Method and System for Implementing a Multi-User Virtual Environment

• US 20160217615A1
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CCP hf (PearlAbyss Corp.)
• Original Assignee: CCP hf (PearlAbyss Corp.)
• Inventors: Kraver, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 10,726,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/02 Networking aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

The present disclosure provides computer systems, apparatuses, computer-executable methods and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media for implementing a multi-user virtual reality environment. An example of a computer-implemented method for implementing a multi-user virtual reality environments includes receiving sensor data from a sensor at a local device, providing the sensor data to a network interface for electronic transmission to a remote device, providing the sensor data to a virtual environment engine executing on a processor of the local device, determining, by the virtual environment engine and based at least in part on the sensor data, virtual environment data related to a virtual reality environment, providing the virtual environment data to the network interface for electronic transmission to the remote device, and electronically transmitting, using the network interface, the sensor data and the virtual environment data to the remote device for use in generating a multi-user virtual environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing a multi-user virtual reality environment, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data from a sensor at a local device;

providing the sensor data to a network interface for electronic transmission to a remote device;

providing the sensor data to a virtual environment engine executing on a processor of the local device;

determining, by the virtual environment engine and based at least in part on the sensor data, virtual environment data related to a virtual reality environment;

providing the virtual environment data to the network interface for electronic transmission to the remote device; and

electronically transmitting, using the network interface, the sensor data and the virtual environment data to the remote device for use in generating a multi-user virtual environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises at least two separate network connections to the remote device, and wherein each of the sensor data and the virtual environment data is transmitted via a different connection of the at least two separate network connections.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising post-processing the sensor data prior to transmission to the remote device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein post-processing comprises at least one of filtering the sensor data, smoothing the sensor data, cropping the sensor data, or identifying the presence of at least one object within the sensor data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one frame of data received from a sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor data further comprises a set of mask data identifying one or more pixels within the at least one frame of data that are associated with at least one object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor data further comprises cached background data identifying the presence of at least one object not visible within the at least one frame of data.

8. (canceled)

9. A computer-implemented method for implementing a multi-user virtual reality environment, the method comprising:

receiving, at a local sensor interface, a first set of sensor data from a network interface;

receiving a second set of sensor data from a local sensor by the local sensor interface;

providing, by the local sensor interface, the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data to a local virtual environment engine executing on a processor;

generating a multi-user virtual environment based in least in part on both the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data; and

providing instructions to a display device to display at least a portion of the multi-user virtual environment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a set of virtual environment data from the remote device via the network interface; and

verifying the set of virtual environment data based at least in part using the first set of sensor data.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

using the first set of sensor data to generate a virtual representation of a user of the remote device; and

presenting the virtual representation of the user of the remote device within the multi-user virtual environment.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of sensor data further comprises object mask data, and the method comprises determining a presence of a use of the remote device within the first set of sensor data based at least in part on the object mask data.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising applying at least one post-processing operation to the second set of sensor data, but not the first set of sensor data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of sensor data comprises at least one parameter indicating the first set of sensor data was post-processed prior to transmission to the local device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the display device is a head-mounted display.

15. (canceled)

17-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A system for implementing a multi-user virtual reality environment, the system comprising:

sensor interface circuitry configured to;

receive sensor data from a sensor at a local device;

provide the sensor data to a network interface for electronic transmission to a remote device; and

provide the sensor data to a virtual environment engine executing on a processor of the local device;

virtual environment state management circuitry configured to;

determine, based at least in part on the sensor data, virtual environment data related to a virtual reality environment; and

provide the virtual environment data to the network interface for electronic transmission to the remote device; and

the network interface configured to electronically transmit the sensor data and the virtual environment data to the remote device for use in generating a multi-user virtual environment.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the network interface comprises at least two separate network connections to the remote device, and wherein each of the sensor data and the virtual environment data is transmitted via a different connection of the at least two separate network connections.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the sensor interface circuitry is further configured to post-process the sensor data prior to transmission to the remote device.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one frame of data received from a sensor.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the sensor data further comprises a set of mask data identifying one or more pixels within the at least one frame of data that are associated with at least one object.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the sensor data further comprises cached background data identifying the presence of at least one object not visible within the at least one frame of data.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the sensor data further comprises sensor configuration data indicating at least one configuration parameter of the sensor.

38. (canceled)

43. A system for implementing a multi-user virtual reality environment, the system comprising:

sensor interface circuitry configured to;

receive a first set of sensor data from a network interface;

receive a second set of sensor data from a local sensor; and

provide the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data to a local virtual environment engine executing on a processor; and

virtual environment state management circuitry configured to;

generate a multi-user virtual environment based in least in part on both the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data; and

provide instructions to a display device to display at least a portion of the multi-user virtual environment.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the virtual environment state management circuitry is further configured to:

receive a set of virtual environment data from the remote device via the network interface; and

verify the set of virtual environment data based at least in part using the first set of sensor data.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the virtual environment state management circuitry is further configured to:

use the first set of sensor data to generate a virtual representation of a user of the remote device; and

present the virtual representation of the user of the remote device within the multi-user virtual environment.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the sensor interface circuitry is further configured to apply at least one post-processing operation to the second set of sensor data, but not the first set of sensor data.

50. The system of claim 43, wherein the display device is a head-mounted display.

46. (canceled)

48-49. -49. (canceled)