Method and apparatus for creating virtual graffiti in a mobile virtual and augmented reality system

• US 8,350,871 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gyorfi, Julius S., Buhrke, Eric R., Lopez, Juan M., Yu, Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Application Number:
  US12/365,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20100194782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 345/633
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for easily creating virtual graffiti that will be left for a particular device to view. During operation a device will be placed near a first point that is used to define a boundary for the virtual graffiti. The device will locate the first point, and use the point to define the boundary. The device will receive an image that is to be used as virtual graffiti, and will fit the image within the boundary of the virtual graffiti. For example, the device may be consecutively placed near four points that will define a polygon to be used as the boundary for the virtual graffiti. An image will then be received, and the image will be fit within the polygon.

Claims

1. A method for a device to create virtual graffiti, the method comprising the steps of:

the device being placing near a first point;

the device determining a location of the first point;

the device using the location of the first point to define a user created polygonal boundary for the virtual graffiti;

the first point is used to connect with at least four additional points for shaping the polygonal boundary beyond a rectangular shape and into a curved 3-dimensional shape for containing the virtual graffiti;

the device receiving an image to be used as the virtual graffiti; and

the device providing the image and information on the boundary to a server, wherein the server provides the virtual graffiti to a user when that user is near a location of the virtual graffiti.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

the device creating the virtual graffiti by fitting the image within the boundary for the virtual graffiti.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

the device determining a location of the virtual graffiti;

the device receiving a list of devices that may view the virtual graffiti;

the device providing the virtual graffiti, the location of the virtual graffiti, and the list to a server, wherein the server provides the virtual graffiti to a user on the list when that user is near the location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

the device determining a location of the virtual graffiti;

the device receiving a list of devices that may view the virtual graffiti;

the device additionally providing the location and the list to a server, wherein the server provides the virtual graffiti to a user on the list when that user is near the location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the image and the information on the boundary to a server comprises the step of wirelessly transmitting the image and the information on the boundary to a server.

6. A method for a device to create virtual graffiti, the method comprising the steps of:

the device being placing near a first point;

the device determining a location of the first point;

the device being placed near a second point;

the device determining a location of the second point;

the device determining a user created polygonal boundary for the virtual graffiti by using at least the location of the first point and the location of the second point as vertices for the boundary for the virtual graffiti;

the first point and second points are connected to at least three additional points for shaping the polygonal boundary beyond a rectangular shape and into a curved 3-dimensional shape for containing the virtual graffiti;

the device receiving an image to be used as virtual graffiti; and

the device creating the virtual graffiti by fitting the image within the polygonal boundary of the virtual graffiti.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

the device determining a location of the virtual graffiti;

the device receiving a list of devices that may view the virtual graffiti;

the device providing the virtual graffiti, the location, and the list of devices that may view the virtual graffiti to a server, wherein the server provides the virtual graffiti to a user on the list when that user is near the location.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of providing comprises the step of wirelessly transmitting.

9. An apparatus comprising:

location circuitry;

logic circuitry accessing the location circuitry to determine a location of at least five points used to define a user created polygonal boundary, beyond a rectangle shape, and into a curved 3-dimensional shape for containing the virtual graffiti, the logic circuitry then receiving an image to be used as virtual graffiti; and

a transmitter providing the image and information on the polygonal boundary to a server, wherein the server provides the virtual graffiti to a user when that user is near a location of the virtual graffiti.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a database; and

wherein the logic circuitry obtains the image from the database and creates the virtual graffiti by fitting the image within the boundary for the virtual graffiti.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the logic circuitry determines a location of the virtual graffiti and receives a list of devices that may view the virtual graffiti, and wherein the transmitter provides the location and the list to a server, wherein the server provides the virtual graffiti to a user on the list when that user is near the location.