Patent Application
20240007593
This field is generally related to videoconferencing.
Video conferencing involves the reception and transmission of audio-video signals by users at different locations for communication between people in real time. Videoconferencing is widely available on many computing devices from a variety of different services, including the ZOOM service available from Zoom Communications Inc. of San Jose, CA. Some videoconferencing software, such as the FaceTime application available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, CA, comes standard with mobile devices.
In general, these applications operate by displaying video and outputting audio of other conference participants. When there are multiple participants, the screen may be divided into a number of rectangular frames, each displaying video of a participant. Sometimes these services operate by having a larger frame that presents video of the person speaking. As different individuals speak, that frame will switch between speakers. The application captures video from a camera integrated with the user's device and audio from a microphone integrated with the user's device. The application then transmits that audio and video to other applications running on other user's devices.
Many of these videoconferencing applications have a screen share functionality. When a user decides to share their screen (or a portion of their screen), a stream is transmitted to the other users' devices with the contents of their screen. In some cases, other users can even control what is on the user's screen. In this way, users can collaborate on a project or make a presentation to the other meeting participants.
Recently, videoconferencing technology has gained importance. Many workplaces, trade shows, meetings, conferences, schools, and places of worship have closed or encouraged people not to attend for fear of spreading disease, in particular COVID-19. Virtual conferences using videoconferencing technology are increasingly replacing physical conferences. In addition, this technology provides advantages over physically meeting to avoid travel and commuting.
However, often, use of this videoconferencing technology causes loss of a sense of place. There is an experiential aspect to meeting in person physically, being in the same place, that is lost when conferences are conducted virtually. There is a social aspect to being able to posture yourself and look at your peers. This feeling of experience is important in creating relationships and social connections. Yet, this feeling is lacking when it comes to conventional videoconferences.
Moreover, when the conference starts to get several participants, additional problems occur with these videoconferencing technologies. In physical meeting conferences, people can have side conversations. You can project your voice so that only people close to you can hear what you're saying. In some cases, you can even have private conversations in the context of a larger meeting. However, with virtual conferences, when multiple people are speaking at the same time, the software mixes the two audio streams substantially equally, causing the participants to speak over one another. Thus, when multiple people are involved in a virtual conference, private conversations are impossible, and the dialogue tends to be more in the form of speeches from one to many. Here, too, virtual conferences lose an opportunity for participants to create social connections and to communicate and network more effectively.
Moreover, due to limitations in the network bandwidth and computing hardware, when a lot of streams are placed in the conference, the performance of many videoconferencing systems begins to slow down. Many computing devices, while equipped to handle a video stream from a few participants, are ill-equipped to handle a video stream from a dozen or more participants. With many schools operating entirely virtually, classes of 25 can severely slow down the school-issued computing devices.
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOG, or MMO) generally can handle quite a few more than 25 participants. These games often have hundreds or thousands of players on a single server. MMOs often allow players to navigate avatars around a virtual world. Sometimes these MMOs allow users to speak with one another or send messages to one another. Examples include the ROBLOX game available from Roblox Corporation of San Mateo, CA, and the MINECRAFT game available from Mojang Studios of Stockholm, Sweden.
Having bare avatars interact with one another also has limitations in terms of social interaction. These avatars usually cannot communicate facial expressions, which people often make inadvertently. These facial expressions are observable on videoconference. Some publications may describe having video placed on an avatar in a virtual world. However, these systems typically require specialized software and have other limitations that limit their usefulness.
Improved methods are needed for videoconferencing.
In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method allows transferring an existing session of a three-dimensional virtual environment between a first client device and a second client device. The method comprises receiving, at a first client device, data specifying a three-dimensional virtual environment. The three-dimensional virtual environment comprises a plurality of avatars each navigable by a respective participant of a plurality of participants. The method further comprises rendering, at the first client device and from a perspective of a virtual camera to a first participant of the plurality of participants, the three-dimensional virtual environment for display to the first participant and transmitting session data specifying the perspective of the virtual camera. The method further comprises transmitting, at a second device a request to join the three-dimensional virtual environment from the first participant using the second client device and to transfer an existing session associated with the first participant from the first client device to the second client device. The method further comprises in response to the request to transfer the existing session, receiving, at the second client device, the session data. Furthermore, the method comprises based on the received session data, rendering, at the second client device and from the perspective of the virtual camera to the first participant, the three-dimensional virtual environment for display to the first participant to continue the existing session.
System, device, and computer program product embodiments are also disclosed.
Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments, are described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the disclosure and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the disclosure.
The drawing in which an element first appears is typically indicated by the leftmost digit or digits in the corresponding reference number. In the drawings, like reference numbers may indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
Video Conference with Avatars in a Virtual Environment
Interface 100 includes avatars 102A and B, which each represent different participants to the videoconference. Avatars 102A and B, respectively, have texture mapped video streams 104A and B from devices of the first and second participant. A texture map is an image applied (mapped) to the surface of a shape or polygon. Here, the images are respective frames of the video. The camera devices capturing video streams 104A and B are positioned to capture faces of the respective participants. In this way, the avatars have texture mapped thereon, moving images of faces as participants in the meeting talk and listen.
Similar to how the virtual camera is controlled by the user viewing interface 100, the location and direction of avatars 102A and B are controlled by the respective participants that they represent. Avatars 102A and B are three-dimensional models represented by a mesh. Each avatar 102A and B may have the participant's name underneath the avatar.
The respective avatars 102A and B are controlled by the various users. They each may be positioned at a point corresponding to where their own virtual cameras are located within the virtual environment. Just as the user viewing interface 100 can move around the virtual camera, the various users can move around their respective avatars 102A and B.
The virtual environment rendered in interface 100 includes background image 120 and a three-dimensional model 118 of an arena. The arena may be a venue or building in which the videoconference should take place. The arena may include a floor area bounded by walls. Three-dimensional model 118 can include a mesh and texture. Other ways to mathematically represent the surface of three-dimensional model 118 may be possible as well. For example, polygon modeling, curve modeling, and digital sculpting may be possible. For example, three-dimensional model 118 may be represented by voxels, splines, geometric primitives, polygons, or any other possible representation in three-dimensional space. Three-dimensional model 118 may also include specification of light sources. The light sources can include for example, point, directional, spotlight, and ambient. The objects may also have certain properties describing how they reflect light. In examples, the properties may include diffuse, ambient, and spectral lighting interactions.
In addition to the arena, the virtual environment can include various other three-dimensional models that illustrate different components of the environment. For example, the three-dimensional environment can include a decorative model 114, a speaker model 116, and a presentation screen model 122. Just as three-dimensional model model 118, these models can be represented using any mathematical way to represent a geometric surface in three-dimensional space. These models may be separate from three-dimensional model model 118 or combined into a single representation of the virtual environment.
Decorative models, such as decorative model 114, serve to enhance the realism and increase the aesthetic appeal of the arena. Speaker model 116 may virtually emit sound, such as presentation and background music, as will be described in greater detail below with respect to
Button 108 may provide the user a list of participants. In one example, after a user selects button 108, the user could chat with other participants by sending text messages, individually or as a group.
Button 110 may enable a user to change attributes of the virtual camera used to render interface 100. For example, the virtual camera may have a field of view specifying the angle at which the data is rendered for display. Modeling data within the camera field of view is rendered, while modeling data outside the camera's field of view may not be. By default, the virtual camera's field of view may be set somewhere between 60 and 110°, which is commensurate with a wide-angle lens and human vision. However, selecting button 110 may cause the virtual camera to increase the field of view to exceed 170°, commensurate with a fisheye lens. This may enable a user to have broader peripheral awareness of its surroundings in the virtual environment.
Finally, button 112 causes the user to exit the virtual environment. Selecting button 112 may cause a notification to be sent to devices belonging to the other participants signaling to their devices to stop displaying the avatar corresponding to the user previously viewing interface 100.
In this way, interface virtual 3D space is used to conduct video conferencing. Every user controls an avatar, which they can control to move around, look around, jump or do other things which change the position or orientation. A virtual camera shows the user the virtual 3D environment and the other avatars. The avatars of the other users have as an integral part a virtual display, which shows the webcam image of the user.
By giving users a sense of space and allowing users to see each other's faces, embodiments provide a more social experience than conventional web conferencing or conventional MMO gaming. That more social experience has a variety of applications. For example, it can be used in online shopping. For example, interface 100 has applications in providing virtual grocery stores, houses of worship, trade shows, B2B sales, B2C sales, schooling, restaurants or lunchrooms, product releases, construction site visits (e.g., for architects, engineers, contractors), office spaces (e.g., people work “at their desks” virtually), controlling machinery remotely (ships, vehicles, planes, submarines, drones, drilling equipment, etc.), plant/factory control rooms, medical procedures, garden designs, virtual bus tours with guide, music events (e.g., concerts), lectures (e.g., TED talks), meetings of political parties, board meetings, underwater research, research on hard to reach places, training for emergencies (e.g., fire), cooking, shopping (with checkout and delivery), virtual arts and crafts (e.g., painting and pottery), marriages, funerals, baptisms, remote sports training, counseling, treating fears (e.g., confrontation therapy), fashion shows, amusement parks, home decoration, watching sports, watching esports, watching performances captured using a three-dimensional camera, playing board and role playing games, walking over/through medical imagery, viewing geological data, learning languages, meeting in a space for the visually impaired, meeting in a space for the hearing impaired, participation in events by people who normally can't walk or stand up, presenting the news or weather, talk shows, book signings, voting, MMOs, buying/selling virtual locations (such as those available in some MMOs like the SECOND LIFE game available from Linden Research, Inc. of San Francisco, CA), flea markets, garage sales, travel agencies, banks, archives, computer process management, fencing/swordfighting/martial arts, reenactments (e.g., reenacting a crime scene and or accident), rehearsing a real event (e.g., a wedding, presentation, show, space-walk), evaluating or viewing a real event captured with three-dimensional cameras, livestock shows, zoos, experiencing life as a tall/short/blind/deaf/white/black person (e.g., a modified video stream or still image for the virtual world to simulate the perspective that a user wishes to experience the reactions), job interviews, game shows, interactive fiction (e.g., murder mystery), virtual fishing, virtual sailing, psychological research, behavioral analysis, virtual sports (e.g., climbing/bouldering), controlling the lights, etc., in your house or other location (domotics), memory palace, archaeology, gift shop, virtual visit so customers will be more comfortable on their real visit, virtual medical procedures to explain the procedures and have people feel more comfortable, and virtual trading floor/financial marketplace/stock market (e.g., integrating real-time data and video feeds into the virtual world, real-time transactions and analytics), virtual location people have to go as part of their work so they will actually meet each other organically (e.g., if you want to create an invoice, it is only possible from within the virtual location) and augmented reality where you project the face of the person on top of their AR headset (or helmet) so you can see their facial expressions (e.g., useful for military, law enforcement, firefighters, special ops), and making reservations (e.g., for a certain holiday home/car/etc.).
As described above, interface 100 in
As described above with respect to
In other embodiments, other shapes instead of sphere 202 may be used to texture map the background image. In various alternative embodiments, the shape may be a cylinder, cube, rectangular prism, or any other three-dimensional geometry.
Server 302 provides the services to connect a videoconference session between devices 306A and 306B. As will be described in greater detail below, server 302 communicates notifications to devices of conference participants (e.g., devices 306A-B) when new participants join the conference and when existing participants leave the conference. Server 302 communicates messages describing a position and direction in a three-dimensional virtual space for respective participant's virtual cameras within the three-dimensional virtual space. Server 302 also communicates video and audio streams between the respective devices of the participants (e.g., devices 306A-B). Finally, server 302 stores and transmits data describing data specifying a three-dimensional virtual space to the respective devices 306A-B.
In addition to the data necessary for the virtual conference, server 302 may provide executable information that instructs the devices 306A and 306B on how to render the data to provide the interactive conference.
Server 302 responds to requests with a response. Server 302 may be a web server. A web server is software and hardware that uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and other protocols to respond to client requests made over the World Wide Web. The main job of a web server is to display website content through storing, processing and delivering webpages to users.
In an alternative embodiment, communication between devices 306A-B happens not through server 302 but on a peer-to-peer basis. In that embodiment, one or more of the data describing the respective participants' location and direction, the notifications regarding new and exiting participants, and the video and audio streams of the respective participants are communicated not through server 302 but directly between devices 306A-B.
Network 304 enables communication between the various devices 306A-B and server 302. Network 304 may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a WiFi network, a WiMax network, any other type of network, or any combination of two or more such networks.
Devices 306A-B are each devices of respective participants to the virtual conference. Devices 306A-B each receive data necessary to conduct the virtual conference and render the data necessary to provide the virtual conference. As will be described in greater detail below, devices 306A-B include a display to present the rendered conference information, inputs that allow the user to control the virtual camera, a speaker (such as a headset) to provide audio to the user for the conference, a microphone to capture a user's voice input, and a camera positioned to capture video of the user's face.
Devices 306A-B can be any type of computing device, including a laptop, a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet computer, or wearable computer (such as a smartwatch or a augmented reality or virtual reality headset).
Web browser 308A-B can retrieve a network resource (such as a webpage) addressed by the link identifier (such as a uniform resource locator, or URL) and present the network resource for display. In particular, web browser 308A-B is a software application for accessing information on the World Wide Web. Usually, web browser 308A-B makes this request using the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP or HTTPS). When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the web browser retrieves the necessary content from a web server, interprets and executes the content, and then displays the page on a display on device 306A-B shown as client/counterpart conference application 308A-B. In examples, the content may have HTML and client-side scripting, such as JavaScript. Once displayed, a user can input information and make selections on the page, which can cause web browser 308A-B to make further requests.
Conference application 310A-B may be a web application downloaded from server 302 and configured to be executed by the respective web browsers 308A-B. In an embodiment, conference application 310A-B may be a JavaScript application. In one example, conference application 310A-B may be written in a higher-level language, such as a Typescript language, and translated or compiled into JavaScript. Conference application 310A-B is configured to interact with the WebGL JavaScript application programming interface. It may have control code specified in JavaScript and shader code written in OpenGL ES Shading Language (GLSL ES). Using the WebGL API, conference application 310A-B may be able to utilize a graphics processing unit (not shown) of device 306A-B. Moreover, OpenGL rendering of interactive two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics without the use of plug-ins.
Conference application 310A-B receives the data from server 302 describing position and direction of other avatars and three-dimensional modeling information describing the virtual environment. In addition, conference application 310A-B receives video and audio streams of other conference participants from server 302.
Conference application 310A-B renders three three-dimensional modeling data, including data describing the three-dimensional environment and data representing the respective participant avatars. This rendering may involve rasterization, texture mapping, ray tracing, shading, or other rendering techniques. In an embodiment, the rendering may involve ray tracing based on the characteristics of the virtual camera. Ray tracing involves generating an image by tracing a path of light as pixels in an image plane and simulating the effects of his encounters with virtual objects. In some embodiments, to enhance realism, the ray tracing may simulate optical effects such as reflection, refraction, scattering, and dispersion.
In this way, the user uses web browser 308A-B to enter a virtual space. The scene is displayed on the screen of the user. The webcam video stream and microphone audio stream of the user are sent to server 302. When other users enter the virtual space an avatar model is created for them. The position of this avatar is sent to the server and received by the other users. Other users also get a notification from server 302 that an audio/video stream is available. The video stream of a user is placed on the avatar that was created for that user. The audio stream is played back as coming from the position of the avatar.
As described above, background texture 402 is an image illustrating distant features of the virtual environment. The image may be regular (such as a brick wall) or irregular. Background texture 402 may be encoded in any common image file format, such as bitmap, JPEG, GIF, or other file image format. It describes the background image to be rendered against, for example, a sphere at a distance.
Three-dimensional arena 404 is a three-dimensional model of the space in which the conference is to take place. As described above, it may include, for example, a mesh and possibly its own texture information to be mapped upon the three-dimensional primitives it describes. It may define the space in which the virtual camera and respective avatars can navigate within the virtual environment. Accordingly, it may be bounded by edges (such as walls or fences) that illustrate to users the perimeter of the navigable virtual environment.
Space hierarchy 408 is data specifying partitions in the virtual environment. These partitions are used to determine how sound is processed before being transferred between participants. As will be described below, this partition data may be hierarchical and may describe sound processing to allow for areas where participants to the virtual conference can have private conversations or side conversations.
Three-dimensional model 406 is any other three-dimensional modeling information needed to conduct the conference. In one embodiment, this may include information describing the respective avatars. Alternatively or additionally, this information may include product demonstrations.
With the information needed to conduct the meeting sent to the participants,
Position and direction 422A-B describe the position and direction of the virtual camera for the user using device 306A. As described above, the position may be a coordinate in three-dimensional space (e.g., x, y, z coordinate) and the direction may be a direction in three-dimensional space (e.g., pan, tilt, roll). In some embodiments, the user may be unable to control the virtual camera's roll, so the direction may only specify pan and tilt angles. Similarly, in some embodiments, the user may be unable to change the avatar's z coordinate (as the avatar is bounded by virtual gravity), so the z coordinate may be unnecessary. In this way, position and direction 422A-B each may include at least a coordinate on a horizontal plane in the three-dimensional virtual space and a pan and tilt value. Alternatively or additionally, the user may be able to “jump” its avatar, so the Z position may be specified only by an indication of whether the user is jumping their avatar.
In different examples, position and direction 422A-B may be transmitted and received using HTTP request responses or using socket messaging.
Video stream 424A-B is video data captured from a camera of the respective devices 306A and B. The video may be compressed. For example, the video may use any commonly known video codecs, including MPEG-4, VP8, or H.264. The video may be captured and transmitted in real time.
Similarly, audio stream 426A-B is audio data captured from a microphone of the respective devices. The audio may be compressed. For example, the video may use any commonly known audio codecs, including MPEG-4 or vorbis. The audio may be captured and transmitted in real time. Video stream 424A and audio stream 426A are captured, transmitted, and presented synchronously with one another. Similarly, video stream 424B and audio stream 426B are captured, transmitted, and presented synchronously with one another.
The video stream 424A-B and audio stream 426A-B may be transmitted using the WebRTC application programming interface. The WebRTC is an API available in JavaScript. As described above, devices 306A and B download and run web applications, as conference applications 310A and B, and conference applications 310A and B may be implemented in JavaScript. Conference applications 310A and B may use WebRTC to receive and transmit video stream 424A-B and audio stream 426A-B by making API calls from its JavaScript.
As mentioned above, when a user leaves the virtual conference, this departure is communicated to all other users. For example, if device 306A exits the virtual conference, server 302 would communicate that departure to device 306B. Consequently, device 306B would stop rendering an avatar corresponding to device 306A, removing the avatar from the virtual space. Additionally, device 306B will stop receiving video stream 424A and audio stream 426A.
As described above, conference applications 310A and B may periodically or intermittently re-render the virtual space based on new information from respective video streams 424A and B, position and direction 422A and B, and new information relating to the three-dimensional environment. For simplicity, each of these updates are now described from the perspective of device 306A. However, a skilled artisan would understand device 306B would behave similarly given similar changes.
As device 306A receives video stream 424B, device 306A texture maps frames from video stream 424A on to an avatar corresponding to device 306B. That texture mapped avatar is re-rendered within the three-dimensional virtual space and presented to a user of device 306A.
As device 306A receives a new position and direction 422B, device 306A generates the avatar corresponding to device 306B positioned at the new position and oriented at the new direction. The generated avatar is re-rendered within the three-dimensional virtual space and presented to the user of device 306A.
In some embodiments, server 302 may send updated model information describing the three-dimensional virtual environment. For example, server 302 may send updated information 402, 404, 406, or 408. When that happens, device 306A will re-render the virtual environment based on the updated information. This may be useful when the environment changes over time. For example, an outdoor event may change from daylight to dusk as the event progresses.
Again, when device 306B exits the virtual conference, server 302 sends a notification to device 306A indicating that device 306B is no longer participating in the conference. In that case, device 306A would re-render the virtual environment without the avatar for device 306B.
While
In one embodiment, participants can set their webcam, microphone, speakers and graphical settings before entering the virtual conference. In an alternative embodiment, after starting the application, users may enter a virtual lobby where they are greeted by an avatar controlled by a real person. This person is able to view and modify the webcam, microphone, speakers and graphical settings of the user. The attendant can also instruct the user on how to use the virtual environment, for example by teaching them about looking, moving around and interacting. When they are ready, the user automatically leaves the virtual waiting room and joins the real virtual environment.
As described above, a participant (or user) may use their device to participate in a videoconference session with one or more participants in the three-dimensional virtual environment. The three-dimensional virtual environment may be used for attending virtual meetings, playing games, social media, etc. The participant may want to change their device and transfer the existing video conference session to the different device. For example, the participant may want to switch from using a personal computer (PC) to a mobile device, or vice versa.
Server 302 may match the participant's authentication information with the existing videoconference session between device 306A and device 306B. Server 302 may cause a prompt to be rendered on device 306A-1. The prompt may indicate that there is an existing videoconference session between device 306A and device 306B. The prompt may ask the participant to switch (e.g., transfer) sessions or join the three-dimensional virtual environment a second avatar (e.g., start a new session with device 306A-1). To transfer the existing videoconference session to device 306A-1, the participant may select switch sessions.
In response to selecting switch sessions, server 302 may request device 306A to transmit session data 450 about the existing videoconference session to server 302. Session data may specify the perspective the virtual camera associated with the first participant. Session data 450 may include position and rotation information of the participant's avatar in the three-dimensional virtual environment, a state of the three-dimensional virtual environment, or information about how the participant's avatar is situated in the three-dimensional virtual environment with respect to other avatars, etc. Session data 450 may be used to allow for a seamless transition between device 306A and device 306A-1. In other words, session data 450 may be used to place the participant's avatar in the same position or situation in the three-dimensional virtual environment as it was in when using device 306A. As an example, the three-dimensional virtual environment may be used to play games. The state of the three-dimensional virtual environment in session data 450 may indicate a state of the game. The state of the game may include attributes about the game when the participant decided to transfer the videoconference session to device 306A-1. The attributes may include virtual camera position and direction, level, video game character characteristics, setting, etc. Session data 450 may also include information about whether the participant's avatar is walking, flying, floating, swimming, etc in the three-dimensional virtual environment. Session data 450 may be stored in the memory of device 306A.
Server 302 may push session data 450 to device 306A-1. Server 302 may initiate the videoconference session between device 306A-1 and device 306B. Device 306A-1 may join the three-dimensional virtual environment using session data 450. In this regard, the participant's avatar may be situated in the three-dimensional virtual environment based on session data 450. Device 306A-1 may render from the perspective of the virtual camera to the participant, the three-dimensional virtual environment for display to the participant to continue the existing session.
With respect to
Position and direction 422A-1 may be captured by device 306A-1. Position and direction 422A-1 may be similar to position and direction 422A captured by device 306A. Video stream 424A-1 is video data captured from a camera of device 306A-1. Video stream 424A-1 may be similar to video stream 424A, as described above. Audio stream 426A-1 is audio data captured from a microphone of device 306A-1. Audio stream 426A-1 may be similar to audio stream 426A, as described above
As mentioned above, when a user leaves the virtual conference, this departure is communicated to all other users. For example, if device 306A-1 exits the virtual conference, server 302 would communicate that departure to device 306B. Consequently, device 306B would stop rendering an avatar corresponding to device 306A-1, removing the avatar from the virtual space. Additionally, device 306B will stop receiving video stream 424A-1 and audio stream 426A-1.
As described above, conference applications 310A and B may periodically or intermittently re-render the virtual space based on new information from respective video streams 424A-1 and B, position and direction 422A-1 and B, and new information relating to the three-dimensional environment. For simplicity, each of these updates are now described from the perspective of device 306A-1. However, a skilled artisan would understand device 306B would behave similarly given similar changes.
As device 306A-1 receives video stream 424B, device 306A-1 texture maps frames from video stream 424A-1 on to an avatar corresponding to device 306B. That texture mapped avatar is re-rendered within the three-dimensional virtual space and presented to a user of device 306A-1.
As device 306A-1 receives a new position and direction 422B, device 306A-1 generates the avatar corresponding to device 306B positioned at the new position and oriented at the new direction. The generated avatar is re-rendered within the three-dimensional virtual space and presented to the user of device 306A-1.
When device 306B exits the virtual conference, server 302 sends a notification to device 306A-1 indicating that device 306B is no longer participating in the conference. In that case, device 306A-1 would re-render the virtual environment without the avatar for device 306
In some embodiments, the participant may want to join the three-dimensional virtual environment using two devices (e.g., device 306A and device 306A-1). For example, the participant may attempt to join the three-dimensional virtual environment using device 306A-1. The participant may input authentication information when attempting to join the three-dimensional virtual environment. Server 302 may receive the authentication information.
Server 302 may match the participant's authentication information with the existing videoconference session between device 306A and device 306B. Server 302 may cause a prompt to be rendered on device 306A-1. The prompt may indicate that there is an existing videoconference session between device 306A and device 306B. The prompt may ask the participant to switch (e.g., transfer) sessions, join the three-dimensional virtual environment a second avatar (e.g., start a new session with device 306A-1), or to use device 306A-1 with device 306 in the existing videoconference session.
In response to the participant selecting to use device 306A-1 with device 306 in the existing videoconference session, server 302 may designate device 306A-1 as a secondary audio/video input/output device. The participant may use both device 306A and 306A-1 in the three-dimensional virtual environment. Device 306A may be a primary device and device 306A-1 may be a secondary device, or vice versa. The participant may use device 306A or 306A-1 as a designated game controller, microphone, speaker, additional screen, etc.
In some embodiments, the participant may select to join the three-dimensional virtual environment a second avatar (e.g., start a new session with device 306A-1). In this scenario, server 302 may initiate a new videoconference session between device 306A, 306A-1, and 306B.
In 502, a first client device (e.g., device 306A) associated with a first participant receives data specifying a three-dimensional virtual environment. As described above with respect to
In 504, the first client device renders from the perspective of a virtual camera to the first participant the three-dimensional environment to the first participant. At this point, we have the first participate on the first client device in the three-dimensional environment.
In 506, the second client device (e.g., device 306A-1) transmits a request to join the three-dimensional virtual environment from the first participant. The participant may input their authentication details on the second client device. The existing videoconference session corresponding to the first participant's first device may be identified using the participant's authentication details. A prompt may be rendered on the first participant's second device indicating the existing videoconference session and asking whether the participant would like to transfer the existing videoconference session to the second device.
In 508, the second client device transmits a request to transfer an existing session associated with the first participant from the first client device to the second client device. The transfer request may be received in response to the prompt on the participant's new device.
In 510, the first client device transmits session data. The session data includes information sufficient to make switching to a different device seamless, both for the user of the first client device and for other participants to the three-dimensional virtual environment. To ensure that the user is has a consistent experience between devices, the session data can specify the perspective of the virtual camera. The session data comprises position and rotation information of the participant's avatar in the three-dimensional virtual environment, a state of the three-dimensional virtual environment, or information about how the participant's avatar is situated in the three-dimensional virtual environment with respect to other avatars. The session data can also includes information such as game state (like remaining lives if playing virtual laser tag) or state of the user interface (like configuration of an open chat window, including the chat conversation). The second client device receives the session data. For example, the session data may be transferred from the first client device to the second client device via a server (e.g., server 302).
In 512, based on the session data the second client device renders, from the perspective of the virtual camera to a first participant, the three-dimensional virtual environment for display to the first participant to continue the existing session. The first participant may continue to participate in the existing session using the second client device. From the perspective of other participants in the three-dimensional virtual environment, the first participant's avatar may remain in the same position in the three-dimensional virtual environment when participating in the existing session using the second client device as compared to when participating in the existing session using the first client device.
System 600 can be used, for example, to implement method 500 of
Devices 306A, 306A-1, and 306B are a user computing devices. Devices 306A, 306A-1, and 306B could be a desktops or laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, or wearables (e.g., watch or head mounted device).
Devices 306A, 306A-1, and 306B may use and/or include components of system 600. For example, device 306A includes a microphone 602, camera 604, stereo speaker 606, input device 612. Not shown, device 306A also includes a processor and persistent, non transitory and volatile memory. The processors can include one or more central processing units, graphic processing units or any combination thereof.
Microphone 602 converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphone 602 is positioned to capture speech of a user of device 306A. In different examples, microphone 1502 could be a condenser microphone, electret microphone, moving-coil microphone, ribbon microphone, carbon microphone, piezo microphone, fiber-optic microphone, laser microphone, water microphone, or MEMs microphone.
Camera 604 captures image data by capturing light, generally through one or more lenses. Camera 604 is positioned to capture photographic images of a user of device 306A. Camera 604 includes an image sensor (not shown). The image sensor may, for example, be a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. The image sensor may include one or more photodetectors that detect light and convert to electrical signals. These electrical signals captured together in a similar timeframe comprise a still photographic image. A sequence of still photographic images captured at regular intervals together comprise a video. In this way, camera 604 captures images and videos.
Stereo speaker 606 is a device which converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding left-right sound. Stereo speaker 606 outputs the left audio stream and the right audio stream generated by an audio processor 620 (below) to be played to device 306A's user in stereo. Stereo speaker 606 includes both ambient speakers and headphones that are designed to play sound directly into a user's left and right ears. Example speakers includes moving-iron loudspeakers, piezoelectric speakers, magnetostatic loudspeakers, electrostatic loudspeakers, ribbon and planar magnetic loudspeakers, bending wave loudspeakers, flat panel loudspeakers, heil air motion transducers, transparent ionic conduction speakers, plasma arc speakers, thermoacoustic speakers, rotary woofers, moving-coil, electrostatic, electret, planar magnetic, and balanced armature.
Network interface 608 is a software or hardware interface between two pieces of equipment or protocol layers in a computer network. Network interface 608 receives a video stream from server 302 for respective participants for the meeting. The video stream is captured from a camera on a device of another participant to the video conference. Network interface 608 also received data specifying a three-dimensional virtual space and any models therein from server 302. For each of the other participants, network interface 608 receives a position and direction in the three-dimensional virtual space. The position and direction are input by each of the respective other participants.
Network interface 608 also transmits data to server 302. It transmits the position of device 306A's user's virtual camera used by renderer 618 and it transmits video and audio streams from camera 604 and microphone 602.
Display 610 is an output device for presentation of electronic information in visual or tactile form (the latter used for example in tactile electronic displays for blind people). Display 610 could be a television set, computer monitor, head-mounted display, heads-up displays, output of a augmented reality or virtual reality headset, broadcast reference monitor, medical monitors mobile displays (for mobile devices), smartphone displays (for smartphones). To present the information, display 610 may include an electroluminescent (ELD) display, liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) backlit LCD, thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD, light-emitting diode (LED) display, OLED display, AMOLED display, plasma (PDP) display, or quantum dot (QLED) display.
Input device 612 is a piece of equipment used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system such as a computer or information appliance. Input device 612 allows a user to input a new desired position of a virtual camera used by renderer 618, thereby enabling navigation in the three-dimensional environment. Examples of input devices include keyboards, mouse, scanners, joysticks, and touchscreens.
Web browser 308A and web application 310A were described above with respect to
Screen capturer 614 captures a presentation stream, in particular a screen share. Screen capturer 614 may interact with an API made available by web browser 308A. By calling a function available from the API, screen capturer 614 may cause web browser 308A to ask the user which window or screen the user would like to share. Based on the answer to that query, web browser 308A may return a video stream corresponding to the screen share to screen capturer 614, which passes it on to network interface 608 for transmission to server 302 and ultimately to other participants' devices.
Texture mapper 616 texture maps the video stream onto a three-dimensional model corresponding to an avatar. Texture mapper 616 may texture map respective frames from the video to the avatar. In addition, texture mapper 616 may texture map a presentation stream to a three-dimensional model of a presentation screen.
Renderer 618 renders, from a perspective of a virtual camera of the user of device 306A, for output to display 610 the three-dimensional virtual space including the texture-mapped three-dimensional models of the avatars for respective participants located at the received, corresponding position and oriented at the direction. Renderer 618 also renders any other three-dimensional models including for example the presentation screen.
Audio processor 620 adjusts volume of the received audio stream to determine a left audio stream and a right audio stream to provide a sense of where the second position is in the three-dimensional virtual space relative to the first position. In one embodiment, audio processor 620 adjusts the volume based on a distance between the second position to the first position. In another embodiment, audio processor 620 adjusts the volume based on a direction of the second position to the first position. In yet another embodiment, audio processor 620 adjusts the volume based on a direction of the second position relative to the first position on a horizontal plane within the three-dimensional virtual space. In yet another embodiment, audio processor 620 adjusts the volume based on a direction where the virtual camera is facing in the three-dimensional virtual space such that the left audio stream tends to have a higher volume when the avatar is located to the left of the virtual camera and the right audio stream tends to have a higher volume when the avatar is located to the right of the virtual camera. Finally, in yet another embodiment, audio processor 620 adjusts the volume based on an angle between the direction where the virtual camera is facing and a direction where the avatar is facing such that the angle being more normal to where the avatar is facing tends to have a greater difference in volume between the left and right audio streams.
Audio processor 620 can also adjust an audio stream's volume based on the area where the speaker is located relative to an area where the virtual camera is located. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional virtual space is segmented into a plurality of areas. These areas may be hierarchical. When the speaker and virtual camera are located in different areas, a wall transmission factor may be applied to attenuate the speaking audio stream's volume.
Server 302 includes an attendance notifier 622, a stream adjuster 624, and a stream forwarder 626.
Attendance notifier 622 notifies conference participants when participants join and leave the meeting. When a new participant joins the meeting, attendance notifier 622 sends a message to the devices of the other participants to the conference indicating that a new participant has joined. Attendance notifier 622 signals stream forwarder 626 to start forwarding video, audio, and position/direction information to the other participants.
Stream adjuster 624 receives a video stream captured from a camera on a device of a first user. Stream adjuster 624 determines an available bandwidth to transmit data for the virtual conference to the second user. It determines a distance between a first user and a second user in a virtual conference space. And, it apportions the available bandwidth between the first video stream and the second video stream based on the relative distance. In this way, stream adjuster 624 prioritizes video streams of closer users over video streams from farther ones. Additionally or alternatively, stream adjuster 624 may be located on device 306A, perhaps as part of web application 310A.
Stream forwarder 626 broadcasts position/direction information, video, audio, and screen share screens received (with adjustments made by stream adjuster 624). Stream forwarder 626 may send information to the device 306A in response to a request from conference application 310A. Conference application 310A may send that request in response to the notification from attendance notifier 622.
Network interface 628 is a software or hardware interface between two pieces of equipment or protocol layers in a computer network. Network interface 628 transmits the model information to devices of the various participants. Network interface 628 receives video, audio, and screen share screens from the various participants.
Screen capturer 614, texture mapper 616, renderer 618, audio processor 620, attendance notifier 622, a stream adjuster 624, and a stream forwarder 626 can each be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.
Devices 306A-1 and 306B may use and/or include components of system 600, similar to device 306A.
Identifiers, such as “(a),” “(b),” “(i),” “(ii),” etc., are sometimes used for different elements or steps. These identifiers are used for clarity and do not necessarily designate an order for the elements or steps.
The present invention has been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such as specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, and without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.
The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
