Systems and methods to provide an interactive environment in response to touch-based inputs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021011542-A1
Application number	US-201916506438-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure presents systems and methods to provide an interactive environment in response to touch-based inputs. A first body channel communication device coupled to a user may transmit and/or receive signals configured to be propagated along skin of the user such that the skin of the user comprises a signal transmission path. A second body channel communication device coupled to an interaction entity may be configured to transmit and/or receive signals configured to be propagated along the skin of the user along the signal transmission path. A presentation device may present images of virtual content to the user. Information may be communicated between the first body channel communication device, the second body channel communication device, and the presentation device so that virtual content specific to the interaction entity may be presented to augment an appearance of the interaction entity.

First claim

1 . A system configured to provide an interactive environment in response to touch-based inputs, the system comprising:
a first body channel communication device coupled to a user present in a real-world environment, the first body channel communication device including a first transceiver and a first non-transitory electronic storage, the first transceiver being configured to transmit and receive signals configured to be propagated along skin of the user such that the skin of the user comprises a signal transmission path; a second body channel communication device coupled to an entity present in the real-world environment, the second body channel communication device including a second transceiver and a second non-transitory electronic storage, the second transceiver being configured to transmit and receive signals configured to be propagated along the skin of the user along the signal transmission path, the second non-transitory electronic storage storing entity information, the entity information specifying an identity of the entity; and one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
detect occurrence of concurrent physical touch of the entity by the user and a second user based on signals received at the second body communication channel;
obtain, at the first body channel communication device, one or more signals generated by the second body channel communication device in response to the concurrent physical touch of the entity by the user and the second user, such that a first signal is obtained at the first body channel communication device in response to a first concurrent physical touch of the entity by the user and the second user, the first signal conveying the entity information;
effectuate communication of the entity information from the first body channel communication device to a presentation device;
obtain content information specific to the identity of the entity, the content information defining virtual content to be presented by the presentation device; and
effectuate, by the presentation device, presentation of one or more images of the virtual content such that the virtual content is perceived as being located in the real-world environment and augments an appearance of the entity.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the entity information further specifies the content information such that the first signal conveys both the identity of the entity and the content information.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication of the entity information from the first body channel communication device to the presentation device is a wireless communication.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the entity includes an augmented reality marker disposed thereon, and wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by the machine-readable instructions to:
obtain image information defining images depicting the real-world environment, the image information being conveyed by output signals generated by an image sensor coupled to the presentation device; detect, based on the image information, presence of the augmented reality marker within the real-world environment.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the entity is a physical object.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein occurrence of physical touch of the entity by the user is detected based on the entity information being communicated from the first body channel communication device and received at the presentation device.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first body channel communication device is a wearable device.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the entity information further includes state information and interaction history information, the state information specifying a current state of the virtual content, and the interaction history information specifying prior interactions with the virtual content by the user, and/or one or more other users, or a combination thereof.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first non-transitory electronic storage stores user information, the user information specifying an identity of the user, and wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by the machine-readable instructions to determine the content information based on the user information such that the content information is specific to the identity of the entity and the identity of the user.

11 . A method to provide an interactive environment in response to touch-based inputs, the method comprising:
detecting occurrence of concurrent physical touch of an entity present in a real-world environment by a user and a second user based on signals received at a body communication channel coupled to the entity, the body channel communication device including a transceiver and a non-transitory electronic storage, the transceiver being configured to transmit and receive signals configured to be propagated along skin of the user and the second user along signal transmission paths, the non-transitory electronic storage storing entity information, the entity information specifying an identity of the entity; obtaining a first signal in response to a first concurrent physical touch of the entity by the user and the second user, the first signal conveying the entity information, the first signal being propagated along skin of the user such that the skin of the user comprises a signal transmission path; effectuating communication of the entity information to a presentation device; obtaining content information specific to the identity of the entity, the content information defining virtual content to be presented by the presentation device; and presenting, by the presentation device, one or more images of the virtual content such that the virtual content is perceived as being located in the real-world environment and augments an appearance of the entity.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the entity information further specifies the content information such that the first signal conveys both the identity of the entity and the content information.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the communication of the entity information to the presentation device is a wireless communication.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the entity includes an augmented reality marker disposed thereon, and wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining image information defining images depicting the real-world environment; and detecting based on the image information, presence of the augmented reality marker within the real-world environment.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the entity is a physical object.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein occurrence of physical touch of the entity by the user is determined based on the entity information being received at the presentation device.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein first signal is obtained at a first body channel communication device coupled to the user, the first body channel communication device comprising a wearable device.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the entity information further includes state information and interaction history information, the state information specifying a current state of the virtual content, and the interaction history information specifying prior interactions with the virtual content by the user, one or more other users, or a combination thereof.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
storing user information, the user information sp

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc
• Eth Zuerich Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zuerich

Inventors

• Sumner Robert
• Buergisser Benjamin
• Zünd Fabio
• Vakulya Gergely
• Varga Virag
• Gross Thomas
• Sample Alanson

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

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04B13/005 Primary

  Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/03

  Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form · CPC title