METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTI-MODAL FUSION OF PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL INFORMATION CHANNELS

• US 20080163052A1
• Filed: 01/02/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: George, David A., Jennings, Raymond B., Stys, Malgorzata E., Hitney, Raymond R.
• Application Number:
  US11/619,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163052A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for multi-modal fusion of physical and virtual information channels is provided. The method and system include a virtual information channel and physical information channel. The method and system also provide for tracking virtual events and physical events corresponding to the virtual event and altering delivery of virtual space content via the virtual information channel upon determining the tracked at least one virtual event meets predetermined criteria.

Claims

1. A method for multi-modal fusion of a physical information channel and a virtual information channel, the method comprising:

providing at least one virtual information channel;

providing at least one physical information channel;

providing virtual space content;

tracking at least one virtual event;

tracking at least one physical event corresponding to the at least one virtual event; and

altering delivery of the virtual space content upon determining the tracked at least one virtual event meets predetermined criteria.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein altering delivery of the virtual space content further comprises altering delivery of the virtual space content upon determining the tracked at least one physical event meets predetermined criteria.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising altering navigational guidance upon determining the tracked at least one virtual event meets predetermined criteria.

4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising altering navigational guidance upon determining the tracked at least one physical event meets predetermined criteria.

5. The method as in claim 4 wherein altering navigational guidance further comprises providing audio guidance via the at least one physical information channel.

6. The method as in claim 4 wherein altering navigational guidance further comprises providing visual guidance via the at least one physical information channel.

7. The method as in claim 4 wherein altering navigational guidance further comprises providing tactile guidance via the at least one physical information channel.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the at least one virtual information channel requires predetermined feedback information from the at least one virtual information channel;

receiving the predetermined feedback information; and

adjusting the at least one physical information channel based upon the received feedback information.

9. A multi-modal system for multi-modal fusion of physical information and a virtual information channel, the multi-modal system comprising:

a reconfigurable virtual display for displaying the virtual information;

at least one input device connectable to the processor for receiving the physical information;

at least one output device for providing output physical information, connectable to the processor; and

a processor connected to the reconfigurable display wherein the processor is adaptable to tracking physical and corresponding virtual events and reconfiguring the reconfigurable virtual display according to the physical information and altering the output physical information provided by the at least one output device.

10. The multi-modal system as in claim 9, wherein the at least one input device connectable to the processor comprises at least one sensory input device.

11. The multi-modal system as in claim 9, wherein the at least one input device connectable to the processor comprises at least one magnetic input device.

12. The multi-modal system as in claim 9, wherein the at least one input device connectable to the processor comprises at least one optical input device.

13. The multi-modal system as in claim 9, wherein the at least one output device comprises at least one sensory output device.

14. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for multi-modal fusion of a physical information channel and a virtual information channel, the method comprising:

providing at least one virtual information channel;

providing at least one physical information channel;

providing virtual space content;

tracking at least one virtual event;

tracking at least one physical event corresponding to the at least one virtual event;

altering delivery of the virtual space content upon determining the tracked at least one virtual event meets predetermined criteria, wherein altering delivery of the virtual space content further comprises;

altering delivery of the virtual space content upon determining the tracked at least one physical event meets predetermined criteria;

altering navigational guidance upon determining the tracked at least one virtual event meets predetermined criteria;

altering navigational guidance upon determining the tracked at least one physical event meets predetermined criteria, wherein altering navigational guidance further comprises providing navigational guidance selected from the group consisting of

providing audio guidance via the at least one physical information channel,

providing visual guidance via the at least one physical information channel, and

providing tactile guidance via the at least one physical information channel;

determining if the at least one virtual information channel requires predetermined feedback information from the at least one virtual information channel;

receiving the predetermined feedback information; and

adjusting the at least one physical information channel based upon the received feedback information.