Terminal for generating augmented reality and method thereof

• US 9,245,185 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Kyu-Sung, Shin, Dae-Kyu, Cho, Ik-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Camargo, Marly
• Application Number:
  US14/095,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 348/239, 348/222.1, 348/143, 348/211.99, 348/207.1, 345/633, 345/632, 463/31, 463/34, 725/105, 382/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes

Abstract

A terminal for generating an augmented reality and a method thereof are provided. The terminal includes a camera property information providing server configured to store camera property information associated with one or more cameras, and the terminal is configured to receive, from the camera property information providing server, camera property information associated with a camera included in the terminal and generate an augmented reality based on the stored camera property information when an augmented reality-based application is driven and thus, may provide an augmented reality in which a virtual object is accurately matched to an image.

Claims

1. A terminal for generating an augmented reality, the terminal comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a position or a direction associated with the terminal;

a camera configured to output an image;

a terminal posture estimator configured to estimate a posture of the terminal based on the position and the direction associated with the terminal detected by the sensor;

a virtual object composition device configured to compose a virtual object and the image input by the camera; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether camera property information is stored when generating an augmented reality is requested,

request camera property information of the terminal from a camera property information providing server when the camera property information is not stored, and

compose the virtual object and the image based on the camera property information and the estimated posture when the requested camera property information is received.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the camera property information includes at least one of a field of view in which the camera views the world and a focal length from a lens to a camera sensor.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein, when the camera property information is not stored, the controller is further configured to:

generate a request message for requesting the camera property information of the terminal, and

transfer the generated request message to the camera property information providing server.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the request message includes a camera property search keyword used for searching for the camera property information of the terminal.

5. The terminal of claim 3, wherein, when a response message is received from the camera property information providing server in response to the request message, the controller is further configured to store the camera property information of the terminal included in the received response message.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein, when the camera property information is stored, the controller is further configured to compose the virtual object and the image based on the stored camera property information and the estimated posture.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the camera property information providing server comprises:

a camera property storage configured to store camera property information associated with one or more terminals; and

a controller configured to;

search for camera property information of a terminal corresponding to a camera property search keyword included in a request message, when the request message is received from the terminal,

generate a response message including the retrieved camera property information of the terminal, and

transfer the generated response message to the terminal.

8. The terminal of claim 7, wherein the controller of the camera property information providing server includes, in the response message, common camera property information obtained by generalizing camera property information of all terminals, and transfers the response message to the terminal, when the camera property information of the terminal corresponding to the camera property search keyword does not exist.

17. A non-transitory processor readable medium for storing a computer program of instructions configured to be readable by at least one processor for instructing the at least one processor to execute a computer process for performing the method as recited in claim 1.

9. A method of generating an augmented reality in a terminal, the method comprising:

detecting a position or a direction associated with the terminal when generating an augmented reality is requested;

estimating a posture of the terminal based on the position and the direction associated with the terminal detected by a sensor;

determining whether camera property information is stored;

requesting the camera property information of the terminal from a camera property information providing server when the camera property information is not stored; and

composing a virtual object and an image based on received camera property information and the estimated posture when the requested camera property information is received.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the camera property information includes at least one of a field of view in which the camera views the world and a focal length from a lens to a camera sensor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the requesting of the camera property information of the terminal comprises:

generating a request message to request the camera property information of the terminal when the camera property information is not stored; and

transferring the generated request message to the camera property information providing server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the request message includes a camera property search keyword used for searching for the camera property information of the terminal.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the camera property information of the terminal included in a received response message when the response message is received from the camera property information providing server in response to the request message.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

composing the virtual object and the image based on stored camera property information and the estimated posture when the camera property information is stored.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the camera property information providing server comprises:

a camera property storage configured to store camera property information associated with one or more terminals; and

a controller configured to;

search for camera property information of a terminal corresponding to a camera property search keyword included in a request message, when the request message is received from the terminal,

generate a response message including the retrieved camera property information of the terminal, and

transfer the response message to the terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the controller of the camera property information providing server includes, in the response message, common camera property information obtained by generalizing camera property information of all terminals, and transfers the response message to the terminal, when the camera property information of the terminal corresponding to the camera property search keyword does not exist.