Social applications for augmented reality technologies

• US 9,916,002 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Eonite Perception, Inc. (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Petrovskaya, Anna, Varvak, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US15/054,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 345418, 345419, 345629-634, 345649, 709204, 382103, 382276
• 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 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Augmented and virtual reality systems are becoming increasingly popular. Unfortunately, their potential for social interaction is difficult to realize with existing techniques. Various of the disclosed embodiments facilitate social augmented and virtual reality experiences using, e.g., topologies connecting disparate device types, shared-environments, messaging systems, virtual object placements, etc. Some embodiments employ pose-search systems and methods that provide more granular pose determinations than were previously possible. Such granularity may facilitate functionality that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

at least one processor;

a network interface;

at least one memory comprising instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to cause a method to be performed, the method comprising;

causing a user interface to be presented to a first user, the user interface depicting a three-dimensional virtual map of a real-world environment created by a second user and the user interface configured to receive an event trigger condition in association with the three-dimensional virtual map;

receiving, via the network interface and the user interface, an event trigger condition from the first user;

receiving, via the network interface, an indication from the first user of a virtual object associated with the event trigger;

determining that a copy of the virtual object is available at the server;

determining that the event trigger condition has been met; and

causing the virtual object to appear at an Augmented Reality (AR) device associated with the second user based upon the event trigger condition while the second user is at the real-world environment based upon a final pose of the AR device determined, at least in part, by iteratively performing, for at least two iterations, a correspondence identification process and a pose determination process, wherein

the correspondence identification process comprises;

determining a plurality of correspondences between frame data transformed using a pose and model data of the real-world environment, and wherein the pose determination process comprises;

iteratively refining an intermediate pose determination, at least in part, by pruning candidate poses within a search space and considering poses from progressively smaller neighborhoods.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the final pose is determined, at least in part, at the server using:

depth data received at the server from the AR device.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the second user created the three-dimensional virtual map of the real-world environment using a Pose Search Algorithm on an AR device.

4. The server of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining an end condition associated with the event trigger condition;

determining that the end condition has been met; and

causing the virtual object to disappear at the AR device associated with the second user based upon the end condition.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the pose determination process comprises a Scaling Series algorithm.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the server is the AR device associated with the second user.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the pose determination process generates:

a Bayesian belief probability distribution associated with a given time; and

a pose corresponding to a transform.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause a computer system to perform a method comprising:

causing a user interface to be presented to a first user, the user interface depicting a three-dimensional virtual map of a real-world environment created by a second user and the user interface configured to receive an event trigger condition in association with the three-dimensional virtual map;

receiving, via a network interface, an event trigger condition from the first user;

receiving, via the network interface, an indication from the first user of a virtual object associated with the event trigger;

determining that a copy of the virtual object is available at a server;

determining that the event trigger condition has been met; and

causing the virtual object to appear at an Augmented Reality (AR) device associated with the second user while the second user is at the real-world environment based upon a final pose of the AR device determined, at least in part, by iteratively performing, for at least two iterations, a correspondence identification process and a pose determination process, wherein

the correspondence identification process comprises;

determining a plurality of correspondences between frame data transformed using a pose and model data of the real-world environment, and wherein the pose determination process comprises;

iteratively refining an intermediate pose determination, at least in part, by pruning candidate poses within a search space and considering poses from progressively smaller neighborhoods.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the final pose is determined, at least in part, at the server using depth data received from the AR device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second user created the three-dimensional virtual map of the real-world environment using a Pose Search Algorithm on an AR device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the pose determination process comprises a Scaling Series algorithm.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining that the event trigger condition has been met comprises determining a position of the AR device using a Pose Search Algorithm.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the server is the AR device associated with the second user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein receiving, via the network interface, the event trigger condition from the first user comprises receiving the event trigger condition from a social networking website.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing a user interface to be presented to a first user, the user interface depicting a three-dimensional virtual map of a real-world environment created by a second user and the user interface configured to receive an event trigger condition in association with the three-dimensional virtual map;

receiving, via a network interface and the user interface, an event trigger condition from the first user;

receiving, via the network interface, an indication from the first user of a virtual object associated with the event trigger;

determining that a copy of the virtual object is available at a server;

determining that the event trigger condition has been met; and

causing the virtual object to appear at an Augmented Reality (AR) device associated with the second user while the second user is at the real-world environment, based upon a final pose of the AR device determined, at least in part, by iteratively performing, for at least two iterations, a correspondence identification process and a pose determination process, wherein

the correspondence identification process comprises;

determining a plurality of correspondences between frame data transformed using a pose and model data of the real-world environment, and wherein the pose determination process comprises;

iteratively refining an intermediate pose determination, at least in part, by pruning candidate poses within a search space and considering poses from progressively smaller neighborhoods.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the final pose is determined, at least in part, at the server using depth data received from the AR device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the pose determination process comprises a Scaling Series algorithm.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the second user created the three-dimensional virtual map of the real-world environment using a Pose Search Algorithm on an AR device.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining that the event trigger condition has been met comprises determining a position of the AR device using a Pose Search Algorithm.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the server is the AR device associated with the second user.