System and method for constructing and displaying active virtual reality cyber malls, show rooms, galleries, stores, museums, and objects within

• US 7,574,381 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2000
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catherine Lin-Hendel
• Original Assignee: Catherine Lin-Hendel
• Inventors: Lin-Hendel, Catherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US09/631,238
• Time in Patent Office: 3,296 Days
• Field of Search: 705/25, 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.9
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)

Abstract

A system and method for virtually displaying on-line a gallery, a showroom, a store, a mall or any other room or space and the objects contained in said room or space, wherein the data displayed is comprised of a virtual reality data packet. The system displays still photographs of virtual reality shots and textual materials, and plays virtual reality video clips and audio stories about the room and/or the objects contained therein. Each still photograph of a virtual reality shot and each frame of a video is assigned a unique frame address. Each object in a shot or video is assigned a unique identifier that is indexed and addressed by the area the object occupies in the shot or frame. Links are associated with each object so that detailed information in graphical, video, audio and/or textual forms that are related to the object and are stored external to the virtual reality data packet can be retrieved on demand from an external database for presentation to the viewer. The system also provides on-line controls that enable the viewer to move around the space, and a feature that enables a viewer to view an object from 360° around the object.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying a virtual reality scene corresponding to a physical scene including a plurality of first objects, wherein the virtual reality scene is built from a plurality of images representing different views of the physical scene;

enabling a user to navigate within the virtual reality scene and observe the virtual reality scene from one or more perspectives of the different views;

displaying a selectable object within the virtual reality scene corresponding to one of the first objects, wherein the selectable object is built from a plurality of images of the object taken from different respective angles;

upon receiving a selection of the selectable object, displaying the object in a rotational view window, and enabling the user to navigate around the object and observe the object from a plurality of angles within the virtual reality scene; and

receiving a selection of the selectable object within the rotational view window, and displaying additional information related to the selectable object, wherein the additional information includes at least one of;

a link to buy the selectable object and a link to bid on the selectable object.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, while in the rotational view window, displaying command buttons operable to enable a virtual reality user to scroll left, right, up, and down, and zoom-in and zoom-out within one of the plurality of images of the object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of images is a virtual reality shot.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of images is a video frame.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selectable object is indexed by an area that the selectable object occupies in an image containing the selectable object.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the user selects the selectable object by clicking within the area that the selectable object occupies.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of at least two selectable objects; and

simultaneously displaying additional information related to the at least two selectable objects.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of at least two selectable objects; and

retrieving and storing the selection, wherein the stored selection includes links to additional information regarding the at least two selectable objects.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the additional information related to the at least two selectable objects is retrieved and stored when the user selects a submit button.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the additional information further includes at least one of:

a plurality of graphical images of one of the selectable objects, an enlarged still image of one of the selectable objects, a photograph of one of the selectable objects, a virtual reality presentation of one of the selectable objects, a video of one of the selectable objects, an audio description of one of the selectable objects, and a textual description of one of the selectable objects.

11. The computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:

display a virtual reality scene corresponding to a physical scene including a plurality of first objects, wherein the virtual reality scene is built from a plurality of images representing different views of the physical scene;

enable a user to navigate within the virtual reality scene and observe the virtual reality scene from one or more perspectives of the different views;

display a selectable object within the virtual reality scene corresponding to one of the first objects, wherein the selectable object is built from a plurality of images of the object taken from different respective angles;

upon receiving a selection of the selectable object, display the object in a rotational view window, and enabling the user to navigate around the object and observe the object from a plurality of angles within the virtual reality scene; and

receive a selection of the selectable object within the rotational view window, and displaying additional information related to the selectable object, wherein the additional information includes at least one of;

a link to buy the selectable object and a link to bid on the selectable object.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each image has a unique image address.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the selectable object has a unique identification.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions to display in the rotational view window command buttons operable to enable a virtual reality user to scroll left, right, up, and down, and zoom-in and zoom-out within one of the plurality of images of the object.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of images is a virtual reality shot.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of images is a video frame.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the selectable object is indexed by an area that the selectable object occupies in an image containing the selectable object.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user selects the selectable object by clicking within the area that the selectable object occupies.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions to;

receive a selection of at least two selectable objects; and

simultaneously display additional information related to the at least two selectable objects.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions to;

receive a selection of at least two selectable objects; and

retrieve and store the selection, wherein the stored selection includes links to additional information regarding the at least two selectable objects.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the additional information related to the at least two selectable objects is retrieved and stored when the user selects a submit button.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the additional information further includes at least one of:

a plurality of graphical images of one of the selectable objects, an enlarged still image of one of the selectable objects, a photograph of one of the selectable objects, a virtual reality presentation of one of the selectable objects, a video of one of the selectable objects, an audio description of one of the selectable objects, and a textual description of one of the selectable objects.