MULTIUSER AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM

• US 20140375688A1
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jordan Kent Weisman, William Gibbens Redmann
• Original Assignee: Jordan Kent Weisman, William Gibbens Redmann
• Inventors: Redmann, William Gibbens, Weisman, Jordan Kent
• Granted Patent: US 9,779,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission

Abstract

A multiuser, collaborative augmented reality (AR) system employs individual AR devices for viewing real-world anchors, that is, physical models that are recognizable to the camera and image processing module of the AR device. To mitigate ambiguous configurations when used in the collaborative mode, each anchor is registered with a server to ensure that only uniquely recognizable anchors are simultaneously active at a particular location. The system permits collaborative AR to span multiple sites, by associating a portal with an anchor at each site. Using the location of their corresponding AR device as a proxy for their position, AR renditions of the other participating users are provided. This AR system is particularly well suited for games.

Claims

1. A method for providing an augmented reality to users comprising the steps of:

a) sending a request to a server with a first augmented reality device, that a first anchor be associated with a first augmented reality session at a first location;

b) receiving a response to the request with the first augmented reality device; and

,

c) accepting the first anchor for the first session with the first augmented reality device if the response indicates that the first anchor is allowed, otherwise repeating steps a), b), and c) with a different first anchor;

wherein the first augmented reality device comprises a camera and a processor, the processor configured to receive from the camera a first image of the first anchor, recognize the first anchor, determine an apparent distance and orientation of the first anchor relative to the camera, and produce a second image from the first image, the second image augmented with graphics relative to the first anchor and displayed by the first augmented reality device to a user;

whereby a plurality of augmented reality devices having access to the server can share the first session on the basis of the allowed first anchor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the different first anchor is a different configuration of the first anchor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of;

d) accepting by the first device, from the server, an indication regarding the different first anchor; and

,

e) presenting, to the user, on a display of the first device, the indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first anchor comprises a physical model in one of a plurality of configurations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first anchor comprises one of a physical model and a proxy for the physical model;

the proxy comprising one of a barcode, a printout, and a branded object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one feature associated with the first anchor is reserved by the processor for when the first anchor is the physical model and not when the first anchor is the proxy.

7. A method for providing an augmented reality to users comprising the steps of:

a) accepting a first request with a server that a first anchor be associated with a first augmented reality session at a first location;

b) determining with the server whether any second anchor exists that both is a duplicate of the first anchor and is associated with any second augmented reality session at the first location;

c) if no second anchor exists, the server associating the allowed first anchor with the first session at the first location and responding that the first anchor is allowed, otherwise responding that the first anchor is not allowed and repeating steps a), b), and c) with a different first anchor;

whereby a plurality of augmented reality devices having access to the server can share the first session on the basis of the allowed first anchor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the different first anchor is a different configuration of the first anchor.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

d) indicating, with the server, a different configuration of the first anchor for which there is currently no second anchor.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

d) indicating with the server that no configuration of the first anchor is currently allowable.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

d) indicating the different first anchor for which there is currently no second anchor with the server, wherein the different first anchor is selected by the server from an inventory of available anchors.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first location corresponds to proximity to at least a first wireless station.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first location corresponds to a latitude and longitude coordinate and global positioning system readings within a predetermined value of the coordinate.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

d) accepting a second request with the server, from a first augmented reality device at the first location, to join some existing augmented reality session at the first location;

e) if only one augmented reality session exists at the first location, responding with the server that the first augmented reality device joins the first augmented reality session, otherwise responding with the server that the first augmented reality device joins the first augmented reality session on the basis that the second request further identifies the first anchor.

15. An augmented reality device comprising:

a camera;

a processor, the processor configured to receive a first image of a first anchor from the camera, recognize the first anchor, determine an apparent distance and orientation of the first anchor relative to the camera, and produce a second image from the first image, the second image augmented with graphics relative to the first anchor; and

,

a display for a user, the processor further configured to present the second image on the display;

wherein the processor has communication with a server and further performs the steps of;

a) sending a request to the server that the first anchor be associated with a first augmented reality session at a first location;

b) receiving a response to the request from the server;

c) accepting the first anchor for the first session if the response indicates that the first anchor is allowable, otherwise repeating steps a), b), and c) with a different first anchor.

16. The augmented reality device of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to recommend the different first anchor on the basis of an inventory of available anchors.

17. The augmented reality device of claim 15 wherein at least one feature associated with the first anchor is reserved by the processor for when the first anchor is a physical model and not when the first anchor is a proxy for the physical model.

18. The augmented reality device of claim 15 further comprising:

a wireless communication module connected to the processor;

wherein the first location corresponds to proximity to at least a first wireless station.

19. The augmented reality device of claim 15 further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) module connected to the processor;

wherein the first location corresponds to a latitude and longitude coordinate and GPS readings within a predetermined value of the coordinate.