METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES

• US 20130019184A1
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Net Power & Light, Inc (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Net Power & Light, Inc (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vonog, Stanislav, Surin, Nikolay, Lemmey, Tara
• Application Number:
  US13/546,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20130019184A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing virtual experiences are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for providing a virtual experience from a first participant to a recipient participant may comprise: receiving the virtual experience from a device of the first participant, the virtual experience including a virtual good component, an animation component, and an accompanying sound component, the animation component indicative of an idea the first participant intended to convey to the recipient participant; generating the animation component of the virtual experience, the animation component including a graphical animation of the virtual good component across displays of the first participant'"'"'s device and the recipient participant'"'"'s device; and providing the virtual experience to the recipient participant'"'"'s device by spanning across the virtual good component and the animation component with a trajectory starting from a display of the first participant'"'"'s device and ending on a display of the recipient participant'"'"'s device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of providing a virtual experience from a first participant to a recipient participant of an online event, the method comprising:

receiving the virtual experience from a device of the first participant, the virtual experience including a virtual goods component, an animation component, and an accompanying sound component, the animation component indicative of an idea the first participant intended to convey to the recipient participant;

generating the animation component of the virtual experience, the animation component including a graphical animation of the virtual goods component across displays of the first participant'"'"'s device and the recipient participant'"'"'s device;

and

providing the virtual experience to the recipient participant'"'"'s device by spanning across the virtual goods component and the animation component with a trajectory starting from a display of the first participant'"'"'s device and ending on a display of the recipient participant'"'"'s device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the virtual experience comprises dimensions including physicality, togetherness, real-time, emotion, and response time.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the virtual goods component includes one or more virtual goods that are purchased by the first participant.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

encoding and decoding data streams of the virtual experience by using Sentio codecs in a low-latency network setup.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the Sentio Codecs are programmed according to a plurality of factors, the plurality of factors including available bandwidth, a characteristic of the first participant'"'"'s device, a characteristic of the recipient participant'"'"'s device, and/or a characteristic of the virtual experience.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the resolution of the animation component is determined according to the plurality of factors.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the virtual experience is activated or effectuated by a physical gesture of the first participant.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the trajectory is determined by the physical gesture of the first participant.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the trajectory is determined by a characteristic of the virtual goods component.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

providing an option for the first participant to select the trajectory from a plurality of predetermined trajectories.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the virtual experience is activated or effectuated by controlling one or more buttons or keys on mobile device(s) of the first participant.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the accompanying sound component includes a swoosh noise following the trajectory, emulated splotching sound of the virtual good component hitting a screen of the recipient participant'"'"'s device, and/or dripping sound of the splotched virtual good component.

13. A virtual experience server, the server comprising:

a network adapter configured to communicate with a plurality of participants'"'"' devices via a communication network; and

a memory, the memory coupled to the network adapter and configured to store computer code corresponding to operations for providing a virtual experience from a first participant to a recipient participant, the operations comprising;

receiving the virtual experience from a device of the first participant, the virtual experience including a virtual goods component, an animation component, and an accompanying sound component, the animation component indicative of an idea the first participant intended to convey to the recipient participant;

generating the animation component of the virtual experience, the animation component including a graphical animation of the virtual goods component across displays of the first participant'"'"'s device and the recipient participant'"'"'s device;

and

providing the virtual experience to the recipient participant'"'"'s device by spanning across the virtual goods component and the animation component with a trajectory starting from a display of the first participant'"'"'s device and ending on a display of the recipient participant'"'"'s ‘

device.

14. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 13, wherein the virtual experience comprises dimensions including physicality, togetherness, real-time, emotion, and response time.

15. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 14, wherein the virtual goods component includes one or more virtual goods that are purchased by the first participant.

16. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 13, wherein the operations further comprises:

encoding and decoding data streams of the virtual experience by using Sentio codecs in a low-latency network setup.

17. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 16, wherein the Sentio Codecs are programmed according to a plurality of factors, the plurality of factors including available bandwidth, a characteristic of the first participant'"'"'s device, a characteristic of the recipient participant'"'"'s device, and/or a characteristic of the virtual experience.

18. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 17, wherein the resolution of the animation component is determined according to the plurality of factors.

19. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 13, wherein the virtual experience is activated or effectuated by a physical gesture of the first participant.

20. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 19, wherein the trajectory is determined by the physical gesture of the first participant.

21. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 19, wherein the trajectory is determined by a characteristic of the virtual goods component.

22. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 19, wherein the operations further comprises:

providing an option for the first participant to select the trajectory from a plurality of predetermined trajectories.

23. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 13, wherein the virtual experience is activated or effectuated by controlling one or more buttons or keys on mobile device(s) of the first participant.

24. The virtual experience server as recited in claim 13, wherein the accompanying sound component includes a swoosh noise following the trajectory, emulated splotching sound of the virtual good component hitting a screen of the recipient participant'"'"'s device, and/or dripping sound of the splotched virtual good component.

25. An apparatus for providing a virtual experience from a first participant to a recipient participant of an online event, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the virtual experience from a device of the first participant, the virtual experience including a virtual goods component, an animation component, and an accompanying sound component, the animation component indicative of an idea the first participant intended to convey to the recipient participant;

means for generating the animation component of the virtual experience, the animation component including a graphical animation of the virtual goods component across displays of the first participant'"'"'s device and the recipient participant'"'"'s device;

and

means for providing the virtual experience to the recipient participant'"'"'s device by spanning across the virtual goods component and the animation component with a trajectory starting from a display of the first participant'"'"'s device and ending on a display of the recipient participant'"'"'s device.

26. A computer implemented method for providing a virtual experience to a specific participant of an online event, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the virtual experience from a device of the specific participant, the virtual experience including a virtual goods component, an animation component, and an accompanying sound component, the animation component indicative of an idea a transmitting participant intended to convey to a recipient participant;

searching the virtual experience on a local device of the specific participant and/or a cloud environment;

and

providing the virtual experience to the specific participant'"'"'s device by spanning across the virtual goods component and the animation component with a trajectory across one or more relevant devices and ending on a display of the specific participant'"'"'s device.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the virtual experience comprises dimensions including physicality, togetherness, real-time, emotion, and response time.

28. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising:

encoding and decoding data streams of the virtual experience by using Sentio codecs in a low-latency network setup.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the Sentio Codecs are programmed according to a plurality of factors, the plurality of factors including available bandwidth, a characteristic of the first participant'"'"'s device, a characteristic of the recipient participant'"'"'s device, and/or a characteristic of the virtual experience.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the resolution of the animation component is determined according to the plurality of factors.