U.S. patent application number 15/623242 was filed with the patent office on 2017-10-05 for mixed reality data collaboration.
This patent application is currently assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC. Invention is credited to Dan Hou, Gavin Lazarow, Frederik Schaffalitzky.
Application Number | 20170287227 15/623242 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51984597 |
Filed Date | 2017-10-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170287227 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lazarow; Gavin ; et
al. |
October 5, 2017 |
MIXED REALITY DATA COLLABORATION
Abstract
Embodiments that relate to sharing mixed reality experiences
among multiple display devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a
method includes receiving current versions of a plurality of data
subtypes geo-located at a keyframe location. A world map data
structure is updated to include the current versions, and a
neighborhood request including the keyframe location is received
from a display device. Based on the keyframe location, an
identifier and current version indicator for each data subtype is
provided to the device. A data request from the device for two or
more of the data subtypes is received, and the two or more data
subtypes are prioritized based on a priority hierarchy. Based on
the prioritization, current versions of the data subtypes are
sequentially provided to the device for augmenting an appearance of
a mixed reality environment.
Inventors: |
Lazarow; Gavin; (Bellevue,
WA) ; Schaffalitzky; Frederik; (Bellevue, WA)
; Hou; Dan; (Seattle, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC |
Redmond |
WA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Microsoft Technology Licensing,
LLC
Redmond
WA
|
Family ID: |
51984597 |
Appl. No.: |
15/623242 |
Filed: |
June 14, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13908816 |
Jun 3, 2013 |
9685003 |
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15623242 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 27/017 20130101;
G06T 19/006 20130101; G06F 3/14 20130101; G06T 2219/024 20130101;
G02B 2027/014 20130101; G09G 2370/022 20130101; G09G 2350/00
20130101; G02B 27/0172 20130101; G02B 2027/0187 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06T 19/00 20060101
G06T019/00 |
Claims
1. A data collaborator for two or more display devices, the data
collaborator comprising: a processor configured to: receive a
plurality of data subtypes from a first display device, each of the
data subtypes having a keyframe location and a current version;
update a data structure to include the current versions of the data
subtypes at the keyframe location; receive a neighborhood request
including the keyframe location from a second display device; in
response to the neighborhood request and based on the keyframe
location, provide to the second display device an identifier for
each of the plurality of data subtypes and a current version
indicator for each of the plurality of data subtypes; receive a
data request from the second display device for two or more of the
plurality of data subtypes; prioritize the two or more data
subtypes based on a priority hierarchy; and based on the
prioritization, provide current versions of the two or more data
subtypes to the second display device.
2. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein the data request
includes the identifier for each of the two or more data subtypes
and a non-current version indicator for each of the two or more
data subtypes.
3. The data collaborator of claim 2, wherein the processor is
further configured to: compare the non-current version indicators
to the current version indicators for the corresponding two or more
data subtypes; and based on the comparison, select the current
versions of the two or more data subtypes for provision to the
second display device.
4. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data
subtypes are prioritized by the first display device based on the
priority hierarchy, and the plurality of data subtypes are
sequentially received by the processor from the first display
device based on the priority hierarchy.
5. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data
subtypes are prioritized by the second display device based on the
priority hierarchy, and the data request from the second display
device includes a prioritization of the two or more data subtypes
based on the priority hierarchy.
6. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein prior to receiving the
neighborhood request from the second display device and in response
to receiving the plurality of data subtypes from the first display
device, the processor is further configured to provide to the
second display device the identifiers that identify each of the
plurality of data subtypes and the current version of each of the
plurality of data subtypes received from the first display
device.
7. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein the processor is
further configured to: determine that a previous version of one of
the requested two or more data subtypes was previously received
from the second display device; and based on this determination,
refrain from providing the previous version of the one of the
requested data subtypes to the second display device.
8. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein the data subtypes are
selected from the group consisting of pose link transforms, anchor
transforms, tracking images, scene images, correspondences between
two-dimensional image coordinates and three-dimensional locations,
keyframe metadata, keyframe descriptors, three-dimensional keyframe
relocalization points, quantizations of keyframe descriptors, and
rig-to-rig transforms.
9. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein the priority hierarchy
comprises a first priority that includes anchor transforms, a
second priority that includes scene images, and a third priority
that includes three-dimensional keyframe relocalization points.
10. The data collaborator of claim 1, wherein the second display
device is a head-mounted display device.
11. A method, comprising: receiving a plurality of data subtypes
from a first display device, each of the data subtypes having a
keyframe location and a current version; updating a data structure
to include the current versions of the data subtypes at the
keyframe location; receiving a neighborhood request including the
keyframe location from a second display device; in response to the
neighborhood request and based on the keyframe location, providing
to the second display device an identifier for each of the
plurality of data subtypes and a current version indicator for each
of the plurality of data subtypes; receiving a data request from
the second display device for two or more of the plurality of data
subtypes; prioritizing the two or more data subtypes based on a
priority hierarchy; and based on the prioritization, providing
current versions of the two or more data subtypes to the second
display device.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data request includes the
identifier for each of the two or more data subtypes and a
non-current version indicator for each of the two or more data
subtypes.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: comparing the
non-current version indicators to the current version indicators
for the corresponding two or more data subtypes; and based on the
comparison, selecting the current versions of the two or more data
subtypes for provision to the second display device.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of data subtypes
are prioritized by the first display device based on the priority
hierarchy, and the method further comprises sequentially receiving
the plurality of data subtypes from the first display device based
on the priority hierarchy.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of data subtypes
are prioritized by the second display device based on the priority
hierarchy, and the data request from the second display device
includes a prioritization of the two or more data subtypes based on
the priority hierarchy.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to receiving
the neighborhood request from the second display device and in
response to receiving the plurality of data subtypes from the first
display device, providing to the second display device the
identifiers that identify each of the plurality of data subtypes
and the current version of each of the plurality of data subtypes
received from the first display device.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining that a
previous version of one of the requested two or more data subtypes
was previously received from the second display device; and based
on this determination, refraining from providing the previous
version of the one of the requested data subtypes to the second
display device.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the data subtypes are selected
from the group consisting of pose link transforms, anchor
transforms, tracking images, scene images, correspondences between
two-dimensional image coordinates and three-dimensional locations,
keyframe metadata, keyframe descriptors, three-dimensional keyframe
relocalization points, quantizations of keyframe descriptors, and
rig-to-rig transforms.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the priority hierarchy
comprises a first priority that includes anchor transforms, a
second priority that includes scene images, and a third priority
that includes three-dimensional keyframe relocalization points.
20. A method, comprising: receiving a plurality of data subtypes
from a first head-mounted display device, each of the data subtypes
having a keyframe location and a current version; updating a data
structure to include the current versions of the data subtypes at
the keyframe location; receiving a neighborhood request including
the keyframe location from a second head-mounted display device; in
response to the neighborhood request and based on the keyframe
location, providing to the second display head-mounted device an
identifier for each of the plurality of data subtypes and a current
version indicator for each of the plurality of data subtypes;
receiving a data request from the second head-mounted display
device for two or more of the plurality of data subtypes, the data
request including an identifier for each of the two or more data
subtypes and a non-current version indicator for each of the two or
more data subtypes; comparing the non-current version indicators to
the current version indicators for the corresponding data subtypes;
based on the comparison, selecting the current versions of the two
or more data subtypes for provision to the second head-mounted
display device; prioritizing the two or more data subtypes based on
a priority hierarchy; and based on the prioritization, providing
the current versions of the two or more data subtypes to the second
head-mounted display device.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/908,816, filed Jun. 3, 2013 entitled "MIXED
REALITY DATA COLLABORATION," the entire contents of which are
hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Sharing mixed reality experiences among two or more users or
game players can provide compelling gaming and other user
experiences. Particularly in contexts where users or players are
mobile, mapping, integrating and sharing the information gathered
into a consistent model and depicting that information as a given
representation for each user or player can prove challenging. For
example, in simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) systems, a
moving sensor platform simultaneously may build a representation of
an environment (map) while tracking its position within the map. In
some examples, multiple platforms may traverse portions of the same
physical environment and generate platform-specific map data. For
these platforms to have shared experiences that incorporate the
common physical environment, map data may be shared among the
platforms.
[0003] In one example, each platform may share all of its map data
with each other platform. Each platform may thereby have access to
all of the map data generated by all other platforms. However, the
data storage capacity necessitated for each platform in this
example may be extremely large and commercially impractical,
particularly for data-rich environments involving large maps. An
example of a data-rich environment may be a mixed reality
experience that includes representations of three-dimensional
holographic objects, virtual representations of physical
environments, audio data from the environments, etc. Further, where
the moving sensor platforms operate in low bandwidth environments,
sharing excessive amounts of data can result in unacceptable
latency issues and corresponding negative user experiences.
SUMMARY
[0004] Various embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to
sharing mixed reality experiences. For example, one disclosed
embodiment provides a method for enabling two or more display
devices to share mixed reality experiences. The method includes
receiving a plurality of data subtypes from a first display device,
with each of the data subtypes being geo-located at a keyframe
location and having a current version. A world map data structure
is updated to include the current versions of the data subtypes at
the keyframe location. A neighborhood request is received that
includes the keyframe location from a second display device.
[0005] In response to the neighborhood request and based on the
keyframe location, an identifier for each of the plurality of data
subtypes and a current version indicator for each of the plurality
of data subtypes is provided to the second display device. A data
request is then received from the second display device for two or
more of the plurality of data subtypes. The two or more data
subtypes are prioritized based on a priority hierarchy. Based on
the prioritization, current versions of the two or more data
subtypes are sequentially provided to the second display device,
wherein an appearance of a mixed reality environment generated via
the second display device is augmented using the current versions
of the two or more data subtypes.
[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not
limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages
noted in any part of this disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a mixed reality collaboration
system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows an example head-mounted display device
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of two users wearing
head-mounted display devices of FIG. 2 and located in a room.
[0010] FIGS. 4A and 4B are a flow chart of a method for enabling
display devices to share mixed reality experiences according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic illustration of an
embodiment of a computing device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of one embodiment of a mixed
reality collaboration system 10. The mixed reality collaboration
system 10 includes a data collaborator 12 that may take the form of
a computing device. As described in more detail below, the data
collaborator 12 includes a synchronization program 14 that may be
stored in mass storage 18 of the data collaborator. The
synchronization program 14 may be loaded into memory 22 and
executed by a processor 24 of the data collaborator 12 to perform
one or more of the methods and processes described in more detail
below.
[0013] The mixed reality collaboration system 10 may include a
plurality of display devices that are communicatively coupled to
the data collaborator 12. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the
display devices take the form of a first head-mounted display (HMD)
device 28 and second HMD device 32, each of which may create mixed
reality environments. The first HMD device 28 is communicatively
coupled to computing device 26, and the second HMD device 32 is
communicatively coupled to computing device 36. For ease of
description, it will be appreciated that the following description
of the components and computing aspects of computing device 36 may
also describe computing device 26.
[0014] Computing device 36 may include a mixed reality display
program 38 that may be stored in mass storage 40, loaded into
memory 42 and executed by a processor 44 to generate a virtual
environment 46 for display via second HMD device 32. The virtual
environment 46 may include one or more virtual images, such as
three-dimensional (3D) holographic objects and two-dimensional (2D)
virtual images, that are generated and displayed via second HMD
device 32. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the virtual environment
46 includes holographic object 50.
[0015] The computing device 36 may be operatively connected with
the second HMD device 32 using a wired connection, or may employ a
wireless connection via WiFi, Bluetooth, or any other suitable
wireless communication protocol. For example, the computing device
36 and second HMD device 32 may be communicatively coupled to a
network 54. The network 54 may take the form of a local area
network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), wired network, wireless
network, personal area network, or a combination thereof, and may
include the Internet. Additionally, the example illustrated in FIG.
1 shows the computing device 36 as a separate component from the
second HMD device 32. It will be appreciated that in other examples
the computing device 36 may be integrated into the second HMD
device 32.
[0016] The computing device 36 may take the form of a desktop
computing device, a mobile computing device such as a smart phone,
laptop, notebook or tablet computer, network computer, home
entertainment computer, interactive television, gaming system, or
other suitable type of computing device. Additional details
regarding the components and computing aspects of the computing
device 36 are described in more detail below with reference to FIG.
5.
[0017] In other examples, the mixed reality collaboration system 10
may include one or more other display devices that are
communicatively coupled to the data collaborator 12 and may be
capable of providing mixed reality experiences. Such display
devices may include, but are not limited to, hand-held smart
phones, e-readers, laptop, notebook and tablet computers, etc. It
will be appreciated that many other types and configurations of
display devices having various form factors, whether separate from
or integrated with a computing device, may also be used and are
within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0018] With reference now also to FIG. 2, one example of an HMD
device 200 in the form of a pair of wearable glasses with a
transparent display 52 is provided. It will be appreciated that in
other examples, the HMD device 200 may take other suitable forms in
which a transparent, semi-transparent or non-transparent display is
supported in front of a viewer's eye or eyes. It will also be
appreciated that the first HMD device 28 and/or second HMD device
32 shown in FIG. 1 may take the form of the HMD device 200, as
described in more detail below, or any other suitable HMD device.
For ease of description, the following description refers to the
second HMD device 32.
[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the second HMD device 32
includes a display system 48 and transparent display 52 that
enables images such as holographic objects to be delivered to the
eyes of a user 70. The transparent display 52 may be configured to
visually augment an appearance of a physical environment 56 to a
user 70 viewing the physical environment through the transparent
display. For example, the appearance of the physical environment 56
may be augmented by graphical content (e.g., one or more pixels
each having a respective color and brightness) that is presented
via the transparent display 52 to create the mixed reality
environment 34.
[0020] The transparent display 52 may also be configured to enable
a user to view a physical, real-world object 58 in the physical
environment 56 through one or more partially transparent pixels
that are displaying a virtual object representation. As shown in
FIG. 2, in one example the transparent display 52 may include
image-producing elements located within lenses 204 (such as, for
example, a see-through Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED)
display). As another example, the transparent display 52 may
include a light modulator on an edge of the lenses 204. In this
example the lenses 204 may serve as a light guide for delivering
light from the light modulator to the eyes of a user. Such a light
guide may enable a user to perceive a 3D holographic image located
within the physical environment 56 that the user is viewing, while
also allowing the user to view physical objects in the physical
environment, thus creating a mixed reality environment.
[0021] The second HMD device 32 may also include various sensors
and related systems. For example, the second HMD device 32 may
include an eye-tracking system 60 that utilizes at least one inward
facing sensor 212. The inward facing sensor 212 may be an image
sensor that is configured to acquire image data in the form of eye
tracking data from a user's eyes. Provided the user has consented
to the acquisition and use of this information, the eye-tracking
system 60 may use this information to track a position and/or
movement of the user's eyes.
[0022] The second HMD device 32 may also include sensor systems
that receive physical environment data 64 from the physical
environment 56. For example, the second HMD device 32 may include
an optical sensor system 66 that utilizes at least one outward
facing sensor 216, such as an optical sensor, to capture image
data. Outward facing sensor 216 may detect movements within its
field of view, such as gesture-based inputs or other movements
performed by a user 70 or by a person or physical object within the
field of view. Outward facing sensor 216 may also capture
two-dimensional image information and depth information from
physical environment 56 and physical objects within the
environment. For example, outward facing sensor 216 may include a
depth camera, a visible light camera, an infrared light camera,
and/or a position tracking camera.
[0023] The second HMD device 32 may include depth sensing via one
or more depth cameras. In one example, each depth camera may
include left and right cameras of a stereoscopic vision system.
Time-resolved images from one or more of these depth cameras may be
registered to each other and/or to images from another optical
sensor such as a visible spectrum camera, and may be combined to
yield depth-resolved video.
[0024] In other examples a structured light depth camera may be
configured to project a structured infrared illumination, and to
image the illumination reflected from a scene onto which the
illumination is projected. A depth map of the scene may be
constructed based on spacings between adjacent features in the
various regions of an imaged scene. In still other examples, a
depth camera may take the form of a time-of-flight depth camera
configured to project a pulsed infrared illumination onto a scene
and detect the illumination reflected from the scene. It will be
appreciated that any other suitable depth camera may be used within
the scope of the present disclosure.
[0025] Outward facing sensor 216 may capture images of the physical
environment 56 in which a user 70 is situated. In one example, the
mixed reality display program 38 may include a 3D modeling system
that uses such input to generate a virtual environment 46 that
models the physical environment 56 surrounding the user 70.
[0026] The second HMD device 32 may also include a position sensor
system 72 that utilizes one or more motion sensors 220 to capture
position data, and thereby enable motion detection, position
tracking and/or orientation sensing of the HMD device. For example,
the position sensor system 72 may be utilized to determine a
direction, velocity and acceleration of a user's head. The position
sensor system 72 may also be utilized to determine a head pose
orientation of a user's head. In one example, position sensor
system 72 may comprise an inertial measurement unit configured as a
six-axis or six-degree of freedom position sensor system. This
example position sensor system may, for example, include three
accelerometers and three gyroscopes to indicate or measure a change
in location of the second HMD device 32 within three-dimensional
space along three orthogonal axes (e.g., x, y, z), and a change in
an orientation of the HMD device about the three orthogonal axes
(e.g., roll, pitch, yaw).
[0027] Position sensor system 72 may also support other suitable
positioning techniques, such as GPS or other global navigation
systems. Further, while specific examples of position sensor
systems have been described, it will be appreciated that other
suitable position sensor systems may be used. In some examples,
motion sensors 220 may also be employed as user input devices, such
that a user may interact with the second HMD device 32 via gestures
of the neck and head, or even of the body. The second HMD device 32
may also include a microphone system 76 that includes one or more
microphones 224 that capture audio data. In other examples, audio
may be presented to the user via one or more speakers 228 on the
second HMD device 32.
[0028] The second HMD device 32 may also include a processor 230
having a logic subsystem and a storage subsystem, as discussed in
more detail below with respect to FIG. 5, that are in communication
with the various sensors and systems of the HMD device. In one
example, the storage subsystem may include instructions that are
executable by the logic subsystem to receive signal inputs from the
sensors and forward such inputs to computing device 36 (in
unprocessed or processed form), and to present images to a user via
the transparent display 52.
[0029] It will be appreciated that the second HMD device 32 and
related sensors and other components described above and
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are provided by way of example. These
examples are not intended to be limiting in any manner, as any
other suitable sensors, components, and/or combination of sensors
and components may be utilized. Therefore it is to be understood
that the second HMD device 32 may include additional and/or
alternative sensors, cameras, microphones, input devices, output
devices, etc. without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
Further, the physical configuration of the second HMD device 32 and
its various sensors and subcomponents may take a variety of
different forms without departing from the scope of this
disclosure. Additionally, the first HMD device 28 may have the
same, similar or different construction and operation as the
above-described second HMD device 32.
[0030] With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 3, descriptions of example
use cases and embodiments of the mixed reality collaboration system
10 including data collaborator 12 and related methods will now be
provided. FIG. 3 provides a schematic illustration of a first user
304 and a second user 308 located in a physical environment that
comprises a living room 312. The first user 304 wears a first HMD
device 28 in the form of HMD device 200 and the second user 308
wears a second HMD device 32 in the form of HMD device 200. It will
be appreciated that references to first HMD device 28 and second
HMD device 32 include associated computing device 26 and associated
computing device 36, respectively, as described above.
[0031] With reference now to FIG. 3 and as described in more detail
below, data collaborator 12 may be configured to enable the first
user 304 and second user 308 to experience a shared mixed reality
environment via their respective HMD devices. It will also be
appreciated that in other examples, one or more additional HMD
devices or other display devices may interact with data
collaborator 12 to also share mixed reality experiences with the
first HMD device 28 and second HMD device 32.
[0032] In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the first HMD device
28 may generate a virtual environment that includes a holographic
wizard 320 located on table 324. The first user 304 may view the
holographic wizard 320 via the first HMD device 28. The first HMD
device 28 may also capture a variety of physical environment data
64 from the room 312, such as images of objects in the room, depth
camera data from objects in the room, etc. The first HMD device 28
may also capture position data such as, for example, location
coordinates of the first HMD device 28 and various objects and
surfaces in the room 312, head pose data of the first user 304,
etc. It will be appreciated that the holographic wizard 320 may
also be assigned to a particular location in the room 312, which
position and corresponding location coordinates may be stored by
the first HMD device 28.
[0033] At periodic intervals, snapshots of the physical environment
data 64 and virtual environment data, including data related to the
holographic wizard 320, may be captured by the first HMD device 28.
The various forms of such physical environment data 64 and virtual
environment data may be collected into a plurality of data
subtypes. Advantageously, and as described in more detail below,
utilizing data subtypes in this manner enables various types of
data to be grouped into modular units, thereby potentially
improving the efficiency of data transfer between display devices
and the data collaborator 12.
[0034] One or more of the data subtypes may be geo-located at a
keyframe location within the mixed reality environment 34.
Accordingly, a keyframe location may include a plurality of data
subtypes that are geo-located at the keyframe location. A keyframe
location may be defined as a location within three-dimensional
space of a physical environment. In one example and with reference
to FIG. 3, the room 312 may be defined as a keyframe location.
[0035] In other examples, smaller units within the room 312 may be
defined as different keyframe locations. For example, the room may
be divided into 1 m.sup.3 volumes of space, each of which may be
designated as a different keyframe location. An example keyframe
location 8 is illustrated in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated that
any suitable volume of space may be utilized as a keyframe
location. In this manner, a consistent world map data structure 80
may be created that represents a three-dimensional region of a
physical environment and includes a plurality of keyframe locations
within that environment, with each keyframe location including one
or more data subtypes.
[0036] The data subtypes included in a keyframe location may
include, but are not limited to: pose link transforms that comprise
three-dimensional transforms between one or more virtual objects in
a keyframe location and objects in one or more other nearby
keyframe locations; anchor transforms that comprise
three-dimensional transforms between a current keyframe and any
anchors attached to the current keyframe; tracking images that
comprise small image patches such as, for example, 16.times.16
pixel patches, that are extracted from a keyframe image and may be
used to track between keyframe locations; scene images that
comprise one or more images captured from the keyframe location;
correspondences between two-dimensional image coordinates or
feature points from a scene image and the three-dimensional
location where the image coordinate or feature point is observed;
keyframe metadata comprising a GPS or other location of the
capturing HMD device, data related to the capturing HMD device, and
WiFi data from the moment the keyframe data was captured; keyframe
descriptors that comprise descriptive aspects of the keyframe;
three-dimensional relocalization points for virtual images in the
keyframe location; quantizations of keyframe descriptors; and
rig-to-rig transforms.
[0037] With reference again to FIG. 3 and as noted above, the first
HMD device 28 may capture a variety of physical environment data 64
from the room 312. The first HMD device 28 may also generate a
virtual environment 46 including holographic wizard 320 located on
the table 324. In one example, the wizard 320 may be located in
keyframe location 8 in the room 312. Upon the initial generation of
the holographic wizard 320 in keyframe location 8, a plurality of
data subtypes that correspond to the initial generation of the
wizard in keyframe location 8 may be designated as version 1, or a
current version. For example and with reference again to FIG. 1,
the first HMD device 28 may generate a data subtype A, version 1
and a data subtype B, version 1 that each correspond to the initial
generation of the holographic wizard 320 at keyframe location 8.
The first HMD device 28 may then upload data subtype A, version 1
and a data subtype B, version 1 along with associated keyframe
location 8 to the data collaborator 12.
[0038] The synchronization program 14 in the data collaborator 12
may be configured to receive data subtype A and data subtype B from
the first HMD device 28. In one example, prior to providing data
subtype A and data subtype B, the first HMD device 28 may
prioritize the data subtypes based on a priority hierarchy 84.
Advantageously, the data subtypes may be prioritized in order of
their utility and importance to the data collaborator 12 in
enabling shared mixed reality experiences among a plurality of
display devices.
[0039] Criteria for defining priority hierarchy 84 may include, for
example, the importance of a data subtype for enabling an HMD
device to realistically display a holographic object. In this
example, those data subtypes that are most helpful for enabling
realistic display of holographic objects may be prioritized higher
than less helpful subtypes. Other criteria for defining a priority
hierarchy 84 may include, for example, characteristics of a data
subtype that may consume large amounts of bandwidth and thereby
negatively affect perceived latency. For example, the larger the
size of a data subtype, the more likely it may have the undesirable
effect of increasing perceived latency. A scene image from a
keyframe location, for example, may have a relatively larger size
as compared to other data subtypes, which may lower its position in
a priority hierarchy 84. It will be appreciated that other suitable
criteria for defining a priority hierarchy 84 may also be
utilized.
[0040] In one example, the priority hierarchy 84 may comprise a
first priority that includes anchor transforms, a second priority
that includes scene images and is lower than the first priority,
and a third priority that includes three-dimensional keyframe
relocalization points and is lower than the second priority. It
will also be appreciated that the priority hierarchy 84 may
comprise 2, 4, 5 or any suitable number of priority levels. In this
example, the synchronization program 14 may be configured to
sequentially receive the plurality of data subtypes from the first
HMD device 28 based on the priority hierarchy 84. Alternatively
expressed, the data subtypes may be provided and received in order
from high to low priority.
[0041] Upon receiving the data subtypes from the first HMD device
28, the synchronization program 14 is configured to update a world
map data structure 80 to include the current versions of the data
subtypes at the keyframe location 8. In this example, the current
versions include data subtype A, version 1 and data subtype B,
version 1. Accordingly, for each of the data subtypes, the
synchronization program 14 may be configured to increment the
version number associated with the data subtype that is stored in
the world map data structure 80. In the present example, the
synchronization program 14 may increment the version number for
both data subtype A and data subtype B from 0 to 1. It will also be
appreciated that in some examples a data subtype for a keyframe
location may have 2 or more versions stored in the world map data
structure 80.
[0042] In one example, upon receiving the current versions of the
data subtypes from the first HMD device 28, the synchronization
program 14 may be configured to programmatically provide or "push"
to the second HMD device 32 identifiers that identify each of the
plurality of data subtypes and the current version of each of the
data subtypes that were received. In this manner, the
synchronization program 14 may provide continuous updates to the
second HMD device 32 that identify the current versions of the data
subtypes received by the program. As described in more detail
below, the second HMD device 32 may then determine whether to
request one or more of the data subtypes identified by the data
subtype identifiers.
[0043] In another example, the synchronization program 14 may not
programmatically provide the identifiers as described above.
Instead, the synchronization program 14 may be configured to
receive a neighborhood request 86 from the second HMD device 32 via
computing device 36. With reference to FIG. 3, in one example the
second user 308 may enter the room 312 and, at least initially, may
not share a mixed reality experience with the first user 304.
Accordingly, the second HMD device 32 may be unaware of the
holographic wizard 320 that is part of the mixed reality
environment experienced by the first user 304.
[0044] The second HMD device 32 may then submit a neighborhood
request 86 to the data collaborator 12 that includes a keyframe
location, such as keyframe location 8. In one example, keyframe
location 8 may be selected based on its proximity to the second HMD
device 32. Upon receiving the neighborhood request 86, the
synchronization program 14 may identify the keyframe location 8 in
the request and, based on the keyframe location, provide to the
second HMD device 32 an identifier 92 for each of data subtype A
and data subtype B that are associated with keyframe location 8.
Along with the identifiers, the synchronization program 14 provides
a current version indicator 88, such as the indicator number 1, for
each of the data subtypes.
[0045] It will also be appreciated that the synchronization program
14 may also provide one or more additional data subtype identifiers
and corresponding version number indicators that are associated
with keyframe location 8 and stored in world map data structure 80.
Such additional data subtype identifiers and version number
indicators may have been previously received from the first HMD
device 28 and/or other sources.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, in one example the computing device 36
associated with the second HMD device 32 may have no data for data
subtype A or data subtype B at keyframe location 8, which is
represented by version 0 for both data subtypes. Upon receiving the
identifiers 92 for each of data subtype A and data subtype B
associated with keyframe location 8, and the current version
indicators 88 showing the number 1, the second HMD device 32 may
determine that its version 0 for both data subtypes is non-current.
The second HMD device 32 may then send a data request 90 including
an identifier 92 for each of data subtype A and data subtype B
associated with keyframe location 8, and non-current version
indicators 94 showing the number 0, to the data collaborator
12.
[0047] In one example, the second HMD device 32 may prioritize data
subtype A and data subtype B based on the priority hierarchy 84, as
described above. In this example, the data request 90 may further
include the prioritization of data subtype A and data subtype B,
which prioritization advantageously may be utilized by the
synchronization program 14 to optimize an order in which the data
subtypes are subsequently provided to the second HMD device 32
and/or other recipients.
[0048] The synchronization program 14 is configured to receive the
data request 90. Where the data request 90 does not include a
prioritization, the synchronization program 14 is configured to
prioritize data subtype A and data subtype B based on the priority
hierarchy 84. The synchronization program 14 may compare the
non-current version indicators 94 in the data request 90 with the
current version indicators 88 for the corresponding data subtypes.
Based on this comparison, the synchronization program 14 may select
the current version (version 1) of each of data subtype A and data
subtype B for provision to the second HMD device 32.
[0049] Accordingly, and based on the prioritization of data subtype
A and data subtype B, the synchronization program is configured to
sequentially provide the current version 1 of the data subtypes A
and B to the second HMD device 32. In this example, data subtype B
is accorded a higher priority than data subtype A, and is therefore
provided first to the second HMD device 32. With reference again to
FIG. 3, the second HMD device 32 may utilize the current version 1
of the data subtype A and data subtype B to augment an appearance
of the virtual environment 46 generated by the device to display
the holographic wizard 320 in keyframe location 8.
[0050] In another example, the second user 308 may have been in the
room 312 earlier in the day, and the second HMD device 32 may have
captured various data subtypes corresponding to the room 312, such
as images of the table 324. The second HMD device 32 may have
uploaded those images to the data collaborator 12, while also
keeping a local copy of the images. Later, upon returning to the
room 312, the second HMD device 32 may send a neighborhood request
to the data collaborator 12 for corresponding keyframe location 8.
The second HMD device 32 may receive a plurality of data subtype
identifiers 92 and corresponding current versions that relate to
physical objects in the room, such as images of the table 324. The
second HMD device 32 may send a data request 90 that includes data
subtype identifiers including one or more images of the table
324.
[0051] Upon receiving the data request 90, the synchronization
program 14 may determine that a previous version of a requested
data subtype, such as an image of the table, was previously
received from the second HMD device 32. Accordingly, the
synchronization program 14 may determine that the second HMD device
32 already has a local copy of the image corresponding to the
previous version of the data subtype. Thus, the synchronization
program 14 may refrain from providing this previous version of the
requested data subtype to the second display device.
Advantageously, this eliminates the provision of previous versions
of data subtypes to the second HMD device 32 that the device
already has stored locally, thereby conserving network bandwidth
and avoiding duplicate copies of data being transferred and stored
on the device.
[0052] As described above, the mixed reality collaboration system
10 including the data collaborator 12 may enable two or more
display devices to share mixed reality experiences with enhanced
user experiences. For example, by utilizing priorities in
determining an order of data to be uploaded and received by the
data collaborator 12, the highest priority data will be made first
available for download to other recipients. Such recipients may
benefit by receiving this more useful data first, as it may enhance
the user experience to a greater extent than lower priority data
available for that particular location. Similarly, where multiple
data subtypes are available for a location, a recipient may
prioritize the order in which such data subtypes are received from
the data collaborator 12. Advantageously, the data collaborator 12
may thereby reduce perceived latency and generally enhance the user
experience.
[0053] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a flow chart of a method 400 for
enabling two or more display devices, such as first HMD device 28
and second HMD device 32, to share mixed reality experiences
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The
description of method 400 is provided with reference to the
software and hardware components of the mixed reality collaboration
system 10 including data collaborator 12 described herein and shown
in FIGS. 1-3. It will be appreciated that method 400 may also be
performed in other contexts using other suitable hardware and
software components.
[0054] With reference to FIG. 4A, at 402 the method 400 includes
receiving a plurality of data subtypes from the first HMD device
28, with each of the data subtypes being geo-located at a keyframe
location and having a current version. In another example, prior to
providing the plurality of data subtypes, the first HMD device 28
may prioritize the data subtypes based on a priority hierarchy 84.
In this example, at 408 the method 400 may include sequentially
receiving the plurality of data subtypes from the first display
device based on the priority hierarchy.
[0055] At 414 the method 400 may include updating a world map data
structure to include the current versions of the data subtypes at
the keyframe location. At 418 and in one example, the method 400
may include programmatically providing to the second HMD device 32
an identifier for each of the plurality of data subtypes and a
current version indicator for each of the plurality of data
subtypes received from the first HMD device 28.
[0056] In another example, at 422 the method 400 may include
receiving a neighborhood request including the keyframe location
from the second display device. At 426 the method 400 may include,
in response to the neighborhood request and based on the keyframe
location, providing to the second display device an identifier for
each of the plurality of data subtypes and a current version
indicator for each of the plurality of data subtypes associated
with the keyframe location.
[0057] With reference now to FIG. 4B, at 434 the method 400 may
include receiving a data request from the second HMD device 32 for
two or more of the plurality of data subtypes. The data request may
include the keyframe location, identifiers and a non-current
version indicator for each of the two or more data subtypes. In one
example, the second display device may prioritize the data subtypes
based on the priority hierarchy 84, as described above. In this
example, the data request may further include the prioritization of
the data subtypes.
[0058] At 438 the method 400 may include comparing the non-current
version indicators in the data request with the current version
indicators for the corresponding data subtypes. At 442 the method
400 may include, based on this comparison, selecting the current
version of each of the data subtypes for provision to the second
HMD device 32. Where the data request does not include a
prioritization, at 446 the method 400 includes prioritizing the two
or more data subtypes based on the priority hierarchy. At 450 the
method 400 may include, based on the prioritization, sequentially
providing the current versions of the two or more data subtypes to
the second display device. Using these current versions, the second
display device may augment an appearance of the mixed reality
environment generated via the second display device.
[0059] In another example and at 454, the method 400 may include
determining that a previous version of one of the requested two or
more data subtypes was previously received from the second display
device. At 458 and based on this determination, the method 400 may
include refraining from providing the previous version of the one
of the requested data subtypes to the second display device.
[0060] It will be appreciated that method 400 is provided by way of
example and is not meant to be limiting. Therefore, it is to be
understood that method 400 may include additional and/or
alternative steps than those illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
Further, it is to be understood that method 400 may be performed in
any suitable order. Further still, it is to be understood that one
or more steps may be omitted from method 400 without departing from
the scope of this disclosure.
[0061] FIG. 5 schematically shows a nonlimiting embodiment of a
computing system 500 that may perform one or more of the above
described methods and processes. Data collaborator 12 may take the
form of computing system 500. Computing system 500 is shown in
simplified form. It is to be understood that virtually any computer
architecture may be used without departing from the scope of this
disclosure. In different embodiments, computing system 500 may take
the form of a mainframe computer, server computer, desktop
computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, home entertainment
computer, network computing device, mobile computing device, mobile
communication device, gaming device, etc. As noted above, in some
examples the computing system 500 may be integrated into an HMD
device.
[0062] As shown in FIG. 5, computing system 500 includes a logic
subsystem 504 and a storage subsystem 508. Computing system 500 may
optionally include a display subsystem 512, a communication
subsystem 516, a sensor subsystem 520, an input subsystem 522
and/or other subsystems and components not shown in FIG. 5.
Computing system 500 may also include computer readable media, with
the computer readable media including computer readable storage
media and computer readable communication media. Computing system
500 may also optionally include other user input devices such as
keyboards, mice, game controllers, and/or touch screens, for
example. Further, in some embodiments the methods and processes
described herein may be implemented as a computer application,
computer service, computer API, computer library, and/or other
computer program product in a computing system that includes one or
more computers.
[0063] Logic subsystem 504 may include one or more physical devices
configured to execute one or more instructions. For example, the
logic subsystem 504 may be configured to execute one or more
instructions that are part of one or more applications, services,
programs, routines, libraries, objects, components, data
structures, or other logical constructs. Such instructions may be
implemented to perform a task, implement a data type, transform the
state of one or more devices, or otherwise arrive at a desired
result.
[0064] The logic subsystem 504 may include one or more processors
that are configured to execute software instructions. Additionally
or alternatively, the logic subsystem may include one or more
hardware or firmware logic machines configured to execute hardware
or firmware instructions. Processors of the logic subsystem may be
single core or multicore, and the programs executed thereon may be
configured for parallel or distributed processing. The logic
subsystem may optionally include individual components that are
distributed throughout two or more devices, which may be remotely
located and/or configured for coordinated processing. One or more
aspects of the logic subsystem may be virtualized and executed by
remotely accessible networked computing devices configured in a
cloud computing configuration.
[0065] Storage subsystem 508 may include one or more physical,
persistent devices configured to hold data and/or instructions
executable by the logic subsystem 504 to implement the herein
described methods and processes. When such methods and processes
are implemented, the state of storage subsystem 508 may be
transformed (e.g., to hold different data).
[0066] Storage subsystem 508 may include removable media and/or
built-in devices. Storage subsystem 508 may include optical memory
devices (e.g., CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, etc.), semiconductor
memory devices (e.g., RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.) and/or magnetic
memory devices (e.g., hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, tape
drive, MRAM, etc.), among others. Storage subsystem 508 may include
devices with one or more of the following characteristics:
volatile, nonvolatile, dynamic, static, read/write, read-only,
random access, sequential access, location addressable, file
addressable, and content addressable.
[0067] In some embodiments, aspects of logic subsystem 504 and
storage subsystem 508 may be integrated into one or more common
devices through which the functionally described herein may be
enacted, at least in part. Such hardware-logic components may
include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), program- and
application-specific integrated circuits (PASIC/ASICs), program-
and application-specific standard products (PSSP/ASSPs),
system-on-a-chip (SOC) systems, and complex programmable logic
devices (CPLDs), for example.
[0068] FIG. 5 also shows an aspect of the storage subsystem 508 in
the form of removable computer readable storage media 524, which
may be used to store data and/or instructions executable to
implement the methods and processes described herein. Removable
computer-readable storage media 524 may take the form of CDs, DVDs,
HD-DVDs, Blu-Ray Discs, EEPROMs, and/or floppy disks, among
others.
[0069] It is to be appreciated that storage subsystem 508 includes
one or more physical, persistent devices. In contrast, in some
embodiments aspects of the instructions described herein may be
propagated in a transitory fashion by a pure signal (e.g., an
electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, etc.) that is not held
by a physical device for at least a finite duration. Furthermore,
data and/or other forms of information pertaining to the present
disclosure may be propagated by a pure signal via computer-readable
communication media.
[0070] When included, display subsystem 512 may be used to present
a visual representation of data held by storage subsystem 508. As
the above described methods and processes change the data held by
the storage subsystem 508, and thus transform the state of the
storage subsystem, the state of the display subsystem 512 may
likewise be transformed to visually represent changes in the
underlying data. The display subsystem 512 may include one or more
display devices utilizing virtually any type of technology. Such
display devices may be combined with logic subsystem 504 and/or
storage subsystem 508 in a shared enclosure, or such display
devices may be peripheral display devices. The display subsystem
512 may include, for example, the display system 48 and transparent
display 52 of the second HMD device 32.
[0071] When included, communication subsystem 516 may be configured
to communicatively couple computing system 500 with one or more
networks and/or one or more other computing devices. Communication
subsystem 516 may include wired and/or wireless communication
devices compatible with one or more different communication
protocols. As nonlimiting examples, the communication subsystem 516
may be configured for communication via a wireless telephone
network, a wireless local area network, a wired local area network,
a wireless wide area network, a wired wide area network, etc. In
some embodiments, the communication subsystem may allow computing
system 500 to send and/or receive messages to and/or from other
devices via a network such as the Internet.
[0072] Sensor subsystem 520 may include one or more sensors
configured to sense different physical phenomenon (e.g., visible
light, infrared light, sound, acceleration, orientation, position,
etc.) as described above. Sensor subsystem 520 may be configured to
provide sensor data to logic subsystem 504, for example. As
described above, such data may include eye-tracking information,
image information, audio information, ambient lighting information,
depth information, position information, motion information, user
location information, and/or any other suitable sensor data that
may be used to perform the methods and processes described
above.
[0073] When included, input subsystem 522 may comprise or interface
with one or more sensors or user-input devices such as a game
controller, gesture input detection device, voice recognizer,
inertial measurement unit, keyboard, mouse, or touch screen. In
some embodiments, the input subsystem 522 may comprise or interface
with selected natural user input (NUI) componentry. Such
componentry may be integrated or peripheral, and the transduction
and/or processing of input actions may be handled on- or off-board.
Example NUI componentry may include a microphone for speech and/or
voice recognition; an infrared, color, stereoscopic, and/or depth
camera for machine vision and/or gesture recognition; a head
tracker, eye tracker, accelerometer, and/or gyroscope for motion
detection and/or intent recognition; as well as electric-field
sensing componentry for assessing brain activity.
[0074] The term "program" may be used to describe an aspect of the
mixed reality collaboration system 10 that is implemented to
perform one or more particular functions. In some cases, such a
program may be instantiated via logic subsystem 504 executing
instructions held by storage subsystem 508. It is to be understood
that different programs may be instantiated from the same
application, service, code block, object, library, routine, API,
function, etc. Likewise, the same program may be instantiated by
different applications, services, code blocks, objects, routines,
APIs, functions, etc. The term "program" is meant to encompass
individual or groups of executable files, data files, libraries,
drivers, scripts, database records, etc.
[0075] It is to be understood that the configurations and/or
approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these
specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a
limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The
specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or
more of any number of processing strategies. As such, various acts
illustrated may be performed in the sequence illustrated, in other
sequences, in parallel, or in some cases omitted. Likewise, the
order of the above-described processes may be changed.
[0076] The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all
novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the
various processes, systems and configurations, and other features,
functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any
and all equivalents thereof.
* * * * *