Overlaying Data in an Augmented Reality User Interface

• US 20120113285A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shotzoom, LLC
• Original Assignee: Epic Think Media, LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Josh, Prichard, Frank Craig
• Granted Patent: US 9,197,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for overlaying data in an augmented reality user interface. A camera associated with a mobile device is accessed and activated, and a location associated with the mobile device is detected. A direction in which the camera is pointed is detected and video captured by the camera displayed. Indicators associated with points of interest on a golf course are overlaid on the video in a user interface.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a mobile device, the program comprising:

logic that accesses, in the mobile device, a camera in communication with the mobile device;

logic that activates, in the mobile device, at least one video capture capability of the camera;

logic that determines, in the mobile device, a location associated with the mobile device;

logic that determines, in the mobile device, a direction in which the camera is pointed;

logic that displays, in a display associated with the mobile device, video captured by the camera in a user interface; and

logic that overlays, in the mobile device, at least one indicator associated with at least one predetermined point of interest on the video in the user interface.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined point of interest is associated with a golf course, the predetermined point of interest being at least one of:

a water hazard, a hole location, a bunker, a portion of a green, a topographical feature associated with the golf course, a lay-up position, an out of bounds marker, an out of bounds boundary.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

logic that detects, in the mobile device, motion associated with the mobile device;

logic that updates, in the mobile device, the location associated with the mobile device and the direction in which the camera is pointed;

logic that updates, in the mobile device, the display of the video captured by the camera based at least upon the updated location associated with the mobile device and direction in which the camera is pointed; and

logic that updates, in the mobile device, the at least one indicator associated with the at least one predetermined point of interest.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the logic that overlays the at least one indicator associated with the predetermined point of interest further comprises:

logic that determines, in the mobile device, a first direction of the at least one predetermined point of interest, the first direction being determined relative to the direction in which the camera is pointed;

logic that renders, on the display in communication with the mobile device, the at least one indicator in a position on the display corresponding to the first direction relative to the direction in which the camera is pointed, the at least one indicator further comprising at least one distance indicator corresponding to a distance from the location associated with the mobile device to the at least one point of interest.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the at least one indicator is placed above a location of a respective point of interest in the video.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the at least one indicator is placed in an indicator user interface element, the indicator user interface element being rendered in an upper portion of the user interface.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the indicator user interface element is scrollable to allow a plurality of indicators to be viewable in the indicator user interface element.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

logic that sorts the at least one point of interest by distance from the location associated with the mobile device;

logic that renders a first subset of the at least one indicator corresponding the points of interest closest to the location associated with the mobile device in the indicator user interface element; and

logic that scrolls the indicator user interface element to render a second subset of the at least one indicator.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising logic that encodes for display on the display in communication with the mobile device a position error correction user interface, the position error correction user interface comprising at least one user interface element facilitating reorientation of the direction in which the camera is pointed.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the logic that detects the direction in which the camera is pointed further comprises the step of requesting a device direction from a motion sensing application programming interface (API).

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the logic that detects motion associated with the mobile device further comprises receiving at least one or:

a direction from a compass in communication with the mobile device, acceleration data from at least one accelerometer in communication with the mobile device, and orientation data from at least one gyroscope in communication with the mobile device.

12. A method of overlaying data in an augmented reality user interface in a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

accessing a camera in communication with the mobile device;

activating at least one video capture capability of the camera;

determining a location associated with the mobile device;

determining a direction in which the camera is pointed;

displaying, in a display associated with the mobile device, video captured by the camera in a user interface; and

overlaying at least one indicator associated with at least one predetermined point of interest on the video in the user interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one predetermined point of interest is associated with a golf course, the predetermined point of interest being at least one of:

a water hazard, a hole location, a bunker, a portion of a green, a topographical feature associated with the golf course, a lay-up position, an out of bounds marker, an out of bounds boundary.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

detecting motion associated with the mobile device;

updating the location associated with the mobile device and the direction in which the camera is pointed;

updating the display of the video captured by the camera based at least upon the updated location associated with the mobile device and direction in which the camera is pointed; and

updating the at least one indicator associated with the at least one predetermined point of interest.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of overlaying the at least one indicator associated with the predetermined point of interest further comprises the steps of:

determining a first direction of the at least one predetermined point of interest, the first direction being determined relative to the direction in which the camera is pointed;

rendering, on the display associated with the mobile device, the at least one indicator in a position on the display corresponding to the first direction relative to the direction in which the camera is pointed, the at least one indicator further comprising at least one distance indicator corresponding to a distance from the location associated with the mobile device to the at least one point of interest.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one indicator is placed above a location of a respective point of interest in the video.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one indicator is placed in an indicator user interface element, the indicator user interface element being rendered in an upper portion of the user interface.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the indicator user interface element is scrollable to allow a plurality of indicators to be viewable in the indicator user interface element.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of sorting the at least one point of interest by distance from the location associated with the mobile device;

rendering a first subset of the at least one indicator corresponding the points of interest closest to the location associated with the mobile device in the indicator user interface element; and

scrolling the indicator user interface element to render a second subset of the at least one indicator.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of encoding for display on the display in communication with the mobile device a direction correction user interface, the direction correction user interface comprising at least one user interface element reorient the direction in which the camera is pointed.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of detecting the direction in which the camera is pointed further comprises the step of requesting a device direction from a direction application programming interface (API).

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of detecting motion associated with the mobile device further comprises receiving at least one or:

a direction from a compass in communication with the mobile device, acceleration data from at least one accelerometer in communication with the mobile device, and orientation data from at least one gyroscope in communication with the mobile device.

23. A system, comprising the steps of:

means for accessing a camera;

means for activating at least one video capture capability of the camera;

means for determining a location;

means for determining a direction in which the camera is pointed;

means for displaying video captured by the camera; and

means for overlaying at least one indicator associated with at least one predetermined point of interest on the video.