of gestures includes tracking at least one hand of the at least one user, and modifying at least a portion of the plurality of gestures includes scrambling hand motions associated with the at least one hand gesture.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of gestures are associated with the input data;

the input data includes text input provided by the first user at a computing device and determining that the information is private includes accessing, for the first user, preconfigured privacy settings on the computing device.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

modifying audio data provided to the second user, the modification of the audio data including muting the first user until determining that the plurality of gestures are no longer private.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the input data corresponds to display data displayable in the virtual reality environment, the display data being associated with a respective computing device operated by the first user, and wherein the input data is configured, by the first user, as private data.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising modifying the display data to obfuscate the display data from the second user, wherein the modification includes scrambling the display data.