Apparatus and method for manipulating a virtual world by utilizing biometric information

• US 9,545,567 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Seung Ju, Han, Jae Joon, Bang, Won Chul, Kim, Do Kyoon
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/810,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

An apparatus and method for processing a virtual world. According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, real-world biometric information on the user may be collected using a bio sensor, and the collected information may be controlled based on the sensor characteristics of the bio sensor, thereby enabling interaction between the real world and the virtual world, as well as between virtual worlds. In addition, an interactive game which is executed in the virtual world on the basis of the collected biometric information may be controlled to thereby produce a virtual world having enhanced realism. Moreover, the real-world health status of a user may be determined and displayed on the basis of the collected biometric information, thereby enabling the health status of the user to be seen.

Claims

1. A virtual world processing apparatus for enabling interoperability between a virtual world and a real world or interoperability between virtual worlds, the virtual world processing apparatus comprising:

an input configured to receive an input of sensed information sensed by a bio sensor, the sensed information relating to biometrics of a user in the real world; and

an adapter configured to adapt the sensed information in accordance with a sensor capability associated with the bio sensor;

a controller configured to control an experience within the virtual world based on the adapted sensed information,

wherein the sensed information comprises linked list information indicating a link data structure element to group the bio sensor.

2. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the experience comprises:

changing an appearance of an avatar in the virtual world;

controlling a direction of the avatar in the virtual world;

adapting an ability of the avatar in the virtual world;

adapting an attribute of the avatar in the virtual world;

adapting a status of the avatar in the virtual world;

influencing an outcome of an interaction of the avatar with the virtual world;

or

generating metadata of a virtual object in the virtual world.

3. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine a health of the user, based on the adapted sensed information.

4. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bio sensor comprises at least one of a body height sensor, a body weight sensor, a body temperature sensor, a body fat sensor, a blood type sensor, a blood pressure sensor, a blood sugar sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, a heart rate sensor, an electroencephalography (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiography (ECG) sensor, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electrooculography (EOG) sensor, a galvanic skin reflex (GSR) sensor, a bio sensor, or an electrograph sensor.

5. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensed information comprises:

identification (ID) information to identify an identity of the sensed information;

group ID information to identify an identity of a multi-sensor group including the bio sensor;

sensor ID reference information to refer to the bio sensor;

activate information to determine whether the bio sensor operates or not; and

priority information with respect to another piece of sensed information that shares a same point with the sensed information in a time at which the sensed information is adapted.

6. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input receives an input, from the user, of a sensor adaptation preference for controlling a method of adapting the sensed information.

7. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a body height sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a timestamp, a unit, and a value.

8. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a body weight sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a timestamp, a unit, and a value.

9. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a body temperature sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a location flag, a timestamp, a unit, a value, and a location.

10. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a body fat sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a timestamp, a unit, and a value.

11. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a blood type sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of an ABO type and an Rh type.

12. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a blood pressure sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a systolic blood pressure flag, a diastolic blood pressure flag, a mean arterial pressure (MAP) flag, a timestamp, a unit, a systolic blood pressure, a diastolic blood pressure, and an MAP.

13. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a blood sugar sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a timestamp, a unit, and a value.

14. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a blood oxygen sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a timestamp, a unit, and a value.

15. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a heart rate sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a timestamp, a unit, and a value.

16. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to an EEG sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a wave pattern flag, a wave pattern, a timestamp, a unit, and an wave value.

17. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to an ECG sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a timestamp, a unit, and an wave value.

18. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to an EMG sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a timestamp, a unit, and an wave value.

19. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to an EOG sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a timestamp, a unit, and an wave value.

20. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to a GSR sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a unit flag, a timestamp, a unit, and an array value.

21. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a type of the bio sensor corresponds to a bio sensor type, the sensed information comprises at least one of a body height flag, a body weight flag, a body temperature flag, a body fat flag, a blood type flag, a blood pressure flag, a blood sugar flag, a blood oxygen flag, a heart rate flag, an EEG flag, an ECG flag, an EMG flag, an EOG flag, a GSR flag, a body height, a body weight, a body temperature, a body fat, a blood type, a blood pressure, a blood sugar, a blood oxygen, a heart rate, an EEG, an ECG, an EMG, an EOG, and a GSR.

22. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the bio sensor corresponds to an electrograph sensor, the sensed information comprises at least one of a timestamp, a waveform label, a wave value, a unit, and a maximum amplitude.

23. The virtual world processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensed information comprises at least one flag, and each of the at least one flag indicates whether the sensed information includes a predetermined field.

24. An operating method of a virtual world processing apparatus for enabling interoperability between a virtual world and a real world or interoperability between virtual worlds, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, an input of sensed information sensed by a bio sensor, the sensed information relating to biometrics of a user in the real world; and

adapting the sensed information, based on a sensor capability associated with the bio sensor;

controlling an experience within the virtual world based on the adapted sensed information,

wherein the sensed information includes linked list information indicating a link data structure element to group the bio sensor.

25. The virtual world processing method of claim 24, wherein the controlling the experience comprises:

changing an appearance of an avatar in the virtual world;

controlling a direction of the avatar in the virtual world;

adapting an ability of the avatar in the virtual world;

adapting an attribute of the avatar in the virtual world;

adapting a status of the avatar in the virtual world;

influencing an outcome of an interaction of the avatar with the virtual world;

or

generating metadata of a virtual object in the virtual world.

26. The virtual world processing method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a health of the user, based on the adapted sensed information.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a program for instructing a computer to perform the method of claim 24.

28. A method for interacting between a real world and a virtual world, the method comprising:

sensing information regarding a user in the real world using at least one bio sensor;

adapting the sensed information based on at least one sensor capability that corresponds to the at least one bio sensor; and

controlling at least one object in the virtual world based on the adapted sensed information,

wherein the sensed information includes linked list information indicating a link data structure element to group the bio sensor.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising displaying, in the virtual world, a health of the user in the real world,

wherein the health is determined based on the adapted sensed information.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising controlling a method of adapting the sensed information based on sensor adaptation preference information received from the user.