Synchronized, interactive augmented reality displays for multifunction devices

• US 8,400,548 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bilbrey, Brett, King, Nicholas V., Pance, Aleksandar
• Primary Examiner(s): HANNETT, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US12/652,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20110164163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 : for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 : Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 : Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A device can receive live video of a real-world, physical environment on a touch sensitive surface. One or more objects can be identified in the live video. An information layer can be generated related to the objects. In some implementations, the information layer can include annotations made by a user through the touch sensitive surface. The information layer and live video can be combined in a display of the device. Data can be received from one or more onboard sensors indicating that the device is in motion. The sensor data can be used to synchronize the live video and the information layer as the perspective of video camera view changes due to the motion. The live video and information layer can be shared with other devices over a communication link.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating and synchronizing interactive Augmented Reality (AR) displays, comprising:

capturing live video of a real-world, physical environment and displaying the live video on a touch sensitive surface of a device;

combining an information layer and the live video, the information layer related to one or more objects in the live video;

modeling computer-generated imagery based on the live video;

displaying the computer-generated imagery representing one or more objects in the live video on the touch sensitive surface;

overlaying the information layer on the computer-generated imagery;

receiving sensor data from one or more onboard motion sensors indicating that the device is in motion; and

synchronizing the display of the live video, the computer-generated imagery and the information layer on the touch sensitive surface using the sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sharing the synchronized live video and information layer with a second device over a communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a split screen display having first and second display areas, the first display area configured for displaying the live video combined with the information layer and the second display area for displaying the computer-generated imagery combined with the information layer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a navigation control for navigating the computer-generated imagery on the touch sensitive surface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing object recognition on the live video;

obtaining object information for one or more recognized objects; and

generating the information layer for the one or more recognized objects.

6. The method of claim 5, where generating the information layer, further comprises:

including in the information layer one or more links to one or more network resources providing information related to the one or more recognized objects.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

labeling the recognized one or more objects in the live video display.

8. The method of claim 7, where at least one object is labeled with a bar code for identifying the object during the object recognition.

9. The method of claim 7, where at least one object is labeled with one or more markers for identifying an orientation of the object in the live video during object recognition.

10. The method of claim 7, where at least one label includes content related to the recognized object.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input through the touch sensitive display, the input identifying an object in the live video;

performing object recognition on the live video to identify the identified object;

obtaining object information for the recognized object; and

generating an information layer based on the object information.

12. The method of claim 2, where the first and second devices are mobile devices and the communication link is a peer-to-peer communication link.

13. The method of claim 12, where at least one of the first and second devices is an electronic tablet.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a route between the first device and a destination; and

displaying the route with the computer-generated imagery.

15. The method of claim 1, where an object in the real-world, physical environment captured by the live video is a document, the method further comprising:

generating annotations related to the document; and

overlaying the annotations proximate the document on the live video.

16. The method of claim 1, where an object in the real-world, physical environment captured by the live video is a machine, circuit board or part thereof, the method further comprising:

generating annotations related to the object; and

overlaying the annotations on the live video or computer-generated imagery.

21. The method of claim 1, where modeling the computer-generated imagery based on the live video includes generating a three-dimensional model of the one or more objects in the live video.

22. The method of claim 1, where the one or more onboard motion sensors include a gyroscope or an accelerometer.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface configured for receiving touch input;

one or more onboard motion sensors configured for sensing motion of the apparatus;

a video camera for capturing live video of a real-world, physical environment for display on the touch sensitive surface; and

a processor coupled to the touch sensitive surface, the motion sensor and the video camera, the processor configured for combining an information layer and live video in a display of the device, modeling computer-generated imagery based on the live video, displaying computer-generated imagery representing one or more objects in the live video on the touch sensitive surface, overlaying the information layer on the computer-generated imagery, receiving sensor data from the one or more onboard motion sensors indicating that the apparatus is in motion, synchronizing the live video, computer-generated imagery and the information layer using the sensor data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a communication system configured for sharing the synchronized live video and annotated information layer with a device over a communication link.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, where the processor is further configured for:

generating a split screen display having first and second display areas, the first display area configured for displaying the live video combined with the information layer and the second display area for displaying the computer-generated imagery combined with the information layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, where the processor is further configured for:

displaying a navigation control for navigating the computer-generated imagery.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, where modeling the computer-generated imagery based on the live video includes generating a three-dimensional model of the one or more objects in the live video.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, where the one or more onboard motion sensors include a gyroscope or an accelerometer.