18574878. Tactile Copresence simplified abstract (Google LLC)

Tactile Copresence

Organization Name

Google LLC

Inventor(s)

Donald Allen Barnett of Monroe WA (US)

Carsten Hinz of Überlingen (DE)

Corbin Alexander Cunningham of Seattle WA (US)

George Joseph Rickerby of London (GB)

Benjamin Guy Alexander Pawle of London (GB)

Michael Colville of London (GB)

Scott Douwes of Mountain View CA (US)

Tactile Copresence - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18574878 titled 'Tactile Copresence

The technology described in the patent application provides tactile copresence for participants collaborating in real-time remotely. This allows users to work together from different locations using their own physical media, such as whiteboards or large screen displays. Participants can view a common workspace and experience tactile copresence through silhouette representations of each other.

• The method involves receiving depth map information of a participant at one location, derived from a raw image captured there.
• A presence shadow is generated for the participant at a different location, projecting aspects of the participant according to the depth map information, with blurring based on proximity to physical media at the first location.

Potential Applications: - Remote collaboration in various industries such as design, architecture, and engineering. - Virtual meetings and conferences where physical presence is not possible. - Educational settings for interactive learning experiences.

Problems Solved: - Overcoming the limitations of traditional remote collaboration tools. - Enhancing the user experience by providing a sense of physical presence. - Improving communication and collaboration among remote participants.

Benefits: - Increased engagement and interaction in remote collaborations. - Enhanced visualization and understanding of shared content. - Improved teamwork and productivity in virtual environments.

Commercial Applications: Title: "Enhancing Remote Collaboration with Tactile Copresence Technology" This technology can be utilized in virtual team meetings, online workshops, and distance learning programs. It has implications for remote work setups, virtual events, and telemedicine applications.

Questions about Tactile Copresence Technology: 1. How does this technology improve the remote collaboration experience? - This technology enhances remote collaboration by providing a sense of physical presence through silhouette representations of participants. 2. What are the potential drawbacks of using tactile copresence technology in remote collaborations? - One potential drawback could be the need for specialized equipment or software to enable tactile copresence, which may limit accessibility for some users.

Original Abstract Submitted

The technology provides tactile copresence for participants working in a real-time remote collaborative arrangement. This enhanced user experience enables different users to work remotely through their own local physical media such as whiteboards, large screen displays or poster boards (). Participants are able to view a common workspace in the same way, and are able to experience tactile copresence via silhouette representations () of the other people. A method includes receiving depth map information of a participant at a first location, the depth map information being derived from a raw image captured at the first location (). A presence shadow for the participant is generated by a computing device associated with a different location, in which the presence shadow reprojects aspects of the participant according to the depth map information where the aspects are blurred according to a proximity of each aspect to a physical medium at the first location ().