METHODS AND APPARATUS TO GENERATE VIRTUAL-WORLD ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20130009994A1
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hill, Thomas Casey
• Application Number:
  US13/634,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20130009994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to generate virtual-world environments are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves receiving real-world data associated with a real-world environment in which a person is located at a particular time and receiving virtual-reality data representative of a virtual-world environment corresponding to the real-world environment in which the person was located at the particular time. The method also involves displaying the virtual-world environment based on the virtual-reality data and displaying, in connection with the virtual-world environment, a supplemental visualization based on supplemental user-created information. The supplemental user-created information is obtained based on the real-world data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving real-world data associated with a real-world environment in which a person is located at a particular time;

receiving virtual-reality data representative of a virtual-world environment corresponding to the real-world environment in which the person was located at the particular time;

displaying the virtual-world environment based on the virtual-reality data; and

displaying, in connection with the virtual-world environment, a supplemental visualization based on supplemental user-created information, the supplemental user-created information obtained based on the real-world data.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the supplemental user-created information is at least one of a user opinion associated with an establishment located in the real-world environment or a user statement associated with a characteristic of the real-world environment.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising modifying a virtual-reality entity corresponding to a real entity located in the real-world environment based on a user-specified modification of the virtual-reality entity.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the supplemental visualization is associated with a time expiration, the supplemental visualization being displayed when the time expiration has not expired.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the real-world data is sensor data generated by at least one of a location detector, a motion sensor, a compass, or a camera located in a mobile device to be worn or carried by the person.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the real-world data is sensor data generated by at least one stationary sensor fixedly located in the real-world environment in which the person is located.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the virtual-world environment and the supplemental visualization are displayed via a mobile device to be worn or carried by the person.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein a server in a network combines the virtual-world environment with the supplemental visualization prior to the displaying of the virtual-world environment and the supplemental visualization via the mobile device.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the supplemental visualization is retrieved from at least one of a social networking server or a user-collaborative repository server.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiving of the real-world data and the receiving of the virtual-reality data are performed by an application executed by a mobile device to be worn or carried by the person.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive real-world data associated with a real environment in which a person is located at a particular time;

receive virtual-reality data representative of a virtual-world environment corresponding to the real environment in which the person was located at the particular time;

display the virtual-world environment based on the virtual-reality data; and

display, in connection with the virtual-world environment, a supplemental visualization based on supplemental user-created information, the supplemental user-created information obtained based on the real-world data.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the supplemental user-created information is at least one of a user opinion associated with an establishment located in the real environment, a user statement associated with a characteristic of the real environment, or a user-specified modification of a virtual-reality entity corresponding to a real entity located in the real environment.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to display the supplemental visualization when a time expiration associated with the supplemental visualization has not expired.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to receive the real-world data from at least one of a location detector, a motion sensor, a compass, or a camera located in a mobile communication device to be worn or carried by the person.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to receive the real-world data from at least one stationary sensor located in the real environment in which the person is located.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the processor and the memory are located in a mobile communication device.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to receive the virtual-world environment and the supplemental visualization from a server in a network that combines the virtual-world environment with the supplemental visualization prior to the displaying of the virtual-world environment and the supplemental visualization.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a real-world data interface to receive real-world data associated with a real environment in which a person is located at a particular time;

a virtual-reality interface to receive virtual-reality data representative of a virtual-world environment corresponding to the real environment in which the person was located at the particular time; and

a display to display the virtual-world environment and at least one of a user opinion associated with an establishment located in the real-world environment or a user statement associated with a characteristic of the real-world environment.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the at least one of the user opinion or the user statement is associated with a time expiration, the at least one of the user opinion or the user statement not being displayable after the time expiration has expired.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the real-world data is sensor data generated by at least one stationary sensor fixedly located in the real-world environment in which the person is located, the real-world data interface to retrieve the real-world data from a server, the server to collect the real-world data from the at least one stationary sensor.