Methods and Systems to Facilitate Real Time Communications in Virtual Reality

• US 20080263458A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
• Inventors: HIRSON, Ron, FABER, Scott, ALTBERG, Ebbe, MANCA, Paul G., YANG, Virginia Hong-Jia, VAN DER LINDEN, Sean, LYON, Ben Harris
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

Methods and systems for connecting people for real time communications via a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object presented in a virtual reality world; indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object is being called; and responsive to an input from one resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the resident for a real time communication session.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object presented in a virtual reality world;

indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object is being called; and

responsive to an input from one resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the resident for a real time communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of residents correspond to a plurality of users of the virtual reality world connected via a network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of residents are represented by a plurality of avatars presented in the virtual reality world;

and the plurality of avatars are located in a vicinity of the virtual object in the virtual reality world.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world comprises displaying a visual cue on the virtual object;

and the plurality of avatars are in the virtual reality world at positions where the virtual objects are visible to the plurality of avatars.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world comprises providing an audio cue which is delivered to residents who are within a predetermined distance from the virtual object in the virtual reality world.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world comprises providing an audio cue which is delivered to residents to who the virtual object is visible.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality world comprises a three dimensional model including the virtual object;

and the virtual reality world is presented to residents of the virtual reality world based on respective view points of residents in the virtual reality world.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual object has a visible volume in the virtual reality world.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an advertisement in the virtual reality world via the virtual object; and

connecting a call from an advertiser of the advertisement to the virtual object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an advertisement in the virtual reality world via the virtual object; and

alerting an advertiser to call the virtual object for an opportunity to reach a customer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting an opportunity to reach a customer through monitoring activities surrounding the virtual object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring comprises the virtual object receiving public messages from residents located within a threshold distance away from the virtual object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the monitoring comprises the virtual object receiving displayed messages from residents within a view of the virtual object.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting an opportunity to reach a customer through interaction with a resident via the virtual object.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an advertisement in the virtual reality world via the virtual object;

placing a call to the virtual object; and

after the call is connected to the resident, bridging the call to an advertiser of the advertisement.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the bridging the call to the advertiser comprises placing a separate call to the advertiser.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the bridging the call to the advertiser comprises a connection provider placing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call to a telecommunication carrier which bridges the second VoIP call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the advertiser.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting of the call to the resident for a real time communication session comprises the virtual object automatically obtaining contact information from the resident via a data packet configured with the resident.

19. A machine readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object presented in a virtual reality world;

indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object is being called; and

responsive to an input from one resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the resident for a real time communication session.

20. A data processing system, comprising:

means for receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object presented in a virtual reality world;

means for indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object is being called; and

means for responsive to an input from one resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the resident for a real time communication session.