System and Method for Augmented Reality-Enabled Interactions and Collaboration

1. An apparatus comprising: a sensor operable to capture a first set of sensor data concerning a local user's physical environment; a receiver operable to receive a second set of sensor data over a communications network concerning a remote user's physical environment a processor; a computer readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to detect and extract a subset of points associated with an input received from the remote user over the communication network or the local user; translate a detected configuration of the subset of points into a detected in-air gesture; send information about the detected in-air gesture to a processor; and the processor operable to process the in-air gesture to manipulate an object currently rendered on a virtual workspace display which produces a sharing room to the local user and the remote user; wherein to manipulate an object further comprises to furnish the virtualized workspace with virtualized objects.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of sensor data comprise coordinate data gathered from a plurality of different sensors, and said sensor is further operable to unify said coordinate data into a common spatial coordinate system for generating said virtual workspace display.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 2 , wherein said sensor is further operable to convert said coordinate data into a spatial coordinate system recognized by a specific sensor of said plurality of different sensors.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 2 , wherein said coordinate data comprises: RGB data, depth information, infrared reflection data and thermal data.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein said processor performs computer-implemented segmentation procedures on said first set of sensor data to detect said local user within said local user's physical environment.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein said processor performs computer-implemented segmentation procedures on said first set of sensor data to detect an object of interested located within said local user's physical environment.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein said virtual workspace display produces a perceived effect of said local user and a plurality of remote users sharing said same physical room.

8. The apparatus as described in claim 7 , wherein said processor adjusts said virtual workspace display according to a pre-determined lay-out conformity metric to render said plurality of remote users remote in a uniform manner.

9. A method of interacting over a network, said method comprising: capturing a first set of sensor data concerning a local user's physical environment; receiving a second set of sensor data over said communications network concerning a remote user's physical environment detecting and extracting a subset of points associated with an input received from the remote user over the communication network or the local user; translating a detected configuration of the subset of points into a detected in-air gesture; and processing the in-air gesture to manipulate an object currently rendered on a virtual workspace display which produces a sharing room to the local user and the remote user; wherein to manipulate an object further comprises to furnish the virtualized workspace with virtualized objects.

10. The method as described in claim 9 , wherein the first and second sets of sensor data comprise coordinate data gathered from a plurality of different sensors; and said capturing further comprises unifying said coordinate data into a common spatial coordinate system for generating said virtual workspace display.

11. The method as described in claim 10 , wherein said capturing further comprises converting said coordinate data into a spatial coordinate system recognized by a specific sensor of said plurality of different sensors.

12. The method as described in claim 10 , wherein said coordinate data comprises: RGB data, depth information, infrared reflection data and thermal data.

13. The method as described in claim 9 , wherein said capturing further comprises performing computer-implemented segmentation procedures on said first set of sensor data to detect said local user within said local user's physical environment.

14. The method as described in claim 9 , wherein said capturing further comprises performing computer-implemented segmentation procedures on said first set of sensor data to detect an object of interest located within said local user's physical environment.

15. The method as described in claim 9 , wherein said virtual workspace display produces a perceived effect of said local user and a plurality of remote users sharing said same physical room.

16. The method as described in claim 15 , wherein said rendering further comprises adjusting said virtual workspace display according to a pre-determined lay-out conformity metric to render said plurality of remote users remote in a uniform manner.