Synchronization of environments during extended reality experiences

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11062678-B2
Application number	US-201816234089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

In one example, a method includes monitoring conditions in a real environment in which a user is present, wherein the monitoring is performed by collecting data about the conditions from a plurality of sensors located in the real environment, transmitting the data about the conditions to an extended reality device that is present in the real environment, where the extended reality device is configured to render a virtual environment, interpolating between the real environment and the virtual environment, based at least in part on the conditions, to determine an actual extended reality environment that is being presented to the user, and sending a signal to a device that is located in the real environment, based on the interpolating, wherein the signal instructs the device to take an action that modifies at least one of the conditions in the real environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
monitoring, by a processing system, conditions in a real environment in which a user is present, wherein the monitoring is performed by collecting data about the conditions from a plurality of sensors located in the real environment;
transmitting, by the processing system, the data about the conditions to an extended reality device that is present in the real environment, where the extended reality device is configured to render a virtual environment;
interpolating, by the processing system, between the real environment and the virtual environment, based at least in part on the conditions, to determine an actual extended reality environment that is being presented to the user;
identifying, by the processing system, that the user wishes to exit the actual extended reality environment;
determining, by the processing system, a modification to at least one of the conditions to ease a transition of the user from the actual extended reality environment to the real environment, wherein the modification comprises adjusting a speed of a fitness equipment being used by the user over a period of time, wherein the determining comprises:
computing a first modification to the at least one of the conditions for the user;
determining that the first modification conflicts with a second modification computed for another user to whom the actual extended reality environment is being presented; and
computing the modification as an average of the first modification and the second modification; and

sending, by the processing system, a first signal to the fitness equipment, based on the interpolating, wherein the first signal instructs the fitness equipment to adjust a speed of the fitness equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some sensors of the plurality of sensors are integrated into the extended reality device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some sensors of the plurality of sensors are integrated into a connected home device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some sensors of the plurality of sensors are integrated into a wearable device worn by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual environment is initialized based on a stored user preference.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual environment is initialized based on knowledge of the real environment inferred from the data about the conditions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interpolating comprises:
identifying, by the processing system, a target extended reality environment that should be presented to the user; and
determining, by the processing system, a difference between the actual extended reality environment that is being presented to the user and the target extended reality environment that should be presented to the user,
wherein the adjusting the speed of the fitness equipment is expected to minimize the difference.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the target extended reality environment is characterized by a predefined set of ideal parameters.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the processing system, a second signal to the extended reality device based on the interpolating, wherein the second signal instructs the extended reality device to move a digital object from a first location in the virtual environment to a second location in the virtual environment, wherein a movement of the digital object is expected to further to ease a transition of the user from the actual extended reality environment to the real environment.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the processing system, a second signal to a smart thermostat based on the interpolating, wherein the second signal instructs the smart thermostat to adjust a temperature of the real environment, wherein an adjustment of the temperature is expected to further to ease a transition of the user from the actual extended reality environment to the real environment.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the processing system, a second signal to a smart lighting system based on the interpolating, wherein the second signal instructs the smart lighting system to adjust a lighting level of the real environment, wherein an adjustment of the lighting level is expected to further to ease a transition of the user from the actual extended reality environment to the real environment.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the adjustment to the lighting level of the real environment is made over the period of time.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the processing system, a second signal to a smart lighting system based on the interpolating, wherein the second signal instructs the smart lighting system to adjust a location in the real environment in which lighting is provided, wherein an adjustment of the location in the real environment in which the lighting is provided is expected to further to ease a transition of the user from the actual extended reality environment to the real environment.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, by the processing system, a second signal to a smart audio system based on the interpolating, wherein the second signal instructs the smart audio system to adjust a volume level of audio content being played in the real environment, wherein an adjustment of the volume level is expected to further to ease a transition of the user from the actual extended reality environment to the real environment.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
intercepting, by the processing system, an alert from software external to the processing system; and
modulating, by the processing system, a signal containing the alert to minimize an impact of the alert on the actual extended reality environment.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the alert is a message received on a phone.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing system connects to the plurality of sensors via a home gateway.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
monitoring conditions in a real environment in which a user is present, wherein the monitoring is performed by collecting data about the conditions from a plurality of sensors located in the real environment;
transmitting the data about the conditions to an extended reality device that is present in the real environment, where the extended reality device is configured to render a virtual environment;
interpolating between the real environment and the virtual environment, based at least in part on the conditions, to determine an actual extended reality environment that is being presented to the user;
identifying that the user wishes to exit the actual extended reality environment;
determining a modification to at least one of the conditions to ease a transition of the user from the actual extended reality environment to the real environment, wherein the modification comprises adjusting a speed of a fitness equipment being used by the user over a period of time, wherein the determining comprises:
computing a first modification to the at least one of the conditions for the user;
determining that the first modification conflicts with a second modification computed for another user to whom the actual extended reality environment is being presented; and
computing the modification as an average of the first modification and the second modification; and

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Zavesky Eric
• Liu Zhu
• Gibbon David Crawford
• Shahraray Behzad
• Triantafyllou Paul
• Xu Tan

Classifications

• H04L12/2816

  Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• G09G5/12 Primary

  Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G09G2370/022

  Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally · CPC title

• G09G2354/00

  Aspects of interface with display user · CPC title