Apple Patent | Augmented Reality Interface For Facilitating Identification Of Arriving Vehicle

Patent: Augmented Reality Interface For Facilitating Identification Of Arriving Vehicle

Publication Number: 20180349699

Publication Date: 2018-12-06

Applicants: Apple Inc.

Abstract 

Various embodiments of the invention pertain to an augmented reality interface for facilitating identification of an arriving vehicle and/or a passenger that improve upon some or all of the above-described deficiencies. According to some embodiments of the invention, a mobile device may be used by a passenger to scan scenery. The mobile device may determine whether and where a requested vehicle is located and display an indicator of the requested vehicle on the mobile device. Similarly, a mobile device may be used by a driver to scan scenery. The mobile device may determine whether and where a passenger is located and display an indicator of the requesting passenger on the mobile device.

BACKGROUND 

Mobile apps are helpful for requesting a car to provide transportation. But, high usage of such mobile apps can cause confusion in an urban environment where there are many cars and where other people may also be waiting on a car. It is a common mistake for a passenger to get into a wrong car. Similar problems can also occur with other modes of transportation. For example, it may be difficult for a person to identify the correct bus at a bus terminal, particularly in a foreign country that uses a different language.

Similarly, the driver of a vehicle can have difficulty in identifying a potential passenger or a specific stopping point to pick up the passenger. A pin or dot identifying a GPS coordinate may not provide sufficient accuracy in a crowded environment.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide devices that can assist in identifying the correct vehicle that a passenger is waiting to enter.

SUMMARY 

Various embodiments of the invention pertain to an augmented reality interface for facilitating identification of an arriving vehicle and/or a passenger that improve upon some or all of the above-described deficiencies. According to some embodiments of the invention, a mobile device may be used by a passenger to scan scenery. The mobile device may determine whether and where a requested vehicle is located and display an indicator of the requested vehicle on the mobile device. Similarly, a mobile device may be used by a driver to scan scenery. The mobile device may determine whether and where a passenger is located and display an indicator of the requesting passenger on the mobile device. As used herein, an "indicator" or "identifier" may include any computer-generated visual data and/or audio data presented to a user in conjunction with an image of a real world object.

In some embodiments, a method of providing an augmented view on a display of a mobile device to identify an arriving vehicle is provided. The method is performed by a mobile device having a camera communicably coupled with the display. The method comprises storing vehicle information about a first vehicle for a user of the mobile device. The vehicle information provides a set of one or more characteristics of the first vehicle. The method further comprises activating an augmented reality mode that uses the camera of the mobile device. The method further comprises receiving image data from the camera. The image data includes the first vehicle. The method further comprises analyzing the image data to search for the set of one or more characteristics in the image data. The method further comprises identifying the first vehicle using the at least one characteristic. The method further comprises providing, on the display of the mobile device, an indication of the first vehicle.

In some embodiments, a method of providing an augmented view on a display of a mobile device associated with an arriving vehicle is provided. The method is performed by a mobile device having a camera communicably coupled with the display. The method comprises receiving a request associated with a user device of a user that has requested transportation. The method further comprises receiving visual information about the user or an environment around the user. The visual information provides a set of one or more characteristics about the user or an environment around the user. The method further comprises activating an augmented reality mode that uses the camera of the mobile device. The method further comprises receiving image data from the camera of the mobile device. The method further comprises analyzing the image data to search for the set of one or more characteristics of the visual information. The method further comprises identifying at least one characteristic of the set of one or more characteristics in the image data. The method further comprises matching the visual information with the image data based on the identifying of the at least one characteristic. The method further comprises providing an identifier on the display to indicate a location corresponding to the user.

In some embodiments, a device is provided. The device comprises one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including the steps of the above methods, for example.

In some embodiments, a computer-program product is provided. The computer-program product is tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a host device, including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including the steps of the above methods, for example.