Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for providing a constant level of information in augmented reality

• US 8,963,954 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sandberg, Jesper
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US12/827,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 345419-427, 345632-634, 348113-116, 348/333.02
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a constant level of information in an augmented reality environment may include a processor and memory storing executable computer program code that cause the apparatus to at least perform operations including determining a first number of points of interest associated with a first set of real world objects of a current location(s). The first set of real world objects is currently displayed. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to determine whether the first number is below a predetermined threshold and may increase a view range of a device to display a second set of real world objects. The view range may be increased in order to increase the first number to a second number of points of interest that corresponds to the threshold, based on determining that the first number is below the threshold. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first number of points of interest associated with a first set of real world objects, of at least one current location, currently being displayed;

determining, via a processor, whether the first number is below a predetermined threshold;

increasing a view range of a device to facilitate display of a second set of real world objects in order to increase the first number to a second number of points of interest that is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold in an instance in which the first number is below the threshold,

wherein the view range comprises the view at a distance and angle of the device;

facilitating provision of a plurality of information layers that relate in part to one or more items of virtual information corresponding to receipt of information indicative of the current location, wherein a first subset of the items of virtual information relate to at least the first set of objects and corresponds to a first information layer of the layers generated by a first content provider which creates the items of virtual information of the first subset;

assigning the predetermined threshold to the first information layer,

determining that a second subset of the items of virtual information relate to at least the first set of objects and corresponds to a second information layer of the layers generated by a second content provider which creates the items of virtual information of the second subset;

assigning a predefined threshold to the second information layer; and

facilitating display of a second quantity of points of interest associated with the first set of objects in an instance in which the second quantity is maintained equal to a value of the predefined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decreasing the view range of the device to facilitate removal of at least one object of the first set from being displayed to facilitate display of the second number of points of interest that equals the predetermined threshold in an instance in which the first number is above the threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein decreasing the first number to the second number of points of interest comprises determining that a quantity of points of interest remaining displayed after removal of at least a portion of the real world objects of the first set from the display equals the predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the view range comprises a distance from the device to a point in a real world environment for capturing one or more images of the objects being displayed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the first number to the second number of points of interest comprises determining that a quantity of points of interest associated with the first set and the second set of objects equals the predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating display of a first quantity of points of interest associated with the first set of objects in an instance in which the quantity is maintained equal to a value of the predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined threshold and the predefined threshold comprise different values.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a size of at least one point of interest corresponding to a respective one of the real world objects of the first set; and

increasing or decreasing at least the first number of points of interest based on the comparison of the size to a predefined threshold.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

determine a first number of points of interest associated with a first set of real world objects, of at least one current location, currently being displayed;

determine whether the first number is below a predetermined threshold;

increase a view range of a device to facilitate display of a second set of real world objects in order to increase the first number to a second number of points of interest that is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold in an instance in which the first number is below the threshold,

wherein the view range comprises the view at a distance and angle of the device;

facilitate provision of a plurality of information layers that relate in part to one or more items of virtual information corresponding to receipt of information indicative of the current location, wherein a first subset of the items of virtual information relate to at least the first set of objects and corresponds to a first information layer of the layers generated by a first content provider which creates the items of virtual information of the first subset;

assign the predetermined threshold to the first information layer;

determine that a second subset of the items of virtual information relate to at least the first set of objects and corresponds to a second information layer of the layers generated by a second content provider which creates the items of virtual information of the second subset;

assign a predefined threshold to the second information layer; and

facilitate display of a second quantity of points of interest associated with the first set of objects in an instance in which the second quantity is maintained equal to a value of the predefined threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

decrease the view range of the device to facilitate removal of at least one object of the first set from being displayed to facilitate display of the second number of points of interest that equals the predetermined threshold in an instance in which the first number is above the threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to decrease the first number to the second number of points of interest by determining that a quantity of points of interest remaining displayed after removal of at least a portion of the real world objects of the first set from the display equals the predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine that the view range comprises a distance from the device to a point in a real world environment for capturing one or more images of the objects being displayed.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to increase the first number to the second number of points of interest by determining that a quantity of points of interest associated with the first set and the second set of objects equals the predetermined threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

facilitate display of a first quantity of points of interest associated with the first set of objects in an instance in which the quantity is maintained equal to a value of the predetermined threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predetermined threshold and the predefined threshold comprise different values.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

compare a size of at least one point of interest corresponding to a respective one of the real world objects of the first set; and

increase or decrease at least the first number of points of interest based on the comparison of the size to a predefined threshold.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising:

program code instructions for determining a first number of points of interest associated with a first set of real world objects, of at least one current location, currently being displayed;

program code instructions for determining whether the first number is below a predetermined threshold;

program code instructions for facilitating increase of a view range of a device to facilitate display of a second set of real world objects in order to increase the first number to a second number of points of interest that is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold in an instance in which the first number is below the threshold,

wherein the view range comprises the view at a distance and angle of the device;

program code instructions for facilitating provision of a plurality of information layers that relate in part to one or more items of virtual information corresponding to receipt of information indicative of the current location, wherein a first subset of the items of virtual information relate to at least the first set of objects and corresponds to a first information layer of the layers generated by a first content provider which creates the items of virtual information of the first subset;

program code instructions for assigning the predetermined threshold to the first information layer;

program code instructions for determining that a second subset of the items of virtual information relate to at least the first set of objects and corresponds to a second information layer of the layers generated by a second content provider which creates the items of virtual information of the second subset;

program code instructions for assigning a predefined threshold to the second information layer; and

program code instructions for facilitating display of a second quantity of points of interest associated with the first set of objects in an instance in which the second quantity is maintained equal to a value of the predefined threshold.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

program code instructions for decreasing the view range of the device to facilitate removal of at least one object of the first set from being displayed to facilitate display of the second number of points of interest that equals the predetermined threshold in an instance in which the first number is above the threshold.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

program code instructions for determining that the view range comprises a distance from the device to a point in a real world environment for capturing one or more images of the objects being displayed.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein facilitating increase of the first number to the second number of points of interest comprises determining that a quantity of points of interest associated with the first set and the second set of objects equals the predetermined threshold.