IP Library Granted Patent US 12,333,063
Granted Patent B2
US 12,333,063 · App. 18/408,207 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Electronic device for controlling virtual object based on distance between virtual objects and method thereof

Inventors: Seonghoon Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Joayoung Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Jinseon Yoo (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G06F3/011G06T7/60G06T7/70G06V40/20G06F3/017
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,333,063
App. No.
18/408,207
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes: a communication circuit; a camera; a display; and a processor configured to: display, while providing virtual service, a first virtual object through the display; identify a distance between the first virtual object and a second virtual object corresponding to a user of the electronic device; based on identifying that the distance is equal to or less than a reference distance, activate the camera; identify a state of the user based on at least one image obtained by using the activated camera; and transmit, to an external electronic device through the communication circuit, data for changing a state of the second virtual object displayed through a display of the external electronic device, based on the identified state of the user.

Claims (48)

1. A head-wearable electronic device, comprising:

communication circuitry;

at least one display configured to be positioned in front of eyes of a user wearing the head-wearable electronic device;

at least one camera configured to obtain an image usable for identifying a user gesture;

memory comprising one or more storage media storing instructions; and

at least one processor comprising processing circuitry, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the head-wearable electronic device to:

display, via the at least one display, a first avatar corresponding to another user different from the user of the head-wearable electronic device;

while displaying the first avatar, identify a distance between the first avatar and a second avatar corresponding to the user;

based on the distance being a first distance equal to or smaller than a reference distance, transmit, to an electronic device of the other user, information indicating the user gesture to be applied to the second avatar displayed in the electronic device of the other user; and

based on the distance being a second distance longer than the reference distance, transmit, to the electronic device of the other user, another information to control the motion of the second avatar, the other information being generated based on a controller coupled through the communication circuitry.

2. The head-wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to:

based on the first avatar being displayed in a first size, determine that the distance corresponds to the first distance; and

based on the first avatar being displayed in a second size smaller than the first size, determine that the distance corresponds to the second distance.

3. The head-wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to, based on an input indicating to select the first avatar, identify the distance.

4. The head-wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to identify the distance based on an input indicating to select the first avatar among one or more avatars.

5. The head-wearable electronic device of claim 1 ,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to:

based on the distance being the first distance which is equal to or smaller than the reference distance, activate the at least one camera to obtain the information; and

based on the distance being the second distance which is longer than the reference distance when the at least one camera is activated, deactivate the activated at least one camera.

6. The head-wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to identify, based on a first coordinate value indicating a first location of the first avatar and a second coordinate value indicating a second location of the second avatar, the distance.

7. The head-wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to, based on the at least one camera being activated, display, through the at least one display, an icon indicating that the at least one camera is activated.

8. The head-wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to, based on identifying that the distance is greater than the reference distance, control the second avatar based on the controller.

9. A method performed by a head-wearable electronic device comprising communication circuitry, at least one display configured to be positioned in front of eyes of a user wearing the head-wearable electronic device, and at least one camera configured to obtain an image usable for identifying a user gesture, the method comprising:

displaying, via the at least one display, a first avatar corresponding to another user different from the user of the head-wearable electronic device;

while displaying the first avatar, identifying a distance between the first avatar and a second avatar corresponding to the user;

based on the distance being a first distance equal to or smaller than a reference distance, transmitting, to an electronic device of the other user, information indicating the user gesture to be applied to the second avatar displayed in the electronic device of the other user; and

based on the distance being a second distance longer than the reference distance, transmitting, to the electronic device of the other user, another information to control the motion of the second avatar, the other information is generated based on a controller coupled through the communication circuitry.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

based on the first avatar being displayed in a first size, determining that the distance corresponds to the first distance; and

based on the first avatar being displayed in a second size smaller than the first size, determining that the distance corresponds to the second distance.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identifying the distance comprises, based on an input indicating to select the first avatar, identifying the distance.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identifying the distance comprises, identifying the distance based on an input indicating to select the first avatar among one or more avatars.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

based on the distance being the first distance which is equal to or smaller than the reference distance, activating the at least one camera to obtain the information; and

based on the distance being the second distance which is longer than the reference distance when the at least one camera is activated, deactivating the activated at least one camera.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identifying the distance comprises, based on a first coordinate value indicating a location of the first avatar and a second coordinate value indicating a location of the second avatar, identifying the distance.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, based on the at least one camera being activated, displaying, through the at least one display, an icon indicating that the at least one camera is activated.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, based on identifying the distance is greater than the reference distance, controlling the second avatar by using the controller.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by a head-wearable electronic device comprising communication circuitry, at least one display configured to be positioned in front of eyes of a user wearing the head-wearable electronic device, and at least one camera configured to obtain an image usable for identifying a user gesture, cause the head-wearable electronic device to:

display, via the at least one display, a first avatar corresponding to another user different from the user of the head-wearable electronic device;

while displaying the first avatar, identify a distance between the first avatar and a second avatar corresponding to the user;

based on the distance being a first distance equal to or smaller than a reference distance, transmit, to an electronic device of the other user, information indicating the user gesture to be applied to the second avatar displayed in the electronic device of the other user; and

based on the distance being a second distance longer than the reference distance, transmit, to the electronic device of the other user, another information to control the motion of the second avatar, the other information is generated based on a controller coupled through the communication circuitry.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the head-wearable electronic device, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to:

based on the first avatar being displayed in a first size, determine that the distance corresponds to the first distance; and

based on the first avatar being display in a second size smaller than the first size, determine that the distance corresponds to the second distance.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the head-wearable electronic device, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to, based on an input indicating to select the first avatar, identify the distance.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the head-wearable electronic device, further cause the head-wearable electronic device to: based on an input indicating to select the first avatar among one or more avatars, identify the distance.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2024
From: KANG, SEONGHOON; LEE, JOAYOUNG; YOO, JINSEON
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066268/0052 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0026052 · Feb 27, 2023 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023018861 · Nov 22, 2023
Related Publication 20240288930A1 · Aug 29, 2024
References Cited (33)
US 9259643B2 · Lansdale et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9566509B2 · Paquet et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9746912B2 · Meijer et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 11062519B2 · Lee · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11127182B2 · Mirhosseini et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11350033B2 · An et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11527020B2 · Katsumata et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11832048B2 · Jo et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20100070885A1 · Bromenshenkel · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20180011317A1 · Hasegawa · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190130648A1 · Duca · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190320293A1 · Ho · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190354189A1 · Rosedale · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200051304A1 · Choi · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200118349A1 · Amimoto · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200225830A1 · Tang · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210295602A1 · Scapel · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210385428A1 · Asherov · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220028153A1 · Choi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220103963A1 · Satongar · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220121292A1 · Lin · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230120187A1 · Uhm et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230410415A1 · Richter · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240061514A1 · Reisman · 2024 [cited by examiner]
JP 2021135776A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 2022144864A · 2022 [cited by applicant]
JP 7355483B2 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020180024761A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 101991794B1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020190104946A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020220008118A · 2022 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report (PCT/ISA/210) issued on Mar. 13, 2024 by the International Searching Authority in International Application No. PCT/KR2023/018861. [cited by applicant]
Written Opinion (PCT/ISA/237) issued on Mar. 13, 2024 by the International Searching Authority in International Application No. PCT/KR2023/018861. [cited by applicant]