Interaction system for augmented reality objects

Abstract

In a system and method providing for interaction with virtual objects, and interaction between virtual objects, in an augmented reality, or mixed reality, or virtual reality, environment, detected conditions may trigger animated responses from virtual objects placed in a view of a physical environment. The detected conditions may include the detection of a user within a set threshold distance or proximity, the detection of another virtual object within a set threshold placement distance or proximity, the detection of particular environmental conditions in the view of the physical environment, and other such factors. Specific behavioral animations of the virtual objects may be triggered in response to detection of specific virtual objects and/or other conditions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 displaying, by an electronic device operating in a physical environment, a mixed reality scene including a portion of the physical environment;   detecting a selection of a first virtual object for placement in the mixed reality scene;   displaying the selected first virtual object at a placement position in the mixed reality scene in response to the detected selection;   detecting an animation trigger, of a plurality of animation triggers, including:
 detecting a distance between the electronic device and a position in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object; and 
 detecting a first animation trigger, of the plurality of animation triggers, in response to the detected distance; 
   identifying an animation, from a plurality of animations, for the first virtual object based on the detected animation trigger; and   executing the identified animation of the first virtual object in response to the detected animation trigger.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the first animation trigger includes detecting that the distance between the electronic device and the position in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object is less than or equal to a threshold distance. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying the animation, and executing the identified animation includes:
 identifying an interactive animation in response to the determination that the detected distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance; and   executing the interactive animation, causing the first virtual object to execute a contextual interaction with a user of the electronic device in response to the determination that the detected distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the distance between the electronic device and the position in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object includes:
 detecting a three-dimensional coordinate position of the electronic device in the physical environment;   detecting a three-dimensional coordinate position of the first virtual object in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object in the mixed reality scene; and   detecting the distance between the electronic device and the first virtual object based on the detected coordinate position of the first virtual object and the detected coordinate position of the electronic device in the physical environment.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the animation from the plurality of animations, and executing the identified animation, includes:
 identifying an affected animation in response to the detected animation trigger; and   executing the affected animation of the first virtual object, the affected animation including a plurality of contextual behavioral properties associated with interaction between the first virtual object and a user of the electronic device, and an environment associated with the mixed reality scene.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the animation trigger, identifying the animation, and executing the selected animation includes:
 detecting a second animation trigger, of the plurality of animation triggers, including:
 detecting placement of a second virtual object at a placement distance from the placement position of the first virtual object; 
 detecting that the placement distance is less than or equal to a threshold placement distance; and 
 detecting the second animation trigger in response to the detection of the placement of the second virtual object within the threshold placement distance of the first virtual object; 
   identifying an affected animation in response to the second animation trigger; and   executing the affected animation, causing at least one of the first virtual object or the second virtual object to execute a contextual interaction with the other of the first virtual object or the second virtual object, in response to the second animation trigger, the affected animation including a plurality of contextual behavioral properties, the plurality of contextual behavioral properties being associated with a relationship between the first virtual object and the second virtual object, and with an environment associated with the mixed reality scene.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein detecting the animation trigger includes:
 detecting a three-dimensional coordinate position of the first virtual object in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object in the mixed reality scene;   detecting a three-dimensional coordinate position of the second virtual object in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the second virtual object in the mixed reality scene;   detecting the distance between the first virtual object and the second virtual object based on the detected three-dimensional coordinate position of the first virtual object and the detected three-dimensional coordinate position of the second virtual object; and   detecting the second animation trigger in response to detection that the distance between the first virtual object and the second virtual object in the physical environment is less than or equal to the threshold placement distance.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the animation trigger, identifying the animation from the plurality of animations, and executing the identified animation, includes:
 detecting an initial placement of the first virtual object in the mixed reality scene, corresponding to a third animation trigger, of the plurality of animation triggers;   identifying an idle animation in response to the detection of the initial placement of the first virtual object; and   executing the idle animation of the first virtual object, the idle animation of the first virtual object corresponding to an idle behavior characteristic associated with the first virtual object.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the mixed reality scene includes:
 capturing, by an imaging device of the electronic device, an image of the physical environment;   displaying, on a display device of the electronic device, the image of the physical environment captured by the imaging device; and   displaying, on the display device, the selected first virtual object, superimposed on the image of the physical environment, at a placement position in the mixed reality scene corresponding to the physical position in the physical environment.   
     
     
         10 . A system, comprising:
 a computing device operating in a physical environment and configured to generate a mixed reality environment, the computing device including:
 a memory storing executable instructions; and 
 a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:
 display a mixed reality scene; 
 detect a selection of a first virtual object for placement in the mixed reality scene; 
 display the selected first virtual object at a placement position in the mixed reality scene in response to the detected selection; 
 detect an animation trigger, of a plurality of animation triggers, including:
 detect a distance between the electronic device and a position in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object in the mixed reality scene; and 
 detect a first animation trigger, of the plurality of animation triggers, in response to the detected distance; 
 
 identify an animation, from a plurality of animations, for the first virtual object based on the detected animation trigger; and 
 execute the identified animation of the first virtual object in response to the detected animation trigger. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein, in detecting the first animation trigger, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to detect that the distance between the electronic device and the position in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object is less than or equal to a threshold distance. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:
 identify an interactive animation in response to the determination that the detected distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance; and   execute the interactive animation, causing the first virtual object to execute a contextual interaction with a user of the electronic device in response to the determination that the detected distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein, in detecting the animation trigger, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:
 detect a three-dimensional coordinate position in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object in the mixed reality scene;   track a three-dimensional coordinate position of the computing device in the physical environment;   detect the distance between the computing device and the first virtual object based on the detected coordinate position of the first virtual object and the detected coordinate position of the electronic device in the physical environment; and   detect the animation trigger in response to a detection that the distance between the position of the electronic device in the physical environment and the position in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object is less than or equal to the threshold distance, based on the detected three-dimensional coordinate position of the first virtual object and the detected three-dimensional coordinate position of the electronic device in the physical environment.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein, in identifying the animation from the plurality of animations, and executing the selected animation, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:
 identify an affected animation in response to the detected animation trigger; and   execute the affected animation of the first virtual object, the affected animation including a plurality of contextual behavioral properties associated with interaction between the first virtual object and a user, and an environment associated with the mixed reality scene.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:
 detect placement of a second virtual object at a placement position in the mixed reality scene;   detect that a distance between the placement position of the second virtual object and the placement position of the first virtual object is less than or equal to a threshold placement distance;   detect a second animation trigger of the plurality of animation triggers in response to the detection that the distance is less than or equal to the threshold placement distance;   identify an affected animation, from the plurality of animations, in response to the second animation trigger; and   execute the affected animation in response to the second animation trigger, causing at least one of the first virtual object or the second virtual object to execute a contextual interaction with the other of the first virtual object or the second virtual object, wherein the affected animation includes a plurality of contextual behavioral properties, the plurality of contextual behavioral properties being associated with a relationship between the first virtual object and the second virtual object, and with an environment associated with the mixed reality scene.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:
 detect a three-dimensional coordinate position of the first virtual object in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the first virtual object in the mixed reality scene;   detect a three-dimensional coordinate position of the second virtual object in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the second virtual object in the mixed reality scene;   detect a distance between the first virtual object and the second virtual object based on the detected three-dimensional coordinate position of the first virtual object and the detected three-dimensional coordinate position of the second virtual object; and   detect the second animation trigger in response to the detection of the distance between the first virtual object and the second virtual object in the physical environment that is less than or equal to the threshold placement distance.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the computing device to:
 activate an imaging device of the computing device, and capture an image of a physical environment;   display, on a display device of the computing device, the image of the physical environment captured by the imaging device; and   display, on the display device, the identified first virtual object, superimposed on the image of the physical environment, at a placement position in the mixed reality scene corresponding to a physical position in the physical environment.