SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING MEDIA WITH OPTICALLY NARROWCAST CONTENT

• US 20170280113A1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aron Surefire, LLC
• Original Assignee: SureFire LLC (Surefire Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Shatz, Narkis E., Bortz, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,097,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0009 having refractive surfaces only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0023 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/009 for use with infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0095 for use with ultraviolet radiation
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 : Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 : Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/50 : Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/516 : Details of coding or modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/5162 : Return-to-zero modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/541 : Digital intensity or amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/60 : Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/615 : Arrangements affecting the optical part of the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/616 : Details of the electronic signal processing in coherent optical receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/66 : Non-coherent receivers, e.g. using direct detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/697 : Arrangements for reducing noise and distortion
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 : Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 : Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 : The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 : Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 : Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 : Adaptations for optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for optical narrowcasting are provided for transmitting various types of content. Optical narrowcasting content indicative of the presence of additional information along with identifying information may be transmitted. The additional information (which may include meaningful amounts of advertising information, media, or any other content) may also be transmitted as optical narrowcasting content. Elements of an optical narrowcasting system may include optical transmitters and optical receivers which can be configured to be operative at distances ranging from, e.g., 400 meters to 1200 meters. Moreover, the elements can be implemented on a miniaturized scale in conjunction with small, user devices such as smartphones, thereby also realizing optical ad-hoc networking, as well as interoperability with other types of data networks. Optically narrowcast content can be used to augment a real-world experience, enhance and/or spawn new forms of social-media and media content.

Claims

1. A signal-enhanced media system configured to enhance captured media with optically narrowcast content, the system comprising:

an optical receiver assembly adapted to receive the optically narrowcast content extracted from one or more optical beams transmitted by one or more optical transmitter assemblies; and

an enhanced media component adapted to;

receive at least one media representation of a real-world scene; and

embed the optically narrowcast content within or as part of the at least one media representation to generate an enhanced media dataset.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more optical beams comprise an optical beacon including beacon information indicative of a presence or availability of additional or other information associated with a source of the optical beacon.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the beacon information further comprises information identifying the source of the optical beacon.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the beacon information further comprises information regarding the source of the optical beacon.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more optical beams comprise an optical signal including signal information comprising the additional or other information associated with the source of the optical beacon.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the enhanced media component is adapted to embed two or more portions of the optically narrowcast content into two or more respective media representations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one media representation comprises at least one of a photographic, video, or audio representation of the real-world scene.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the enhanced media dataset comprises the at least one of the photographic, video, or audio representations of the real-world scene in combination with information regarding a horizontal and vertical position of each of the one or more optical transmitter assemblies, each of the one or more optical transmitter assemblies being detected in a field of view of the optical receiver assembly.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the enhanced media dataset comprises the at least one of the photographic, video, or audio representations of the real-world scene in combination with at least one of a timestamp or a geographical position of the optical receiver assembly associated at a time during which the optical receiver assembly received the optically narrowcast content.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising, a communications interface adapted to at least one of store or transmit the enhanced media dataset to one or more user devices adapted to consume the enhanced media dataset in real-time or non-real-time.

11. A media presentation system comprising:

one or more physical processors; and

a memory having computer code being executed to cause the one or more physical processors to;

receive an enhanced media dataset;

detect existence of optically narrowcast content embedded within or as part of the enhanced media dataset;

extract some or all of the embedded optically narrowcast content from the enhanced media dataset; and

present some or all of the embedded optically narrowcast content with a presentation of some or all of a media representation portion of the enhanced media dataset.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the media representation portion of the enhanced media dataset comprises at least one of a photographic, video, or audio representation of a real-world scene captured in conjunction with at least one of beacon information or signal information comprising the embedded optically narrowcast content.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the beacon information comprises information identifying a source entity from which the optically narrowcast content is transmitted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the signal information comprises information other than the identifying information that is associated with the source entity.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the embedded optically narrowcast content is represented as one or more interactive graphical elements overlaid on the media representation portion of the enhanced media dataset.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the presentation of some or all of the media representation portion of the enhanced media dataset is navigable to bring the one or more interactive graphical elements representing the embedded optically narrowcast content into view commensurate with a location of one or more optical transmitter assemblies from which the optically narrowcast content is transmitted.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit operatively connected to the processor, the memory unit having stored thereon, computer code which when executed causes the processor to perform the following;

capture at least one media representation of a real-world scene in which one or more optical beams transmitted by an optical transmitter are received;

embed optically narrowcast content extracted from the one or more optical beams within the at least one media representation; and

transmit an enhanced media dataset comprising some or all of the embedded optically narrowcast content and some or all of the at least one media representation for presentation pursuant to extraction of the some or all of the embedded optically narrowcast content from the enhanced media dataset.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is operatively connected to an optical receiver, the optical receiver receiving the one or more optical beams transmitted by the optical transmitter and extracting the optically narrowcast content.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer code causes the processor to capture the at least one media representation during the same or similar time period during which the one or more optical beams are received.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein one or more propagation directions from which light is received in the capturing of the at least one media representation coincides with one or more propagation directions from which the one or more optical beams are received.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is operatively connected to a user device to which the enhanced media dataset is transmitted.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit operatively connected to the processor, the memory unit having stored thereon, computer code which when executed causes the processor to perform the following;

receive an enhanced media dataset comprising optically narrowcast content embedded in at least one media representation of a real-world scene in which one or more optical beams are transmitted from one or more optical transmitters, wherein the optically narrowcast content is extracted from the one or more optical beams;

extract the optically narrowcast content from the enhanced media dataset;

extract the at least one media representation of the real-world scene; and

present some or all of the at least one media representation of the real-world scene and some or all of the optically narrowcast content.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the computer code causes the processor to present some or all of the at least one media representation of the real-world scene and some or all of the optically narrowcast content in conjunction with each other.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the computer code causes the processor to present one or more user-selectable symbols representative of some or all of the optically narrowcast content as one or more overlays on the at least one media representation, selection of the one or more user-selectable symbols revealing associated optically narrowcast content.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the computer code causes the processor to present the one or more user-selectable symbols in one or more locations on the at least one media representation commensurate with one or more locations of the one or more optical transmitters during a process of capturing the at least one media representation of the real-world scene.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the computer code causes the processor to present some or all of the at least one media representation of the real-world scene and some or all of the optically narrowcast content separately from each other.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the computer code causes the processor to present some or all of the at least one media representation of the real-world scene and some or all of the optically narrowcast content as user-navigable media content.