Method and device for augmented reality message hiding and revealing

• US 20070024527A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eronen, Antti, Holm, Jukka, Kosonen, Timo, Heikkinen, Mikko, Havukainen, Kai
• Granted Patent: US 8,933,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/373 for modifying the size of the graphic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32267 : combined with processing of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to an operation method for executing games on mobile camera enabled terminal devices and to devices capable of executing the method. The method is based on hiding augmented reality messages in pictures by taking an image of an object, providing symbols; linking the symbols to the image, such that the symbols are not visible when displaying the image, and sending the image and the linked invisible symbols via a wireless connection as a first image to a mobile camera terminal device. The invention also provides a second component to re-visualize the hidden message by receiving the first image, taking a second image with a camera of the mobile camera terminal device, displaying the second image, comparing the first and second images to determine a matching measure, and visibly displaying the linked invisible symbols on the display, if the comparison fulfills at least one predetermined condition.

Claims

1. A method for augmented reality message hiding, comprising

taking an image of an object,

providing symbols;

linking said symbols to said image, such that said symbols are not visible when displaying the image, and

sending said image and said linked invisible symbols via a wireless connection as a first image to a mobile camera terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said image and said linked invisible symbols are sent as a multimedia message via a cellular telephone communication network.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising defining regions of interest in said first image, and linking information related to said regions of interest to said image.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising pre-/post-processing, enhancement operations, color processing, and/or generating a virtual scene from said image taken.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said linking said symbols to said image, such that said symbols are not visible when displaying the image is performed by using watermarking techniques.

6. The method according to anyone of claims 1, wherein said linking of said symbols to said image further comprises defining a position of said symbols in relation to said first image.

12. A computer program product capable of generating and/or reading hidden augmented reality messages, comprising program code sections stored on a readable medium, said program code sections for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program is run on a controller, processor-based device, a computer, a microprocessor based device, a terminal, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a mobile communication enabled terminal.

13. A computer program product for executing a method capable of generating and/or reading hidden augmented reality messages, comprising program code sections stored on a machine-readable medium for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program product is run on a controller, processor-based device, a computer, a microprocessor based device, a terminal, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a mobile communication enabled terminal.

14. A software tool capable of generating and/or reading hidden augmented reality messages, comprising program portions stored on a readable medium, said program portions for carrying out the operations of claim 1, when said program is implemented in a computer program for being executed on a controller, processor-based device, a microprocessor based device, processing device, a terminal device, a network device, a mobile terminal, or a mobile communication enabled terminal.

15. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the steps of claim 1 to be carried out.

7. A method for displaying hidden augmented reality messages, comprising

receiving a first image with linked invisible symbols via a wireless connection at a mobile camera terminal device,

taking a second image with a camera of said mobile camera terminal device,

displaying said second image on a display of said mobile camera terminal device,

comparing said first and second images to determine a matching measure, and

visibly displaying said linked invisible symbols on the display of said mobile camera terminal device, if the result of the comparison indicates that said matching measure between said first and second images fulfills at least one predetermined condition.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said comparing of said first and second images is performed by pixel matching, and/or region matching, and/or shape counting.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that said visibly displaying of said symbols further comprises displaying said symbols with a visibility that is correlated to said matching measure between the first image and the second image.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said visibly displayed linked symbols are displayed superimposed on said display in a fixed relation to said depicted second image.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising sending a message that said linked invisible symbols have been visibly displayed on said mobile camera terminal device via a wireless connection from said mobile camera terminal device.

16. A mobile camera terminal device comprising

a central processing unit,

a radio interface to a communication network, connected to said central processing unit,

a storage connected to said central processing unit,

a display connected to said central processing unit,

a user input interface connected to said central processing unit,

an optical recording system, connected to said central processing unit, and

a component to generate and/or read hidden augmented reality messages,

17. The mobile camera terminal device according to claim 16, further comprising a cellular mobile telephone.