VIRTUAL NOTES IN A REALITY OVERLAY

• US 20100023878A1
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perry, Marc, Crane, Barry, Douris, Stephan, Kalaboukis, Chris, Athsani, Athellina
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/14 for overflow or underflow handling, e.g. full or empty flags
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Virtual notes are provided that enable virtual communications between users. A user is enabled to input content into a note using an electronic device. The user is enabled to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity to generate a virtual note. The user is enabled to position the virtual representation of the virtual note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity. The user is enabled to configure at least one attribute associated with the virtual note. The generated virtual note is transmitted to a notes database. Subsequent users can view and otherwise interact with the virtual note by interacting with the entity associated with the virtual note. For example, the subsequent users can interact with the virtual note by approaching the entity, or by viewing the entity on a map displayed by an electronic device.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device, comprising:

enabling a user to input content into a note;

enabling the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity; and

enabling the user to position the virtual representation of the note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location, wherein said enabling the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity comprises:

enabling the user to associate the virtual representation of the note with a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to configure at least one attribute associated with the note.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one of a viewing permission, an expiration date, a metadata, or an alert setting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the note to a notes database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity comprises:

determining a location of the user; and

associating the virtual representation of the note with the determined location of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity comprises:

enabling the user to select the entity on a map displayed by an electronic device; and

associating the virtual representation of the note with the selected entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling the user to position the virtual representation of the note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity comprises:

enabling the user to modify an orientation of the virtual representation of the note in the virtual space.

9. A method in a notes server, comprising:

detecting an interaction of a user with an entity;

determining one or more notes associated with the entity;

transmitting an alert signal to an electronic device of the user to indicate the one or more notes associated with the entity;

receiving a request from the electronic device for a note of the one or more notes in response to the alert; and

transmitting the requested note to the electronic device, the transmitted requested note including position information configured to enable the electronic device to display a virtual representation of the note superimposed on the entity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location, wherein said detecting an interaction of a user with an entity comprises:

detecting an interaction of a user with a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said detecting comprises:

detecting an interaction by the user with the entity by determining that the user entered a region proximate to the entity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said detecting an interaction by the user with the entity by determining that the user entered a region proximate to the entity comprises:

detecting an interaction by the user with the entity by determining that the user entered the region proximate to the entity and that the electronic device is oriented toward the entity.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said detecting comprises:

detecting an interaction by the user with the entity by receiving an indication that the user viewed the entity on a map displayed by an electronic device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

filtering the determined one or more notes based on at least one attribute associated with the determined one or more notes.

15. A method in an electronic device, comprising:

receiving an alert signal that indicates one or more notes associated with an entity interacted with by a user;

enabling the user to select a note of the one or more notes for display; and

displaying a virtual representation of the selected note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location, wherein receiving an alert signal that indicates one or more notes associated with an entity interacted with by a user comprises:

receiving an alert signal that indicates one or more notes associated with a living being, an object, or a geographical location interacted with by a user.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

enabling the user to select the virtual representation of the note; and

displaying a content of the note in response to the user selecting the virtual representation of the note, the content of the note having been previously input into the note by a second user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

enabling the user to associate a comment with the note.

19. The method of claim of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying in the user interface a comment associated with the note by a third user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said displaying comprises:

configuring an arrangement of a plurality of virtual representations of notes associated with the entity, the plurality of virtual representations of notes including the virtual representation of the note; and

displaying the configured arrangement of the plurality of virtual representations of notes in the virtual space superimposed on the entity.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a user interface configured to enable a user to input note content;

a note processing module configured to receive the note content from the user interface, to generate a note that includes the note content, and to associate an entity with the note; and

a rendering module configured to generate a virtual representation of the note to be displayed in the display in a virtual space superimposed on the entity; and

wherein the user interface is configured to enable the user to position the virtual representation of the note in the virtual space.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the note processing module is configured to enable the user to configure at least one attribute associated with the note.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one of a viewing permission, an expiration date, a metadata, or an alert setting.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit the note to a notes database.

26. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising:

a location determiner configured to determine a location of the electronic device; and

wherein the note processing module is configured to associate the virtual representation of the note with the determined location of the electronic device as the entity.

27. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the user interface is configured to enable the user to select the entity on a map displayed by an electronic device;

and

wherein the note processing module is configured to associate the virtual representation of the note with the selected entity.

28. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the user interface is configured to enable the user to modify an orientation of the virtual representation of the note in the virtual space.

29. A notes engine, comprising:

a location comparator configured to receive an indication of an interaction of a user with an entity, and to determine one or more notes associated with the entity stored in a notes database; and

a notes manager configured to transmit an alert signal to an electronic device of the user to indicate the one or more notes associated with the entity;

wherein the notes manager is configured to receive a request from the electronic device for a note of the one or more notes in response to the alert, and to transmit the requested note to the electronic device, the transmitted requested note including position information configured to enable the electronic device to display a virtual representation of the note superimposed on the entity.

30. The notes engine of claim 29, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

31. The notes engine of claim 29, wherein the notes manager includes a notes filter configured to filter the determined one or more notes based on at least one attribute associated with the determined one or more notes;

wherein the notes manager is configured to transmit the alert signal to indicate the filtered one or more notes; and

wherein the notes manager is configured to receive the request from the electronic device for the note of the filtered one or more notes in response to the alert, and to transmit the requested note to the electronic device.

32. The notes engine of claim 31, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one of a viewing permission, an expiration date, or a metadata.

33. The notes engine of claim 29, wherein the notes manager is configured to receive a second note from a second user, and to store the second note in the notes database.

34. The notes engine of claim 29, wherein the notes manager is configured to receive a version of the note annotated with a comment from the user, and to store the annotated version of the note in the notes database.

35. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a note processing module configured to receive an alert signal that indicates one or more notes associated with an entity interacted with by a user;

a user interface configured to enable the user to select a note of the one or more notes for display; and

a rendering module configured to generate a virtual representation of the selected note to be displayed in the display in a virtual space superimposed on the entity.

36. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

37. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the user interface is configured to enable the user to select the virtual representation of the note;

and

wherein a content of the note previously input by a second user is displayed in the display in response to the first user selecting the virtual representation of the note.

38. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the user interface is configured to enable the first user to associate a comment with the note.

39. The electronic device of claim of claim 37, wherein the user interface is configured to display a comment associated with the note by a third user.

40. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the note processing module is configured to configure an arrangement of a plurality of virtual representations of notes associated with the entity, the plurality of virtual representations of notes including the virtual representation of the note;

and

wherein the rendering module is configured to render the configured arrangement of the plurality of virtual representations of notes to be displayed in the display in the virtual space superimposed on the entity.