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EP-3962078-B1 - AD HOC VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN APPROACHING USER GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATIONS

EP3962078B1EP 3962078 B1EP3962078 B1EP 3962078B1EP-3962078-B1

Inventors

  • YERLI, CEVAT

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210827

Claims (15)

  1. A system (100, 1600) enabling ad hoc virtual communications between user graphical representations (1614, 1616), comprising: one or more cloud server computers (102, 1602) comprising at least one processor (104, 1604) and memory (106, 1606) storing data and instructions implementing a virtual environment (110, 1608); characterized in that: the virtual environment (110, 1608) is configured to enable at least one graphical representation (1614) of an approaching user (1620) and at least one graphical representation (1616) of another target user (1620) in the virtual environment (110, 1608) to open a peer-to-peer, P2P, communication channel (1618) between the client devices (1610) of the target user (1620) and the approaching user (1620) in response to the target user (1620) accepting a communication engagement invitation from the approaching user (1620), and to enable an ad hoc conversation via the P2P communication channel (1618) between the user graphical representations within the virtual environment (110, 1608).
  2. The system (100, 1600) of claim 1, wherein opening the P2P communication channel (1618) is performed based on distance, position and orientation between the user graphical representations.
  3. The system (100, 1600) of claim 1 or 2, wherein opening the P2P communication channel (1618) is performed based on current availability status, privacy settings, or status configuration for the ad hoc communications.
  4. The system (100, 1600) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the ad hoc conversation is performed at a place within the virtual environment (110, 1608) where both user graphical representations (1614, 1616) are located.
  5. The system (100, 1600) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the ad hoc conversation is performed using a current viewing perspective in the virtual environment (110, 1608).
  6. The system (100, 1600) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the ad hoc conversation enables an optional change of viewing perspective, location, or a combination thereof within the same or another connected virtual environment where the ad hoc conversation takes place.
  7. The system (100, 1600) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the one or more cloud server computers (102, 1602) are further configured to generate visual feedback on the graphical representations (1614, 1616) of the users (1620) signaling whether the respective user (1620) associated with the respective graphical representation (1614, 1616) is available for an ad hoc communication.
  8. The system (100, 1600) of claim 7 wherein the visual feedback on the graphical representations (1614, 1616) of the users (1620) is based on a current availability status and/or status configuration for ad hoc communication associated with the respective graphical representation (1614, 1616).
  9. The system (100, 1600) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the ad hoc conversation comprises sending and receiving real-time audio and video.
  10. A method (500, 2300) enabling ad hoc virtual communications between user graphical representations (1614, 1616) of users (1620), comprising: providing a virtual environment (110, 1608) in memory of one or more cloud server computers (102, 1602) comprising at least one processor (104, 1604); and detecting two or more client devices (118, 1610) accessing the at least one virtual environment (110, 1608) through corresponding graphical representations (1614, 1616) of users (1620), wherein the client devices (118, 1610) are connected to the one or more cloud server computers (102, 1602) via a network (1612); characterized by: in response to a target user (1620) associated with one of the graphical representations (1614, 1616) accepting a communication engagement invitation from the approaching user (1620) associated with another one of the graphical representations (1614, 1616) approaching the graphical representation (1616) of the target user (1620) in the virtual environment (110, 1618) , opening up a peer-to-peer, P2P, communication channel (1618) between the client devices (118, 1610) of the approaching user (1620) and the target user (1620) for enabling an ad hoc conversation between the user graphical representations (1614, 1616) of the users (1620) in the virtual environment (110, 1608).
  11. The method (500, 2300) of claim 10, further comprising detecting and assessing one or more of a distance, position and orientation between the user graphical representations, or current availability status, privacy settings, or status configuration for the ad hoc communications, or a combination thereof, before opening the ad hoc communication channel (1618).
  12. The method (100, 1600) of claim 10 or 11, wherein generating visual feedback on the graphical representations (1614, 1616) of the users (1620) signaling whether the respective user (1620) associated with the respective graphical representation (1614, 1616) is available for an ad hoc communication.
  13. The method (100, 1600) of claim 12, wherein the visual feedback on the graphical representations (1614, 1616) of the users (1620) is based on a current availability status and/or status configuration for ad hoc communication associated with the respective graphical representation (1614, 1616).
  14. The method (100, 1600) of any one of the claim 10 to 13, wherein the ad hoc conversation comprises sending and receiving real-time audio and video.
  15. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions configured to cause at least one server computer (102, 1602) comprising a processor (104, 1604) and memory to perform the method (500, 2300) of any one of claims 10 to 14.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 17/005,767, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Spatially Aware Multimedia Router System and Method," BACKGROUND As situations such as the novel coronavirus pandemic in the year 2020 have forced mobility restrictions worldwide, changing the way in which meeting, learning, shopping and working take place, remote collaboration, and interactions, including, and in particular, social interactions are gaining more importance. Various solutions are already available in the market to enable real-time communication and collaboration, ranging from chat applications to video telephony, such as Skype and Zoom, or virtual offices for remote teams represented by 2D avatars, such as those provided by Pragli. Given the current state of development of wearable immersive technologies such as extended reality (e.g., augmented and/or virtual reality) and the relatively low technological appropriation rate, it is understandable that most solutions provide a flat, two-dimensional user interface where most interactions take place. However, the low levels of realism, lack of user presence, lack of shared space and the quality of interactions one can perform when comparing the real-life experience to these solutions contribute to a feeling of loneliness or boredom for many users, in turn resulting sometimes in a lower productivity than when performing the same activities in person. What is required is a technological solution that provides users with a feeling of realism, feeling of presence of themselves and the participants, and feeling of interacting as if in real life, when remotely interacting without the need to purchase expensive equipment (e.g., as in head-mounted displays), and to implement new or costly infrastructures, all while using existing computing devices and cameras. US 2020/099891 A1 discloses systems for managing user positions in a shared virtual geometry. The system captures views of a local user environment in a spatially faithful system, and computes a perspective view of a first user from the eye-point of a second user. Users may move around the shared virtual geometry, and perspective views of users may be updated. SUMMARY The invention is defined by the claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The current disclosure refers generally to computer systems, and more specifically to a system and method enabling ad hoc virtual communications between approaching user graphical representations. The invention is defined by the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are subject to the dependent claims. A system of the current disclosure enabling interactions, including, in particular, social interactions, in virtual environments comprises one or more cloud server computers comprising at least one processor and memory storing data and instructions implementing a virtual environment platform comprising at least one virtual environment. The one or more cloud server computers are configured to insert a user graphical representation generated from a live data feed obtained by a camera at a three-dimensional coordinate position of the at least one virtual environment, update the user graphical representation in the at least one virtual environment, and enable real-time multi-user collaboration and interactions in the virtual environment. In an embodiment, the system further comprises at least one camera obtaining live data feed from one or more users of a client device. Additionally, the system comprises a client device communicatively connected to the one or more cloud server computers and at least one camera. The system generates a user graphical representation from the live data feed, which is inserted into a three-dimensional coordinate of the virtual environment, and is therein updated using the live data feed. In described embodiments, inserting a user graphical representation into a virtual environment involves graphically combining the user graphical representation in the virtual environment such that the user graphical representation appears in the virtual environment (e.g., at a specified 3D coordinate position). The virtual environment platform serves the virtual environments to the one or more client devices. The system enables real-time multi-user collaboration and (social) interactions in the virtual environment by accessing a graphical user interface through the client device. Client or peer devices of the current disclosure may comprise, for example, computers, headsets, mobile phones, glasses, transparent screens, tablets and generally input devices with cameras built-in or which may connect to came