Virtual reality devices and accessories

• US 10,558,042 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2019
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark D. Wieczorek, P.C.
• Original Assignee: Mark D. Wieczorek, P.C.
• Inventors: Wieczorek, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Peter
• Application Number:
  US16/382,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20190265474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods disclosed provided a virtual reality experience, including: a set of motorized pads for coupling to feet of a user; a means of communication between the set of motorized pads and a computing environment operating a virtual reality headset; such that the set of motorized pads are configured to provide pressure on a user'"'"'s feet as an avatar within a virtual environment traverses the environment. Systems and methods disclosed further provide a multiuser virtual reality experience. Systems and methods disclosed further provide a multiuser experience including generation of a common environment viewable in the virtual reality headsets; and recording a tour including audio data as the first user describes the common environment.

Claims

1. A method of providing a multiuser virtual reality experience, comprising:

configuring a server to communicate with a first user computing environment, the first user computing environment coupled to a first virtual reality headset, the server and first user computing environment configured to generate a first avatar associated with a first user within a common environment viewable in the first virtual reality headset;

configuring the server to receive customization of the first avatar from the first user using the first user computing environment, the customization with regard to at least one of avatar hair color, hair shape, face shape, or body shape, or to receive an input of a computer-generated head or body as a portion of the first avatar;

configuring a server to communicate with a second user computing environment, the second user computing environment coupled to a second virtual reality headset, the second user computing environment configured to generate a second avatar associated with a second user within the common environment viewable in the second virtual reality headset;

wherein the server is a social networking server and the common environment is a virtual reality social networking environment; and

wherein the server is configured to allow the first user using the first user computing environment to provide a page tour wherein the first user leads a tour of entries associated with a social networking page to the second user, the page tour chronicling events associated with the entries on the social networking page, the entries from various locations from a timeline associated with the social networking page, the page tour such that the first user can walk, indicate and display one or more of the entries to the second user using the second user computing environment, wherein the indication includes receiving input from the first user using a pointing device connected to the first user computing environment, the entries at least indicated by photos viewable within the common environment, the pointing device allowing input to the first user computing environment, at least some of the entries linking to other pages associated with the social networking page.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the server to allow the first user to provide a tour around the entries on the social networking page corresponding to the first user to the second user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuring the server to allow the first user to provide a tour to the second user includes configuring the server to cause the second avatar to automatically follow the first avatar as the first avatar moves within the common environment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the server to receive input from the first user as audio commentary.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising configuring the server to receive input from the first user as audio commentary before, during, or after, the indication.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising recording the audio commentary for later playback.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of entries is via the first avatar pointing at an asset corresponding to the entry, and wherein the first avatar pointing at an asset is caused by the pointing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the asset is the photo corresponding to the entry.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an asset from a third-party source distinct from the social networking page corresponding to the first user, and configuring the server to allow the common environment to include the received asset.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user computing environment or the second user computing environment is a standalone client.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user computing environment or the second user computing environment is a smart phone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user computing environment or the second user computing environment uses a web application.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the server to enable voice communications between the first user computing environment and the second user computing environment, the voice communications using a video client or a chat functionality.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the voice communications uses a virtual reality SDK.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the entries corresponding to the timeline include a plurality of photos at respective various locations in time.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the server to enable the first and second avatars to teleport to other pages by following links on the entries corresponding to the timeline.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the links corresponds to a check in on the timeline of the first user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the links corresponds to a page of a friend of the first user.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a scene as a backdrop of the common environment.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing back an audio file during display of the common environment.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the server to provide an invitation functionality, such that the first user can invite the second user to the common environment.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a computing environment to perform the method of claim 1.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the entries include textual entries, audio entries, photographic entries, or video entries.

23. A method of providing a virtual reality experience, comprising:

configuring a server to communicate with a first user computing environment, the first user computing environment coupled to a first virtual reality headset, the first user computing environment configured to generate a common environment viewable in the first virtual reality headset, wherein the server is a networking server and the common environment is a virtual reality environment;

wherein the server is configured to allow the first user using the first user computing environment to provide a page tour wherein the first user leads a tour of entries associated with a social networking page, the tour chronicling events associated with the entries on the social networking page, the entries from various locations from a timeline associated with the social networking page, the page tour such that the first user can walk, indicate and display at least one entry, and wherein the server is further configured to record the indication and display along with an audio commentary, and wherein an input from the first user includes input from a pointing device, the entries at least including photos indicating the entries, at least some of the entries linking to other pages associated with the social networking page;

such that the display and audio commentary are recorded for playback at a later time.

24. A method of providing a multiuser virtual reality experience, comprising:

configuring a server to communicate with a first user computing environment, the first user computing environment coupled to a first virtual reality headset, the server and first user computing environment configured to generate a first avatar associated with a first user within a common environment viewable in the first virtual reality headset;

allowing customization of the first avatar by the first user, the customization with regard to at least one of avatar hair color, hair shape, face shape, or body shape;

configuring a server to communicate with a second user computing environment, the second user computing environment coupled to a second virtual reality headset, the second user computing environment configured to generate the common environment viewable in the second virtual reality headset;

wherein the server is a social networking server and the common environment is a virtual reality social networking environment; and

wherein the server is configured to allow the first user using the first user computing environment to provide a page tour wherein the first user leads a tour of at least one entry associated with a social networking page to the second user, the tour chronicling at least one event associated with the at least one entry on the social networking page, the entry from a timeline associated with the social networking page, the page tour such that the first user using the first avatar can walk, indicate and display the at least one entry to the second user, wherein the indication includes pointing at an asset corresponding to an entry, the entries at least indicated by photos viewable within the common environment, at least some of the entries linking to other pages associated with the social networking page.