U.S. patent application number 15/476778 was filed with the patent office on 2017-07-20 for visualization of physical characteristics in augmented reality.
The applicant listed for this patent is DAQRI, LLC. Invention is credited to Brian Mullins.
Application Number | 20170206419 15/476778 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53482404 |
Filed Date | 2017-07-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170206419 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mullins; Brian |
July 20, 2017 |
VISUALIZATION OF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN AUGMENTED REALITY
Abstract
A system and method for visualization of physical
characteristics are described. A server identifies a physical
object detected by a device and accesses a measurement of a first
physical characteristic of the physical object from a first sensor
associated with the physical object. The first sensor is coupled to
the physical object. The server generates a first virtual content
that represents the measurement of the first physical
characteristic of the physical object. The first virtual content is
communicated to the device to display the first virtual content at
a first position corresponding to the first physical characteristic
of the physical object in a display of the device.
Inventors: |
Mullins; Brian; (Altadena,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DAQRI, LLC |
Los Angeles |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53482404 |
Appl. No.: |
15/476778 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14145567 |
Dec 31, 2013 |
9626801 |
|
|
15476778 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06T 19/20 20130101;
G06K 9/00671 20130101; G06T 19/006 20130101; G06T 2219/2012
20130101; G06T 2219/2021 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06K 9/00 20060101
G06K009/00; G06T 19/20 20060101 G06T019/20; G06T 19/00 20060101
G06T019/00 |
Claims
1. A server comprising: one or more hardware processor comprising
an augmented reality application, the augmented reality application
configured to perform operations comprising: identifying a physical
object detected by a device; accessing a measurement of a first
physical characteristic of the physical object from a first sensor
associated with the physical object, the first sensor configured to
be coupled to the physical object; generating a first virtual
content that represents the measurement of the first physical
characteristic of the physical object; and communicating the first
virtual content to the device, the device being configured to
display the first virtual content at a first position corresponding
to the first physical characteristic of the physical object in a
display of the device.
2. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the device, a picture of the physical object, the
picture being generated by the device, wherein the physical object
is identified based on the picture of the physical object.
3. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the device, an identification of the physical
object, wherein the physical object is identified based on the
identification of the physical object received from the device.
4. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the device, a request to identify a measurement of
the first physical characteristic of the physical object, wherein
the accessing the measurement of the first physical characteristic
of the physical object from the first sensor is in response to the
receiving the request.
5. The server of claim 1, wherein the accessing the measurement of
the first physical characteristic of the physical object further
comprises: accessing live data from the first sensor; updating the
first virtual content based on the live data; and communicating the
updated first virtual content to the device.
6. The server of claim 1, wherein the generating the first virtual
content further comprises: forming a three-dimensional model of a
virtual obj ect corresponding to the first physical characteristic
of the physical object; and updating the three-dimensional model of
the virtual object based on the measurement of the first physical
characteristic of the physical object.
7. The server of claim 6, wherein updating the three-dimensional
model of the virtual object further comprises: changing a visual
feature of the three-dimensional model of the virtual object based
on a change in the measurement of the first physical characteristic
of the physical object.
8. The server of claim 7, wherein the visual feature includes a
combination of an animation, a shape, and a color, and wherein the
physical characteristic of the object includes a combination of a
temperature, a weight, a force, a pressure, a heart rate, and a
blood pressure.
9. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
accessing a measurement of a second physical characteristic of the
physical object from a second sensor associated with the physical
object, the second sensor configured to be coupled to the physical
object; generating a second virtual content that represents the
measurement of the second physical characteristic of the physical
object; and communicating the second virtual content to the device,
the device being configured to display the second virtual content
at a second position corresponding to the second physical
characteristic of the physical object in the display of the device,
wherein a size of the first and second virtual content is adjusted
based on a size of the physical object in a picture generated by
the device.
10. The server of claim 9, wherein the first position corresponds
to the location of the first sensor, wherein the second position
corresponds to the location of the second sensor.
11. A method comprising: identifying a physical object detected by
a device; accessing a measurement of a first physical
characteristic of the physical object from a first sensor
associated with the physical object, the first sensor configured to
be coupled to the physical object; generating a first virtual
content that represents the measurement of the first physical
characteristic of the physical object; and communicating the first
virtual content to the device, the device being configured to
display the first virtual content at a first position corresponding
to the first physical characteristic of the physical object in a
display of the device.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, from the
device, a picture of the physical object, the picture being
generated by the device, wherein the physical object is identified
based on the picture of the physical object.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, from the
device, an identification of the physical object, wherein the
physical object is identified based on the identification of the
physical object received from the device.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, from the
device, a request to identify a measurement of the first physical
characteristic of the physical object, wherein the accessing the
measurement of the first physical characteristic of the physical
object from the first sensor is in response to the receiving the
request.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the accessing the measurement
of the first physical characteristic of the physical object further
comprises: accessing live data from the first sensor; updating the
first virtual content based on the live data; and communicating the
updated first virtual content to the device.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating the first
virtual content further comprises: forming a three-dimensional
model of a virtual object corresponding to the first physical
characteristic of the physical object; and updating the
three-dimensional model of the virtual object based on the
measurement of the first physical characteristic of the physical
object.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein updating the three-dimensional
model of the virtual object further comprises: changing a visual
feature of the three-dimensional model of the virtual object based
on a change in the measurement of the first physical characteristic
of the physical object.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the visual feature includes a
combination of an animation, a shape, and a color, and wherein the
physical characteristic of the object includes a combination of a
temperature, a weight, a force, a pressure, a heart rate, and a
blood pressure.
19. The method of claim 11, further comprising: accessing a
measurement of a second physical characteristic of the physical
object from a second sensor associated with the physical object,
the second sensor configured to be coupled to the physical object;
generating a second virtual content that represents the measurement
of the second physical characteristic of the physical object; and
communicating the second virtual content to the device, the device
being configured to display the second virtual content at a second
position corresponding to the second physical characteristic of the
physical object in the display of the device, wherein a size of the
first and second virtual content is adjusted based on a size of the
physical object in a picture generated by the device.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising
instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a
computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
identifying a physical object detected by a device; accessing a
measurement of a first physical characteristic of the physical
object from a first sensor associated with the physical object, the
first sensor configured to be coupled to the physical object;
generating a first virtual content that represents the measurement
of the first physical characteristic of the physical object; and
communicating the first virtual content to the device, the device
being configured to display the first virtual content at a first
position corresponding to the first physical characteristic of the
physical object in a display of the device.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit
of priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/145,567,
entitled "Visualization of Physical Characteristics in Augmented
Reality", filed Dec. 31, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to the
processing of data. Specifically, the present disclosure addresses
systems and methods for visualization of physical characteristics
in augmented reality.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A device can be used to generate and display data in
addition to an image captured with the device. For example,
augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect view of a
physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by
computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or
GPS data. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g., adding
computer vision and object recognition) the information about the
surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive.
Device-generated (e.g., artificial) information about the
environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not
limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a
network suitable for assigning a virtual user interface to a
physical object, according to some example embodiments.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment
of modules (e.g., components) of a viewing device.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment
of modules of a recognition module.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment
of modules of a physical characteristics module.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment
of modules of a server.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a ladder diagram illustrating an example
embodiment of training an augmented reality application at a
viewing device.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a ladder diagram illustrating an example
embodiment of training an augmented reality application at a
server.
[0012] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of
comparing visualization physical characteristics of real world
objects in an augmented reality application.
[0013] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of
modifying a visualization physical characteristics of real world
objects in an augmented reality application.
[0014] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of
retrieving a visualization from a server.
[0015] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of
training an augmented reality application at a server.
[0016] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating components of a
machine, according to some example embodiments, able to read
instructions from a machine-readable medium and perform any one or
more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0017] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile device,
according to an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Example methods and systems are directed to data
manipulation based on real world object manipulation. Examples
merely typify possible variations. Unless explicitly stated
otherwise, components and functions are optional and may be
combined or subdivided, and operations may vary in sequence or be
combined or subdivided. In the following description, for purposes
of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide
a thorough understanding of example embodiments. It will be evident
to one skilled in the art, however, that the present subject matter
may be practiced without these specific details.
[0019] Augmented reality applications allow a user to experience
information, such as in the form of a three-dimensional virtual
object overlaid on an image of a physical object captured by a
camera of a viewing device. The physical object may include a
visual reference that the augmented reality application can
identify. A visualization of the additional information, such as
the three-dimensional virtual object overlaid or engaged with an
image of the physical object, is generated in a display of the
device. The three-dimensional virtual object may be selected based
on the recognized visual reference or captured image of the
physical object. A rendering of the visualization of the
three-dimensional virtual object may be based on a position of the
display relative to the visual reference. Other augmented reality
applications allow a user to experience visualization of the
additional information overlaid on top of a view or an image of any
object in the real physical world. The virtual object may include a
three-dimensional virtual object, a two-dimensional virtual object.
For example, the three-dimensional virtual object may include a
three-dimensional view of a chair or an animated dinosaur. The
two-dimensional virtual object may include a two-dimensional view
of a dialog box, menu, or written information such as statistics
information for a baseball player. An image of the virtual object
may be rendered at the viewing device.
[0020] A system and method for visualization of physical
characteristics are described. A sensor coupled to an object
generates live data. Physical characteristics of the object are
computed using the live data at a server. A visualization of the
physical characteristics of the object is generated and
communicated to a viewing device configured to capture an image of
the object. The viewing device augments the image of the object
with the visualization of the physical characteristics of the
object.
[0021] In one example embodiment, the server receives an
identification of the object from the viewing device and accesses
live data corresponding to the identification of the object. The
live data may be communicated to the viewing device that computes
physical characteristics of the object using the live data and
generates the visualization of the physical characteristics of the
object.
[0022] In another example embodiment, the viewing device displays
the visualization of the physical characteristics of the object in
relation to the image of the object in a display of the viewing
device. The visualization can include an animation with movements
based on the live data or visual indicators having shapes and
colors that change according to the live data. The physical
characteristics of the object may include a weight, a force, a
pressure, a heart rate, a pressure rate, or EEG data.
[0023] In another example embodiment, the server accesses
historical physical characteristics of the object and generates a
visualization that compares the physical characteristics of the
object to the historical physical characteristics of the
object.
[0024] In another example embodiment, the server receives a
parameter related to the object from the viewing device, computes
modified physical characteristics of the object based on the live
data affected by the parameter, generates a visualization of the
modified physical characteristics of the object, and communicates
the visualization of the modified physical characteristics of the
object to the viewing device.
[0025] In another example embodiment, the server renders a virtual
object using the computed physical features, and communicates the
rendered virtual object to the viewing device. The viewing device
displays the rendered virtual object in relation to a position of
the viewing device relative to the object.
[0026] In another example embodiment, the viewing device includes
an optical device configured to capture the image of the object and
a display configured to display the visualization of the physical
characteristics of the object in a transparent display. A position
and size of the visualization of the physical characteristics of
the object in the transparent display may be based on a position
and orientation of the viewing device relative to the object.
[0027] In another example embodiment, a non-transitory
machine-readable storage device may store a set of instructions
that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least
one processor to perform the method operations discussed within the
present disclosure.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a network diagram illustrating a network
environment 100 suitable for operating an augmented reality
application of a device, according to some example embodiments. The
network environment 100 includes a viewing device 101 and a server
110, communicatively coupled to each other via a network 108. The
viewing device 101 and the server 110 may each be implemented in a
computer system, in whole or in part, as described below with
respect to FIGS. 2 and 5.
[0029] The server 110 may be part of a network-based system. For
example, the network-based system may be or include a cloud-based
server system that provides additional information, such as
three-dimensional models, to the viewing device 101.
[0030] A user 102 may utilize the viewing device 101 to capture a
view of a physical object (e.g., a bridge) or a subject (e.g., a
human being) in a local real world environment. The user 102 may be
a human user (e.g., a human being), a machine user (e.g., a
computer configured by a software program to interact with the
viewing device 101), or any suitable combination thereof (e.g., a
human assisted by a machine or a machine supervised by a human).
The user 102 is not part of the network environment 100, but is
associated with the viewing device 101 and may be a user 102 of the
viewing device 101. For example, the viewing device 101 may be a
computing device with a display such as a smartphone, a tablet
computer, or a wearable computing device (e.g., watch or glasses).
The computing device may be hand held or may be removably mounted
to the head of the user 102. In one example, the display may be a
screen that displays what is captured with a camera of the viewing
device 101. In another example, the display of the viewing device
101 may be transparent or semi-transparent such as in lenses of
wearable computing glasses.
[0031] The user 102 may be a user of an augmented reality
application in the viewing device 101 and at the server 110. The
augmented reality application may provide the user 102 with an
experience triggered by a subject or a physical object, such as a
two-dimensional physical object (e.g., a picture), a
three-dimensional physical object (e.g., a factory machine), a
location (e.g., at the bottom floor of a factory), or any
references (e.g., perceived corners of walls or furniture) in the
real world physical environment. For example, the user 102 may
point a camera of the viewing device 101 to capture an image of a
subject/object 114.
[0032] In one embodiment, the image is tracked and recognized
locally in the viewing device 101 using a local context recognition
dataset or any other previously stored dataset of the augmented
reality application of the viewing device 101. The local context
recognition dataset module may include a library of virtual objects
associated with real-world physical objects or references. In one
example, the viewing device 101 identifies feature points in an
image of the subject/object 114 to determine different planes
(e.g., edges, corners, surface of the machine). The viewing device
101 also identifies tracking data related to the subject/object 114
(e.g., GPS location of a bridge, facing west, e.g., viewing device
101 standing x meters away from the bridge, etc.). If the captured
image is not recognized locally at the viewing device 101, the
viewing device 101 downloads additional information (e.g., the
three-dimensional model) corresponding to the captured image, from
a database of the server 110 over the network 108.
[0033] In another embodiment, the image is tracked and recognized
remotely at the server 110 using a remote context recognition
dataset or any other previously stored dataset of an augmented
reality application in the server 110. The remote context
recognition dataset module may include a library of virtual objects
associated with real-world physical objects or references.
[0034] Sensors 112 coupled to the subject/object 114 may measure
physical properties on the subject/object 114. For example, sensors
112 may be disposed throughout a span of a bridge to measure
movement, pressure, orientation, temperature, etc. The server 110
can compute physical characteristics of the subject/object 114
using the live data generated by the sensors 112. For example, the
server 110 can compute the amount of stress at specific locations
throughout the bridge as cars drive over the bridge. The server 110
can generate virtual indicators such as vectors or colors based on
the computed physical characteristics of the subject/object 114.
The virtual indicators are then overlaid on top of a live image of
the subject/object 114 to show the amount of real-time stress on
the bridge. For example, the virtual indicators may include arrows
with shapes and colors that change based on real-time data. The
visualization may be provided to the viewing device 101 so that the
viewing device 101 can render the virtual indicators in a display
of the viewing device 101. In another embodiment, the virtual
indicators are rendered at the server 110 and streamed to the
viewing device 101. The viewing device 101 displays the virtual
indicators or visualization corresponding to a display of the
subject/object 114. For example, the virtual arrows are positioned
at locations corresponding to the amount of stress measured on the
bridge.
[0035] In another example, the sensors 112 may include a blood
pressure and heart rate monitor coupled to a subject. For example,
the server 110 can generate a picture of a heart with a beating
animation with a pace corresponding to the measured hear rate from
the sensors 112. The server 110 may change a color of the heart
based on the measured blood pressure. The live animation is
provided to the viewing device 101 such that the picture of the
heart is displayed on top of a chest area of the subject 114 in the
display of the viewing device 101. The position of the picture of
the heart may be determined based on the orientation and position
of the viewing device 101 relative to the subject using sensors
(e.g., gyroscope) internal to the viewing device 101.
[0036] The sensors 112 may include other sensors used to track the
location and orientation of the viewing device 101 externally
without having to rely on the sensors internal to the viewing
device 101. The tracking sensors 112 may include optical sensors
(e.g., depth-enabled 3D camera), wireless sensors (Bluetooth,
Wi-Fi), GPS sensor, and audio sensor to determine the location of
the user 102 having the viewing device 101, distance of the user
102 to the tracking sensors 112 in the physical environment (e.g.,
sensors placed in corners of a venue or a room), the orientation of
the viewing device 101 to track what the user 102 is looking at
(e.g., direction at which the viewing device 101 is pointed,
viewing device 101 pointed towards a player on a tennis court,
viewing device 101 pointed at a person in a room).
[0037] In another embodiment, data from the tracking sensors 112
and internal sensors in the viewing device 101 may be used for
analytics data processing at the server 110 (or another server) for
analysis on usage and how the user 102 is interacting with the
physical environment. Live data from other servers from other
servers may also be used in the analytics data processing. For
example, the analytics data may track at what locations (e.g.,
points or features) on the physical or virtual object the user 102
has looked, how long the user 102 has looked at each location on
the physical or virtual object, how the user 102 held the viewing
device 101 when looking at the physical or virtual object, which
features of the virtual object the user 102 interacted with (e.g.,
such as whether a user 102 tapped on a link in the virtual object),
and any suitable combination thereof. The viewing device 101
receives a visualization content dataset related to the analytics
data. The viewing device 101 then generates a virtual object with
additional or visualization features, or a new experience, based on
the visualization content dataset.
[0038] Any of the machines, databases, or devices shown in FIG. 1
may be implemented in a general-purpose computer modified (e.g.,
configured or programmed) by software to be a special-purpose
computer to perform one or more of the functions described herein
for that machine, database, or device. For example, a computer
system able to implement any one or more of the methodologies
described herein is discussed below with respect to FIGS. 12, 13.
As used herein, a "database" is a data storage resource and may
store data structured as a text file, a table, a spreadsheet, a
relational database (e.g., an object-relational database), a triple
store, a hierarchical data store, or any suitable combination
thereof. Moreover, any two or more of the machines, databases, or
devices illustrated in FIG. 1 may be combined into a single
machine, and the functions described herein for any single machine,
database, or device may be subdivided among multiple machines,
databases, or devices.
[0039] The network 108 may be any network that enables
communication between or among machines (e.g., server 110),
databases, and devices (e.g., device 101). Accordingly, the network
108 may be a wired network, a wireless network (e.g., a mobile or
cellular network), or any suitable combination thereof. The network
108 may include one or more portions that constitute a private
network, a public network (e.g., the Internet), or any suitable
combination thereof.
[0040] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating modules (e.g.,
components) of the viewing device 101, according to some example
embodiments. The viewing device 101 may include sensors 202, a
display 204, a processor 206, and a storage device 208. For
example, the viewing device 101 may be a wearing computing device,
desktop computer, a vehicle computer, a tablet computer, a
navigational device, a portable media device, or a smart phone of a
user. The user may be a human user (e.g., a human being), a machine
user (e.g., a computer configured by a software program to interact
with the viewing device 101), or any suitable combination thereof
(e.g., a human assisted by a machine or a machine supervised by a
human).
[0041] The sensors 202 may include, for example, a proximity or
location sensor (e.g., Near Field Communication, GPS, Bluetooth,
Wi-Fi), an optical sensor (e.g., camera), an orientation sensor
(e.g., gyroscope), an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone), or any
suitable combination thereof. For example, the sensors 202 may
include a rear facing camera and a front facing camera in the
viewing device 101. It is noted that the sensors 202 described
herein are for illustration purposes; the sensors 202 are thus not
limited to the ones described. The sensors 202 may be used to
generate internal tracking data of the viewing device 101 to
determine what the viewing device 101 is capturing or looking at in
the real physical world.
[0042] The display 204 may include, for example, a touchscreen
display configured to receive a user input via a contact on the
touchscreen display. In one example, the display 204 may include a
screen or monitor configured to display images generated by the
processor 206. In another example, the display 204 may be
transparent or semi-opaque so that the user 102 can see through the
display 204 (e.g., Head-Up Display).
[0043] The processor 206 may include an augmented reality
application 216 for creating a virtual display of real-time or live
physical characteristics related to an object when the viewing
device 101 captures an image of an object or a subject. In one
example embodiment, the augmented reality application 216 may
include a recognition module 214 and a physical characteristics
module 218.
[0044] The recognition module 214 identifies the object that the
viewing device 101 is pointed to. The recognition module 214 may
detect, generate, and identify identifiers such as feature points
of the physical object being viewed or pointed at the viewing
device 101 using an optical device of the viewing device 101 to
capture the image of the physical object. As such, the recognition
module 214 may be configured to identify a physical object. In one
example embodiment, the recognition module 214 may include a
feature points module 302 and a contextual local image module 304
as illustrated in FIG. 3. The identification of the object may be
performed in many different ways. For example, the feature points
module 302 may determine feature points of the object based on
several image frames of object. The feature points module 302 also
determines the identity of the object using any visual recognition
algorithm. In another example, a unique identifier may be
associated with the object. The unique identifier may be a unique
wireless signal or a unique visual pattern such that the
recognition module 214 can look up the identity of the object based
on the unique identifier from a local or remote content database.
In another example embodiment, the recognition module 214 includes
a facial recognition algorithm to determine an identity of a
subject. The contextual local image module 304 may be configured to
determine whether the captured image matches an image locally
stored in a local database of images and corresponding additional
information (e.g., three-dimensional model and interactive
features) on the viewing device 101. In one embodiment, the
contextual local image module 304 retrieves a primary content
dataset from the server 110, and generates and updates a contextual
content dataset based an image captured with the viewing device
101.
[0045] The physical characteristics module 218 determines
information or status including physical characteristics related to
the object. In one example embodiment, the physical characteristics
module 218 may include a visualization module 402 and a live data
module 404 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The visualization module 402
may generate a visualization of the live physical characteristics
related to the object. The visualization may include rendering a
three-dimensional object (e.g., model of a beating heart) or a
two-dimensional object (e.g., arrow or symbols). In one example
embodiment, the visualization module 402 receives data from the
server 110 to render the visualization. In another example
embodiment, the visualization module 402 receives the rendered
object. The visualization module 402 further determines the
position and size of the rendered object to be displayed in
relation to an image of the object. For example, the visualization
module 402 places the animated heart with the size and position
based on the image of the subject such that the animated heart is
displayed on the chest of the subject with the appropriate size.
The visualization module 402 may track the image of the subject and
render the virtual object based on the position of the image of the
subject in a display of the viewing device 101.
[0046] The live data module 404 communicates with the server 110 to
receive live data related to physical characteristics of the object
or subject. In another embodiment, the object may broadcast live
data from sensors internal to the object. For example, the object
may have sensors embedded in it. The sensors can broadcast real
time data to the live data module 404 of the viewing device 101 and
the server 110. The live data module 404 may receive the live data
after authentication with the object. In another example, the live
data module 404 can receive computed physical characteristics from
the server 110, or live raw data from sensors 112.
[0047] In one example embodiment, the viewing device 101 accesses
from a local memory a visualization model (e.g., vector shapes)
corresponding to the image of the object (e.g., bridge). In another
example, the viewing device 101 receives a visualization model
corresponding to the image of the object from the server 110. The
viewing device 101 then renders the visualization model to be
displayed in relation to an image of the object being displayed in
the viewing device 101 or in relation to a position and orientation
of the viewing device 101 relative to the object. The augmented
reality application 216 may adjust a position of the rendered
visualization model in the display 204 to correspond with the last
tracked position of the object (as last detected either from the
sensors 202 of the viewing device 101 or from the tracking sensors
112 of the server 110).
[0048] The visualization module 402 may include a local rendering
engine that generates a visualization of a three-dimensional
virtual object overlaid (e.g., superimposed upon, or otherwise
displayed in tandem with) on an image of a physical object captured
by a camera of the viewing device 101 in the display 204 of the
viewing device 101. A visualization of the three-dimensional
virtual object may be manipulated by adjusting a position of the
physical object (e.g., its physical location, orientation, or both)
relative to the camera of the viewing device 101. Similarly, the
visualization of the three-dimensional virtual object may be
manipulated by adjusting a position of the camera of the viewing
device 101 relative to the physical object.
[0049] In one example embodiment, the visualization module 402 may
retrieve three-dimensional models of virtual objects associated
with a captured real world object. For example, the captured image
may include a visual reference (also referred to as a marker) that
consists of an identifiable image, symbol, letter, number,
machine-readable code. For example, the visual reference may
include a bar code, a quick response (QR) code, or an image that
has been previously associated with a three-dimensional virtual
object (e.g., an image that has been previously determined to
correspond to the three-dimensional virtual object).
[0050] In one example embodiment, the visualization module 402 may
include a manipulation module that identifies the physical object
(e.g., a physical telephone), access virtual functions (e.g.,
increase or lower the volume of a nearby television) associated
with physical manipulations (e.g., lifting a physical telephone
handset) of the physical object, and generate a virtual function
corresponding to a physical manipulation of the physical
object.
[0051] The storage device 208 may be configured to store a database
of identifiers of physical object, tracking data, and corresponding
virtual user interfaces. In another embodiment, the database may
also include visual references (e.g., images) and corresponding
experiences (e.g., three-dimensional virtual objects, interactive
features of the three-dimensional virtual objects). For example,
the visual reference may include a machine-readable code or a
previously identified image (e.g., a picture of a shoe). The
previously identified image of the shoe may correspond to a
three-dimensional virtual model of the shoe that can be viewed from
different angles by manipulating the position of the viewing device
101 relative to the picture of the shoe. Features of the
three-dimensional virtual shoe may include selectable icons on the
three-dimensional virtual model of the shoe. An icon may be
selected or activated by tapping or moving on the viewing device
101.
[0052] In one embodiment, the storage device 208 includes a primary
content dataset, a contextual content dataset, and a visualization
content dataset. The primary content dataset includes, for example,
a first set of images and corresponding experiences (e.g.,
interaction with three-dimensional virtual object models). For
example, an image may be associated with one or more virtual object
models. The primary content dataset may include a core set of
images or the most popular images determined by the server 110. The
core set of images may include a limited number of images
identified by the server 110. For example, the core set of images
may include the images depicting covers of the ten most popular
magazines and their corresponding experiences (e.g., virtual
objects that represent the ten most popular magazines). In another
example, the server 110 may generate the first set of images based
on the most popular or often scanned images received at the server
110. Thus, the primary content dataset does not depend on objects
or images scanned by the recognition module 214 of the viewing
device 101.
[0053] The contextual content dataset includes, for example, a
second set of images and corresponding experiences (e.g.,
three-dimensional virtual object models) retrieved from the server
110. For example, images captured with the viewing device 101 that
are not recognized (e.g., by the server 110) in the primary content
dataset are submitted to the server 110 for recognition. If the
captured image is recognized by the server 110, a corresponding
experience may be downloaded at the viewing device 101 and stored
in the contextual content dataset. Thus, the contextual content
dataset relies on the context in which the viewing device 101 has
been used. As such, the contextual content dataset depends on
objects or images scanned by the recognition module 214 of the
viewing device 101.
[0054] In one embodiment, the viewing device 101 may communicate
over the network 108 with the server 110 to retrieve a portion of a
database of visual references, corresponding three-dimensional
virtual objects, and corresponding interactive features of the
three-dimensional virtual objects. The network 108 may be any
network that enables communication between or among machines,
databases, and devices (e.g., the viewing device 101). Accordingly,
the network 108 may be a wired network, a wireless network (e.g., a
mobile or cellular network), or any suitable combination thereof.
The network 108 may include one or more portions that constitute a
private network, a public network (e.g., the Internet), or any
suitable combination thereof.
[0055] Any one or more of the modules described herein may be
implemented using hardware (e.g., a processor of a machine) or a
combination of hardware and software. For example, any module
described herein may configure a processor to perform the
operations described herein for that module. Moreover, any two or
more of these modules may be combined into a single module, and the
functions described herein for a single module may be subdivided
among multiple modules. Furthermore, according to various example
embodiments, modules described herein as being implemented within a
single machine, database, or device may be distributed across
multiple machines, databases, or devices.
[0056] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating modules (e.g.,
components) of the server 110. The server 110 includes a sensor
interface 501, a processor 502, and a database 510. The sensor
interface 501 may communicate with the sensors 112 (FIG. 1) to
receive real time data.
[0057] The processor 502 may include a subject/object identifier
504, a physical characteristics identifier 506, and a physical
characteristics visualization module 508. The subject/object
identifier 504 may operate similarly to the recognition module 214
of the viewing device 101. For example, the subject/object
identifier 504 may identify an subject/object 114 based on a
picture being received from the viewing device 101. In another
example, the viewing device 101 already has identified the
subject/object 114 and has provided the identification information
to the subject/object identifier 504.
[0058] The physical characteristics identifier 506 may determine
the physical characteristics associated with the subject/object 114
identified. For example, if the subject/object 114 is bridge "abc"
at location x, the physical characteristics may include the number
of cars driven on the bridge during rush hours, the amount of
stress on a particular span of the bridge, the temperature of the
pavement in the middle of the bridge, etc.
[0059] The physical characteristics visualization module 508
generates a graphical visualization based on the real time data of
the physical characteristics of subject/object 114. For example,
the physical characteristics visualization module 508 may generate
arrows or vectors corresponding to sections of the bridge. In
another embodiment, the physical characteristics visualization
module 508 may generate a visual model based on the real time data
of the physical characteristics. For example, the visual model may
include a three dimensional model of the bridge.
[0060] The database 510 may store a content dataset 512, a virtual
content dataset 514, and physical characteristics dataset 516. The
content dataset 512 may store a primary content dataset and a
contextual content dataset. The primary content dataset comprises a
first set of images and corresponding virtual object models. The
subject/object identifier 504 determines that a captured image
received from the viewing device 101 is not recognized in the
content dataset, and generates the contextual content dataset for
the viewing device 101. The contextual content dataset may include
a second set of images and corresponding virtual object models. The
virtual content dataset 514 includes models of virtual objects to
be generated upon receiving a notification associated with an image
of a corresponding physical object. The physical characteristics
dataset 516 includes a table of identified subjects/objects with
corresponding physical characteristics.
[0061] FIG. 6 is a ladder diagram illustrating an example
embodiment of a system for visualizing physical characteristics in
an augmented reality application of a viewing device and a server.
At operation 602, the viewing device 101 identifies a subject or
object (e.g., subject/object 114) and tracks data related to the
subject/object being captured by the viewing device 101. At
operation 604, the viewing device 101 communicates the identity of
the subject/object being tracked to the server 110. At operation
606, the server 110 retrieves live data related to the
subject/object and computes physical characteristics of the
subject/object. At operation 608, the server 110 sends the live
physical characteristics of the subject/object to the viewing
device 101. At operation 610, the viewing device 101 generates a
visualization based on the live physical characteristics of the
subject/object. For example, a virtual heart may be displayed on an
image of a chest of the identified subject. In another example, the
visualization may be projected onto another object. For example,
the viewing device 101 points to a physical plastic heart model in
the physician's office. The viewing device 101 then starts to
animate a virtual heart over the image of the plastic heart model
based on the live heartbeat of a patient/subject. As such, the
viewing device 101 may recognize the object as a plastic heart
model and request live data from any sensor connected to any
patient. Furthermore, the viewing device 101 may be moved around
the physical plastic heart. The visualization is accordingly
modified based on the position of the viewing device 101 relative
to the plastic heart so as to show from a different angle. Thus,
the visualization of live data from one object may be projected on
an image of another object.
[0062] At operation 612, the viewing device 101 modifies (e.g.,
animates) the visualization based on the live physical
characteristics of the subject/object in relation to a display of
the subject/object.
[0063] FIG. 7 is a ladder diagram illustrating an example
embodiment of training an augmented reality application at a
viewing device. At operation 702, the server 110 identifies a
physical object. At operation 704, the server 110 accesses live
data from sensors related to the subject/object. At operation 706,
the server 110 computes physical characteristics of the
subject/object from the live data. At operation 708, the server 110
generates a visualization from the computed physical
characteristics. At operation 710, the viewing device 101
identifies a subject/object. At operation 712, the viewing device
101 communicates an identification of the identified subject/object
to the server 110. At operation 714, the server 110 retrieves a
visualization related to the identified subject/object. At
operation 716, the server 110 sends the visualization from the live
data to the viewing device 101. At operation 718, the viewing
device 101 displays a visualization in relation to the
subject/object.
[0064] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of
comparing visualization physical characteristics of real world
objects in an augmented reality application. At operation 802, the
viewing device identifies a subject or/and an object. At operation
804, the viewing device retrieves live physical characteristics
data related to the identified subject/object from a server. At
operation 806, the viewing device accesses live physical
characteristics data from a related subject/object (e.g., brother
of the subject, bridge with similar structure). In another example,
the viewing device may access historical data of the same
subject/object being viewed. For example, the historical data may
be heart beat data from the same subject from a previous day. At
808, the viewing device generates a visualization that compares the
live physical characteristics data with the live physical
characteristics data from a related subject/object or with
historical data of the same subject/object being viewed. Different
colors may be used to indicate the differences. At operation 810,
the viewing device modifies the visualization based on changes in
the live physical characteristics data.
[0065] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a
visualization of physical characteristics in augmented reality at a
viewing device. At operation 902, the viewing device identifies a
subject/object. At operation 904, the viewing device retrieves live
physical characteristics data related to the identified
subject/object from a server. At operation 906, the viewing device
generates a visualization associated with the identified
subject/object. At operation 908, the viewing device modifies the
visualization based on the live physical characteristics data.
[0066] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of
visualization of physical characteristics in augmented reality at a
server. At operation 1002, the server identifies the
subject/object. At operation 1004, the server identifies sensors
related to the identified subject/object. At operation 1006, the
server accesses live data from the identified sensors. At operation
1008, the server generates a visualization from the live data. At
operation 1010, the server streams the visualization to a viewing
device.
[0067] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of a
visualization of physical characteristics in augmented reality
applications. The viewing device 101 may include a handheld mobile
device having a rear view camera 1102 and a touch sensitive display
1104. The viewing device 101 may be pointed at an object 1110. The
rear view camera 1102 captures an image of the object 1110 and
displays a picture 1106 of the object 1110 in the display 1104.
Identifiers and tracking data related to the object 1110 may be
determined by the viewing device 101 based on the picture 1106 of
the object 1110 so as to identify the object 1110. The viewing
device 101 communicates an identification of the identified object
1110 to the server 110. The server 110 accesses live data from
physical characteristics sensors 112 coupled to the object 1110.
The server 110 computes physical characteristics based on the live
data and generates a visualization of the computed physical
characteristics. The server 110 sends the visualization of the
computed physical characteristics to the viewing device 101. The
viewing device 101 displays the visualization 1108 on top of the
picture 1106 of the object 1110.
Modules, Components and Logic
[0068] Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic
or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may
constitute either software modules (e.g., code embodied on a
machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal) or hardware
modules. A hardware module is a tangible unit capable of performing
certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain
manner. In example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g.,
a standalone, client, or server computer system) or one or more
hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group
of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application
or application portion) as a hardware module that operates to
perform certain operations as described herein.
[0069] In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented
mechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module may
comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently
configured (e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field
programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific
integrated circuit (ASIC)) to perform certain operations. A
hardware module may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry
(e.g., as encompassed within a general-purpose processor or other
programmable processor) that is temporarily configured by software
to perform certain operations. It will be appreciated that the
decision to implement a hardware module mechanically, in dedicated
and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured
circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and
time considerations.
[0070] Accordingly, the term "hardware module" should be understood
to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is
physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired) or
temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain
manner and/or to perform certain operations described herein.
Considering embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily
configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need
not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For
example, where the hardware modules comprise a general-purpose
processor configured using software, the general-purpose processor
may be configured as respective different hardware modules at
different times. Software may accordingly configure a processor,
for example, to constitute a particular hardware module at one
instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a
different instance of time.
[0071] Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive
information from, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the
described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively
coupled. Where multiple of such hardware modules exist
contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal
transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) that
connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in which multiple
hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times,
communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, for
example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory
structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. For
example, one hardware module may perform an operation and store the
output of that operation in a memory device to which it is
communicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a
later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the
stored output. Hardware modules may also initiate communications
with input or output devices and can operate on a resource (e.g., a
collection of information).
[0072] The various operations of example methods described herein
may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors
that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently
configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily
or permanently configured, such processors may constitute
processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more
operations or functions. The modules referred to herein may, in
some example embodiments, comprise processor-implemented
modules.
[0073] Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least
partially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of the
operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors
or processor-implemented modules. The performance of certain of the
operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, not
only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number
of machines. In some example embodiments, the processor or
processors may be located in a single location (e.g., within a home
environment, an office environment or as a server farm), while in
other embodiments the processors may be distributed across a number
of locations.
[0074] The one or more processors may also operate to support
performance of the relevant operations in a "cloud computing"
environment or as a "software as a service" (SaaS). For example, at
least some of the operations may be performed by a group of
computers (as examples of machines including processors), these
operations being accessible via a network and via one or more
appropriate interfaces (e.g., APIs).
Electronic Apparatus and System
[0075] Example embodiments may be implemented in digital electronic
circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in
combinations of them. Example embodiments may be implemented using
a computer program product, e.g., a computer program tangibly
embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable
medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data
processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer,
or multiple computers.
[0076] A computer program can be written in any form of programming
language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can
be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a
module, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing
environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on
one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed
across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication
network.
[0077] In example embodiments, operations may be performed by one
or more programmable processors executing a computer program to
perform functions by operating on input data and generating output.
Method operations can also be performed by, and apparatus of
example embodiments may be implemented as, special purpose logic
circuitry (e.g., a FPGA or an ASIC).
[0078] A computing system can include clients and servers. A client
and server are generally remote from each other and typically
interact through a communication network. The relationship of
client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on
the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to
each other. In embodiments deploying a programmable computing
system, it will be appreciated that both hardware and software
architectures merit consideration. Specifically, it will be
appreciated that the choice of whether to implement certain
functionality in permanently configured hardware (e.g., an ASIC),
in temporarily configured hardware (e.g., a combination of software
and a programmable processor), or a combination of permanently and
temporarily configured hardware may be a design choice. Below are
set out hardware (e.g., machine) and software architectures that
may be deployed, in various example embodiments.
Example Machine Architecture and Machine-Readable Medium
[0079] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a machine in the example form
of a computer system 1200 within which instructions 1224 for
causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies
discussed herein may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the
machine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g.,
networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the
machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine
in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a
peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may
be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web
appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine
capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that
specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a
single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be
taken to include any collection of machines that individually or
jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform
any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0080] The example computer system 1200 includes a processor 1202
(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit
(GPU) or both), a main memory 1204 and a static memory 1206, which
communicate with each other via a bus 1208. The computer system
1200 may further include a video display unit 1210 (e.g., a liquid
crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer
system 1200 also includes an alphanumeric input device 1212 (e.g.,
a keyboard), a user interface (UI) navigation (or cursor control)
device 1214 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 1216, a signal
generation device 1218 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface
device 1220.
Machine-Readable Medium
[0081] The disk drive unit 1216 includes a machine-readable medium
1222 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures and
instructions 1224 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one
or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The
instructions 1224 may also reside, completely or at least
partially, within the main memory 1204 and/or within the processor
1202 during execution thereof by the computer system 1200, the main
memory 1204 and the processor 1202 also constituting
machine-readable media. The instructions 1224 may also reside,
completely or at least partially, within the static memory
1206.
[0082] While the machine-readable medium 1222 is shown in an
example embodiment to be a single medium, the term
"machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple
media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or
associated caches and servers) that store the one or more
instructions 1224 or data structures. The term "machine-readable
medium" shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is
capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution
by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or
more of the methodologies of the present embodiments, or that is
capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized
by or associated with such instructions. The term "machine-readable
medium" shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited
to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific
examples of machine-readable media include non-volatile memory,
including by way of example semiconductor memory devices (e.g.,
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory
devices); magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable
disks; magneto-optical disks; and compact disc-read-only memory
(CD-ROM) and digital versatile disc (or digital video disc)
read-only memory (DVD-ROM) disks.
Transmission Medium
[0083] The instructions 1224 may further be transmitted or received
over a communications network 1226 using a transmission medium. The
instructions 1224 may be transmitted using the network interface
device 1220 and any one of a number of well-known transfer
protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of communication networks include
a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, mobile telephone networks, POTS
networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., WiFi and WiMax
networks). The term "transmission medium" shall be taken to include
any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying
instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digital or
analog communications signals or other intangible media to
facilitate communication of such software.
Example Mobile Device
[0084] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile device
1300, according to an example embodiment. The mobile device 1300
may include a processor 1302. The processor 1302 may be any of a
variety of different types of commercially available processors
1302 suitable for mobile devices 1300 (for example, an XScale
architecture microprocessor, a microprocessor without interlocked
pipeline stages (MIPS) architecture processor, or another type of
processor 1302). A memory 1304, such as a random access memory
(RAM), a flash memory, or other type of memory, is typically
accessible to the processor 1302. The memory 1304 may be adapted to
store an operating system (OS) 1306, as well as application
programs 1308, such as a mobile location enabled application that
may provide LBSs to a user. The processor 1302 may be coupled,
either directly or via appropriate intermediary hardware, to a
display 1310 and to one or more input/output (I/O) devices 1312,
such as a keypad, a touch panel sensor, a microphone, and the like.
Similarly, in some embodiments, the processor 1302 may be coupled
to a transceiver 1314 that interfaces with an antenna 1316. The
transceiver 1314 may be configured to both transmit and receive
cellular network signals, wireless data signals, or other types of
signals via the antenna 1316, depending on the nature of the mobile
device 1300. Further, in some configurations, a GPS receiver 1318
may also make use of the antenna 1316 to receive GPS signals.
[0085] Although an embodiment has been described with reference to
specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various
modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without
departing from the broader scope of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying
drawings that form a part hereof, show by way of illustration, and
not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter
may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in
sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice
the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized
and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical
substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the
scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is
not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various
embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the
full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
[0086] Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be
referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term
"invention" merely for convenience and without intending to
voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single
invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact
disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been
illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any
arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be
substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is
intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various
embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other
embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to
those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
[0087] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the
reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure.
It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to
interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition,
in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various
features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the
purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure
is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the
claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly
recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect,
inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single
disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby
incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim
standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
* * * * *