US-12620149-B2 - Method and apparatus for outputting virtual smoke image

US12620149B2US 12620149 B2US12620149 B2US 12620149B2US-12620149-B2

Abstract

In order to output a virtual smoke image, an electronic device may: receive a connection request from an aerosol generating device while being paired with one or more external controllers; determine the controller type of the aerosol generating device; if the determined controller type corresponds to the type of a target external controller from among the one or more external controllers, stop pairing with the target external controller; perform connection with the aerosol generating device; receive sensing information on the state of the aerosol generating device; generate the virtual smoke image on the basis of the sensing information; and output the virtual smoke image through a display of the electronic device.

Inventors

Jae Hyun Kim
Minseok JEONG
Tae Young Chung

Assignees

KT&G CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230602
Priority Date: 20220719

Claims (11)

1 . A method of outputting a virtual smoke image, performed by an electronic device, the method comprising: outputting a virtual image so that an avatar corresponding to a user of the electronic device appears in a virtual space using a display of the electronic device; receiving sensing information about a state of an aerosol generating device connected to the electronic device; determining a reference motion of the user based on the sensing information and controlling a target motion of the avatar so that the determined reference motion appears; generating virtual smoke information based on smoking information in the sensing information; determining an expiration timepoint at which the user of the aerosol generating device starts expiration based on the smoking information in the sensing information and based on a time at which a distance between one side of the aerosol generating device and a body part of the user is a threshold distance; and outputting the virtual image so that virtual smoke appears in the virtual image based on the virtual smoke information at the expiration timepoint.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a face of the avatar is generated based on a graphical image of a face of the user, and a facial expression of the avatar changes based on facial expression information generated by an additional sensor.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the virtual smoke information based on the sensing information comprises: determining a property of virtual smoke based on the smoking information in the sensing information, wherein the property of virtual smoke comprises at least one of a size, a shape, and a duration of the virtual smoke; and generating the virtual smoke information based on the property of the virtual smoke.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the expiration timepoint at which the user of the aerosol generating device starts expiration based on the smoking information in the sensing information comprises determining the expiration timepoint based on a first time when the distance between one side of the aerosol generating device and the body part of the user, detected by the aerosol generating device, reaches within a first threshold value and a second time when the distance between the one side of the aerosol generating device and the body part of the user exceeds a second threshold value after the first time.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the expiration timepoint at which the user of the aerosol generating device starts expiration based on the smoking information in the sensing information comprises determining the expiration timepoint based on a change in capacitance of the aerosol generating device.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining of the expiration timepoint based on the change in capacitance of the aerosol generating device comprises determining the expiration timepoint based on a first time when a value of the capacitance of the aerosol generating device, sensed by the aerosol generating device, reaches within a first threshold value and a second time when the value of the capacitance of the aerosol generating device exceeds a second threshold value after the first time.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing information is received through a dongle connected to the electronic device from the aerosol generating device establishing a wireless communication channel with the dongle.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing information is received from the aerosol generating device directly establishing a wireless communication channel with the electronic device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the outputting of the virtual image so that the avatar appears comprises: receiving information about a second avatar of a second user from a server connected to the electronic device; and outputting the virtual image so that the second avatar appears in the virtual space.
10 . A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for performing the method of claim 1 .
11 . An electronic device comprising: a display; a memory configured to store a program for outputting a virtual smoke image; and a processor configured to execute the program, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: in a method of outputting the virtual smoke image, performed by the electronic device, outputting a virtual image so that an avatar corresponding to a user of the electronic device appears in a virtual space using the display of the electronic device; receiving sensing information about a state of an aerosol generating device connected to the electronic device; determining a reference motion of the user based on the sensing information and controlling a target motion of the avatar so that the determined reference motion appears; generating virtual smoke information based on smoking information in the sensing information; determining an expiration timepoint at which the user of the aerosol generating device starts expiration based on the smoking information in the sensing information and based on a time at which a distance between one side of the aerosol generating device and a body part of the user is a threshold distance; and outputting the virtual image so that virtual smoke appears in the virtual image based on the virtual smoke information at the expiration timepoint.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The following embodiments relate to a technique for implementing virtual smoke in an electronic device. BACKGROUND ART Recently, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies utilizing computer graphics technology have been developed. At this time, VR technology refers to a technology that uses a computer to build a virtual space that does not exist in the real world and then makes a user feel the virtual space like reality, and AR or MR technology refers to a technology that adds computer-generated information to the real world, that is, a technology that combines the real world and a virtual world to allow real-time interaction with a user. AR and MR technologies are utilized in conjunction with technologies in various fields. Even in the field of electronic cigarettes, demand for devices that implement VR or AR services is increasing, and a variety of research is being conducted accordingly. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Technical Goals An embodiment may provide a method of outputting a virtual smoke image, performed by an electronic device. An embodiment may provide an electronic device for performing a method of outputting a virtual smoke image. Technical Solutions According to an embodiment, a method of outputting a virtual smoke image, performed by an electronic device, includes outputting a virtual image so that an avatar corresponding to a user of the electronic device appears in a virtual space using a display of the electronic device, receiving sensing information about a state of an aerosol generating device connected to the electronic device, determining a reference motion of the user based on the sensing information and controlling a target motion of the avatar so that the determined reference motion appears, generating virtual smoke information based on smoking information in the sensing information, and outputting the virtual image so that virtual smoke appears in the virtual image based on the virtual smoke information. A face of the avatar may be generated based on a graphical image of a face of the user, and a facial expression of the avatar may change based on facial expression information generated by an additional sensor. The generating of the virtual smoke information based on the sensing information may include determining a property of virtual smoke based on the smoking information in the sensing information, wherein the property of virtual smoke may include at least one of a size, a shape, and a duration of the virtual smoke, and generating the virtual smoke information based on the property of the virtual smoke. The outputting of the virtual image so that virtual smoke appears may include determining an expiration timepoint at which the user of the aerosol generating device starts expiration based on the smoking information in the sensing information, and outputting the virtual image so that the virtual smoke appears at the expiration timepoint. The determining of the expiration timepoint at which the user of the aerosol generating device starts expiration based on the smoking information in the sensing information may include determining the expiration timepoint based on a first time when a distance between one side of the aerosol generating device and a body part of the user, detected by the aerosol generating device, reaches within a first threshold value and a second time when the distance between the one side of the aerosol generating device and the body part of the user exceeds a second threshold value after the first time. The determining of the expiration timepoint at which the user of the aerosol generating device starts expiration based on the smoking information in the sensing information may include determining the expiration timepoint based on a change in capacitance of the aerosol generating device. The determining of the expiration timepoint based on the change in capacitance of the aerosol generating device may include determining the expiration timepoint based on a first time when a value of the capacitance of the aerosol generating device, sensed by the aerosol generating device, reaches within a first threshold value and a second time when the value of the capacitance of the aerosol generating device exceeds a second threshold value after the first time. The sensing information may be received through a dongle connected to the electronic device from the aerosol generating device establishing a wireless communication channel with the dongle. The sensing information may be received from the aerosol generating device directly establishing a wireless communication channel with the electronic device. The outputting of the virtual image so that the avatar appears may include receiving information about a second avatar of a second user from a server connected to the electronic device, and outputting a virtual image so that the second avatar appears in the virtual space. According to an embodiment, an electronic device i