Virtual notes in a reality overlay

• US 9,191,238 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Douris, Stephan, Crane, Barry, Perry, Marc, Athsani, Athellina, Kalaboukis, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US12/177,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,673 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 345/629
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/14 for overflow or underflow handling, e.g. full or empty flags
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Virtual notes are provided that enable virtual communications between users. A user is enabled to input content into a note using an electronic device. The user is enabled to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity to generate a virtual note. The user is enabled to position the virtual representation of the virtual note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity. The user is enabled to configure at least one attribute associated with the virtual note. The generated virtual note is transmitted to a notes database. Subsequent users can view and otherwise interact with the virtual note by interacting with the entity associated with the virtual note. For example, the subsequent users can interact with the virtual note by approaching the entity, or by viewing the entity on a map displayed by an electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling, by a processor, a user to input content into a note configured for association with a fixed entity or a mobile entity;

enabling, by the processor, the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with one of the fixed entity or the mobile entity other than the user located in a region in a real world space while viewing an image of the entity and displayed by the electronic device;

selecting, by the processor, one or more properties of the entity for storage in the note, the properties are selected based on the entity being the fixed entity or a mobile entity;

enabling, by the processor, the user to position the virtual representation of the note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity located in the real world space while the user is located in the region and viewing the image of the entity via the electronic device, wherein the user is enabled to position the virtual representation via an adjust note mode that facilitates positioning the virtual representation in the virtual space based on movement of the electronic device by the user,

the adjust note mode further comprises a snap-to function that facilitates snapping the virtual representation in the virtual space to a surface or an edge of the entity in the image; and

enabling the user, by the processor, to set viewing permissions of a contact for the note by associating the contact with one of a plurality of user groups, the plurality of user groups are associated with a plurality of permission levels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location, wherein said enabling the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity comprises:

enabling the user to associate the virtual representation of the note with a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling, by the processor, the user to configure at least one attribute associated with the note.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one of an expiration date, a metadata, or an alert setting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the processor, the note to a notes database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity comprises:

determining, by the processor, a location of the user; and

associating, by the processor, the virtual representation of the note with the determined location of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling the user to position the virtual representation of the note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity comprises:

enabling, by the processor, the user to modify an orientation of the virtual representation of the note in the virtual space.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

a processor readable storage medium comprising components executable by the processor, the components comprising;

a user interface configured to enable a user to input note content, the note being configured for association with a fixed entity or a mobile entity;

a note processing module configured to receive the note content from the user interface and generate the note that includes the note content, the note processing module further enables the user to associate one of the fixed entity or the mobile entity other than the user located in a region in a real world space with the note while viewing an image of the entity captured and displayed by the electronic device with the note, wherein one or more properties of the entity are saved in the note based on the entity being the fixed entity or the mobile entity;

a rendering module configured to generate a virtual representation of the note to be displayed in a virtual space superimposed on the entity located in the real world space and wherein the user interface is configured to enable the user to position the virtual representation of the note in the virtual space while the user is located in the region and viewing the image of the entity, the rendering module provides an adjust note mode that enables the user to position the virtual representation in the virtual space based on movement of the electronic device by the user,

the adjust note mode further comprises a snap-to function that upon activation facilitates snapping the virtual representation in the virtual space to a surface or edge of the entity in the image;

a group selector configured to enable the user to set viewing permissions of a contact for the note by enabling the user to add the contact to one of a plurality of user groups that are associated with a plurality of user permission levels.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the note processing module is configured to enable the user to configure at least one attribute associated with the note.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one of an expiration date, a metadata, or an alert setting.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a communication module configured to transmit the note to a notes database.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a location determiner configured to determine a location of the electronic device; and

wherein the note processing module is configured to associate the virtual representation of the note with the determined location of the electronic device as the entity.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the user interface is configured to enable the user to select the entity on a map displayed by an electronic device;

and wherein the note processing module is configured to associate the virtual representation of the note with the selected entity.

15. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the user interface is configured to enable the user to modify an orientation of the virtual representation of the note in the virtual space.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having tangibly stored thereon computer program logic for executing by a processing unit, the computer program logic comprising:

computer program logic that enables the processing unit to enable a user to input content into a note configured for association with a fixed entity or a mobile entity;

computer program logic that enables the processing unit to enable the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with one of the fixed entity or the mobile entity other than the user located in a region in a real world space while an image of the entity is captured and displayed by the electronic device;

computer program logic that enables the processor to select one or more properties of the entity for storage in the note, the properties are selected based on the entity being the fixed entity or the mobile entity;

computer program logic that enables the processing unit to enable the user to position the virtual representation of the note in a virtual space superimposed on the entity located in the real world space while the user is located in the region and viewing the image of the entity captured by the electronic device that is displayed by the electronic device, the computer program logic that enables the user to position the virtual representation comprises logic that provides an adjust note mode that enables the user to position the virtual representation in the virtual space based on movement of the electronic device by the user, the adjust note logic further comprises logic for a snap-to function that facilitates snapping the virtual representation in the virtual space to a surface or edge of that entity in the image; and

computer program logic that enables the processing unit to enable the user to set viewing permissions of a contact for the note by associating the contact with one of a plurality of user groups, the plurality of user groups are associated with a plurality of permission levels.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the entity is a living being, an object, or a geographical location, wherein said computer program logic that enables the processing unit to enable the user to associate a virtual representation of the note with an entity comprises:

computer program logic that enables the processing unit to enable the user to associate the virtual representation of the note with a living being, an object, or a geographical location.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

computer program logic that enables the processing unit to enable the user to configure at least one attribute associated with the note.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the at least one attribute includes at least one of an expiration date, a metadata, or an alert setting.