Voice communication system within a mixed-reality environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11979736-B2
Application number	US-202017602519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Jun 20, 2019
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A computer system for facilitating voice communication within a mixed-reality environment identifies a first location of a first user within a mixed-reality environment. The first user is associated with a first electronic communication device, which is capable of facilitating voice communication between one or more users within the mixed-reality environment. The computer system identifies a second location of a second user within the mixed-reality environment. The second user is associated with a second electronic communication device, which is capable of facilitating voice communication between one or more users within the mixed-reality environment. The computer system determines a vocal distance attribute between the first user and the second user and determines, based upon the vocal distance attribute, a communication state for the first electronic communication device and the second electronic communication device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system for facilitating voice communication with a mixed-reality environment, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more hardware storage devices storing executable instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to configure the computer system to perform at least the following:
identify a first location of a first user within a mixed-reality environment, wherein the first user is associated with a first electronic communication device, the first electronic communication device capable of facilitating voice communication between one or more users within the mixed-reality environment;
identify a second location of a second user within the mixed-reality environment, wherein the second user is associated with a second electronic communication device, the second electronic communication device capable of facilitating voice communication between one or more users within the mixed-reality environment;
determine a vocal distance attribute between the first user and the second user; and
determine, based upon the vocal distance attribute, a communication state for the first electronic communication device and the second electronic communication device.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first location of the first user comprises a first physical location of the first user, and wherein the second location of the second user comprises a second physical location of the second user.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein:
determining the vocal distance attribute comprises determining whether the first physical location and the second physical location are within a same physical geographic site; and
determining the vocal distance attribute comprises, in response to determining that the first physical location and the second physical location are not within the same geographic site, determining whether the first physical location and the second physical location are within physical hearing distance to one another.

4. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein:
determining the vocal distance attribute comprises determining whether the first physical location and the second physical location are within physical hearing distance to one another; and
in response to determining that the vocal distance attribute indicates that the first physical location and the second physical location are within physical hearing distance to one another, the communication state causes the computer system to:
refrain from transmitting voice communication between the first user and the second user, or
refrain from causing voice communication between the first user and the second user to be presented at the first electronic communication device or the second electronic communication device.

5. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein, in response to determining that the vocal distance attribute indicates that the first physical location and the second physical location are not within physical hearing distance to one another, the communication state causes the computer system to transmit voice communication between the first user and the second user.

6. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein determining whether the first physical location and the second physical location are within physical hearing distance to one another comprises identifying whether the first physical location and the second physical location are within a same physical room.

7. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein determining whether the first physical location and the second physical location are within physical hearing distance to one another comprises identifying one or more physical objects positioned between the first physical location and the second physical location.

8. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein determining whether the first physical location and the second physical location are within physical hearing distance to one another comprises:
identifying a first audio signal detected by a first microphone associated with the first electronic communication device, the first audio signal representing a verbal communication of the first user; and
determining whether a second microphone associated with the second electronic communication device detects a corresponding audio signal that corresponds to the first audio signal, the corresponding audio signal representing the verbal communication of the first user.

9. The computer system of claim 4 , wherein:
determining the vocal distance attribute comprises, in response to determining that the first physical location and the second physical location are not within physical hearing distance to one another, determining whether a constant communication setting is enabled; and
in response to determining that the vocal distance attribute indicates that the first physical location and the second physical location are not within physical hearing distance to one another and that the constant communication setting is enabled, the communication state causes the computer system to transmit voice communication between the first user and the second user.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein:
determining the vocal distance attribute comprises, in response to determining that the first physical location and the second physical location are not within physical hearing distance to one another and that the constant communication setting is disabled, determining whether a first virtual location associated with the first location of the first user is within virtual hearing distance to a second virtual location associated with the second location of the second user;
in response to determining that the vocal distance attribute indicates that the first virtual location and the second virtual location are not within virtual hearing distance to one another, the communication state causes the computer system to:
refrain from transmitting voice communication between the first user and the second user, or
refrain from causing voice communication between the first user and the second user to be presented at the first electronic communication device or the second electronic communication device; and
in response to determining that the vocal distance attribute indicates that the first virtual location and the second virtual location are within virtual hearing distance to one another, the communication state causes the computer system to transmit voice communication between the first user and the second user.

11. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the first location of the first user comprises a first virtual location of the first user, and wherein the second location of the second user comprises a second virtual location of the second user.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein:
determining the vocal distance attribute comprises determining whether the first virtual location and the second virtual location are within virtual hearing distance to one another;
in response to determining that the vocal distance attribute indicates that the first virtual location and the second virtual location are not within virtual hearing distance to one another, the communication state causes the computer system to:
refrain from transmitting voice communication between the first user and the second user, or
refrain from causing voice communication between the first user and the second user to be presented at the first electronic communication device or the second electronic communication device; and
in response to determining that the vocal distance attribute indicates that the first virtual location and the second virtual location are within virtual hearing distance to one another, the communicatio

Assignees

• Dirtt Environmental Solutions
• Armstrong World Ind Inc

Inventors

• Loberg Barrie A
• Blodgett Robert

Classifications

• H04S7/303 Primary

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

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

• G10L25/51

  for comparison or discrimination · CPC title

• H04R1/08

  Mouthpieces; {Microphones;} Attachments therefor · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title