Augmented reality for the internet of things
An augmented reality (AR) platform for the Internet of Things (IoT) is disclosed. The AR platform enables a user to associate AR objects with IoT devices. These associations may further enable a user to direct a control input to a particular IoT device and receive outputs such as sensor measurements or state information from the IoT device via interaction with an associated AR object. These AR objects may be perceived by the user via a client device, such as via an AR viewer or other human interface. The AR platform further enables users to create shareable objects that define an association among or between multiple AR objects and their IoT devices that can be shared with and modified by other users.
1. A computer-implemented augmented reality platform comprising:
a server in a computer network, the server including a server-side augmented reality (AR) platform program;
a first physical device in communication with the computer network and configured to exchange data relating to the first physical device with the computer network;
a second physical device in communication with the computer network and having an interface configured to exchange data relating to the second physical device with the computer network; and
a client device including a client-side AR platform parent program in communication with the server-side AR platform program via the computer network, the client-side AR platform parent program including a first instance of a first child application of a plurality of child applications, the first instance containing a first AR object;
wherein the first AR object is associated with the first physical device and configured to communicate with the first physical device via the computer network;
wherein the client-side AR platform parent program further includes a second AR object and a third AR object, the second AR object and the third AR object each being associated with the second physical device and configured to communicate with the second physical device via the computer network;
wherein the second AR object is contained in a second instance of a different one of the plurality of child applications; and
wherein the third AR object is contained in the first instance of the first child application of the plurality of child applications.
2. The platform of claim 1 , the first physical device further comprising a setting transitionable between a first state and a second state.
3. The platform of claim 2 , wherein the first AR object is configured to communicate an instruction to the first physical device to transition the setting between the first state and the second state.
4. The platform of claim 3 , wherein the instruction is an output of a script of the first AR object.
5. The platform of claim 2 , wherein the first AR object is configured to communicate a request that the first physical device provide a current state of the setting to the first AR object.
6. The platform of claim 5 , wherein the current state of the setting of the first physical device is an input to a script of the first AR object.
7. The platform of claim 5 , wherein the first AR object is configured to display a visual representation corresponding to the setting of the first physical device on the client device.
8. The platform of claim 2 , wherein the first physical device is a lamp, and the setting is a brightness setting.
9. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the first AR object is configured to communicate with the first physical device in response to a user command provided to the client device.
10. The platform of claim 9 , wherein the client device is configured to receive the user command from a user interaction with the first AR object via a user interface of the client device.
11. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the client device comprises a mobile electronic device.
12. The platform of claim 1 , the first physical device further comprising a sensor configured to detect a physical property and produce sensor data, wherein the first AR object is configured to request the sensor data from the first physical device, and the first physical device is configured to provide the sensor data in response to the request.
13. The platform of claim 12 , wherein the sensor data comprises an input to a script of the first AR object.
14. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the first AR object is associated with the second physical device and configured to exchange data with the second physical device via the computer network.
15. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the first AR object and the second AR object are viewable on a graphical user interface of the client device.
16. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the first AR object is a shareable AR object.
17. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the first AR object is configured to interact with the first physical device using an application programming interface (API) of the first physical device.
18. A computer-implemented augmented reality (AR) platform comprising:
a server in a computer network, the server including a server-side augmented reality platform program;
a physical device in communication with the computer network and configured to exchange data relating to the physical device with the computer network;
a first client device including a first client-side AR platform parent program in communication with the server-side AR platform program via the computer network, the first client-side AR platform parent program including first child application executing a first instance of a first AR object;
wherein the first AR object is associated with the physical device and configured to communicate with the physical device via the computer network; and
wherein the first AR object is synchronized with the first instance of the first AR object and with a second instance of the first AR object executed by a second instance a second child application of a second client-side AR platform parent program on a second client device, the second child application being different from the first child application.