HMD Phone Sharing for Calls Inside Virtual Reality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual reality technologies restrict users' ability to interact with real-world devices like phones, requiring them to exit the virtual environment for phone calls or text communications.
Innovation Solution
A phone-sharing application on a Head Mounted Device interfaces with the wireless telecommunication network, allowing calls and texts to be routed to the HMD through Wi-Fi, maintaining the virtual reality experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a user wears fully-immersive virtual reality equipment, then the user experiences a complete virtual environment, but the user cannot interact with real-world devices such as a phone
Solution Approach 1:
A phone-sharing application serves as an intermediary between the telephone network and the HMD. The application intercepts incoming calls on the phone and redirects them to the HMD, allowing users to receive calls while immersed in virtual reality without needing to remove the equipment. The app acts as a mediator that bridges the real-world phone system and the virtual reality environment.
2Ease of operation
If telephone calls are routed to the phone, then the user can make and receive calls, but the user must remove virtual reality glasses to do so
Solution Approach 1:
The phone-sharing application performs preliminary actions by monitoring incoming calls before they reach the user's phone. When a call is detected, the application proactively redirects the call to the HMD before the user would need to interact with their phone. This preliminary interception and redirection allows calls to be answered while wearing VR equipment, maintaining the virtual reality experience continuity.
3Ease of operation
If the user leaves the computer-generated environment, then the user can interact with phone functions, but the virtual reality experience is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The phone-sharing application creates a virtual copy of phone functionality within the HMD environment. Instead of requiring the user to exit the virtual reality environment to access phone functions, the application replicates call handling, text messaging, and contact access directly within the HMD's display and interface, allowing users to interact with phone functions while remaining immersed in the virtual world.
Data Source
AI summary
The technology described herein allows a user to bring phone functionality into a virtual world without disrupting the virtual world experience. For example, the technology described herein enables the user to make and receive calls while in the virtual world, access their contacts, and recent call information. The user may also send and receive text communications. This functionality may be enabled by a phone-sharing application running on a Head Mounted Device (“HMD”) interfacing with the wireless telecommunication network that provides service to the user's telephone (e.g., smartphone). The phone-sharing application can communicate with the telecommunication network to provide notice that the user is actively using the HMD (e.g., in a virtual world). Upon receiving the notice, the telecommunication network can associate the user's telephone number with the HMD to cause communications to be routed to the HMD.