VIRTUAL POINTER

• US 20120249531A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jonsson, Hkan
• Application Number:
  US13/408,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

An electronic device for enabling display of a virtual object representing a real object on a remote display may be placed in a first position and first orientation. The virtual object is displayed on the remote display. The electronic device generates a virtual beam, which is displayed on the remote display, and directs the virtual beam towards the virtual object by moving the electronic device from the first position/first orientation to a second position and second orientation. The electronic device determines the second position/second orientation in relation to the virtual beam. The electronic device selects the virtual object to which the virtual beam is directed based on the determined orientation and position. The electronic device transfers information about the selected virtual object to the remote display. The information enables display of the selected virtual object or a representation of the selected virtual object on the remote display.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device for enabling display of a virtual object representing a real object in an augmented reality scene on a remote digital augmented reality display, which electronic device is placed in a first position and a first orientation, and wherein the virtual object is displayed on the remote digital augmented reality display, the method comprising:

generating a virtual beam, wherein the virtual beam is displayed in the augmented reality scene on the remote digital augmented reality display;

directing the virtual beam towards the virtual object displayed in the augmented reality scene on the digital augmented reality display by moving the electronic device from the first position and the first orientation to a second position and a second orientation;

determining the second position and the second orientation of the device in relation to the virtual beam;

selecting the virtual object to which the virtual beam is directed based on the determined orientation and position; and

transferring information about the selected virtual object to the remote digital augmented reality display, wherein the information enables display of the selected, virtual object or a representation of the selected virtual object in the augmented reality scene on the remote digital augmented reality display,

wherein the virtual object is an augmented, reality object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second orientation of the electronic device is determined by using a gyro and wherein the second position of the electronic device is determined by assumption or by using a proximity sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of activating the virtual beam or deactivating the virtual beam.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input associated with the virtual object;

and wherein the selecting the virtual object is based on the received input.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital augmented reality display is an augmented reality head-mounted visor, an augmented reality handheld display or an augmented reality spatial display.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected virtual object or the representation of the selected virtual object is displayed in three dimensions in the augmented reality scene on the remote digital augmented reality display.

7. An electronic device for enabling display of a virtual object representing a real object in an augmented reality scene on a remote digital augmented reality display, wherein the electronic device is placed in a first position and a first orientation, and the virtual object is displayed in the augmented reality scene on the remote digital augmented reality display, the electronic device comprising:

a beam generating unit configured to generate a virtual beam, wherein the virtual beam is displayed in the augmented reality scene on the remote digital augmented reality display;

a processing unit configured to direct the virtual beam towards the virtual object displayed in the augmented reality scene on the digital augmented reality display by movement of the electronic device from the first position and the first orientation to a second position and a second orientation;

a determining unit configured to determine the second position and the second orientation of the device in relation to the virtual beam;

a selecting unit configured to select the virtual object to which the virtual beam is directed based on the determined orientation and position; and

a transferring unit configured to transfer information about the selected virtual object to the remote digital augmented reality display, wherein the information enables display of the selected virtual object or a representation of the selected virtual object in the augmented reality scene on the remote digital augmented reality display,

and wherein the virtual object is an augmented reality object.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the second orientation of the electronic device is determined by using a gyro and wherein the second position of the electronic device is determined by assumption or by using a proximity sensor.

9. The device according to claim 7, further comprising:

an activating unit configured to activate the virtual beam; and

a deactivating unit configured to deactivate the virtual beam.

10. The device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive input associated with the virtual object;

and wherein the selecting unit is further configured to select the virtual object or the representation of the virtual object based on the received input.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein the object is a virtual object displayed it the augmented reality scene on the augmented reality display, and wherein the augmented reality display is an external display or a display included in the device.

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein the augmented reality display is an augmented reality head-mounted visor, an augmented reality handheld display or an augmented reality spatial display.

13. The device according to claim 7, wherein the selected virtual object or the representation of the selected virtual object is displayed in three dimensions in the augmented reality scene on the remote digital augmented reality display.