Method and system for merging distant spaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11676355-B2
Application number	US-202117453583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2021
Priority date	Nov 4, 2020
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A method of merging distant virtual spaces is disclosed. Data describing an environment surrounding a MR merging device is received. A first slice plane is generated, positioned, and displayed within the environment. A second MR merging device is connective with in a second environment. Data describing inbound content from the second MR merging device is received. Content data is sent from the MR merging device to the second MR merging device. The inbound content data is processed and displayed on the first slice plane.

First claim

I claim:

1. A system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer memories; and
a set of instructions incorporated into the one or more computer memories, the set of instructions configuring the one or more computer processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving data describing an environment surrounding a first Mixed Reality (MR) merging device;
generating, positioning, and displaying a first slice plane within the environment;
connecting with a second MR merging device in a second environment;
receiving data describing inbound content from the second MR merging device and sending content data from the first MR merging device to the second MR merging device, the inbound content including data describing the second environment; and
processing and displaying the inbound content data on the first slice plane.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the positioning of the first slice plane may be performed by a trained artificial intelligence (AI) agent that analyzes the received environment data in order to determine a position and orientation of the first slice plane.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating, positioning, and displaying an additional slice plane within the environment concurrently with the first slice plane;
connecting with an additional MR merging device;
receiving data describing additional inbound content from the additional MR merging device and sending content data from the first MR merging device to the additional MR merging device; and
processing and displaying the additional inbound content data on the additional slice plane.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
analyzing the received environment data to determine a position and a boundary for a merge volume within the environment, the merge volume being associated with the first slice plane; and
processing and displaying the inbound content data on the first MR merging device so that the inbound content appears within the merge volume.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise analyzing the inbound content and the received environment data to determine the boundary of the merge volume so that it is consistent with the environment and the second environment.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein communication between the first MR merging device and the second MR merging device may be a primarily one way communication wherein volumetric 3D data is downloaded from the second MR merging device and only minimal data is uploaded to the second MR merging device.

7. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
monitoring user interaction with the displayed content and the first slice plane; and
sending data describing the interaction to the second MR merging device.

8. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising using sensor data of the environment to create a digital version of the environment to include when sending the content data to the second MR merging device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein processing the inbound content data further includes altering a display on the first MR merging device to visually remove elements within the environment that are on an opposite side of the first slice plane.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise sharing data between the first and second MR merging devices based on a detection that a digital object crosses the first slice plane, the data describing the digital object.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors, causes the one or more computer processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer memories; and
a set of instructions incorporated into the one or more computer memories, the set of instructions configuring the one or more computer processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving data describing an environment surrounding a first Mixed Reality (MR) merging device;
generating, positioning, and displaying a first slice plane within the environment;
connecting with a second MR merging device in a second environment;
receiving data describing inbound content from the second MR merging device and sending content data from the first MR merging device to the second MR merging device, the inbound content including data describing the second environment; and
processing and displaying the inbound content data on the first slice plane.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the positioning of the first slice plane may be performed by a trained artificial intelligence (AI) agent that analyzes the received environment data in order to determine a position and orientation of the first slice plane.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating, positioning, and displaying an additional slice plane within the environment concurrently with the first slice plane;
connecting with an additional MR merging device;
receiving data describing additional inbound content from the additional MR merging device and sending content data from the first MR merging device to the additional MR merging device; and
processing and displaying the additional inbound content data on the additional slice plane.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
analyzing the received environment data to determine a position and a boundary for a merge volume within the environment, the merge volume being associated with the first slice plane; and
processing and displaying the inbound content data on the first MR merging device so that the inbound content appears within the merge volume.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise analyzing the inbound content and the received environment data to determine the boundary of the merge volume so that it is consistent with the environment and the second environment.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein communication between the first MR merging device and the second MR merging device may be a primarily one way communication wherein volumetric 3D data is downloaded from the second MR merging device and only minimal data is uploaded to the second MR merging device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
monitoring user interaction with the displayed content and the first slice plane; and
sending data describing the interaction to the second MR merging device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the operations further comprising using sensor data of the environment to create a digital version of the environment to include when sending the content data to the second MR merging device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein processing the inbound content data further includes altering a display on the first MR merging device to visually remove elements within the environment that are on an opposite side of the first slice plane.

20. A method comprising:
receiving data describing an environment surrounding a first Mixed Reality (MR) merging device;
generating, positioning, and

Assignees

• Unity IPR ApS

Inventors

• Palmaro Gregory Lionel Xavier Jean

Classifications

• A63F13/426

  involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun · CPC title

• A63F13/53

  involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game · CPC title

• A63F2300/8082

  Virtual reality · CPC title

• A63F13/26

  having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth · CPC title

• A63F13/428

  involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes · CPC title