This disclosure relates to virtual reality devices, and in particular, using these devices for communication and contact.
Two people can be separated by thousands of miles or across a town. With the development of the telephone, two people can hear each other's voice, and, to each of them, the experience is as if the other person was right next to them. Other developments have increased the perception of physical closeness. For example, teleconferencing and Internet cameras allow two people to see each other as well as hear each other over long distances.
In one aspect, the invention is a virtual encounter system that includes a mannequin coupled to a camera for receiving a video image. The camera sends the video image to a communications network. The virtual encounter system also includes a processor for overlaying a virtual environment over one or more portions of the video image to form a virtual scene and a set of goggles to render the virtual scene.
In another aspect, the invention is a method of having a virtual encounter. The method includes receiving a video image at a camera coupled to a mannequin. The camera sends the video image to a communications network. The method also includes overlaying a virtual environment over one or more portions of the video image to form a virtual scene and rendering the virtual scene using a set of goggles.
One or more of the aspects above have one or more of the following advantages. The virtual encounter system adds a higher level of perception that two people are in the same place. Aspects of the system allow two people to touch and to feel each other as well as manipulate objects in each other's environment. Thus, a business person can shake a client's hand from across an ocean. Parents on business trips can read to their children at home and put them to bed. People using the system while in two different locations can interact with each other in a virtual environment of their own selection, e.g., a beach or a mountaintop. People can change their physical appearance in the virtual environment so that they seem taller or thinner to the other person or become any entity of their own choosing.
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As will be explained below, when user 22a interacts with mannequin 12a in location A by seeing and hearing the mannequin, user 22a perceives seeing user 22b and hearing user 22b in location B. Likewise, user 22b listens and sees mannequin 12b but perceives listening and seeing user 22a in location A. Details of the gateways 16a and 16b are discussed below. Suffice it to say that the gateways 16a and 16b execute processes to process and transport raw data produced for instance when users 22a and 22b interact with respective mannequins 12a and 12b.
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Each mannequin 12a-12b also includes a microphone (e.g., microphone 42a and microphone 42b) positioned within a left ear (e.g., left ear 46a and left ear 46b), and a microphone (e.g., microphone 48a and microphone 48b) positioned within a right ear (e.g., right ear 52a and right ear 52b).
Each mannequin 12a-12b further includes a transmitter (e.g., transmitter 72a and transmitter 72b) containing a battery (not shown). Transmitters 72a-72b send the audio and video signals from the cameras and the microphones to communication gateway 16a-16b.
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Each interface 88a-88b receives, via transmitter 72a-78b in mannequin 12a-12b, video signals from cameras 30a-30b, 36a-36b and audio signals from microphones 42a-42b, 48a-48b. Each interface 88a-88b sends video signals to displays 56a, 56b in goggles 20a-20b via receiver 70a-70b. Each interface 88a sends audio signals to earphones 24a-24b, 26a-26b in goggles 20a-20b via receiver 74a-74b.
Each storage medium 92a-92b stores an operating system 96a-96b, data 98a-98b for establishing communications links with other communication gateways, and computer instructions 94a-94b which are executed by processor 80a-80b in respective memories 84a-84b to coordinate, send and receive audio, visual and other sensory signals to and from network 24.
Signals within system 10 are sent using a standard streaming connection using time-stamped packets or a stream of bits over a continuous connection. Other examples, include using a direct connection such as an integrated services digital network (ISDN).
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Likewise, communication gateway 16a and communication gateway 16b work in the opposite direction through network 24, so that the video images, from location A, recorded by camera 30a are rendered on to display 56b. The video images, recorded by camera 36a are rendered on display 60b.
The sounds received by microphone 42a in location A, are transmitted to earphone 24b and sounds received in location A by microphone 52a are transmitted to earphone 26b. The sounds received by microphone 42b in location B, are transmitted to earphone 24a and sounds received in location B by microphone 52b are transmitted to earphone 26a.
Using system 10, two people can have a conversation where each of the persons perceives that the other is in the same location as them.
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For example, when the user 22a moves their right hand, a sensor in the right hand sends a signal through the network to a motion actuator on the robot 12b′. The robot 12b′ in turn moves its right hand.
In another example, a user 22a can walk towards a robot 12a′ in location A. All the sensors on the user 22a send a corresponding signal to the actuators on the robot 12b′ in location B. The robot 12b′ in location B performs the same walking movement. The user 22b in location B is not looking in location B but rather through the eyes of the robot 12a′ in location A so that user 22b does see the user 22a in location A walking towards them, but not because the robot 12b′ in location B is walking. However, the fact that the robot 12b′ in location B is walking enables two things to happen. First, since the user 22a in location A is seeing through the eyes of the robot 12b′ in location B and since the robot 12b′ in location B is walking enables the user 22a in location A to see what he would see if he were indeed walking in location B. Second, it enables the robot 12b′ in location B to meet up with the user 22b in location B.
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In addition, gateway 16a can also supplement tactile sensations with stored virtual tactile sensations. For example, a user can feel the sand on her feet in the beach scene or a cold breeze on her cheeks in a mountain top scene.
In this embodiment, each storage medium 92a-92b stores data 98a-98b for generating a virtual environment including virtual visual images, virtual audio signals, and virtual tactile signals. Computer instructions 94a-94b, which are executed by processor 80a-80b out of memory 84a-84b, combine the visual, audio, and tactile signals received with the stored virtual visual, virtual audio and virtual tactile signals in data 98a-98b.
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Communication gateway 16a also changes the sound user 22b makes as perceived by user 22a. For example, user 22b has a high-pitched squeaky voice. Communication gateway 22b using conventional techniques can alter the audio signal representing the voice of user 22b to be a low deep voice.
In addition, communication gateway 16a can alter the tactile sensation. For example, user 22b has cold, dry and scaling skin. Communications gateway 16a can alter the perception of user 22a by sending tactile signals that make the skin of user 22b seem smooth and soft.
In this embodiment, each storage medium 92a-92b stores data 98a-98b for generating a morph personality. Computer instructions 94a-94b, which are executed by processor 80a-80b out of memory 84a-84b, combine the visual, audio, and tactile signals received with the stored virtual visual, virtual audio and virtual tactile signals of a personality in data 98a-98b.
Thus using system 10 anyone can assume any other identity if it is stored in data 98a-98b.
In other embodiments, earphones are connected to the goggles. The goggles and the earphones are hooked by a cable to a port (not shown) on the communication gateway.
Other embodiments not described herein are also within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10735595 | Dec 2003 | US |
Child | 15949120 | US |