Method and apparatus for generating virtual objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11386654-B2
Application number	US-202117174379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2021
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a first request for a first virtual object, obtaining first data regarding the first virtual object responsive to the obtaining of the first request, analyzing the first data to identify a first plurality of characteristics for the first virtual object, wherein the first plurality of characteristics include a first visual aspect of the first virtual object, a first auditory aspect of the first virtual object, a first scent aspect of the first virtual object, and a first haptic aspect of the first virtual object, and responsive to the analyzing of the first data, enabling at least a first sensory unit of a plurality of sensory units to render the first virtual object in accordance with the first plurality of characteristics. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
analyzing first data obtained from a first source to identify a first plurality of characteristics for a first virtual object;
responsive to the analyzing of the first data, enabling at least a first sensory unit of a plurality of sensory units to render the first virtual object in accordance with the first plurality of characteristics;
modifying the first data to generate second data regarding the first virtual object;
storing the second data to a second source;
obtaining a request from a first communications device for the first virtual object subsequent to the storing of the second data to the second source;
responsive to the obtaining of the request, analyzing the second data as accessed from the second source and at least one profile associated with the first communications device, a first user of the first communications device, or a combination thereof, to identify a second plurality of characteristics for the first virtual object; and
responsive to the analyzing of the second data and the at least one profile, enabling at least one of the plurality of sensory units to render the first virtual object in accordance with the second plurality of characteristics.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
obtaining an input subsequent to the enabling of the at least a first sensory unit;
responsive to the obtaining of the input, analyzing the input in conjunction with the first data to identify a third plurality of characteristics for the first virtual object, wherein the third plurality of characteristics is at least partially differentiated from the first plurality of characteristics; and
rendering the first virtual object in accordance with the third plurality of characteristics by disabling the at least a first sensory unit, enabling at least a second sensory unit of the plurality of sensory units, or a combination thereof.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the input comprises a user input generated by the first user of the first communications device, and wherein the operations further comprise:
obtaining a request from a second communications device for the first virtual object subsequent to storing the second data to the first source;
analyzing the second data and a second at least one profile associated with the second communications device, a second user of the second communications device, or a combination thereof, to identify a fourth plurality of characteristics for the first virtual object; and
responsive to the analyzing of the second data and the second at least one profile, enabling at least one of the plurality of sensory units to render the first virtual object in accordance with the fourth plurality of characteristics.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first data identifies a first location of a first haptic aspect of the first virtual object relative to a second location of the first user.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least a first sensory unit comprises a first haptic unit, wherein the first haptic unit comprises a pulsed laser, and wherein the first data identifies an operating output power level associated with the pulsed laser, an operating frequency associated with the pulsed laser, or a combination thereof, in accordance with the first location of the first haptic aspect relative to the second location of the first user.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the input comprises third data generated by a user equipment, a sensor, or a combination thereof.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the input corresponds to a passage of time, an occurrence of an event or condition that is being monitored by the processing system, or a combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 2 , wherein the third plurality of characteristics include a visual aspect of the first virtual object, an auditory aspect of the first virtual object, a scent aspect of the first virtual object, a haptic aspect of the first virtual object, or any combination thereof.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
subsequent to the enabling of the at least a first sensory unit, determining that a number of communications devices within a threshold distance of the first virtual object is greater than a threshold amount; and
responsive to the determining that the number of communications devices within the threshold distance of the first virtual object is greater than the threshold amount, disabling the at least a first sensory unit, enabling a second sensory unit of the plurality of sensory units, or a combination thereof, to render the first virtual object in accordance with a third plurality of characteristics, wherein the third plurality of characteristics is at least partially differentiated from the first plurality of characteristics.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the enabling of the at least a first sensory unit causes the first virtual object to be rendered as part of a panoramic content item.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of characteristics includes a first taste aspect associated with the first virtual object.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
subsequent to the enabling of the at least a first sensory unit, obtaining an input that indicates that a context of an environment in which the first virtual object is rendered calls for a second virtual object; and
responsive to the obtaining of the input, rendering the second virtual object in accordance with a third plurality of characteristics by enabling at least a second sensory unit of the plurality of sensory units.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a first request from a first communications device for a first virtual object;
responsive to the receiving of the first request for the first virtual object, analyzing first data from a first network to identify a first plurality of characteristics for the first virtual object;
rendering the first virtual object in accordance with the first plurality of characteristics, wherein the rendering occurs via a second network; and
subsequent to the rendering of the first virtual object, obtaining at least one input that causes a modification to the first data to generate second data regarding the rendering of the first virtual object, the modification resulting in a second plurality of characteristics for the first virtual object;
storing the second data in the first network and the second network;
obtaining a second request for the first virtual object subsequent to the storing of the second data in the second network;
responsive to the obtaining of the second request, accessing the second data from the second network without accessing the second data from the first network;
analyzing the second data accessed from the second network and at least one profile associated with the first communications device, a first user of the first communications device, or a combination thereof, to identify a third plurality of characteristics for the first virtual object; and
responsive to the analyzing of the second data and the at least one profile, rendering the first virtual object in accordance with the third plurality of characteristics.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Soryal Joseph
• Jaoude Naila
• Zellner Samuel N

Classifications

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06V20/20 Primary

  in augmented reality scenes · CPC title

• G06F18/251

  of input or preprocessed data · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• G03H2001/0061

  in haptic applications when the observer interacts with the holobject · CPC title