Force-feedback within telepresence

• US 8,332,755 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Zhengyon, Huang, Xuedong D., Li, Jin, Hegde, Rajesh Kutpadi, Quinn, Kori Marie, Pahud, Michel, Dalal, Jayman
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US12/472,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 715/701, 715/702, 715/733, 715/751, 715/753, 715/757, 715/764, 715/765, 345/156, 345/163
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates replicating a telepresence session with a real world physical meeting. A telepresence session can be initiated within a communication framework that includes two or more virtually represented users that communicate therein. A trigger component can monitor the telepresence session in real time to identify a participant interaction with an object, wherein the object is at least one of a real world physical object or a virtually represented object within the telepresence session. A feedback component can implement a force feedback to at least one participant within the telepresence session based upon the identified participant interaction with the object, wherein the force feedback is employed via a device associated with at least one participant.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates replicating a telepresence session with a real world physical meeting, comprising:

a telepresence session initiated within a communication framework that includes two or more virtually represented users that communicate therein;

a trigger component that monitors the telepresence session in real time to identify a participant interaction with an object, wherein the object is at least one of a real world physical object or a virtually represented object within the telepresence session; and

a feedback component that implements a force feedback to at least one participant within the telepresence session based upon the identified participant interaction with the object, wherein the force feedback is employed via a device associated with at least one participant.

2. The system of claim 1, the trigger component monitors activity within the telepresence session to trigger implementation of the force feedback, wherein the activity is at least one of a virtual presence location within the telepresence session, a virtual presence proximity to a virtually represented object, an interaction with a virtually represented object, an interaction with a physical object, a physical interaction, or a virtual interaction.

3. The system of claim 1, the participant interaction relates to at least one of a virtual user to a disparate virtual user, a physical user to a virtual user, a physical user to a disparate physical user, a virtual user to a portion of data, a physical user to a portion of data, a virtual user to a physical object, or a physical user to a physical object.

4. The system of claim 1, the trigger component identifies an intensity level of the interaction to which the feedback component implements the force feedback corresponding to such intensity level.

5. The system of claim 1, the feedback component evaluates two or more devices in order to identify at least one device to communicate the force feedback via an output associated with at least one device, wherein the evaluation is of a characteristic related to at least one of the two or more devices, the interaction, or the force feedback.

6. The system of claim 5, the feedback component selects a device to output the force feedback based upon evaluation of at least one of a device output capability, a user preference, a type of force feedback, an interaction detected, or an interaction intensity.

7. The system of claim 1, the feedback component generates the force feedback for an interaction with a portion of data, wherein the interaction with the portion of data triggers delivery of the portion of data.

8. The system of claim 1, the feedback component generates the force feedback for a detected event change related to the telepresence session.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the event change is at least one of a mood change, a new topic being presented, a person leaving the telepresence session, a person entering the telepresence session, or an alert.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a profile component that manages at least one of a setting or a configuration related to at least one of the telepresence session, the force feedback, the device, or the interaction.

11. The system of claim 10, the profile component manages device selection to communicate the force feedback based upon a user preference.

12. The system of claim 10, the profile component enables a restriction that limits at least one of a received force feedback, a communicated force feedback to a user, an amount of devices used to output a received feedback, a type of force feedback received, or a type of force feedback communicated to a user.

13. The system of claim 10, the profile component enables a user-defined force feedback response to a detected interaction.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the force feedback is at least one of a friction, a haptic, a tactile, an electric feedback, an electrical stimulation, a three-dimensional feedback, a shaking, a physical resistance, a temperature change, a motion, a noise, a pressure, a texture, a movement, or a replication of touching the object.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the participant interaction relates to at least one of a virtual user to a disparate virtual user, a physical user to a virtual user, a physical user to a disparate physical user, a virtual user to a portion of data, a physical user to a portion of data, a virtual user to a physical object, or a physical user to a physical object.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of a haptics device, a haptics glove, a pressure sensor device, a 3-dimensional (3D) camera, a speaker, a whiteboard, a whiteboard device, a vibration device, a heater, a motor, or a device that replicates a touching from a user.

17. A computer-implemented method that facilitates generating a force feedback to a participant within a telepresence session in order to replicate a physical interaction with an object, comprising:

hosting a telepresence session by a communication framework in which two physical users can communicate;

detecting a trigger within the telepresence session, wherein the trigger is related to a physical interaction with an object associated with the telepresence session;

identifying a device with an output that is capable of physically communicating the physical interaction to at least one participant within the telepresence session; and

employing a force feedback based upon the trigger via the identified device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising replicating an intensity of the physical interaction with an object with a corresponding amount of output from the device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating the force feedback for a detected event change related to the telepresence session, wherein the event change is at least one of a mood change, a new topic being presented, a person leaving the telepresence session, a person entering the telepresence session, or an alert.

20. One or more computer storage-media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts, comprising:

initiating a telepresence session within a communication framework that includes two or more virtually represented users that communicate therein;

monitoring the telepresence session in real time to identify a participant interaction with an object, wherein the object is at least one of a real world physical object or a virtually represented object within the telepresence session;

implementing a force feedback to at least one participant within the telepresence session based upon the identified participant interaction with the object, wherein the force feedback is employed via a device associated with at least one participant;

identifying an intensity level of the interaction to which such intensity level is translated in the force feedback via the device; and

evaluating two or more devices in order to identify at least one device to communicate the force feedback via an output associated with at least one device, wherein the evaluation is of a characteristic related to at least one of the two or more devices, the interaction, or the force feedback.