BACKGROUND

I. Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of extended reality. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for providing productivity applications using an extended reality environment.

II. Background Information

For many years, PC users were faced with a productivity dilemma: either to limit their mobility (when selecting a desktop computer) or to limit their screen size (when selecting a laptop computer). One partial solution to this dilemma is using a docking station. A docking station is an interface device for connecting a laptop computer with other devices. By plugging the laptop computer into the docking station, laptop users can enjoy the increased visibility provided by a larger monitor. But because the large monitor is stationary, the mobility of the user—while improved—is still limited. For example, even laptop users with docking stations do not have the freedom of using two 32″ screens anywhere they want.

Some of the disclosed embodiments are directed to providing a new approach for solving the productivity dilemma, one that uses extended reality (XR) to provide a mobile environment that enables users to experience the comfort of a stationary workspace anywhere they want by providing virtual desktop-like screens.

SUMMARY

Embodiments consistent with the present disclosure provide systems, methods, and devices for providing and supporting productivity applications using an extended reality environment.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for enabling content sharing between users of wearable extended reality appliances. Some of these embodiments may involve establishing a link between a first wearable extended reality appliance and a second wearable extended reality appliance; presenting through the first wearable extended reality appliance first virtual content; obtaining a first command to display the first virtual content via the second wearable extended reality appliance; in response to the first command, causing the first virtual content to be transmitted for display to the second wearable extended reality appliance; receiving from the second wearable extended reality appliance, second virtual content for display via the first wearable extended reality appliance; and presenting via the first wearable extended reality appliance the second virtual content received from the second wearable extended reality appliance.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for providing situational awareness to users of wearable extended reality appliances. Some of these embodiments may involve causing virtual content to be displayed through a first wearable extended reality appliance; detecting a second wearable extended reality appliance in proximity to the first wearable extended reality appliance; establishing a link between the first wearable extended reality appliance and the second wearable extended reality appliance; and transmitting data representing at least a portion of the virtual content in an obscured form to the second wearable extended reality appliance, wherein the obscured form provides an indication of a position of the at least a portion of the virtual content in a three-dimensional space without revealing substance of the virtual content in obscured form.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for tying a virtual whiteboard to a physical space. Some of these embodiments may involve receiving via a wireless network, an indication of a location of a first wearable extended reality appliance; performing a lookup in a repository of virtual whiteboards and locations thereof to determine that the location of the first wearable extended reality appliance corresponds to a location of a particular virtual whiteboard; transmitting to the first wearable extended reality appliance, data corresponding to content of the particular virtual whiteboard to thereby enable a first user of the first wearable extended reality appliance to virtually view the content of the particular virtual whiteboard and to add virtual content to the particular virtual whiteboard; receiving, during a first time period, the virtual content added by the first user; receiving via the wireless network at a second time period after the first wearable extended reality appliance is no longer in the location of the particular virtual whiteboard, an indication that a second wearable extended reality appliance is in the location of the particular virtual whiteboard; and transmitting to the second wearable extended reality appliance, data corresponding to the content and the added content of the particular virtual whiteboard, to thereby enable a second user of the second wearable extended reality appliance to view the content and the added content while the first user is absent from the location of the particular virtual whiteboard.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for transferring virtual content to a physical display device. Some of these embodiments may involve presenting an extended reality environment in a room via a wearable extended reality appliance, the wearable extended reality appliance being configured to be paired with multiple display devices located in the room, wherein each display device is associated with a unique network identifier; receiving input associated with the wearable extended reality appliance to cause presentation of a specific virtual object in the extended reality environment on a target display device; receiving image data from an image sensor associated with the wearable extended reality appliance, the image data depicting the target display device; analyzing the image data to identify the target display device; upon identifying the target display device, determining a network identifier of the target display device; using the determined network identifier of the target display device to establish a communications link with the target display device; and transmitting data representing the specific virtual object to the target display device, wherein the transmitted data enables the target display device to present the specific virtual object.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for simulating user interactions with shared content. Some of these embodiments may involve establishing a communication channel for sharing content and user interactions between a first wearable extended reality appliance and at least one second wearable extended reality appliance; transmitting to the at least one second wearable extended reality appliance, first data representing an object associated with the first wearable extended reality appliance, the first data enabling a virtual representation of the object to be displayed through the at least one second wearable extended reality appliance; receiving image data from an image sensor associated with the first wearable extended reality appliance; detecting in the image data at least one user interaction associated with the object, the at least one user interaction including a human hand pointing to a specific portion of the object; and based on the detection of the at least one user interaction in the image data, transmitting to the at least one second wearable extended reality appliance second data indicating an area of the specific portion of the object.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for managing content placement in extended reality environments. Some of these embodiments may involve receiving a request from an entity to place a virtual content at a specific geographic location in at least one shared extended reality environment that includes a plurality of virtual objects, wherein the plurality of virtual objects are viewable by a plurality of wearable extended reality appliances registered to the at least one shared extended reality environment; obtaining information associated with the request; accessing a plurality of content placement rules defining geographical restrictions on extended reality environment content placement; based on the obtained information, determining that the request from the entity to place the virtual content at the specific geographic location corresponds to a specific content placement rule; implementing the specific content placement rule to prevent a display of the virtual content at the specific geographic location in the at least one shared extended reality environment by at least some of the plurality of wearable extended reality appliances when a condition of the specific content placement rule is not met; and implementing the specific content placement rule to enable the display of the virtual content at the specific geographic location in the at least one shared extended reality environment by at least some of the plurality of wearable extended reality appliances when the condition of the specific content placement rule is met.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for presenting virtual content to multiple viewers. Some of these embodiments may involve receiving sensor data indicative of a plurality of wearable extended reality appliances located in a room; receiving a command to share a virtual object with the plurality of wearable extended reality appliances; analyzing the sensor data to determine a first location in the room of a first wearable extended reality appliance, a second location in the room of a second wearable extended reality appliance, and a third location in the room of a third wearable extended reality appliance; determining a position for displaying the virtual object in the room based on the determined first location, the determined second location, and the determined third location; causing a first display of the virtual object at the determined position through the first wearable extended reality appliance, the first display being rendered from a first perspective; causing a second display of the virtual object at the determined position through the second wearable extended reality appliance, the second display being rendered from a second perspective different from the first perspective; and causing a third display of the virtual object at the determined position through the third wearable extended reality appliance, the third display being rendered from a third perspective different from the first perspective and the second perspective.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for making virtual colored markings on objects. Some of these embodiments may involve receiving an indication of an object; receiving from an image sensor an image of a hand of an individual holding a physical marking implement; detecting in the image a color associated with the marking implement; receiving from the image sensor image data indicative of movement of a tip of the marking implement and locations of the tip; determining from the image data when the locations of the tip correspond to locations on the object; and generating, in the detected color, virtual markings on the object at the corresponding locations.

Some disclosed embodiments may include systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for enabling wearable extended reality appliances to share virtual content. Some of these embodiments may involve generating a visual code reflecting a first physical position of a mobile device, the visual code being configured to be read by a plurality of wearable extended reality appliances; presenting the visual code on a display of the mobile device for detection by the plurality of wearable extended reality appliances, to thereby enable the plurality of wearable extended reality appliances to share content in a common coordinate system upon the detection of the visual code; detecting movement of the mobile device to a second physical position different from the first physical position; and upon detecting movement of the mobile device, altering the presentation of the visual code so that the visual code is unavailable for use in content sharing.

Consistent with other disclosed embodiments, non-transitory computer-readable storage media may store program instructions, which are executed by at least one processing device and perform any of the methods described herein.

The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the claims.

