Ambulatory system to communicate visual projections

• US 9,324,189 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Vaughn, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atala, Jamie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hansell, Jr., Richard A
• Application Number:
  US14/040,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20150092020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 348/47, 348/144
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3176 wherein the projection device is incorporated in a camera details of cameras adapted for combination with a projector not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B17/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor

Abstract

An ambulatory system to communicate visual projections. An embodiment of an apparatus for ambulatory communication includes: a propulsion system to enable the apparatus to fly, including to hover in place and to follow a user; a stereo camera to record an image of a user of the apparatus or a scene nearby the user of the apparatus; a transmitter to transmit video data generated by the stereo camera to a second apparatus via network for a communication with a remote user; a receiver to receive video data via the network from the remote user; and a video projection mechanism to project an image including the received video to the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for ambulatory communication comprising:

a propulsion system to enable the apparatus to fly, including to hover in place and to follow a user;

a stereo camera to record an image of a user of the apparatus or a scene nearby the user of the apparatus;

a transmitter to transmit video data generated by the stereo camera to a second apparatus via network for a communication with a remote user;

a receiver to receive video data via the network from the second apparatus; and

a video projection mechanism to project an image including the received video from the apparatus directly onto an eye or eyes of the user using a laser projection;

wherein the apparatus does not include a projection screen, and wherein the image is viewable by the user without use of virtual reality goggles or other wearable element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image projected directly onto the eye or eyes of the user includes an image of the remote user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is to operate cooperatively with a mobile device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transmitter is to transmit the video data via the mobile device to the network and the receiver is to receive video data via the mobile device from the network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video projection mechanism is a Virtual Retinal Display (VRD).

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an audio projection mechanism to project audio data to the user, wherein the receiver is further to receive the audio data via the network, and wherein the audio projection mechanism is to project audio to the user utilizing heterodyning in a focused beam such that only the user is able to hear the audio.

7. A system for ambulatory communication comprising:

a first set of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for operation with a first user; and

a second set of one or more UAVs for operation with a second user;

wherein the first set of UAVs and the second set of UAVs are operable to support a communication session between the first user and the second user;

wherein each of the sets of UAVs includes;

a stereo camera to record an image of the user of the apparatus or a scene nearby the user of the apparatus,

a transmitter to transmit video data generated by the stereo camera to the other set of UAVs,

a receiver to receive video data via the network from the other set of UAVs, and

a video projection mechanism to project an image including the received video directly from the video projection mechanism onto an eye or eyes of the user of the set of UAVs using a laser projection;

wherein the system does not include a projection screen, and wherein the image is viewable by the user without use of virtual reality goggles or other wearable element.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a first mobile device to operate cooperatively with the first set of UAVs and a second mobile device to operate cooperatively with the second set of UAVs.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each set of UAVs is to transmit data via the respective mobile device, and wherein each set of UAVs is to receive data via the respective mobile device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first mobile device is operable to record audio from the first user and the second mobile device is operable to record audio from the second user.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the video projection mechanism of the first or second set of UAVs is to project a blended reality image directly onto the eye or eyes of the respective user, the blended reality image including a first video image that has been recorded by the other set of UAVs and a second video image that has not been recorded by either the first or second set of UAVs.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second video image is an image of a location in which neither the first user or the second user is located.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver of each of the sets of UAVs is further to receive audio data via the network from the other set of UAVs, wherein each of the sets of UAVs further includes an audio projection mechanism to project the audio data to the user of the set of UAVs.

14. A method comprising:

commencing a communication between a local user and a remote user;

initiating an ambulatory communication session for the local user and the remote user;

enabling at least one autonomous device, wherein each autonomous device is operable to hover and follow the local user;

recording by the at least one autonomous device a stereo image of the local user or a scene;

transmitting data for the recorded stereo image to a remote device for the remote user;

receiving stereo video data from the remote device; and

projecting to the local user by the at least one autonomous device an image including projecting the received stereo video data directly onto an eye or eyes of the local user using a laser projection;

wherein the projection of the image does not include a projection screen, and wherein the image is viewable by the user without use of virtual reality goggles or other wearable element.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the image projected directly onto the eye or eyes of the local user is a blended image including a first image recorded by the remote device and a second image that is not recorded by the remote device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

recording audio of the local user;

transmitting data for the recorded audio to the remote user;

receiving audio data from the remote user; and

projecting to the local user by the at least one autonomous device audio including the received audio data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the recording of the audio of the local user is performed by the at least one autonomous device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the recording of the audio of the local user is performed using a mobile device operated by the local user, the mobile device to operate cooperatively with the at least one autonomous device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

commencing a communication between a local user and a remote user;

initiating an ambulatory communication session for the local user and the remote user;

enabling at least one autonomous device, wherein each autonomous device is operable to hover and follow the local user;

recording by the at least one autonomous device a stereo image of the local user or a scene;

transmitting data for the recorded stereo image and the recorded audio to a remote device for the remote user;

receiving stereo video data from the remote device; and

projecting to the local user by the at least one autonomous device an image including projecting the received stereo video data directly onto an eye or eyes of the local user using a laser projection;

wherein the projection of the image does not include a projection screen, and wherein the image is viewable by the user without use of virtual reality goggles or other wearable element.

20. The medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

recording audio of the local user;

transmitting data for the recorded audio to the remote device;

receiving audio data from the remote device; and

projecting to the local user by the at least one autonomous device audio including the received audio data.

21. The medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

stitching together a first image recorded by the remote user and a second image that is not recorded by the remote user, the blended image being the image projected directly onto the eye or eyes of the local user by the at least one autonomous device.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the first image is an image of the remote user and the second image is an image of a location in which the local user and the remote user are not located.

23. A system for ambulatory communication comprising:

a first set of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for operation with a first user; and

a second set of one or more UAVs for operation with a second user;

wherein the first set of UAVs and the second set of UAVs are operable to support a communication session between the first user and the second user;

wherein the first set of one or more UAVs are subject to control for a service by the second user upon granting of permission for such control by the first user; and

wherein each of the sets of UAVs includes;

a stereo camera to record an image of the user of the apparatus or a scene nearby the user of the apparatus,

a transmitter to transmit video data generated by the stereo camera to the other set of UAVs,

a receiver to receive video data via the network from the other set of UAVs, and a video projection mechanism to project an image including the received video directly from the video projection mechanism onto an eye or eyes of the user of the set of UAVs using a laser projection;

wherein the apparatus does not include a projection screen, and wherein the image is viewable by the user without use of virtual reality goggles or other wearable element.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a first mobile device to operate cooperatively with the first set of UAVs and a second mobile device to operate cooperatively with the second set of UAVs.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein each set of UAVs is to transmit data via the respective mobile device, and wherein each set of UAVs is to receive data via the respective mobile device.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the first mobile device is operable to record audio from the first user and the second mobile device is operable to record audio from the second user.