SENSORY DATA COLLECTION IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM

• US 20180285854A1
• Filed: 03/29/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hwang, Inseok, Liu, Su, Rozner, Eric J., Sze, Chin Ngai
• Granted Patent: US 11,093,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An augmented reality system collects sensory data from one or more user devices in a manner that is transparent to the user'"'"'s augmented reality experience. A customer of an augmented reality system requests sensory data at a specified location. The augmented reality system modifies the augmented reality experience for one or more users to move someone to the specified location. The user device(s) collect the sensory data at the specified location in a manner that is transparent to the augmented reality experience of the user(s). The sensory data is uploaded from the user device(s) to the augmented reality system, which sends the sensory data to the customer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a network interface coupled to the at least one processor; and

an augmented reality controller residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the augmented reality controller controlling a plurality of mobile devices coupled via the network interface to the augmented reality controller to provide an augmented reality experience, the augmented reality controller receiving from a customer a request for sensory data at a specified location, directing at least one of the plurality of the mobile devices to the specified location, directing the at least one mobile device to collect the sensory data specified in the request, uploading the collected sensory data, and sending the collected sensory data to the customer in response to the request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the augmented reality controller directs the at least one mobile device to collect the sensory data specified in the request in a manner that is transparent to the augmented reality experience of the user of the at least one mobile device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the augmented reality controller generates a score for the request and receives payment for the collected sensory data from the customer based on the score.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensory data comprises at least one photograph taken by a camera on the at least one mobile device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the augmented reality controller provides a computer-generated character on a display of the camera to provide the augmented reality experience.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensory data comprises at least one sound file collected by a microphone on the at least one mobile device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the augmented reality controller directs the plurality of mobile devices to each collect a portion of the sensory data specified in the request, wherein uploading the collected sensory data comprises uploading the portion of the sensory data from each of the plurality of mobile devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the request for sensory data at the specified location from the customer further specifies an orientation, a quality for the sensory data, and a time.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the customer analyzes the collected information and determines the collected sensory data is insufficient, and in response, the customer notifies the augmented reality controller the collected sensory data is insufficient, which causes the augmented reality controller to adjust the augmented reality experience for at least one of the plurality of players to collect additional sensory data that is sent to the customer.

10. A computer-implemented method executed by at least one processor, the method comprising:

controlling a plurality of mobile devices to provide an augmented reality experience;

receiving from a customer a request for sensory data at a specified location;

directing at least one of the plurality of the devices to the specified location;

directing the at least one device to collect the sensory data specified in the request;

uploading the collected sensory data; and

sending the collected sensory data to the customer in response to the request.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein directing the at least one device to collect the sensory data specified in the request is done in a manner that is transparent to the augmented reality experience of the user of the at least one mobile device.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining a score for the request; and

receiving payment for the collected sensory data from the customer based on the score of the request.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the sensory data comprises at least one photograph taken by a camera on the at least one mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a computer-generated character on a display of the camera to provide the augmented reality experience.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the sensory data comprises at least one sound file collected by a microphone on the at least one mobile device.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein directing the at least one device to collect the sensory data specified in the request comprises directing the plurality of mobile devices to each collect a portion of the sensory data specified in the request, wherein uploading the collected sensory data comprises uploading the portion of the sensory data from each of the plurality of mobile devices.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the request for sensory data at the specified location from the customer further specifies an orientation, a quality for the sensory data, and a time.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising the customer analyzing the collected sensory data and determining the collected sensory data is insufficient, and in response, the customer sending a message indicating the collected sensory data is insufficient, and in response, adjusting the augmented reality experience for at least one of the plurality of players to collect additional sensory data, and sending the additional sensory data to the customer.

19. A networked computer system comprising:

a first computer system comprising a customer computer system;

a second computer system coupled via first network connection to the first computer system;

a plurality of mobile devices coupled via second network connection to the second computer system, each of the plurality of mobile devices comprising a camera;

wherein the second computer system comprises an augmented reality controller that controls the plurality of mobile devices to provide an augmented reality experience comprising a computer-generated character on a display of the camera, the augmented reality controller receiving from the customer computer system a customer a request for a plurality of photographs at a specified location, the customer request comprising the specified location, an orientation, a specified resolution for the plurality of photographs, and a time for fulfilling the request, the augmented reality controller determining a score for the request, directing the plurality of the mobile devices to the specified location, directing each of the plurality of mobile devices to automatically take a plurality of photographs to fulfill a portion of the plurality of photographs in the request in a manner that is transparent to the augmented reality experience of the users of the mobile devices, uploading the plurality of photographs from each of the plurality of mobile devices, and sending all of the plurality of photographs from all of the plurality of mobile devices to the customer in response to the request.

20. The networked computer system of claim 19 wherein the augmented reality controller receives payment for fulling the request from the customer based on the score for the request.