Interaction with virtual objects causing change of legal status

• US 9,767,524 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hastings, Ryan L., Latta, Stephen G., Vaught, Benjamin I., Bennett, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Zee, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUY, CHI D
• Application Number:
  US14/715,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20150254793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Technology is provided for transferring a right to a digital content item based on one or more physical actions detected in data captured by a see-through, augmented reality display device system. A digital content item may be represented by a three-dimensional (3D) virtual object displayed by the device system. A user can hold the virtual object in some examples, and transfer a right to the content item the object represents by handing the object to another user within a defined distance, who indicates acceptance of the right based upon one or more physical actions including taking hold of the transferred object. Other examples of physical actions performed by a body part of a user may also indicate offer and acceptance in the right transfer. Content may be transferred from display device to display device while rights data is communicated via a network with a service application executing remotely.

Claims

1. An augmented reality display system comprising:

a first image generation unit configured to display an image of a virtual object associated with a contractually-defined existing or new legal right of a first user, the display of the virtual object occurring within a first field of view of the first user;

a sensor configured to detect a physical action by a body part of the first user and to produce first user action data, the detectable physical action being one that can be directed to the virtual object;

a processor configured to receive the first user action data and to determine if the physical action is directed to the virtual object such that it is indicative of a request for a change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the contractually-defined existing or new legal right associated with the virtual object that the physical action was directed to; and

a memory accessible by the processor and storing data representing rules governing change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the contractually-defined existing or new legal right associated with the virtual object;

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether an indicated request for a change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the contractually-defined existing or new legal right associated with the virtual object complies with, and thus is permitted by the represented rules governing the requested change of legal status; and

wherein responsive to a determination that the indicated request for the change of legal status is permitted, the processor is configured to record the requested and permitted change of legal status in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising

a network interface configured to provide communication between network linked portions of the system where the network linked portions of the system include said first image generation unit and further include a second image generation unit corresponding to a second user where the second image generation unit is configured to display an image of the virtual object as being associated with a contractually-defined existing or new legal right of the second user;

the network interface being configured to further provide communication with a computer system that is configured to provide legal rights management and to maintain the rules as applicable at least for the first user; and

the processor further configured to request and receive the maintained rules for at least the first user.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

an additional sensor configured to detect a physical action by the second user and to produce second user action data, the detectable physical action by the second user being one that can be directed to the virtual object;

a processor configured to receive the second user action data and determine if the physical action performed by a pre-specified body part of the second user and directed to the virtual object is indicative of a request for a change of the contractually-defined legal status for at least the second user with respect to the existing or new legal right associated with the virtual object.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein:

the processor is further configured to receive location data indicative of respective locations of avatars of the first and second users and for determining whether the indicated respective locations of the avatars conform to a predetermined maximum distance permitted by the maintained rules for effectuating a correspondingly requested change of legal status for at least one of the first and second users.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the rules comprise:

identification of one or more changeable rights currently assigned to the first user; and

definition of one or more predefined distances associated with the first user that are determinative of whether a correspondingly indicated request for a change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the existing or new legal right associated with the virtual object can take place.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein a respective definition of the one or more predefined distances is based on at least one of the following:

a real world location of the first user;

a virtual world location of an avatar of the first user;

an identity of a second user with whom the first user is interacting; and

an identification of a trust relationship associated with the identity of the second user.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the virtual object is a three dimensional virtual object.

8. A machine-implemented method for causing change of a contractually-defined legal status for at least a first user of a machine system, the method comprising:

displaying to at least the first user, by at least a first see-through, augmented reality display device, one or more virtual objects respectively associated with a contractually-defined existing or new legal rights of the first user;

sensing one or more physical actions by a corresponding one or more of pre-specified body parts of the first user that are directed to the one or more virtual objects and producing first user action data indicative of which of the one or more of the physical actions was sensed;

determining, based on the first user action data, of whether the sensed one or more physical actions performed by a corresponding one or more of the pre-specified body parts of the first user with respect to a corresponding one or more of the displayed virtual objects is indicative of a request for a change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the contractually-defined existing or new legal rights associated with the one or more virtual objects;

accessing stored data representing rules governing change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the contractually-defined existing or new legal rights associated with the virtual object and indicating whether the requested change can take place; and

responsive to a determination, based on the rules, that the indicated request for the change of legal status is allowed, recording the requested change of legal status in a memory that is pre-specified as storing current legal status.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising displaying by way of the first see-through, augmented reality display device a moving of a position of at least one of the virtual objects in accordance with the first user action data.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein

the one or more virtual objects are three-dimensional (3D) virtual objects, each having an appearance of being integrated with real world objects seen through the first see-through, augmented reality display device.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the accessing of stored data representing said rules is further accompanied by at least one of:

detecting a real world location of the first user and determining if the location is in compliance with the accessed rules;

detecting a virtual world location of an avatar of the first user and determining if the detected location is in compliance with the accessed rules;

determining one or more distances associated with the first user and determining if the determined one or more distances are in compliance with the accessed rules;

determining an identity of at least a second user with whom the first user is interacting and determining if the identity is in compliance with the accessed rules;

determining a trust level of the second user based on the determined identity of the second user and determining if the trust level is in compliance with the accessed rules; and

determining whether the rules permit the indicated as requested change of legal status to take place.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the recording of the requested change of legal status as having taken place comprises:

updating a stored data set representing rights associated with identified persons to indicate the change of legal status of the first user; and

sending the updated data set over a network to a rights management service for correspondingly updating a managed rights record of the first user.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises:

determining whether there is a physical action of the second user indicating acceptance of the indicated as requested change of legal status for the first user.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein determining, based on the first user action data, of whether the one or more physical actions is indicative of a request for a change of legal status for at least the first user comprises at least one of the following:

identifying one or more hand positions of the first user;

identifying one or more hand movements of the first user;

identifying an action of an eye of the first user; and

identifying a sound spoken by the first user.

15. One or more processor readable, hardware storage media having stored thereon processor readable and executable instructions for implementing a method effectuating a change of legal status of a first user using a first see-through, augmented reality display device, the method comprising:

sensing of one or more physical actions by a corresponding one or more body parts of the first user and causing production of corresponding first user action data indicative of which of the one or more physical actions by which of the body parts of the first user was sensed;

displaying by way of the first see-through, augmented reality display device to at least the first user of one or more virtual objects respectively associated with contractually-defined existing or new legal rights of the first user;

determining, based on the first user action data, of whether one or more physical actions performed by a pre-specified one or more body parts of the first user are directed to the one or more of the displayed virtual objects associated with contractually-defined existing or new legal rights of the first user and are indicative of a request for a change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the contractually-defined existing or new legal rights associated with the one or more virtual objects to which the determined one or more physical actions are directed to;

testing stored data representing rules governing how and when change of legal status for at least the first user with respect to the contractually-defined existing or new legal rights associated with the virtual object can take place; and

responsive to a determination, based on the rules, that the indicated request for the change of legal status can take place, recording in a memory that is pre-specified as storing current legal status, the requested change of legal status as having taken place.

16. The one or more processor readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the testing of stored data representing said rules comprises at least one of:

detecting of real world location of the first user;

detecting a virtual world location of an avatar of the first user;

determining one or more distances associated with the first user;

determining an identity of at least a second user with whom the first user is interacting;

determining of trust level of the second user based on the determined identity of the second user; and

determining whether the rules permit the indicated as requested change of legal status to take place based on the determined trust level of the second user.