INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, ALARM METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20130293586A1
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kaino, Akihiko, Iwai, Yoshiaki, Oi, Kenichiro, Homma, Shunichi, Wu, Jianing
• Granted Patent: US 10,909,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions is provided. The apparatus includes a control unit for executing the instructions to send signals to display, for a user, a first virtual image superimposed onto a representation of real space. The control unit further executes instructions to send signals to identify a potential source of interest for the user, the potential source of interest being outside of a user focus area in the representation of real space. The control unit further executes instructions to send signals to notify the user of the potential source of interest.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a control unit executing the instructions to;

send signals to display, for a user, a first virtual image superimposed onto a representation of real space;

send signals to identify a potential source of interest for the user, the potential source of interest being outside of a user focus area in the representation of real space; and

send signals to notify the user of the potential source of interest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein identify a potential source of interest comprises analyzing input signals used to create the representation of real space.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the potential source of interest comprises a potential source of danger for the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the potential source of interest is at least partially occluded by the first virtual image.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein sending signals to notify the user further comprises sending signals to alter the first virtual image.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein sending signals to notify the user further comprises sending signals to generate at least one of an audio alarm, a tactile alarm, or a visual alarm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual alarm comprises a second virtual image.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit executes the instructions to:

send signals to monitor a user action; and

identify the potential source of interest based in part on the monitored user action.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit executes the instructions to determine whether or not the user is aware of the potential source of interest based on the monitored user action.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the monitored user action comprises a series of actions.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit executes the instructions to determine whether or not the user is aware of the potential source of interest by comparing a number of actions in the series of actions with a threshold number of user actions.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control unit executes the instructions to determine whether or not the series of actions indicates that the user has at least one of avoided the potential source of interest or approached the potential source of interest.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit executes the instructions to determine whether or not the potential source of interest is of interest to the user based in part on the monitored user action.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the monitored user action is a reaction to a type of potential source of interest to which the potential source of interest belongs.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein executing the instructions to identify the potential source of interest further comprises at least one of performing an analysis of the representation of real space, receiving a signal indicative of a distance between the apparatus and the potential source of interest, or receiving a signal from an external device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein performing an analysis comprises searching the representation of real space for the potential source of interest.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a user device and the control unit executes the instructions to send the signals to identify a potential source of interest to a remote server.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a server and the control unit executes the instructions to send signals to identify a potential source of interest comprises sending the signals to identify a potential source of interest to a user device.

19. A method comprising:

displaying, for a user, a virtual image superimposed onto a representation of real space;

identifying a potential source of interest for the user, the potential source of interest being outside of a user focus area in the representation of real space; and

notifying the user of the potential source of interest.

20. A tangibly embodied non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

displaying, for a user, a virtual image superimposed onto a representation of real space;

identifying a potential source of interest for the user, the potential source of interest being outside of a user focus area in the representation of real space; and

notifying the user of the potential source of interest.