System and method for acquiring virtual and augmented reality scenes by a user

• US 9,723,226 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aria Glassworks, Inc. (Dropbox, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aria Glassworks, Inc. (Dropbox, Inc.)
• Inventors: McArdle, Terrence Edward, Akbarzadeh, Amir, Newhouse, Benjamin Zeis
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/668,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20150201133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 463 31, 463 32, 463 36, 345629-688
• 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: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A preferred method of acquiring virtual or augmented reality (VAR) scenes can include at a plurality of locations of interest, providing one or more users with a predetermined pattern for image acquisition with an image capture device and for each of the one or more users, in response to a user input, acquiring at least one image at the location of interest. The method of the preferred embodiment can also include for each of the one or more users, in response to the acquisition of at least one image, providing the user with feedback to ensure a complete acquisition of the virtual or augmented reality scene; and receiving at a remote database, from each of the one or more users, one or more VAR scenes. One variation of the method of the preferred embodiment can include providing game mechanics to promote proper image acquisition and promote competition between users.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

an orientation sensor that determines an orientation of the image capture device;

at least one processor, and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image capture device to;

display a user interface comprising a predetermined pattern;

in response to detecting that the orientation of the image capture device is in a guided position of the predetermined pattern, capture a first image; and

in response to the capture of the first image, present feedback within the user interface that guides a user to manipulate the image capture device to capture a subsequent image.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern comprises one of a spatial pattern or a temporal pattern.

3. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern comprises a spatial pattern corresponding to a spherical image about a nodal point.

4. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern comprises a spatial pattern corresponding to a substantially planar image along a predetermined path.

5. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern comprises a temporal pattern comprising discrete intervals at which images are to be captured by the image capture device.

6. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image capture device to capture a plurality of images forming a video in response to one or more predetermined conditions associated with the predetermined patterns.

7. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image capture device to prompt the user to capture discrete images in a sequential fashion using the predetermined pattern.

8. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern comprises instructions for rotating the image capture device about one or more discrete axes.

9. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pattern comprises instructions to sweep the image capture device through a sequence of a predetermined range of pitch values and a predetermined range of roll values.

10. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein capturing the first image comprises capturing at least one image in a floating point format.

11. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises one of user-oriented feedback or device-oriented feedback.

12. The image capture device of claim 11, wherein the device-oriented feedback comprises controlling capture of an image or selection of a video frame.

13. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises a game, and wherein the capture of the subsequent image is guided based on one or more objectives associated with the game.

14. An image capture device comprising:

a user interface;

an orientation sensor that determines an orientation of the image capture device;

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image capture device to;

display a predetermined pattern for image acquisition;

in response to an input, capture a first image;

in response to the capture of the first image, present feedback within the user interface that guides a user to manipulate the image capture device to capture a plurality of images; and

based on the plurality of images, create a virtual or augmented reality (VAR) scene.

15. The image capture device of claim 14, wherein creating the VAR scene comprises creating a VAR scene that includes a spherical image surrounding a nodal point.

16. The image capture device of claim 14, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image capture device to transmit the VAR scene to a remote database.

17. The image capture device of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image capture device to access an additional VAR scene from the remote database.

18. The image capture device of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image capture device to display the additional VAR scene.

19. The image capture device of claim 14, wherein the feedback comprises a game displayed to a user associated with the image capture device, and wherein an objective of the game is to acquire VAR scenes.

20. The image capture device of claim 19, wherein the game comprises a competition between the user associated with the image capture device and an additional user associated with an additional image capture device.