Virtual reality system including social graph

• US 10,701,426 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: van Hoff, Arthur, Annau, Thomas M., Christensen, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Stephen R
• Application Number:
  US14/842,465
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 386201, 386223, 386224, 386341, 386249, 348 42- 60, 3482181, 348153, 348159, 34821111, 348 36- 39, 345 8, 725 10, 725 12, 725 14, 725 34
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video

Abstract

The disclosure includes a system and method for receiving viewing data that describes a location of a first user'"'"'s gaze while viewing virtual reality content. The method also determining an object of interest in the virtual reality content based on the location of the first user'"'"'s gaze. The method also includes generating a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network. The method also includes performing an action in the social network related to the object of interest.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving viewing data that describes a location of a gaze of a first user while viewing first three-dimensional content;

determining an object of interest in the first three-dimensional content based on the location of the gaze of the first user, wherein the object of interest is an advertisement and the first three-dimensional content for the object of interest includes a link to second three-dimensional content about the advertisement;

receiving data from a peripheral device associated with the first user that indicates that the first user reached out and selected the link within the first three-dimensional content;

providing the first user with the second three-dimensional content;

generating a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network;

identifying one or more second users in the social network that are associated with the object of interest;

and

providing a suggestion to the one or more second users to view at least one of the first three-dimensional content and the second three-dimensional content at about a same time as the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional content is one or more of virtual reality content, augmented reality content, mixed reality content, and XR content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the suggestion includes a two-dimensional view of at least the first three-dimensional content and the second three-dimensional content in real time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the suggestion includes a collage of two or more video streams of the first three-dimensional content viewed by the first user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a category associated with the object of interest; and

updating a user profile associated with the first user to include information about at least one of the category and the advertisement.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing information in a social graph about the gaze of the first user at the advertisement displayed as part of the first three-dimensional content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a category associated with the object of interest; and

suggesting a group associated with the social network based on the category.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting instructions to physical hardware to vibrate to provide physical stimulation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second three-dimensional content is provided by an advertisement server that is separate from a content server that provided the first three-dimensional content.

10. A system comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to;

receive viewing data that describes a location of a gaze of a first user while viewing first three-dimensional content;

determine an object of interest in the first three-dimensional content based on the location of the gaze of the first user, wherein the object of interest is an advertisement and the first three-dimensional content for the object of interest includes a link to second three-dimensional content about the advertisement;

receive data from a peripheral device associated with the first user that indicates that the first user reached out and selected the link within the first three-dimensional content;

provide the first user with the second three-dimensional content;

generate a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network;

identify one or more second users in the social network that are associated with the object of interest; and

provide a suggestion to the one or more second users to view at least one of the first three-dimensional content and the second three-dimensional content at about a same time as the first user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional content is one or more of virtual reality content, augmented reality content, mixed reality content, and XR content.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the suggestion includes a two-dimensional view of at least the first three-dimensional content and the second three-dimensional content in real time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the suggestion includes a collage of two or more video streams of the first three-dimensional content viewed by the first user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

determine a category associated with the object of interest; and

update a user profile associated with the first user to include information about at least one of the category and the advertisement.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to store information in a social graph about the gaze of the first user at the advertisement displayed as part of the first three-dimensional content.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

determine a category associated with the object of interest; and

suggest a group associated with the social network based on the category.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to transmit instructions to physical hardware to vibrate to provide physical stimulation.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the second three-dimensional content is provided by an advertisement server that is separate from a content server that provided the first three-dimensional content.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, direct a processor of a computing device to:

receive viewing data that describes a location of a gaze of a first user while viewing first three-dimensional content;

determine an object of interest in the first three-dimensional content based on the location of the gaze of the first user, wherein the object of interest is an advertisement and the first three-dimensional content for the object of interest includes a link to second three-dimensional content about the advertisement;

receive data from a peripheral device associated with the first user that indicates that the first user reached out and selected the link within the first three-dimensional content;

provide the first user with the second three-dimensional content;

generate a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network;

identify one or more second users in the social network that are associated with the object of interest; and

provide a suggestion to the one or more second users to view at least one of the first three-dimensional content and the second three-dimensional content at about a same time as the first user.