Augmented Collaboration System

• US 20120183137A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Laughlin, Brian Dale
• Granted Patent: US 9,113,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying information. A camera system generates video data for an object from a viewpoint of the camera system at a location of the object. Information is identified about the object. The information is displayed on images in the video data on a display system at a number of locations. The display of the images with the information on the images in the video data at the number of locations is from the viewpoint of the camera system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system configured to receive video data for an object from a camera system at a location of the object;

identify information about the object;

add the information to the video data; and

send the video data with the information added to the video data to a display system at a number of locations; and

wherein a display of the video data on the display system displays the information on images in the video data from a viewpoint of the camera system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the camera system; and

the display system comprising a number of display devices configured to display the information on the images in the video data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured to receive input about the object from a number of persons at the number of locations.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the camera system is worn by a person at the location of the object and comprises:

a display device configured to be worn by the person at the object and display the information on the images in the video data on the display device worn by the person at the object.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the camera system and the display device are in a head-mounted system for the person.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the computer system is configured to identify a profile for the person wearing the head-mounted system;

and identify selected information about the object based on a policy such that the selected information is displayed on the images in the video data in the head-mounted system for the person.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein in being configured to identify the selected information about the object based on the policy such that the selected information is displayed on the images in the video data in the head-mounted system for the person, the computer system is configured to identify the selected information about the object using the profile for the person such that the selected information is displayed on the images in the video data in the head-mounted system for the person.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the profile for the person identifies at least one of a language for the person, a job for the person, and a security level for the person.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system is configured to encrypt the information to form encrypted information;

select a set of keys for the person; and

wherein the set of keys is configured to decrypt the selected information about the object in the encrypted information, wherein a display of the selected information in the encrypted information on the images in the video data is performed using the set of keys.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the images in the video data are for a portion of the object and wherein the number of display devices is configured to display a larger portion of the object including the portion and display a graphical indicator on the larger portion in addition to being configured to display the information on the images in the video data of the portion of the object, wherein the graphical indicator identifies the portion within the larger portion.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a camera system configured to generate video data for an object, wherein the video data includes images and each image in the images has a first number of portions;

a display system comprising a number of display devices; and

a computer system configured to receive the video data for the object from the camera system at a location of the object;

identify information about the object;

add the information to the video data;

identify a profile for each person using a display device in the number of display devices in the display system;

identify selected information in the information for the each person using the profile identified for the each person;

identify a selected number of portions of the each image in the images in the video data for the each person using the profile identified for the each person;

encrypt the information to form encrypted information;

encrypt the images to form encrypted images;

select a set of keys for the each person, wherein the set of keys is configured to decrypt the selected information within the encrypted information and the selected number of portions of the each image in the encrypted images; and

send the encrypted information and the encrypted images to the display system,

wherein the display system is configured to display the selected information on the selected number of portions of the each image on the display device for the each person using the set of keys for the each person such that a portion of any of the encrypted information and the encrypted images that are not unencrypted using the set of keys is not displayed on the display device for the each person.

12. A method for displaying information, the method comprising:

generating, by a camera system, video data for an object from a viewpoint of the camera system at a location of the object;

identifying the information about the object; and

displaying the information on images in the video data on a display system having a number of display devices at a number of locations, wherein the display of the images with the information on the images in the video data at the number of locations is from the viewpoint of the camera system.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving input about the object from a number of persons at the number of locations.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the camera system is worn by a person at the location of the object and further comprising:

displaying the information on the images in the video data on a display device, worn by the person at the object using a profile for the person.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the camera system and the display device are part of a head-mounted system.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the images in the video data are for a portion of the object and further comprising:

displaying a larger portion of the object including the portion in addition to displaying the information on the images of the portion of the object; and

displaying a graphical indicator on the larger portion, wherein the graphical indicator identifies the portion within the larger portion.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein each image in the images has a first number of portions and the information has a second number of portions and wherein the displaying step comprises:

identifying a profile for each person using a display device in the number of display devices in the camera system;

identifying selected information for the each person by using the profile identified for the each person;

identifying a selected number of portions of the each image in the images for the each person using the profile identified for the each person;

encrypting the information to form encrypted information;

encrypting the images to form encrypted images;

selecting a set of keys for the each person, wherein the set of keys is configured to decrypt the selected information within the encrypted information and the selected number of portions of the each image in the encrypted images; and

displaying the selected information on the selected number of portions of the image on the display device for the each person using the set of keys, wherein a portion of any of the encrypted information and the encrypted images that is unencrypted using the set of keys is not displayed on the display device.

16. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

identifying selected information about the object based on a policy applied to the profile identified for the person; and

displaying the selected information on the images in the video data in the head-mounted system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the profile for the person identifies at least one of a language for the person, a job for the person, and a security level for the person.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of displaying the selected information on the images in the video data in the head-mounted system comprises:

encrypting the information to form encrypted information;

selecting a set of keys for the person, wherein the set of keys is configured to decrypt the selected information about the object in the encrypted information; and

displaying the selected information in the encrypted information on the images in the video data using the set of keys.

21. An augmented reality information system for performing maintenance on an aircraft, the augmented reality system comprising:

a head-mounted system having a camera system and a display device, wherein the head-mounted system is configured to generate video data for an object at a location;

a number of display devices at a number of locations; and

an information module configured to receive the video data for the object from the camera system in the head-mounted system;

identify information about the object;

add the information to the video data;

identify selected information for each of the number of display devices based on a profile for a person using the each of the number of display devices; and

send the video data with the information to the number of display devices; and

wherein a display of the video data on the number of display devices displays the selected information on the images for the each of the number of display devices.

22. The augmented reality information system of claim 21, wherein the information module is configured to encrypt the information to form encrypted information;

and select a set of keys for a person at the each of the number of display devices; and

wherein the set of keys is configured to decrypt the selected information about the object in the encrypted information and wherein a display of the selected information in the encrypted information on the images in the video data is performed using the set of keys.

23. The augmented reality information system of claim 21, wherein images in the video data are for a portion of the object and wherein the number of display devices is configured to display a larger portion of the object including the portion and display a graphical indicator on the larger portion in addition to being configured to display the information on the images in the video data of the portion of the object;

and

wherein the graphical indicator identifies the portion within the larger portion.