Virtual reality systems and methods

• US 8,046,408 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Torabi, Mohammad
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baturay; Alicia
• Application Number:
  US09/933,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,718 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

Virtual reality system facilitating the setup and conduction of a virtual reality episode by receiving virtual reality data captured by virtual reality environment (VRE) user equipment, and transmitting the virtual reality data via a network to other virtual reality components capable of presenting the virtual reality data. The setup and conduction of the virtual reality episode occurs in real-time, such that a user can participate in an episode that represents events presently occurring in an environment. The VRE user equipment includes wireless devices such that one or more mobile users at a plurality of locations may simultaneously participate in a virtual reality episode.

Claims

1. A virtual reality system, comprising:

at least one virtual reality environment user equipment (VUE) operative to capture and transmit real-world video and audio data and to display received virtual reality data representing an actual physical environment;

at least one virtual reality environment core system (VCS), wherein;

the core system is in communication with at least two virtual reality environment subscriber databases (VSD), one of which has a relatively local location and at least one of which has a relatively remote location;

the virtual reality environment core system being in wireless communication with the at least one VUE, the core system being operative to access the relatively local VSD, to retrieve respective subscription information of the at least one VUE if the core system is a respective home core system of the at least one VUE, and to access at least one of the at least one relatively remotely located VSD to retrieve respective subscription information of the at least one VUE if the core system is a visited virtual reality core system relative to the at least one VUE; and

a virtual reality environment episode management entity (VEME) which is in communication with the at least one virtual reality environment core system and is operative to forward the virtual reality data representing the environment to the at least one VUE and receive the real-world video and audio data from the at least one VUE, thereby facilitating a virtual reality episode.

2. The virtual reality system of claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual reality environment user equipment (VUE) is operative to capture the virtual reality data in real-time.

3. The virtual reality system of claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual reality environment user equipment (VUE) is operative to display the virtual reality data in real-time.

4. The virtual reality system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one additional VUE in hardwired communication with at least one of the at least one VCS.

5. The virtual reality system of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality episode is conducted between a plurality of virtual reality environment user equipment (VUE).

6. The virtual reality system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual reality environment access system (VAS), wherein the virtual reality environment access system facilitates the wireless communication of the at least one virtual reality environment user equipment with the at least one virtual reality environment core system.

7. The virtual reality system of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one virtual reality core systems (VCS) comprises a virtual reality entity subscription database (VSD).

8. The virtual reality system of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality environment episode management entity (VEME) is located within one of the at least one virtual reality environment core system (VCS).

9. A method of enabling the real-time establishment and conduction of a real-time virtual reality episode (VRE), comprising:

receiving a request for establishing a virtual reality episode (VRE) from VRE user equipment (VUE);

accessing a relatively local virtual reality environment subscriber database (VSD) to retrieve subscription information associated with the VUE if an entity receiving the request is a respective home virtual reality core system of the VUE;

accessing a relatively remote VSD to retrieve respective subscription information of the VUE if the entity receiving the request is a visited virtual reality core system (VCS) relative to the VUE;

receiving real time virtual reality data at a virtual reality environment (VRE) episode management entity (VEME), wherein the virtual reality data is representative of an actual physical environment;

determining, at a VRE episode management entity, that the virtual reality data is associated with the requested virtual reality episode; and

forwarding, based on the accessed subscription information, at least a portion of the virtual reality data to the VUE, wherein the VRE user equipment is in wireless communication with the VRE episode management entity (VEME), and wherein the VRE user equipment (VUE) is operative to capture, transmit and display virtual reality data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising capturing and transmitting, in real time, virtual reality data representative of an actual physical environment prior to receiving the real time virtual reality data at a virtual reality environment (VRE) episode management entity (VEME).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein capturing in real time, virtual reality data comprises capturing real time audio associated with the actual physical environment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein capturing in real time virtual reality data comprises capturing in real time virtual reality data representative of an actual physical environment located geographically distant from the VRE user equipment (VUE).

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying the VRE user equipment (VUE) as participating in the virtual reality episode prior to forwarding at least a portion of the virtual reality data to the VRE user equipment (VUE).

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the location of the VRE user equipment (VUE) prior to forwarding at least a portion of the virtual reality data to the VRE user equipment (VUE).

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the VRE user equipment (VUE) comprises querying a database for the location of the VRE user equipment (VUE).

16. A virtual reality system that enables the real-time conduction of a virtual reality episode, comprising:

at least one virtual reality environment user equipment (VUE) operative to capture and display virtual reality data, associated with at least one user;

at least one virtual reality environment core system (VCS), wherein the at least one VCS has a pre-existing relationship with one of the at least one VUE and the at least one user;

a plurality of virtual reality environment access systems (VAS), wherein each respective VAS of the plurality provides wireless connectivity for respective ones of the at least one VUE, whereby the respective VAS relays messages between the VUE and the at least one VCS; and

wherein responsibility for providing connectivity is handed off from a first respective VCS to a second respective VCS if the respective ones of the at least one VUE move out of a first geographic region served by the first respective VCS and into a second geographic region that is served by the second respective VCS; and

a virtual reality environment episode management entity (VEME), in communication with the at least one user and the at least one VCS, wherein the VEME forwards real time virtual reality data representative of an actual physical environment to the at least one VUE associated with the at least one user through wireless connectivity services of the respective VAS currently serving the at least one VUE of the at least one user based on VUE or user location and/or mobile link information maintained by the VEME.

17. A method of participating in a real-time virtual reality episode, comprising;

providing a virtual reality environment user equipment (VUE), wherein the virtual reality user equipment (VUE) captures and displays virtual reality data representing an actual physical environment associated with a first user;

wirelessly transmitting the captured virtual reality data to a first virtual reality environment access systems (VAS)

communicating the captured virtual reality data to intervening network elements including a second VAS

accessing a relatively local virtual reality environment subscriber database (VSD) to retrieve subscription information associated with a second user participating in the virtual reality episode, if an entity in communication with the second user is a home virtual reality core system (H-VCS) of the second user;

accessing a relatively remote VSD to retrieve subscription information of the second user if the entity in communication with the second user is a visited virtual reality core system (V-VCS) relative to the second user; and

wirelessly transmitting the virtual reality data from the second VAS to the second user as authorized by the subscription information associated with the second user, wherein the second VAS and the second user are geographically remote from the first user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, from the second user, data representing one or more actions performed by the second user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein wirelessly transmitting occurs automatically after the VRE user equipment captures the virtual reality data.

20. A system that is operative to provide virtual reality data services to a subscriber using virtual reality environment user equipment (VUE), the system comprising:

a virtual reality environment episode management entity (VEME) that is operative to manage, coordinate, synchronize and maintain event information and mobile links between participants and information sources associated with a virtual reality episode;

a virtual reality environment control entity (VECE) that is operative to control virtual reality episodes associated with the subscriber or the VUE by accessing a local virtual reality environment subscriber database (VSD) if the VECE is a home VECE of the subscriber or VUE, or accessing a remote virtual reality environment subscriber database (VSD), if the VECE is a visited VECE relative to the subscriber or VUE, to determine subscription information associated with the subscriber and/or the VUE, and providing system access and or services to the VUE and relaying messages between the VUE and the VEME according to the subscriber information and the mobile links, and

a virtual reality environment access system (VAS), wherein the VAS provides wireless connectivity for the VUE if the VUE is located in a respective geographic region served by the VAS, whereby the VAS relays messages between the VUE an the VECE;

wherein responsibility for providing connectivity is handed off from the VECE if the VUE moves out of a first geographic region served by the first VECE.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

at least one additional virtual reality environment VECE that is operative to control virtual reality episodes associated with at least one additional subscriber using at least one additional VUE by accessing a local virtual reality environment subscriber database (VSD) if the VECE is a home VECE of the at least one additional subscriber or VUE, and accessing a remote virtual reality environment subscriber database (VSD), if the VECE is a visited VECE relative to the at least one additional subscriber or VUE, to determine at least one additional set of subscription information associated with the at least one additional subscriber and/or the at least one additional VUE, and providing system access and/or services to the at least one additional VUE and relaying messages between the at least one additional VUE and the VEME according to the subscriber information and the mobile links, and

at least one additional virtual reality environment access system (VAS) associated with the at least one additional VECE, wherein each respective additional VAS provides wireless connectivity for at least one of the at least one additional VUE if the at least on additional VUE is located in a respective geographic region served by the respective additional VAS, whereby the respective additional VAS relays messages between the at least one additional VUE and a respective one of the at least one additional VECE; and

wherein responsibility for providing connectivity is handed off from a first respective additional VAS to a second respective additional VAS if the at least one additional VUE moves out of a first additional geographic region served by the respective first additional VAS and into a second additional geographic region that is served by a second respective additional VAS.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a virtual reality environment gateway entity that is operative to provide boundary entity services that facilitate a communication of messages between the VECE and the at least one additional VECE, the boundary entity services including at least one of firewall services, hiding underlying network structure, facilitating the flow and routing of virtual reality episode control signals, and converting or translating signals or protocols between elements of the system.