System and method for matching virtual reality goals with an optimal physical location

• US 10,282,903 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clark, Adam T., Huebert, Jeffrey K., Payton, Aspen L., Petri, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoon, Sae Won
• Application Number:
  US15/814,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20190147651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 345633
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

The program matches a VR environment of a user with an optimal physical location. The method loads a VR program, and detects at least one location-based goal of the user based on a virtual environment of the VR program. The method determines if a current location of the user is an optimal physical location for the at least one location-based goal of the user, based on a plurality of determined criteria associated with the current location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program. The method searches for an optimal physical location based on at least one location-based goal of the user and matches the optimal physical location of the user with the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program based on the plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for matching a virtual reality (VR) environment of a user with an optimal physical location, comprising:

loading a VR program;

detecting at least one location-based goal of the user based on a determined virtual environment associated with the VR program, wherein the at least one location-based goal of the user comprises at least one sensory element for interaction with the user, and wherein the at least one sensory element for interaction with the user comprises the user coming in physical contact with at least one, or combination, of;

rain, wind, snow, heat, cold, water, sand, earth, fire, and any other natural element;

determining if a current location of the user is an optimal physical location for the at least one location-based goal of the user, based on a plurality of physical attributes associated with the current location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program;

in response to the determination that the current location of the user is not the optimal physical location for the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program, searching for the optimal physical location of the user based on the at least one location-based goal of the user and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program; and

matching the optimal physical location of the user with the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program based on a plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the current location of the user based on a global positioning system (GPS).

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location comprises at least one, or combination of, the following:

a proximity of the user to the optimal physical location, a barrier in reaching the optimal physical location by the user, a time constraint of the user, a square footage of the optimal physical location, a temperature, an indoor/outdoor physical location, and one or more available natural elements.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein searching for the optimal physical location of the user based on the at least one goal of the user in the VR program, further comprises:

determining at least one candidate location that corresponds to the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program by detecting a second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location, wherein the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location comprises the at least one sensory element;

comparing the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location with one or more attributes of the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program; and

selecting the at least one candidate location as the optimal physical location based on a match between the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location and the one or more attributes of the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein matching the optimal physical location of the user with the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program, further comprises:

weighing and ranking the plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking a plurality of optimal physical locations based on a comparison between first plurality of determined criteria for one of the plurality of optical physical locations and second plurality of determined criteria for another of the plurality of optimal physical locations.

7. A computer program product for implementing a program that manages a device, comprising a non-transitory tangible storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor of a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

loading a VR program;

detecting at least one location-based goal of the user based on a determined virtual environment associated with the VR program, wherein the at least one location-based goal of the user comprises at least one sensory element for interaction with the user, and wherein the at least one sensory element for interaction with the user comprises the user coming in physical contact with at least one, or combination, of;

rain, wind, snow, heat, cold, water, sand, earth, fire, and any other natural element;

determining if a current location of the user is an optimal physical location for the at least one location-based goal of the user, based on a plurality of physical attributes associated with the current location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program;

in response to the determination that the current location of the user is not the optimal physical location for the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program, searching for the optimal physical location of the user based on the at least one location-based goal of the user and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program; and

matching the optimal physical location of the user with the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program based on a plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining the current location of the user based on a global positioning system (GPS).

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location comprises at least one, or combination of, the following:

a proximity of the user to the optimal physical location, a barrier in reaching the optimal physical location by the user, a time constraint of the user, a square footage of the optimal physical location, a temperature, an indoor/outdoor physical location, and one or more available natural elements.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein searching for the optimal physical location of the user based on the at least one goal of the user in the VR program, further comprises:

determining at least one candidate location that corresponds to the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program by detecting a second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location, wherein the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location comprises the at least one sensory element;

comparing the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location with one or more attributes of the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program; and

selecting the at least one candidate location as the optimal physical location based on a match between the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location and the one or more attributes of the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein matching the optimal physical location of the user with the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program, further comprises:

weighing and ranking the plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

ranking a plurality of optimal physical locations based on a comparison between first plurality of determined criteria for one of the plurality of optical physical locations and second plurality of determined criteria for another of the plurality of optimal physical locations.

13. A computer system for implementing a program that manages a device, comprising:

one or more computer devices each having one or more processors and one or more tangible storage devices; and

a program embodied on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the program having a plurality of program instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising instructions for;

loading a VR program;

detecting at least one location-based goal of the user based on a determined virtual environment associated with the VR program, wherein the at least one location-based goal of the user comprises at least one sensory element for interaction with the user, and wherein the at least one sensory element for interaction with the user comprises the user coming in physical contact with at least one, or combination, of;

rain, wind, snow, heat, cold, water, sand, earth, fire, and any other natural element;

determining if a current location of the user is an optimal physical location for the at least one location-based goal of the user, based on a plurality of physical attributes associated with the current location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program;

in response to the determination that the current location of the user is not the optimal physical location for the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program, searching for the optimal physical location of the user based on the at least one location-based goal of the user and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program; and

matching the optimal physical location of the user with the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program based on a plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location and the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining the current location of the user based on a global positioning system (GPS).

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location comprises at least one, or combination of, the following:

a proximity of the user to the optimal physical location, a barrier to in reaching the optimal physical location by the user, a time constraint of the user, a square footage of the optimal physical location, a temperature, an indoor/outdoor physical location, and one or more available natural elements.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein searching for the optimal physical location of the user based on the at least one goal of the user in the VR program, further comprises:

determining at least one candidate location that corresponds to the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program by detecting a second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location, wherein the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location comprises the at least one sensory element;

comparing the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location with one or more attributes of the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program; and

selecting the at least, one candidate location as the optimal physical location based on a match between the second plurality of attributes associated with the at least one candidate location and the one or more attributes of the determined virtual environment associated with the VR program.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein matching the optimal physical location of the user with the at least one location-based goal of the user in the VR program, further comprises:

weighing and ranking the plurality of determined criteria associated with the optimal physical location.