IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,032,532
Granted Patent B2
US 11,032,532 · App. 16/592,361 · Granted Jun 8, 2021

Electronic device and method for providing virtual device via at least portion of content

Inventors: John Patrick Enriquez (Metro Manila, PH); Miguel Paolo Quijano (Quezon, PH); Anna Clarissa Ramos (Parañaque, PH); Carl Justin De Guia (Rizal, PH); Gia Coleen Briones (Taguig, PH); Mark Christian Agustin (Las Piñas, PH); Neil Jonathan Joaquin (Taguig, PH)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04N13/183G02B27/01G06F1/163G06F3/011G06F3/0481G06T19/006H04M1/6041H04N13/178H04N13/332G02B2027/0178G02B2027/0187
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,032,532
App. No.
16/592,361
Filed
Oct 3, 2019
Granted
Jun 8, 2021
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2613
USPC
345/629
Abstract

Provided is a method, performed by an electronic device, of providing a virtual device associated with the electronic device, via at least a portion of content displayed on the electronic device, the method including: displaying virtual reality content, on a display of the electronic device; generating the virtual device for controlling at least one function of the electronic device; displaying the generated virtual device in such a way that the generated virtual device overlaps at least a portion of the virtual reality content; and performing the at least one function of the electronic device, based on a user input with respect to the virtual device.

Claims (77)

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by an electronic device, virtual reality content on a display of the electronic device;

generating, by the electronic device, a virtual device for controlling at least one function of the electronic device, wherein the virtual device is rendered in virtual reality in a form corresponding to the electronic device;

displaying, by the electronic device, a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a GUI of the electronic device, on a screen of the virtual device;

displaying, by the electronic device, the virtual device on the display of the electronic device in such a way that the virtual device is displayed on at least a portion of the virtual reality content; and

performing the at least one function of the electronic device, based on a user input with respect to the virtual device,

wherein the performing of the at least one function of the electronic device comprises:

obtaining a request for voice call from an external electronic device,

performing a call function with the external electronic device based on the request for the voice call,

obtaining a user input for sharing call content of the voice call,

based on the user input for sharing the call content, identifying another virtual device that is located within a range of a certain distance from the virtual device, wherein the other virtual device is displayed on the virtual reality content, and

transmitting information about the call content to the identified other virtual device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting, by the electronic device, at least information related to the virtual reality content to an external head-mounted display device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a user input for the generating of the virtual device;

identifying a virtual device model corresponding to metadata of the electronic device, from among one or more pre-stored virtual device models, based on the user input for the generating of the virtual device; and

generating the virtual device by using the identified virtual device model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the virtual device comprises:

identifying whether or not the electronic device is connected to an external head-mounted display device via a connection port of the external head-mounted display device; and

based on identifying that the electronic device is connected to the external head-mounted display device, generating the virtual device based on a user input for the generating of the virtual device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing of the call function with the external electronic device comprises:

based on the obtained request for the voice call, displaying a pre-set telephone call image on the screen of the virtual device and simultaneously outputting a notification signal with respect to the request for the voice call to an external head-mounted display device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing of the at least one function of the electronic device comprises:

obtaining a user input for selecting a camera application displayed on the screen of the virtual device;

executing the camera application based on the user input for selecting the camera application; and

displaying at least a portion of the virtual reality content, which is to be captured based on the virtual device, on the screen of the virtual device, as a captured virtual image.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing of the at least one function of the electronic device comprises:

obtaining a user input for selecting a message application displayed on the screen of the virtual device;

executing the message application, which is pre-stored in the electronic device, based on the user input for selecting the message application; and

displaying, on the screen of the virtual device, text instructed by a graphical user interface (GUI) for obtaining text.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one function of the electronic device is executed, based on the user input with respect to the virtual device, in the electronic device together with an operation of displaying, on the display of the electronic device, the virtual reality content.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a communication interface;

a memory storing one or more instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions to:

control the display to display virtual reality content;

generate a virtual device for controlling at least one function of the electronic device, wherein the virtual device is rendered in virtual reality in a form corresponding to the electronic device;

control the display to display a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a GUI of the electronic device, on a screen of the virtual device;

control the display to display the virtual device in such a way that the virtual device is displayed on at least a portion of the virtual reality content; and

perform the at least one function of the electronic device, based on a user input with respect to the virtual device,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions to:

obtain a request for a voice call from an external electronic device,

perform a call function with the external electronic device based on the request for the voice call,

obtain a user input for sharing call content of the voice call,

based on the user input for sharing the call content, identify another virtual device that is located within a range of a certain distance from the virtual device, wherein the other virtual device is displayed on the virtual reality content, and

control the communication interface to transmit information about the call content to the identified other virtual device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device is mounted on an external head-mounted display device including at least one lens, is electrically connected to the external head-mounted display device via a connection port of the external head-mounted display device, and the at least one processor is further configured to transmit at least information related to the virtual reality content to the external head-mounted display device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions to:

generate the virtual device by:

obtaining a user input for the generating of the virtual device;

identifying a virtual device model corresponding to metadata of the electronic device, from among one or more pre-stored virtual device models, based on the user input for the generating of the virtual device; and generating the virtual device by using the identified virtual device model.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions to:

identify whether or not the electronic device is connected to an external head-mounted display device via a connection port of the external head-mounted display device; and

based on identifying that the electronic device is connected to the external head-mounted display device, generate the virtual device based on a user input for the generating of the virtual device.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions to:

based on the obtained request for the voice call, control the display to display a pre-set telephone call image on the screen of the virtual device and simultaneously output a notification signal with respect to the request for the voice call to an external head-mounted display device.

14. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions to:

obtain a user input for selecting a camera application displayed on the screen of the virtual device;

execute the camera application based on the user input for selecting the camera application; and

control the display to display at least a portion of the virtual reality content, which is to be captured based on the virtual device, on the screen of the virtual device, as a captured virtual image.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

obtain a user input for selecting a message application displayed on the screen of the virtual device;

execute the message application, pre-stored in the electronic device, based on the user input for selecting the message application; and

control the display to display, on the screen of the virtual device, text instructed through a graphical user interface (GUI) for obtaining text.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to:

control a display of the electronic device to display virtual reality content;

generate a virtual device for controlling at least one function of the electronic device, wherein the virtual device is rendered in virtual reality in a form corresponding to the electronic device;

control the display to display a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a GUI of the electronic device, on a screen of the virtual device;

control the display to display the virtual device in such a way that the virtual device is displayed on at least a portion of the virtual reality content; and

perform the at least one function of the electronic device based on a user input for manipulating the virtual device,

wherein the computer program instructions, when executed by the processor of the electronic device, cause the processor to:

obtain a request for voice call from an external electronic device,

perform a call function with the external electronic device based on the request for the voice call,

obtain a user input for sharing call content of the voice call,

based on the user input for sharing the call content, identify another virtual device that is located within a range of a certain distance from the virtual device, wherein the other virtual device is displayed on the virtual reality content, and

control a communication interface of the electronic device to transmit information about the call content to the identified other virtual device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2019
From: ENRIQUEZ, JOHN PATRICK; QUIJANO, MIGUEL PAOLO; RAMOS, ANNA CLARISSA; DE GUIA, CARL JUSTIN; BRIONES, GIA COLEEN; AGUSTIN, MARK CHRISTIAN; JOAQUIN, NEIL JONATHAN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 050620/0346 →
Priority Claims (2)
PH 1-2018-000297 · Oct 4, 2018 · national
KR 10-2019-0085205 · Jul 15, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200112711A1 · Apr 9, 2020
Cited By (2)
US 12,315,093 US 12,700,197