# US 10,310,596 B2 · Augmented reality to facilitate accessibility > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,596 B2 - Document ID: US10310596B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/845,098 - Filed: 2017-12-18 - Published: 2018-11-29 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-25 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Aaron K. Baughman; Diwesh Pandey; John P. Perrino; Todd R. Whitman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310596B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - G05B 15/02: electric - G06F 3/038: Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry - G06F 3/1423: {controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display} - G06F 3/147: using display panels - G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text - G09B 21/001: {Teaching or communicating with blind persons (G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence)} - G09G 5/02: characterised by the way in which colour is displayed {(details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607)} - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H05B 47/1965: {using handheld communication devices} - G09B 21/008: {using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted} - G09G 2354/00: Aspects of interface with display user - G09G 2370/06: Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa - G09G 2370/16: Use of wireless transmission of display information - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A determination can be made as to whether a user of an augmented reality device is within a threshold distance from a configurable physical apparatus. Responsive to determining that the user is within the threshold distance from the configurable physical apparatus, a communication link can be established between the augmented reality device and a controller of the configurable physical apparatus. The augmented reality device can initiate the controller of the configurable physical apparatus to change the configurable physical apparatus from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein the second configuration facilitates accessibility of the configurable physical apparatus to the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: determining whether a user of a first augmented reality device is within a threshold distance from a configurable physical apparatus; responsive to determining that the user is within the threshold distance from the configurable physical apparatus, establishing a communication link between the first augmented reality device and a controller of the configurable physical apparatus, wherein a second augmented reality device is within the threshold distance from the configurable physical apparatus; coordinating, by the first augmented reality device, with the second augmented reality device by exchanging at least one message between the first augmented reality device and the second augmented reality device; based on the at least one message, at least the first augmented reality device determining that the first augmented reality device has priority over the second augmented reality device for control of the configurable physical apparatus; and responsive to determining that the first augmented reality device has priority for control of the configurable physical apparatus, initiating, by the first augmented reality device, the controller of the configurable physical apparatus to change the configurable physical apparatus from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein the second configuration facilitates accessibility of the configurable physical apparatus to the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the configurable physical apparatus comprises a hand rail; and changing the configurable physical apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises moving the hand rail from a first height to a second height. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the configurable physical apparatus comprises a shelf; and changing the configurable physical apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises moving the shelf from a first height to a second height. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the configurable physical apparatus comprises a sign; and changing the configurable physical apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises changing a color of at least one portion of the sign from a first color to a second color. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the configurable physical apparatus comprises a lamp; and changing the configurable physical apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises changing a color of the lamp from a first color to a second color. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the configurable physical apparatus comprises a plurality of lamps: and changing the configurable physical apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises controlling the plurality of lamps to illuminate a path for the user to travel from a first location to at least a second location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the configurable physical apparatus comprises at least one display configured to emit light: and changing the configurable physical apparatus from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises selectively controlling the display to change an illuminated color scheme visually depicting colors or textures of the configurable physical apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: accessing an electronic health record of the user; and automatically determining the second configuration based on the electronic health record of the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: accessing user profile of the user; and automatically determining the second configuration based on the user profile of the user.