Information processing apparatus and method, information processing system, and providing medium

• US 9,575,556 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US13/660,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 715/848
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• 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 3/0481 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

Abstract

The invention enables users to virtually attach information to situations in the real world, and also enables users to quickly and easily find out desired information. An IR sensor receives an IR signal transmitted from an IR beacon, and supplies the received signal to a sub-notebook PC. A CCD video camera takes in a visual ID from an object, and supplies the inputted visual ID to the sub-notebook PC. A user inputs, through a microphone, a voice to be attached to situations in the real world. The sub-notebook PC transmits position data, object data and voice data, which have been supplied to it, to a server through a communication unit. The transmitted data is received by the server via a wireless LAN. The server stores the received voice data in a database in correspondence to the position data and the object data.

Claims

1. A wearable augmentable reality user device comprising:

at least one processing unit configured to;

transmit, from the wearable augmentable reality user device, position information indicating a physical position of the wearable augmentable reality user device to a first information processing apparatus;

in response to transmitting the position information, receive, at the wearable augmentable reality user device, attachment information corresponding to the transmitted position information from a second information processing apparatus via a network; and

control a display to display an image with the attachment information along with distance scale information and direction information based on a current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device,

wherein the attachment information includes information inputted by a user using at least one of the wearable augmentable reality user device and another user device,

wherein the image includes a center O corresponding to the current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device and the distance scale information indicates a distance between the center O and the attachment information, and

wherein the attachment information includes information related to other physical positions near the physical position indicated by the transmitted position information.

2. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

control the display to display a combined image including image data and the attachment information.

3. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

receive the image data; and

generate the combined image by combining the image data and the attachment information.

4. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

start application software.

5. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment information includes an advertisement.

6. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment information includes information related to at least one of a virtual community, an information exchange service, and an on-line bulletin board.

7. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

control the display to display a first area that varies when the position information changes, and to display a second area that includes information independent of a change in the position information.

8. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

cause the display to display the attachment information as an icon.

9. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

input new attachment information to be attached to the position information.

10. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 9, wherein the new attachment information to be attached to the position information is input based on a user operation.

11. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 10, wherein the user operation is a drag and drop operation.

12. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 9, wherein the new attachment information is accessible by at least one other user device.

13. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment information includes personal information.

14. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 13, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

control the display to display a personal information area and another area, wherein the personal information is displayed in the personal information area.

15. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment information includes time information indicating at least one of a date and a time.

16. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment information includes a URL.

17. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment information includes at least one of image data, text data, and audio data.

18. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

transmit time information to the first information processing apparatus,

wherein the received attachment information corresponds to the transmitted time information.

19. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

control the display to display a search field.

20. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus are a same apparatus.

21. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a GPS device configured to detect the physical position,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

generate the position information based on the detection by the GPS device.

22. A wearable augmentable reality user device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

at least one of transmit the position information to the first information processing apparatus via wireless LAN and receive the attachment information from the second information processing apparatus via wireless LAN.

23. An information processing method comprising:

transmitting, from a wearable augmentable reality user device, position information indicating a physical position of the wearable augmentable reality user device to a first information processing apparatus;

in response to transmitting the position information, receiving, at the wearable augmentable reality user device, attachment information corresponding to the transmitted position information from a second information processing apparatus via a network; and

controlling, by the wearable augmentable reality user device, a display to display an image with the attachment information along with distance scale information and direction information based on a current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device,

wherein the attachment information includes information inputted by a user using at least one of the wearable augmentable reality user device and another user device,

wherein the image includes a center O corresponding to the current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device and the distance scale information indicates a distance between the center O and the attachment information, and

wherein the attachment information includes information related to other physical positions near the physical position indicated by the transmitted position information.

24. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a wearable augmentable reality user device to:

transmit, from the wearable augmentable reality user device, position information indicating a physical position of the wearable augmentable reality user device to a first information processing apparatus;

in response to transmitting the position information, receive, at the wearable augmentable reality user device, attachment information corresponding to the transmitted position information from a second information processing apparatus via a network; and

control a display to display an image with the attachment information along with distance scale information and direction information based on a current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device,

wherein the attachment information includes information inputted by a user using at least one of the wearable augmentable reality user device and another user device,

wherein the image includes a center O corresponding to the current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device and the distance scale information indicates a distance between the center O and the attachment information, and

wherein the attachment information includes information related to other physical positions near the physical position indicated by the transmitted position information.

25. An information processing device comprising:

a storage device configured to store position information indicating a physical position of a wearable augmentable reality user device and corresponding attachment information, wherein the attachment information includes information inputted by a user using the wearable augmentable reality user device; and

at least one processing unit configured to;

receive position information from the wearable augmentable reality user device;

in response to receiving the position information, transmit the stored attachment information corresponding to the received position information to the wearable augmentable reality user device via a network; and

control a display to display an image with the attachment information along with distance scale information and direction information based on a current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device,

wherein the image includes a center O corresponding to the current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device and the distance scale information indicates a distance between the center O and the attachment information, and

wherein the attachment information includes information related to other physical positions near the physical position indicated by the transmitted position information.

26. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the attachment information includes an advertisement.

27. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the attachment information includes information related to at least one of a virtual community, an information exchange service, and an on-line bulletin board.

28. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the attachment information includes an icon to be displayed.

29. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

receive new attachment information associated to the position information from the wearable augmentable reality user device; and

store the new attachment information in the storage device.

30. An information processing device according to claim 29, wherein the new attachment associated to the position information is input at the wearable augmentable reality user device by a user operation.

31. An information processing device according to claim 30, wherein the user operation is a drag and drop operation.

32. An information processing device according to claim 29, wherein the new attachment information is accessible from the storage device by at least one other user device.

33. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the attachment information includes personal information.

34. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the attachment information includes time information indicating at least one of a date and a time.

35. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the attachment information includes a URL.

36. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the attachment information includes at least one of image data, text data, and audio data.

37. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

receive time information from the wearable augmentable reality user device,

wherein the transmitted attachment information corresponds to the received time information.

38. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

receive a search request from the wearable augmentable reality user device.

39. An information processing device according to claim 25, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:

at least one of receive the position information from the wearable augmentable reality user device via wireless LAN, and transmit the attachment information to the wearable augmentable reality user device via wireless LAN.

40. An information processing method comprising:

storing, by a storage device, position information indicating a physical position of a wearable augmentable reality user device and corresponding attachment information, wherein the attachment information includes information inputted by a user using the wearable augmentable reality user device;

receiving, at an information processing device, position information from the wearable augmentable reality user device;

in response to receiving the position information, transmitting, from the storage device, the stored attachment information corresponding to the received position information to the wearable augmentable reality user device via a network; and

controlling, by the wearable augmentable reality user device, a display to display an image with the attachment information along with distance scale information and direction information based on a current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device,

wherein the image includes a center O corresponding to the current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device and the distance scale information indicates a distance between the center O and the attachment information, and

wherein the attachment information includes information related to other physical positions near the physical position indicated by the transmitted position information.

41. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing an information processing device to:

store position information indicating a physical position of a wearable augmentable reality user device and corresponding attachment information, wherein the attachment information includes information inputted by a user using the wearable augmentable reality user device;

receive position information from the wearable augmentable reality user device;

in response to receiving the position information, transmit the stored attachment information corresponding to the received position information to the wearable augmentable reality user device via a network; and

control a display to display an image with the attachment information along with distance scale information and direction information based on a current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device,

wherein the image includes a center O corresponding to the current position of the wearable augmentable reality user device and the distance scale information indicates a distance between the center O and the attachment information, and

wherein the attachment information includes information related to other physical positions near the physical position indicated by the transmitted position information.