Powered augmented reality projection accessory display device

• US 8,845,110 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rawles, LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Worley, William Spencer III
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US12/977,949
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 353 69- 70, 353/79, 353/119, 353/122, 359/290, 359/238, 359/576, 349/5, 349 7- 9, 349/33, 348743-747, 348135-140
• US Class Current: 353/79
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

An augmented reality system may generate an augmented reality environment by projecting images onto various surfaces within a scene. A projection accessory display device (PADD) provides known characteristics for projection, and may be configured to simplify generation and maintenance of the projected image upon the PADD. The PADD may also provide one or more input devices which accept input from a user within the augmented reality environment. The PADD may comprise non-electronic passive components, electronic active components, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. An augmented reality projection accessory display device (PADD) for use in an augmented reality environment, the PADD comprising:

a chassis; and

a projection surface coupled to the chassis and configured to present a projected image from a remotely located augmented reality functional node comprising a projector that at least in part introduces an augmented reality into the augmented reality environment, the projection surface including at least a primary viewing region having a first reflectance response based on an angle of incident light and a secondary viewing region having a second, different reflectance response based on the angle of the incident light.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the projection surface further comprises a watermark.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the watermark encodes a pseudorandom noise pattern and is configured to be imaged with a non-visible wavelength of light.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first reflectance response changes such that as the angle of incident light increases, relative to a perpendicular arrangement of the projection surface and the incident light, then the reflectance decreases, and wherein the second response changes such that as the angle of incident light increases, relative to the perpendicular arrangement of the projection surface and the incident light, then the reflectance increases.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein first reflectance response is configured to reflect a greater amount of light incident within a pre-determined preferential angular range relative to the projection surface than an amount of light incident reflected outside of the pre-determined preferential angular range relative to the projection surface.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the second viewing region is disposed along at least a portion of a perimeter of the projection surface.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising an active component coupled to the chassis and configured to interact with the augmented reality functional node, wherein the active component comprises an active alignment indicator configured to provide visual feedback suitable for a user to maintain a pre-determined preferential angle between the projection surface and the projector of the augmented reality functional node.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising an active component coupled to the chassis and configured to interact with the augmented reality functional node, wherein the active component comprises a photovoltaic array configured to generate electrical power from incident light produced at least in part by the projector of the augmented reality functional node.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an active component coupled to the chassis and configured to interact with the augmented reality functional node, wherein the active component comprises a wireless power receiver configured to generate electrical power from incident electromagnetic radiation.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein a wireless power transmitter external to the PADD and coupled to the augmented reality functional node generates the electromagnetic radiation.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising an active component coupled to the chassis and configured to interact with the augmented reality functional node, wherein the active component comprises a pair of counter-rotating gyroscopes configured to stabilize the chassis during projection of the projected image onto the projection surface.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein one or both of the gyroscopes is further configured to store and release electrical power.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising an active component coupled to the chassis and configured to interact with the augmented reality functional node, wherein the active component comprises one or more orientation beacons configured to provide orientation cues to the augmented reality functional node as to an orientation of the PADD relative to the augmented reality functional node.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a passive component configured to be scanned by the augmented reality functional node.

15. The device of claim 1, embodied as a table top or countertop.

16. A device comprising:

a projection surface in an augmented reality environment, the projection surface configured to present an image as part of an augmented reality environment, the image comprising a projected image generated by a remote projector;

a power source coupled to the projection surface and configured to provide electrical power; and

an active component coupled to the projection surface and configured to consume at least a portion of the electrical power, wherein the active component comprises one or more touch sensors configured to receive touch input and transmit signals in response to the touch input for use in the augmented reality environment.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the active component further comprises an active alignment indicator configured to provide visual feedback suitable for a user to manipulate the projection surface to maintain a pre-determined preferential angle between the projection surface and the remote projector.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the active component is further configured to communicate with an external device in the augmented reality environment.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein communicating comprises optical, radio frequency, or acoustic signaling.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more touch sensors is an interpolating force sensitive resistor touch sensor.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more touch sensors is a biomedical sensor configured to receive biomedical input from a user and transmit signals in response to the biomedical input for use in the augmented reality environment.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the active component further comprises one or more haptic actuators configured to receive information from a remote device within the augmented reality environment and at least partly in response to that information generate haptic output.

23. A device participating in an augmented reality environment, the device comprising:

a chassis;

a projection surface coupled to the chassis and configured to present a projected image generated by a remote projector in the augmented reality environment;

a power source coupled to the chassis and configured to provide electrical power; and

an active component coupled to the chassis and configured to consume at least a portion of the electrical power from the power source, the active component including a communication module configured to communicate with one or more augmented reality functional modules, wherein the one or more augmented reality functional modules are configured at least in part to transmit data directly or indirectly to the remote projector.

24. The device of claim 23, further comprising an accelerometer, rotation sensor, or both, to provide motion information to the one or more augmented reality functional modules using the communication module.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the projection surface includes at least a primary viewing region having a first reflectance response based on an angle of incident light and a secondary viewing region having a second, different reflectance response based on the angle of the incident light.

26. The device of claim 23, further comprising one or more input devices configured to receive input from a user and to communicate the input to the one or more augmented reality functional modules using the communication module.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein at least one of the one or more input devices is a biomedical sensor configured to receive biomedical input from a user and transmit signals in response to the biomedical input for use in the augmented reality environment.

28. The device of claim 23, embodied as a table top or countertop.

29. A device comprising:

a chassis;

a projection surface coupled to the chassis and configured to present a projected image from a remotely located augmented reality functional node comprising a projector that at least in part introduces an augmented reality into an environment;

a power source coupled to the chassis and configured to provide electrical power; and

a pair of counter-rotating gyroscopes coupled to the chassis and configured to consume at least a portion of the electrical power, the pair of counter-rotating gyroscopes configured to stabilize the chassis.

30. The device of claim 29, further comprising a photovoltaic array configured to generate at least a portion of the electrical power from incident light produced at least in part by the projector of the augmented reality functional node.

31. The device of claim 29, further comprising a wireless power receiver configured to generate at least a portion of the electrical power from incident electromagnetic radiation.

32. The device of claim 29, wherein the pair of counter-rotating gyroscopes is selectively activated in response to a detected interaction with the device.