Processing incoming communication requests to an XR device

Abstract

Techniques are provided for processing incoming communication requests to an XR device. One method is executed by a controller. The method includes obtaining an activity level pattern of an XR environment presented by the XR device. The method includes predicting at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment based on the activity level pattern. The method includes processing the incoming communication request to the XR device. The incoming communication request is outside the XR environment. The incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether it coincides with the at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments presented herein relate to methods, controllers, computer programs, and computer program products for processing incoming communication requests to an extended reality device. Background Technology

[0002] In the rapidly evolving landscape of extended reality (XR)—which encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR)—devices are increasingly being integrated into personal and professional settings. These technologies offer immersive experiences that blend digital content with the physical world, enabling a wide range of applications from entertainment and education to complex surgical procedures and remote work collaboration. However, the immersive nature of XR also presents unique challenges, particularly in communicating with devices without interfering with the user experience.

[0003] A major issue stems from the level of immersion offered by XR technology. When users engage with XR devices, they are typically completely absorbed into the digital environment, where sensory input from the real world is significantly reduced or entirely replaced by the virtual environment. This immersion is a double-edged sword: while it's the source of the powerful experiences XR can provide, it also isolates the user from the external environment to a potentially problematic degree. This isolation becomes especially pronounced when external communication is required—whether for security, coordination within professional settings, or personal reasons.

[0004] Traditional communication methods (such as auditory cues or vibrations) can disrupt and interfere with immersive experiences, temporarily breaking the spell of the digital world and reminding users of the artificial nature of their experience. Furthermore, these interruptions can occur at critical moments, potentially impacting user performance or enjoyment of the task. For example, in professional training simulations, untimely interruptions can reduce learning effectiveness. Similarly, in gaming environments, immersion is key to enjoyment and engagement, and interruptions can significantly degrade the user experience.

[0005] The problem is complicated by the lack of standardized protocols or interfaces for integrating real-world communications into XR environments in a way that feels natural and is minimally invasive.

[0006] Existing technologies for addressing these issues typically employ a one-size-fits-all approach, failing to consider the varying levels of immersion offered by different environments or experiences when using XR technology. This gap underscores the need for a more nuanced approach to designing communication mechanisms that are adaptable to the user's environment and the content of the XR experience.

[0007] Given these challenges, it is necessary to communicate effectively with users of XR devices without compromising their immersive experience. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of the embodiments described herein is to mitigate or reduce the aforementioned problems and challenges.

[0009] In this regard, unwanted interruptions can cause unnecessary pauses or interruptions in the XR environment engine. To address this, since the XR environment engine is not notified in advance when an interrupt will occur, it needs to continuously buffer large amounts of data to seamlessly handle unwanted interruptions, regardless of when they occur. This, in turn, places high demands on the data buffering at the XR environment engine.

[0010] Therefore, the specific purpose is to handle incoming communication requests to XR devices, which reduces the need for the XR environment engine to constantly buffer data.

[0011] Furthermore, creating a fully immersive XR experience that prevents users from being disturbed by external phone calls, etc., requires users to be exposed to high volume levels, etc. This could potentially harm users and requires high power levels at the XR device worn by the user.

[0012] Therefore, the specific purpose is to handle incoming communication requests to the XR device, which reduces the power level required in the XR device.

[0013] According to a first aspect, a method for processing an incoming communication request to an XR device is proposed. The method is executed by a controller. The method includes obtaining an activity level mode of an XR environment. The XR environment is presented by the XR device. The method includes predicting at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment based on the activity level mode. The method includes processing the incoming communication request to the XR device. The incoming communication request is outside the XR environment. The incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether it coincides with the at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

[0014] According to a second aspect, a controller for processing incoming communication requests to an XR device is proposed. The controller includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to enable the controller to obtain an activity level mode of an XR environment. The XR environment is presented by the XR device. The processing circuitry is configured to enable the controller to predict at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment based on the activity level mode. The processing circuitry is configured to enable the controller to process the incoming communication request to the XR device. The incoming communication request is outside the XR environment. The incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether it coincides with the at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

[0015] According to a third aspect, a controller for processing incoming communication requests to an XR device is proposed. The controller includes an acquisition module configured to acquire an activity level mode of an XR environment presented by the XR device. The controller includes a prediction module configured to predict at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment based on the activity level mode. The controller includes a control module configured to process the incoming communication request to the XR device. The incoming communication request is outside the XR environment. The incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether it coincides with the at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program is proposed for processing an incoming communication request to an XR device. The computer program includes computer code that, when executed on the processing circuitry of a controller, causes the controller to perform actions. One action includes the controller obtaining an activity level mode of an XR environment presented by the XR device. Another action includes the controller predicting, based on the activity level mode, at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment. A third action includes the controller processing the incoming communication request to the XR device. The incoming communication request is outside the XR environment. The incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether it coincides with the at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

[0017] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program product is proposed, comprising the computer program as described in the fourth aspect, and a computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program thereon. The computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0018] Advantageously, these aspects provide efficient processing of incoming communication requests to XR devices.

[0019] Advantageously, based on these aspects, it becomes possible to handle incoming communication requests in a way that does not affect the user's immersive XR experience.

[0020] Advantageously, these aspects ensure that not all incoming communication requests to the XR device are accepted. Therefore, the probability of unwanted interruptions is reduced, thereby decreasing the need for constant data buffering. Consequently, these aspects reduce the need for the XR environment engine to constantly buffer data.

[0021] Furthermore, since not all incoming communication requests to the XR device will be accepted, the probability of user interference is reduced. Consequently, these aspects make it possible to reduce the power level required in the XR device.

[0022] Advantageously, these aspects make it possible to have an indicator of when communication will be available. This, in turn, can limit the number of times XR devices can be contacted, potentially reducing air traffic.

[0023] Other objects, features, and advantages of the appended embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure, the appended dependent claims, and the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Generally, all terms used in the claims should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless otherwise expressly defined herein. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all references to “a / an / the element, device, component, part, module, step, etc.” should be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of that element, device, component, part, module, step, etc. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The concept of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a system according to an embodiment; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the method according to the embodiment; Figure 3 The activity level modes according to an embodiment are illustrated schematically; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structural units of the controller according to an embodiment; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the functional modules of a controller according to an embodiment; and Figure 6 An example of a computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The inventive concept will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments of the inventive concept. However, the inventive concept can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. Throughout the specification, similar numerals refer to similar elements. Any step or feature indicated by dashed lines should be considered optional.

[0027] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating a system 100 in which embodiments of the present invention may be applied. System 100 includes an XR device 110, assumed to be worn by a user. In some examples, the XR device 110 is glasses, such as a head-mounted display (HMD) device. In some examples, the XR device 110 is a headset, or part of a headset, or includes a headset, such as noise-cancelling (reducing) headset. The XR device 110 is operatively connected to an XR environment engine 120, for example, placed in a location such as... Figure 1 The XR environment engine 120 generates an XR environment (in terms of audio and / or video content) that is presented or played by the XR device 110, or is implemented partly in an external device and partly in the XR device 110. This allows the user wearing the XR device 110 to interact with the XR environment. It is assumed that the user of the communication device 130 intends to communicate with the user of the XR device 110. Therefore, the communication device 130 may, hereinafter, refer to a device that initiates an incoming communication request to the XR device 110. In some aspects, it is assumed that the communication device 130 is disconnected from the XR environment, and therefore the user of the communication device 130 is not able to interact directly with the user of the XR device 110 via the XR environment. However, in other aspects, the communication device 130 is connected to the XR environment (and is therefore another XR device), and therefore the user of the communication device 130 can interact directly with the user of the XR device 110 via the XR environment.

[0028] In any case, as will be disclosed in further detail below, communication between the XR device 110 and the communication device 130 is handled by the controller 150. Although in Figure 1 While shown as a separate entity, in some examples, controller 150 is part of XR device 110. In other examples, controller 150 is part of smart home controller 170. In this respect, smart home controller 170 is a centralized device or software platform configured to manage and control various interconnected smart devices within the home. These devices may include lighting fixtures, thermostats, security cameras, entertainment systems (such as XR ambient engine 120 and / or XR device 110), etc.

[0029] As will be further disclosed below, in some embodiments, sensor data is utilized when determining the activity level pattern of the XR environment. The sensor data is collected by at least one sensor 160. Depending on the type of sensor 160, different types of sensor data may be available, such as eye-tracking data, pupil dilation data, blink data, pulse data, respiration data, skin conductance data, electroencephalogram (EEG) data, muscle tension, etc.

[0030] Depend on Figure 1Communication between different devices within the system is facilitated by a communication network, which can be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless. Figure 1 In this context, the communication network is represented by communication link 140. Therefore, it is assumed that... Figure 1 Different devices in the system support one or more corresponding protocols.

[0031] As mentioned above, it is necessary to communicate effectively with users of the XR device 110 without affecting their immersive experience.

[0032] The embodiments disclosed herein aim to address these challenges by introducing novel methods for communication in XR environments. By leveraging context-aware technologies and adaptive interfaces, the embodiments disclosed herein seek to bridge the gap between the immersive digital world and the need for connectivity with the external environment, ensuring that users of XR devices can remain fully engaged in their experience while still having access to the outside world.

[0033] The embodiments disclosed herein particularly relate to techniques for processing incoming communication requests to an XR device 110. To obtain such techniques, a controller 150, a method executed by the controller 150, and a computer program product including code (e.g., in the form of a computer program) that, when run on the controller 150, causes the controller 150 to execute the method.

[0034] One aspect involves seamlessly integrating real-world communication into the XR environment, allowing messages or warnings to be delivered in a context-appropriate and minimally disruptive manner. This will not only enhance the usability and security of XR technology but also expand its potential applications by making it more suitable for multitasking and collaborative setups. Generally, by measuring the activity level of the XR environment and predicting pause events, it is possible to handle incoming communication requests to XR devices differently. Different examples of how activity levels can be estimated are disclosed below. Therefore, when determining whether to accept or reject an incoming communication request to an XR device, or more generally, to determine how an incoming communication request to an XR device should be handled depending on whether the communication request arrives at the time of a pause event, the controller 150 can use the obtained information.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for processing an incoming communication request to an XR device 110. The method is executed by a controller 150. The method is advantageously provided as a computer program.

[0036] S102: Controller 150 obtains the activity level mode of the XR environment. The XR environment is presented by XR device 110.

[0037] S104: Controller 150 predicts at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment based on the activity level pattern.

[0038] S106: Controller 150 processes an incoming communication request to XR device 110. The incoming communication request is outside the XR environment. The incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether it coincides with at least one upcoming point in time of a pause event.

[0039] We will continue to refer to this. Figure 2 Further details are disclosed regarding embodiments relating to the processing performed by controllers 400, 500 to incoming communication requests to XR device 110.

[0040] The following will disclose different ways in which the controller 150 can obtain the activity level mode of the XR environment.

[0041] In some aspects, the activity level pattern represents historical data behavior as defined by a time series indicated by the activity level. That is, in some embodiments, the activity level pattern is represented by a time series indicated by the activity level. It should be noted here that the activity level pattern does not need to be periodic. What will be disclosed next is that the time series indicated by the activity level can then be extrapolated for the controller 150 to predict at least one upcoming point in time for a pause event in the XR environment.

[0042] There can be different sources from which information that can define activity level patterns can be obtained.

[0043] In some embodiments, activity level patterns are obtained from video analytics data of the XR environment. Different examples of video analytics data may exist in this regard. In some non-limiting examples, video analytics data involves any one or any combination of the following: measurements of user activity in the XR environment (e.g., activity from a mouse, keyboard, or other type of user control), measurements of movement of objects in the XR environment, and data extracted from the XR device 110. For this purpose, video analytics data can be obtained by measuring the user's activity level and / or the XR environment itself (as defined by movement of the user or objects in the XR environment), by means of information displayed to the user, and / or by means of sound played to the user. Furthermore, activity level patterns can also be obtained from sensor data generated by at least one sensor 160 worn by the user of the XR device 110 or at least from at least one sensor 160 monitoring the user (if not worn by the user) (examples of sensor data as disclosed above). For example, when playing a game in an XR environment, sensor data on the user's eye movements is expected to differ from when a pause or title screen is displayed in the XR environment. Additionally, activity levels can be estimated based on pupil dilation.

[0044] Based on this information, controller 150 can identify elapsed downtime in the XR environment (e.g., elapsed pause events), but can also simply measure general activity levels. Here, controller 150 can use general measurements of audio, image, and video features to classify whether any presented or played audio, image, and video in the XR environment represents a pause event. In addition to measurements of user activity and object movement in the XR environment, controller 150 can also identify specific content indicators, such as a countdown timer, certain displayed objects (e.g., a full-screen menu), and certain keywords (e.g., "pause," "loading," etc.). Such classification can be achieved by using different classification algorithms.

[0045] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the XR environment is operated by an XR environment engine 120, and the activity level mode is obtained from signals generated by or being provided to the XR environment engine 120. Different examples of such signals may exist in this regard. In some non-limiting examples, the signals relate to any one or any combination of the following: game state information, launch screen indication, menu screen indication, clock data (e.g., timer countdown, time of day), keywords, inputs and / or outputs such as those generated by the XR environment engine 120, and inputs and / or outputs defined by user interaction with the XR environment. For example, pause events and play events can be signaled from the game engine itself. In particular, for games with a loop timer, this would allow pause events to be signaled with high precision before they occur.

[0046] exist Figure 3 An example of an activity level pattern 300 is shown, which includes a first part 300a and a second part 300b, where the first part 300a represents the past activity level over time, and the second part 300b represents the predicted activity level over time. The first part 300a and the second part 300b are separated by a point in time denoted as "now". Elapsed pause events 310a and 310b and a predicted pause event 310c are also shown.

[0047] The following will disclose different ways in which controller 150 can process incoming communication requests to XR device 110. Assume the incoming communication request is received from communication device 130. The incoming communication request can be a request for voice calls, video calls, chat, or other types of communication with the user of XR device 110.

[0048] Generally, controller 150 first checks whether the incoming communication request coincides with at least one upcoming time point of a pause event, rather than directly alerting the user of XR device 110 to the incoming communication request.

[0049] If the incoming communication request does not coincide with at least one upcoming time point of a pause event, the controller 150 is configured to process the incoming communication request to the XR device 110 by performing (optional) steps S106-a2 and S106-a4.

[0050] S106-a2: The controller 150 provides the communication device 130 with information about at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

[0051] S106-a4: Controller 150 rejects incoming communication requests, or at least suspends incoming communication requests until at least one upcoming time point of the suspension event.

[0052] Furthermore, if the incoming communication request coincides with at least one upcoming time point of a pause event, the controller 150 is configured to process the incoming communication request to the XR device 110 by performing (optional) steps S106-b2 and S106-b4.

[0053] S106-b2: Controller 150 sends a communication request to XR device 110 to issue a user warning.

[0054] S106-b4: Controller 150 accepts an incoming communication request from communication device 130.

[0055] In this regard, if a pause event has a duration that is too short for a certain type of communication, such as a voice call or a video call, the incoming communication request should not be accepted. Therefore, in some embodiments, the control device 150 verifies that the pause event has a duration longer than a threshold before accepting the incoming communication request.

[0056] Once an incoming communication request has been accepted, there are different ways to facilitate it. Two examples are provided below. In the first example, it is assumed that communication device 130 is connected to the XR environment. In the second example, it is assumed that communication device 130 is disconnected from the XR environment. In both examples, for simplicity and without loss of generality, it is assumed that the XR environment includes at least audio, and that the incoming communication request is a request for a voice call.

[0057] In the first example, the user of communication device 130 initiates communication by saying a wake word such as "hello X," "hi X," etc., where "X" is the name of the user of XR device 110. The wake word can be detected by running natural language processing (NLP) and intent detection in controller 150. Controller 150's detection of the wake word indicates an incoming communication request. Then, as in step S106-b2, the user of XR device 110 is made aware of the incoming communication request, and as in step S106-b4, the incoming communication request from communication device 130 is accepted. The user of XR device 110 can then respond similarly by saying "helloY," "hi Y," etc., where "Y" is the name of the user of communication device 130. By using NLP, controller 150 can detect that the response is directed to person Y rather than a discussion within a game. A voice channel can then be established between XR device 110 and communication device 130 by controller 150. This voice channel can interrupt all audio in the XR environment, or overlay (i.e., mix) the audio in the XR environment, potentially suppressing in-game audio. Various audio mixing options can be considered, such as keeping ambient sounds in the XR environment but muting other voice channels within it. Then, when communication terminates, the audio settings in the XR environment can be reset to their default values.

[0058] In the second example, the user of communication device 130 initiates communication by making a call to XR device 110. Since communication is controlled by controller 150, controller 150 receives the call from XR device 110. Then, as in step S106-b2, the user of XR device 110 is made aware of the incoming communication request, and as in step S106-b4, the incoming communication request from communication device 130 is accepted. The user of XR device 110 can then respond by saying "hello Y," "hi Y," etc., where "Y" is the name of the user of communication device 130. By using NLP, controller 150 can detect that the response is not a discussion within the game but is directed to the user of communication device 130. A voice channel can then be established between XR device 110 and communication device 130 by controller 150 in the same manner as described above, but the difference is that communication device 130 can only access the voice channel and cannot access other information about the XR environment.

[0059] Furthermore, if the incoming communication request does not coincide with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event, the controller 150 is configured to process the incoming communication request to the XR device 110 by performing (optional) step S106-c2.

[0060] S106-c2: If the controller 150 does not accept the incoming communication request, it provides an indication of the incoming communication request in the XR environment, thereby alerting the user of the XR device 110 to the incoming communication request.

[0061] In some examples, indications are provided by changing the appearance of at least one object in the XR environment. In this way, subtle changes can be made to the XR environment to indicate to the user of XR device 110 that someone outside the XR environment needs their attention. Depending on what changes are available, coloring the sky red in the XR environment, changing the hue of external lighting, changing displayed objects, or even adding textures to objects in the XR environment, writing messages on billboards in the XR environment, etc., are all examples of changes that can be made to the XR environment without significantly distracting the user. In this way, the user of XR device 110 can either remain immersed in the XR environment or decide to accept an incoming communication request. Changes can also be based on the activity level in the XR environment; the higher the activity level, the more subtle the changes can be.

[0062] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the type of indication of an incoming communication request provided in the XR environment depends on the identifier of the communication device 130 and / or on the priority level indicated in the incoming communication request. Therefore, in this way, any changes to the XR environment can be based on the initiator of the communication request (e.g., defined by the identifier of the communication device 130 or the identifier of the user of the communication device 130). In this way, customized indications can be used.

[0063] In some examples, the XR device 110 includes an indicator entity by means of which an indication of the activity level mode can be provided. For example, the indicator entity may be a light-emitting diode display arranged to emit colored light, wherein the color or intensity of the emitted light indicates the activity level mode.

[0064] Figure 4 The components of the controller 400 according to an embodiment are schematically shown in terms of multiple structural units. The processing circuitry 410 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), etc., and is capable of executing a computer program product 610 stored, for example, in the form of a storage medium 430 (such as...). Figure 6 The software instructions are shown in the diagram. The processing circuit 410 may also be provided as at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0065] Specifically, the processing circuit 410 is configured to cause the controller 400 to perform the set of operations or steps described above. For example, the storage medium 430 may store the set of operations, and the processing circuit 410 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 430 to cause the controller 400 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions.

[0066] Therefore, the processing circuitry 410 is thus arranged to perform the methods disclosed herein. The storage medium 430 may also include a permanent storage device, which may be, for example, any one or a combination of magnetic storage, optical storage, solid-state storage, or even remotely mounted storage. The controller 400 may also include components configured to at least communicate with… Figure 1 A communication interface 420 is provided for communication between entities within the controller 400. Thus, the communication interface 420 may include one or more transmitters and receivers, including analog and digital components. Processing circuitry 410 controls the general operation of the controller 400, for example, by sending data and control signals to the communication interface 420 and the storage medium 430, by receiving data and reports from the communication interface 420, and by retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 430. Other components and related functionalities of the controller 400 are omitted to avoid obscuring the concepts presented herein.

[0067] Figure 5 The components of the controller 500 according to an embodiment are schematically shown in terms of multiple functional modules. Figure 5 The controller 500 includes multiple functional modules: an acquisition module 510 configured to perform step S102; a prediction module 520 configured to perform step S104; and a control module 530 configured to perform step S106. Figure 5 The controller 500 may also include a plurality of optional functional modules, such as any one of the following: a providing module 540 configured to perform step S106-a2; a reject / pause module 550 configured to perform step S106-a4; a warning module 560 configured to perform step S106-b2; an accept module 570 configured to perform step S106-b4; and a providing module 580 configured to perform step S106-c2.

[0068] Generally, each functional module 510:580 may be implemented solely in hardware in one embodiment, while in another embodiment it may be implemented with the aid of software. That is, the latter embodiment has computer program instructions stored on storage medium 430, which, when run on the processing circuitry, cause controller 400 to perform the above-mentioned combined... Figure 2The corresponding steps mentioned herein. It should also be mentioned that even though modules correspond to parts of a computer program, they do not need to be separate modules; however, the way they are implemented in the software depends on the programming language used. Preferably, one or more or all functional modules 510:580 can be implemented by processing circuitry 410, possibly cooperating with communication interface 420 and / or storage medium 430. Therefore, processing circuitry 410 can be configured to retrieve instructions from storage medium 430 as provided by functional modules 510:580, and execute these instructions to perform any steps disclosed herein.

[0069] Controllers 400 and 500 can be provided as standalone devices or as part of at least one other device. For example, as disclosed above, controllers 400 and 500 can be provided to XR device 110 or smart home controller 170. Alternatively, the functionality of controllers 400 and 500 can be distributed among at least two devices or nodes. Thus, a first portion of the instructions executed by controllers 400 and 500 can be executed in a first device, while a second portion of the instructions executed by controllers 400 and 500 can be executed in a second device; the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to any particular number of devices on which the instructions executed by controllers 400 and 500 can be executed. Therefore, the methods according to the embodiments disclosed herein are suitable for execution by controllers 400 and 500 residing in a cloud computing environment. Therefore, although in Figure 4 A single processing circuit 410 is shown, but the processing circuit 410 can be distributed across multiple devices or nodes. This also applies to... Figure 5 Functional modules 510:580 and Figure 6 Computer program 620.

[0070] Figure 6 An example of a computer program product 610 including a computer-readable storage medium 630 is shown. On this computer-readable storage medium 630, a computer program 620 may be stored, which may cause processing circuitry 410 and entities and means operatively coupled thereto (e.g., communication interface 420 and storage medium 430) to perform the methods according to the embodiments described herein. Therefore, computer program 620 and / or computer program product 610 may provide components for performing any of the steps disclosed herein.

[0071] exist Figure 6In the example, computer program product 610 is shown as an optical disc, such as a CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or Blu-ray Disc. Computer program product 610 can also be embodied as memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and more specifically as a non-volatile storage medium of a device in an external memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or flash memory (e.g., compact flash memory). Therefore, although computer program 620 is schematically shown herein as a track on the depicted optical disc, computer program 620 can be stored in any manner suitable for computer program product 610.

[0072] The inventive concept has been described above primarily with reference to several embodiments. However, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, other embodiments besides those disclosed above are also possible within the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for processing an incoming communication request to an extended reality XR device (110), wherein the method is performed by a controller (150, 400, 500), and wherein the method comprises: (S102) Obtain an activity level mode of an extended reality XR environment, wherein the XR environment is presented by the XR device (110); Based on the activity level pattern, predict (S104) at least one upcoming time point of the pause event in the XR environment; and The incoming communication request is processed (S106) to the XR device (110), wherein the incoming communication request is outside the XR environment, and wherein the incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether the incoming communication request coincides with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The activity level pattern is represented by a time series of activity level indicators.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein, The activity level pattern is obtained from video analysis data of the XR environment.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The video analysis data relates to any one or any combination of the following: measurements of user activity in the XR environment, measurements of object movement in the XR environment, and data extracted from the XR device (110).

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The activity level pattern is obtained from sensor data generated by at least one sensor (160) worn by the user of the XR device (110).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The sensor data relates to any one or any combination of the following: eye tracking data, pupil dilation data, blink data, pulse data, respiration data, skin conductance data, and EEG data.

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The XR environment is operated by an XR environment engine (120), and the activity level mode is obtained from signals generated by or being provided to the XR environment engine (120).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The signal is associated with any one or any combination of the following: game status information, startup screen indication, menu screen indication, clock data, keywords, inputs and / or outputs such as those generated by the XR environment engine (120), and inputs and / or outputs defined by user interaction with the XR environment.

9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, Receiving the incoming communication request from the communication device (130), wherein processing the incoming communication request to the XR device (110) in the event that the incoming communication request does not coincide with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event includes: Provide the communication device (130) with information (S106-a2) on at least one upcoming time point of the pause event; and / or The incoming communication request is rejected (S106-a4), or at least suspended until the at least one upcoming time point of the suspension event.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, Receiving the incoming communication request from the communication device (130), and wherein, if the incoming communication request coincides with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event, processing the incoming communication request to the XR device (110) includes: The user of the XR device (110) is warned (S106-b2) of the incoming communication request; and Accept (S106-b4) the incoming communication request from the communication device (130).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The control device verifies that the pause event has a duration longer than a threshold before accepting the incoming communication request.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, Receiving the incoming communication request from the communication device (130), wherein processing the incoming communication request to the XR device (110) in the event that the incoming communication request does not coincide with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event includes: If the incoming communication request is not accepted, an indication of the incoming communication request is provided in the XR environment (S106-c2), thereby alerting the user of the XR device (110) to the incoming communication request.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The indication is provided by changing the appearance of at least one object in the XR environment.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The type of indication of the incoming communication request provided in the XR environment depends on the identifier of the communication device (130) and / or on the priority level indicated in the incoming communication request.

15. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The XR device (110) is glasses, such as a head-mounted display (HMD) device.

16. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The controllers (150, 400, 500) are part of the XR device (110).

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, The controllers (150, 400, 500) are part of the smart home controller (170).

18. A controller (150, 400, 500) for processing incoming communication requests to an extended reality XR device (110), the controller (150, 400, 500) including processing circuitry (410) configured to cause the controller (150, 400, 500): Obtain an activity level mode of an extended reality XR environment, wherein the XR environment is presented by the XR device (110); Based on the activity level pattern, predict at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment; and The incoming communication request to the XR device (110) is processed, wherein the incoming communication request is outside the XR environment, and wherein the incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether the incoming communication request coincides with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

19. A controller (150, 400, 500) for processing incoming communication requests to an extended reality XR device (110), the controller (150, 400, 500) comprising: The acquisition module (510) is configured to acquire an activity level mode of an extended reality XR environment, wherein the XR environment is presented by the XR device (110); The prediction module (520) is configured to predict at least one upcoming time point of a pause event in the XR environment based on the activity level pattern. as well as The control module (530) is configured to process the incoming communication request to the XR device (110), wherein the incoming communication request is outside the XR environment, and wherein the incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether the incoming communication request coincides with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

20. The controller (150, 400, 500) according to claim 18 or 19 is further configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 17.

21. A computer program (620) for processing incoming communication requests to an extended reality XR device (110), the computer program comprising computer code that, when executed on a processing circuitry (410) of a controller (150, 400, 500), causes the controller (150, 400, 500) to: (S102) Obtain an activity level mode of an extended reality XR environment, wherein the XR environment is presented by the XR device (110); Based on the activity level pattern, predict (S104) at least one upcoming time point of the pause event in the XR environment; and The incoming communication request is processed (S106) to the XR device (110), wherein the incoming communication request is outside the XR environment, and wherein the incoming communication request is processed differently depending on whether the incoming communication request coincides with at least one upcoming time point of the pause event.

22. A computer program product (610) comprising a computer program (620) according to claim 21, and a computer-readable storage medium (630) storing the computer program thereon.

Images