Patent Publication Number: US-2018046264-A1

Title: Method for transmitting a virtual object between electronic devices

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 105125553, filed on Aug. 11, 2016. 
     FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a method for transmitting a virtual object between electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A conventional portable device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, etc.) may be programmed to execute applications, to communicate with other electronic devices, and/or to display one or more virtual objects in response to execution of certain applications. 
     SUMMARY 
     One object of the disclosure is to provide a method that facilitates transmission of a virtual object from a first electronic device to a second electronic device. 
     According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the method is implemented by the first electronic device that includes a processor, a display, an input module and a communication module, the method includes steps of: 
     controlling, by the processor, the display to display a virtual object; 
     in response to receipt of a request from the second electronic device, controlling, by the processor, the input module to allow user input of a user command; 
     detecting, by the processor, the user command from the input module; and 
     after the user command is detected, controlling, by the processor, the communication module to transmit object data associated with the virtual object to the second electronic device, so as to enable the second electronic device to display the virtual object based on the object data. 
     According to another embodiment of the disclosure, the method for transmitting a virtual object between a first electronic device and a second electronic device in an electronic system is implemented by the electronic system. The method includes steps of:
         controlling, by a processor of the first electronic device, a display of the first electronic device to display a virtual object;   controlling, by a processor of the second electronic device, a communication module of the second electronic device to send a request for the virtual object to the first electronic device;   in response to receipt of the request from the second electronic device, controlling, by the processor of the first electronic device, an input module of the first electronic device to allow user input of a user command;   detecting, by the processor of the first electronic device, the user command from the input module of the first electronic device;   after the user command is detected, controlling, by the processor of the first electronic device, a communication module of the first electronic device to transmit object data associated with the virtual object to the second electronic device; and   controlling, by a processor of the second electronic device, a display of the second electronic device to display the virtual object based on the object data.       

     Another object of the disclosure is to provide an electronic system that is capable of implementing the above-mentioned method. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an electronic system according to one embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for transmitting a virtual object between electronic devices of an electronic system, according to one embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates transmission of a request from a second electronic device to a first electronic device; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates virtual transmission of the virtual object from the first electronic device to the second electronic device; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  cooperatively form a flow chart illustrating steps of a method for transmitting a virtual object between electronic devices of an electronic system, according to another embodiment of the disclosure; and 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate virtual transmission of one of a plurality of virtual objects from the first electronic device to the second electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an electronic system  100  according to one embodiment of the disclosure. The electronic system  100  includes a first electronic device  1  and a second electronic device  2 . 
     The first electronic device  1  may be embodied using a tablet or a smartphone, and includes a first display  11 , a first communication module  12 , an input module  13 , a motion detecting module  14 , and a first processor  15 . 
     The first display  11  may be embodied using a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The first communication module  12  may include components that support wireless transmission such as Bluetooth®, near field communication (NFC), the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology (3G), the fourth generation of wireless mobile telecommunication technology (4G), etc. 
     The input module  13  may be embodied using a touch screen and/or a set of buttons. In this embodiment, the first display  11  and the input module  13  are integrated as a touch screen. The motion detecting module  14  includes, for example, an accelerometer and a gyroscope for detecting movement of the first electronic device  1 . The first processor  15  is electrically connected to the first display  11 , the first communication module  12 , the input module  13  and the motion detecting module  14 , and is capable of executing an application and subsequently causing the first display  11  to display information, such as a virtual object. 
     The second electronic device  2  maybe embodied using a tablet or a smartphone, and includes at least a second display  21 , a second communication module  22  and a second processor  25 . 
     The second display  21  may be embodied using an LCD screen. The second communication module  12  may include components that support wireless transmission such as Bluetooth®, NFC, 3G, 4G, etc. The second communication module  12  is capable of establishing a communication with the first communication module  22  using one of the technologies supported. 
     Further referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for transmitting a virtual object between electronic devices is shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
     In step S 01 , the first processor  15  of the first electronic device  1 , when executing the application, controls the first display  11  to display a virtual object  200  thereon. In this embodiment, the first display  11  is controlled to display a moving fish. In other embodiments, the virtual object  200  maybe a badge, a playing card, a pet, etc. 
     In step S 02 , the second processor  25  of the second electronic device  2  transmits a request to the first electronic device  1  via the second communication module  22 . The request may indicate that a user of the second electronic device  2  intends to obtain a virtual object. 
     In step S 03 , in response to receipt of the request from the second electronic device  2 , the first processor  15  controls the input module  13  to allow user input of a user command. The user command may indicate that a user of the first electronic device  1  agrees to transmit a virtual object currently displayed by the first display  11  (e.g., the virtual object  200  of the moving fish) to the second electronic device  2 . In this embodiment, the user of the first electronic device  1  may be instructed to select the virtual object  200  by touching the virtual object  200  directly on the first display  11 , or to touch a confirm box displayed on the first display  11 . 
     Further referring to  FIG. 5B , in step S 04 , the first processor  15  detects the user command from the input module  13 . That is to say, unless the first processor  15  receives the user command indicating that the user of the first electronic device  1  agrees to transmit the virtual object  200  (by transmitting the user command), the first processor  15  does not proceed to perform the subsequent steps. 
     When the user command is detected, the flow proceeds to step S 05 . Otherwise, the first electronic device  1  continues to detect the user command. In some embodiments, the first electronic device  1  continues to detect the user command for a first time period (e.g., 10 seconds), and terminates the method when the first time period has elapsed. 
     After the user command is detected, in step  505 , the processor  15  is programmed to determine, based on readings from the motion detecting module  14 , whether the first electronic device  1  has experienced a pre-determined motion. In this embodiment, the first processor  15  is programmed to determine whether the first electronic device  1  has experienced the pre-determined motion by determining whether the first electronic device  1  has been shaken for a predetermined number of times (e.g., 2n times) within a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds). 
     When it is determined that the first electronic device  1  has experienced the pre-determined motion, the flow proceeds to step S 06 . Otherwise, the first electronic device  1  continues to detect the pre-determined motion. In some embodiments, the first electronic device  1  continues to detect the pre-determined motion for a second time period (e.g., 10 seconds), and terminates the method when the second time period has elapsed. 
     In step S 06 , the first processor  15 , after it is determined that the first electronic device  1  has experienced the pre-determined motion, controls the first display  1  to cease displaying the virtual object  200 , signifying virtual transmission of the virtual object  200  to the second electronic device  2 . 
     In step S 07 , the first processor  15  controls the first communication module  12  to transmit object data associated with the virtual object  200  to the second electronic device  2 . 
     In response to the object data, in step S 08 , the second processor  25  of the second electronic device  2  controls the second display  21  to display the virtual object  200  based on the object data. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5A and 5B , according to another embodiment of the disclosure, in transmitting the request, the user of the second electronic device  2  maybe able to specifically request a specific virtual object. Accordingly, the request transmitted by the second electronic device  2  may be directed to the virtual object  200  of the moving fish currently displayed on the first display  11 . 
     In such a case, in response to the request, the first processor  15  further performs the following steps S 02   a -S 02   c  before step S 03 . 
     In step S 02   a,  the first processor  15  determines whether the request is directed to the virtual object  200 . When it is determined that the request is directed to said virtual object  200 , the first processor  15  generates a notification associated with the virtual object  200  in sub-step S 02   b.  Otherwise, the method may be terminated. Then, in sub-step S 02   c,  the first processor  15  controls the first display  11  to output the notification to indicate request for the virtual object  200 . 
     In this embodiment, the first processor  15  is programmed to control the first display  11  to output the notification by shaking the virtual object  200  to visually notify the user of the first electronic device  1  of the request from the second electronic device  2 . In another embodiment, the first processor  15  is programmed to control the input module  13  to allow user input of a user command to agree to transmit the virtual object  200  to the second electronic device  2 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6 and 7 , in one embodiment of the disclosure, in step S 01 , the processor  15  may control the first display  11  to display a plurality of virtual objects  200  thereon. 
     Also, for the user of the second electronic device  2 , it is possible to designate the request to one of the plurality of virtual objects  200 . 
     Accordingly, in sub-step S 02   a  of the method of  FIG. 5A , the first processor  15  determines one of the virtual objects  200  to which the request is directed. 
     In sub-step S 02   b,  the first processor  15  generates a notification to associate with the one of the virtual objects  200 . Then, in sub-step S 02   c,  the first processor  15  controls the first display  11  to output the notification to indicate request for the one of the virtual objects  200 , for example, by shaking the one of the virtual objects  200 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2, 6 and 7 , in one embodiment of the disclosure, in step S 01 , the processor  15  may control the first display  11  to display a plurality of virtual objects  200  thereon. In this case, the user of the first electronic device  1  may be able to select one of the virtual objects  200  to be transmitted to the second electronic device  2 . 
     Accordingly, after receipt of the request, in step S 03  of the method of  FIG. 2 , the first processor  15  controls the input module  13  to allow user input of a user command to select one of the virtual objects  200 . Afterward, in step S 04 , the first processor  15  determines a selected one of the virtual objects  200  according to the user command, and controls the first communication module  12  to transmit object data associated with the selected one of the virtual objects  200  to the second electronic device  2 . 
     To sum up, embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for facilitating the virtual object  200  to be transmitted between the first and second electronic devices  1 ,  2 . In the method, after the object data is transmitted, the first electronic device  1  may be controlled to cease displaying the virtual object  200 , so as to produce the effect of the transmission of the virtual object  200  from the first electronic device  1  to the second electronic device  2 . Further, the virtual object  200  is transmitted only after the first electronic device  1  has experienced the pre-determined motion, thereby making the method more interactive with the user. 
     In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding various inventive aspects. 
     While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the exemplary embodiments, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.