IP Library Granted Patent US 12,335,716
Granted Patent B2
US 12,335,716 · App. 17/233,437 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Ultrasonic messaging in mixed reality

Inventors: Ha Nguyen (Fullerton, CA); Masatoshi Chang-Ogimoto (New York, NY)
Assignee: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
H04S7/303H04B11/00G06T19/006H04S2400/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,335,716
App. No.
17/233,437
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for receiving and processing sonic messaging by a mixed reality (xR) device from acoustic output of a media player playing content for a two-dimensional (2D) screen or projection surface, to coordinate the rendering and playing of an xR output in the xR device with the playing of the 2D content at the media player.

Claims (26)

1. A computer-implemented method for receiving and processing sonic messaging by a mixed reality (xR) device, the method comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors via a microphone of the xR device, an acoustic signal in a digital audio stream from an audio-video source, the acoustic signal including an embedded control message, wherein the embedded control message includes a location of the audio-video source relative to the xR device;

determining, by the one or more processors, at least one audio or video output for the xR device, based on matching the embedded control message included in the acoustic signal with a control message stored in a memory of the xR device, wherein the control message corresponds to an xR object; and

in response to the determining, outputting, by the one or more processors, the at least one audio or video output by the xR device, wherein the outputting includes rendering an xR output at the location of the audio-video source based on the control message to the xR device in coordination with a display of the audio-video source.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the audio-video source of the acoustic signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising separating the acoustic signal from other sound emitted by the audio-video source.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising identifying a location of the audio-video source.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, coordinating, by the one or more processors, the at least one of audio or video output for the xR device with second audio-video content output by the audio-video source.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the coordinating is based on at least one of the second audio-video content or the location of the audio-video source.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic signal is human-inaudible.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic signal has a frequency of no less than 18 Khz.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises decoding a text message, based on a profile.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining further comprises interpreting the text message.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the xR object includes one or more multi-dimensional rendering variables.

12. An apparatus for receiving and processing sonic messaging for use in controlling mixed reality (xR) output, the apparatus comprising one or more processors coupled to a memory, an audio input, and an xR output, wherein the memory holds program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform:

detecting, by one or more processors via a microphone of the xR device, an acoustic signal in a digital audio stream from an audio-video source, the acoustic signal including an embedded control message, wherein the embedded control message includes a location of the audio-video source relative to the xR device;

determining, by the one or more processors, at least one audio or video output for the xR device, based on matching the embedded control message included in the acoustic signal with a control message stored in a memory of the xR, wherein the control message corresponds to an xR object; and

in response to the determining, outputting, by the one or more processors, the at least one audio or video output by the xR device, wherein the outputting includes rendering an xR output at the location of the audio-video source based on the control message to the xR device in coordination with a display of the audio-video source.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the memory holds further program instructions for identifying the audio-video source of the acoustic signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the memory holds further program instructions for separating the acoustic signal from other sound emitted by the audio-video source.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the memory holds further program instructions for identifying a location of the audio-video source.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the memory holds further program instructions for coordinating the at least one of audio or video output for the xR device with second audio-video content output by the audio-video source.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory holds further program instructions for the coordinating based on at least one of the second audio-video content or the location of the audio-video source.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the memory holds further program instructions for detecting the acoustic signal having a frequency of no less than 18 Khz.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the memory holds further program instructions for the determining at least in part by at least one of decoding a text message based on a profile and interpreting the text message.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the embedded control message is configured for emission at a human inaudible frequency.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, INC.; WARNER MEDIA, LLC; TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.; HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.; DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; WARNERMEDIA DIRECT LLC; DISCOVERY.COM LLC; WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.; CNN INTERACTIVE GROUP, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072995/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2021
From: NGUYEN, HA; CHANG-OGIMOTO, MASATOSHI
To: WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 057065/0312 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTUS2019056833 · Oct 17, 2019
Provisional Application 62747637 · Oct 18, 2018
Related Publication 20210314722A1 · Oct 7, 2021
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