Systems, methods, and storage media for conveying virtual content in an augmented reality environment

• US 10,679,427 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2020
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicholas T. Hariton
• Original Assignee: Nicholas T. Hariton
• Inventors: Hariton, Nicholas T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Michael
• Application Number:
  US16/776,300
• Time in Patent Office: 132 Days
• 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 3/013 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment

Abstract

Systems and methods for conveying virtual content in an augmented reality environment comprising images of virtual content superimposed over physical objects and/or physical surroundings visible within a field of view of a user as if the images of the virtual content were present in the real world. Exemplary implementations may: obtain user information for a user associated with a presentation device physically present at a location of the system; compare the user information with the accessibility criteria for the virtual content to determine whether any portions of the virtual content are to be presented to the user based on the accessibility criteria and the user information for the user; and facilitate presentation of the virtual content to the user via presentation device of user based on the virtual content information, the field of view, and the correlations between the multiple linkage points and the reference frame of the virtual content.

Claims

1. A system configured to convey virtual content in an augmented reality environment comprising images of virtual content superimposed over physical objects and/or physical surroundings visible within a field of view of a user as if the images of the virtual content were present in the real world, wherein the augmented reality environment includes (i) the physical objects and/or the physical surroundings visible within the field of view of the user and (ii) the images of virtual content presented in conjunction with the physical objects and/or the physical surroundings, the system comprising:

electronic storage that (i) stores virtual content information defining virtual content correlations between multiple linkage points and a reference frame of the virtual content, wherein relative positions of the multiple linkage points in the real world define the reference frame with respect to the real world, and (ii) accessibility criteria for the virtual content, wherein the virtual content includes a first virtual content item; and

one or more physical computer processors configured by computer-readable instructions to;

obtain user information for a user associated with a presentation device physically present at a location of the system, wherein the user information for the user identifies the user associated with the presentation device and/or the presentation device;

compare the user information with the accessibility criteria for the virtual content to determine whether any portions of the virtual content are to be presented to the user based on the accessibility criteria and the user information for the user;

facilitate presentation of the virtual content to the user via the presentation device of the user based on the virtual content information, a field of view of the user, the correlation between the multiple linkage points and the reference frame of the virtual content, and the comparison of the user information with the accessibility criteria; and

receive a first accessibility criterion for the first virtual content item from an administrative user, wherein the accessibility criteria include the first accessibility criterion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual content includes a second virtual content item, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive from the administrative user an identification of a second user to invite to provide at least one virtual content item;

generate a message comprising a request to provide the at least one virtual content item;

transmit the message to the second user; and

receive, from the second user, the second virtual content item responsive to the request, wherein receiving the second virtual content item comprises receiving (i) virtual content information defining the second virtual content item and (ii) second accessibility criterion for the second virtual content item, wherein the accessibility criteria includes the second accessibility criterion.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual content comprises one or more virtual content items, and wherein the accessibility criteria defines preferences associated with displaying individual virtual content items of the one or more virtual content items and/or conditions that must be satisfied to display the individual virtual content items of the one or more virtual content items.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the accessibility criteria indicate a subscription required to access the virtual content, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain subscription information for the user, wherein the subscription information for the user indicates one or more subscriptions of the user; and

determine that at least one of the one or more subscriptions of the user permits access to the virtual content, wherein the access by the user to the virtual content is facilitated responsive to the determination that at least one of the one or more subscriptions of the user permits access to the virtual content.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual content comprises multiple virtual content items, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

cause a selectable list of the multiple virtual content items to be presented to the user;

receive a selection of a first multiple virtual content item of the multiple virtual content items; and

facilitate access to the first multiple virtual content item responsive to receipt of the selection.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain user input from the user indicating a request to modify the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment;

generate virtual content information defining a modified version of the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment based on the user input; and

facilitate presentation of the virtual content information defining the modified version of the virtual content via the presentation device of the user and/or presentation devices of other users.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain user input from one or more of the other users indicating one or more requests to modify the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment; and

generate virtual content information defining a modified version of the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment based on the user input of the other users.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual content information defines characteristics of the virtual content, the characteristics comprising one or more of a visual appearance of the virtual content, one or more actions of the virtual content, textual and/or audible content of the virtual content, and customizable features of the virtual content.

9. A method for conveying virtual content in an augmented reality environment comprising images of virtual content superimposed over physical objects and/or physical surroundings visible within a field of view of a user as if the images of the virtual content were present in the real world, wherein the augmented reality environment includes (i) the physical objects and/or the physical surroundings visible within the field of view of the user and (ii) the images of virtual content presented in conjunction with the physical objects and/or the physical surroundings, the method comprising:

storing (i) virtual content information defining virtual content correlations between multiple linkage points and a reference frame of the virtual content, wherein relative positions of the multiple linkage points in the real world define the reference frame with respect to the real world, and (ii) accessibility criteria for the virtual content, wherein the virtual content includes a first virtual content item;

obtaining user information for a user associated with a presentation device physically present at a location of the method, wherein the user information for the user identifies the user associated with the presentation device and/or the presentation device;

comparing the user information with the accessibility criteria for the virtual content to determine whether any portions of the virtual content are to be presented to the user based on the accessibility criteria and the user information for the user;

facilitating presentation of the virtual content to the user via the presentation device of the user based on the virtual content information, a field of view of the user, the correlation between the multiple linkage points and the reference frame of the virtual content, and the comparison of the user information with the accessibility criteria; and

receiving a first accessibility criterion for the first virtual content item from an administrative user, wherein the accessibility criteria include the first accessibility criterion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual content includes a second virtual content item, and the method further comprising:

receiving from the administrative user an identification of a second user to invite to provide at least one virtual content item;

generating a message comprising a request to provide the at least one virtual content item;

transmitting the message to the second user; and

receiving, from the second user, the second virtual content item responsive to the request, wherein receiving the second virtual content item comprises receiving (i) virtual content information defining the second virtual content item and (ii) second accessibility criterion for the second virtual content item, wherein the accessibility criteria includes the second accessibility criterion.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual content comprises one or more virtual content items, and wherein the accessibility criteria defines preferences associated with displaying individual virtual content items of the one or more virtual content items and/or conditions that must be satisfied to display the individual virtual content items of the one or more virtual content items.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the accessibility criteria indicate a subscription required to access the virtual content, the method further comprising:

obtaining subscription information for the user, wherein the subscription information for the user indicates one or more subscriptions of the user; and

determining that at least one of the one or more subscriptions of the user permits access to the virtual content, wherein the access by the user to the virtual content is facilitated responsive to the determination that at least one of the one or more subscriptions of the user permits access to the virtual content.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual content comprises multiple virtual content items, the method further comprising:

causing a selectable list of the multiple virtual content items to be presented to the user;

receiving a selection of a first multiple virtual content item of the multiple virtual content items; and

facilitating access to the first multiple virtual content item responsive to receipt of the selection.

14. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

obtaining user input from the user indicating a request to modify the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment;

generating virtual content information defining a modified version of the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment based on the user input; and

facilitating presentation of the virtual content information defining the modified version of the virtual content via the presentation device of the user and/or presentation devices of other users.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

obtaining user input from one or more of the other users indicating one or more requests to modify the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment; and

generating virtual content information defining a modified version of the virtual content displayed in the augmented reality environment based on the user input of the other users.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual content information defines characteristics of the virtual content, the characteristics comprising one or more of a visual appearance of the virtual content, one or more actions of the virtual content, textual and/or audible content of the virtual content, and customizable features of the virtual content.