Virtual encounters

• US 8,600,550 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beyond Imagination Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kurzweil Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kurzweil, Raymond C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/734,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20050131580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,644 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/70, 700/78, 700/83, 706/1, 348/14.01, 463/30, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/32, 345/156, 345/158, 345/163, 345/418, 345/419, 345/420, 345/421, 345/427, 345/428, 345/473, 345/474, 345/619, 345/632, 715/757, 715/848, 715/850, 715/856, 318/561, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/601, 359/368, 359/630, 180/8.1, 180/8.6, 709/201, 709/204, 709/206, 382/293, 600/38
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A virtual reality encounter system includes motion sensors positioned on a human user. The motion sensors send motion signals corresponding to movements of the user as detected by the motion sensors relative to a reference point, the motion signals are transmitted over a communications network. The system also includes a humanoid robot, receiving, from the communications network, the motion signals to induce movement of the robot according to movement of the human user.

Claims

1. A virtual reality encounter system comprising,

motion sensors positioned on a human user, the motion sensors sending motion signals corresponding to movements of the user, as detected by the motion sensors relative to a reference point, the motion signals sent over a communications network;

a set of goggles worn by the user, the goggles including a display to render video signals received from the communications network from at least one first camera; and

a first humanoid robot at a first location, receiving, from the communications network, the motion signals to induce movement of the first humanoid robot according to movement of the human user, the first humanoid robot further comprising;

the at least one first camera coupled to first humanoid robot, the first camera for sending video signals to the communications network for reception by the set of goggles, with the first humanoid robot having life-like features, and the first humanoid robot further comprising;

a body having a head portion with at least one eye socket, with the at least one first camera coupled to the head portion of the body in the at least one eye socket; and

a microphone coupled to the body, the microphone for sending audio signals to the communications network;

a transducer disposed in a headset worn by the user to transduce the audio signals received from the microphone;

wherein the first humanoid robot is at a first location, the user and the set of goggles are at a second, different location, the system further comprising;

a second humanoid robot in the second location, the second humanoid robot having a second microphone and at least one second camera for sending audio and video signals over the communication network;

a second set of goggles worn by a second user at the first location to receive the video signals from the first camera, via the communications network; and

a second transducer worn by the second user at the first location to receive the audio signals from the first microphone, via the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first humanoid robot includes actuators corresponding to the motion sensors, the actuators causing the first humanoid robot to move.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second humanoid robot has life-like features, the second humanoid robot comprises:

a body, the body having a head portion with at least one eye socket; and

with the at least one camera coupled to the head portion of the body in the at least one eye socket.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a microphone coupled to the body of the second humanoid robot, the microphone for sending audio signals to the communications network; and

a transducer disposed in a headset worn by the user, to transduce the audio signals received from the microphone.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second transducer is a earphone worn by the second user at the first location to receive the audio signals from the first microphone, via the communications network.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the body of the second humanoid robot includes an eye socket and the camera is positioned in the eye socket.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the body of the second humanoid robot includes an ear canal and the microphone is positioned within the ear canal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the first and the second set of goggles, comprises a receiver to receive the video signals.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the each of the first and second humanoid robots, comprise a transmitter to wirelessly send the audio signals, motion signals and the video signals to the communications network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network comprises:

a first communication gateway in the first location; and

a second communication gateway in the second location, the second gateway connected to the first gateway via the communications network.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each gateway further comprises:

an interface coupled to the communications network, the interface having one or more channels for;

receiving audio signals from a corresponding one of the first and second microphones;

receiving video signals from a corresponding one of the first and second cameras;

sending audio signals to a corresponding one of the first and second sets of goggles; and

sending audio signals to a corresponding one of the first and second transducers.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first communication gateway in the first location the first communication gateway further comprising;

a computing device that receives the motion signals and transmits the motion signals over the communications network.

13. A method of having a virtual encounter, comprising:

receiving, by a humanoid robot at a first location, motion signals sent by motion sensors over a communications network;

sending the motion signals from motion sensors that are positioned on a human user at a second location, the motion signals corresponding to movements of the human user as detected by the motion sensors relative to a reference point, the motion signals being transmitted over the communications network;

sending over the communication network first video signals captured by a first camera positioned on the humanoid robot;

receiving the first video signals from the first camera over the communications network, with receiving using a first set of goggles worn by the user at the second location, the first set of goggles including a display to render the received first video signals from the first camera;

sending over the communications network first audio signals, the first audio signals being produced from a microphone coupled to the humanoid robot;

transducing the first audio signals received from the communications network using a transducer at the second location;

inducing a movement of the humanoid robot according to movement of the human user;

sending second audio signals to the communications network from a second microphone coupled to a second robot at the second location, the second robot having life-like features;

sending second video signals to the communications network from a second camera coupled to the second robot;

rendering the second video signals received from the communications network using a second set of goggles worn by a second user at the first location; and

transducing the second audio signals received from the communications network using a second transducer on the second user at the first location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving motion signals comprises receiving motion signals at corresponding actuators coupled to the humanoid robot, with the actuators causing the humanoid robot to move.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein transducing the first audio signals uses the transducer in a headset worn by the first user at the second location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the humanoid robot is a first humanoid robot and the robot at the second location is a second humanoid robot and wherein the first and the second humanoid robots each comprise:

a body having a head portion with at least one eye socket, with the at least one camera coupled to the head portion of the body in the at least one eye socket; and

a microphone coupled to the body, the microphone for sending audio signals to the communications network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the humanoid robot and the robot include an eye socket and the respective one of the first and second cameras is positioned in the eye socket.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the humanoid robot and the robot include an ear canal and respective one has the microphone positioned within the ear canal.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of goggles, comprises a receiver to receive the video signals.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the humanoid robot and the robot further comprises a transmitter to wirelessly send the audio signals, the motion signals and the video signals to the communications network.

21. A virtual reality encounter system comprising,

motion sensors positioned on a human user, the motion sensors sending motion signals corresponding to movements of the user, as detected by the motion sensors relative to a reference point, the motion signals sent over a communications network;

a set of goggles worn by the user, the goggles including a display to render video signals received from the communications network from at least one camera; and

a humanoid robot at a first location, receiving, from the communications network, the motion signals to induce movement of the humanoid robot according to movement of the human user, the humanoid robot further comprising;

the at least one camera coupled to humanoid robot, the camera for sending video signals to the communications network for reception by the set of goggles, with the humanoid robot having life-like features, and the first humanoid robot further comprising;

a body having a head portion with at least one eye socket, with the at least one first camera coupled to the head portion of the body in the at least one eye socket; and

a microphone coupled to the body, the microphone for sending audio signals to the communications network;

a transducer disposed in a headset worn by the user to transduce the audio signals received from the microphone.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the humanoid robot includes actuators corresponding to the motion sensors, the actuators causing the humanoid robot to move.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a gateway device; and

an interface coupled to the communications network, the interface having one or more channels for;

receiving the audio signals from the microphone;

receiving the video signals from the camera;

sending the audio signals to the set of goggles; and

sending the audio signals to the transducer.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the body of the humanoid robot includes an eye socket and the camera is positioned in the eye socket, an ear canal and the microphone is positioned within the ear canal;

and the set of goggles, comprises a receiver to receive the video signals.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the humanoid robot, comprises a transmitter to wirelessly send the audio signals, motion signals and the video signals to the communications network.

26. A method of having a virtual encounter, comprising:

sending motion signals from motion sensors positioned on a human user, the motion signals corresponding to movements of the human user as detected by the motion sensors relative to a reference point, the motion signals being transmitted over a communications network;

receiving video signals from a camera via the communications network, with receiving using a set of goggles worn by the user, the goggles including a display to render the received video signals from the camera;

receiving, at a humanoid robot, the motion signals sent by the motion sensors, via the communications network;

sending video signals received from the camera positioned on the humanoid robot to the goggles, via the communication network;

sending audio signals over the communications network, the audio signals being produced from a microphone coupled to the robot;

transducing the audio signals received from the communications network using a transducer; and

inducing a movement of the robot according to movement of the human user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein receiving comprises receiving signals from the motion sensors at corresponding actuators coupled to the robot, causing a movement comprises the actuators causing the robot to move.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the robot is at a first location and the set of goggles is at a second location and the method further comprises:

sending audio signals to the communications network from a second microphone coupled to a second robot at the first location, the second robot having life-like features;

sending video signals to the communications network from a second camera coupled to the second robot having life-like features;

rendering the video signals received from the communications network onto a monitor coupled to a second set of goggles worn by a user at the first location; and

transducing the audio signals received from the communications network using a second transducer on the user at the first location.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the robot includes an eye socket and the camera is positioned in the eye socket, an ear canal and the microphone is within the ear canal.