Systems, methods, and computer readable storage media for providing virtual media environments

• US 8,429,533 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Craine, Ari, Tischer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US11/860,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 715/722, 715/723, 715/724, 715/725, 715/726, 715/727, 725/49, 725/46, 725/59
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/02 Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18

Abstract

Virtual media environments are provided. A first set of media components is received and modified to create a first virtual media instance. The first virtual media instance is provided to a user via at least one media output device. Media parameters corresponding to the user are updated based on the first virtual media instance. A second set of media components is also received. The second set is modified based on the updated media parameters to create a second virtual media instance.

Claims

1. A method for providing virtual media environments, comprising:

receiving, at a processor, a first plurality of media components, the first plurality of media components comprising a first media component and a second media component;

determining, by the processor, that a portion of the first media component and a portion of the second media component conflict when the first media component and the second media component are combined;

determining, by the processor, a first weighting parameter associated with the first media component and a second weighting parameter associated with the second media component based on first media parameters corresponding to a first user, the first weighting parameter less than the second weighting parameter; and

modifying, by the processor, the first plurality of media components to create a first virtual media instance, wherein modifying the first plurality of media components comprises combining the first media component and the second media component and eliminating the portion of the first media component in favor of the portion of the second media component based on the first weighting parameter associated with the first media component being less than the second weighting parameter associated with the second media component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining characteristics of the first virtual media instance;

updating the first media parameters corresponding to the first user with information corresponding to the characteristics of the first virtual media instance;

receiving a second plurality of media components; and

modifying the second plurality of media components based on the first media parameters updated to create a second virtual media instance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second virtual media instances are for stimulating at least three of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory user senses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first weighting parameter associated with the first media component and the second weighting parameter associated with the second media component are based on how frequently a first parameter associated with the first media component is used when virtual media instances associated with the first user are created in comparison to how frequently a second parameter associated with the second media component is used when the virtual media instances associated with the first user are created.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a remote user device a request for specifications corresponding to the first virtual media instance; and

providing the specifications to the remote user device, wherein the specifications are used by the remote user device to create the first virtual media instance.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a remote user device a request for the first virtual media instance; and

providing the first virtual media instance to the remote user device, wherein second media parameters corresponding to a second user of the remote user device are updated based on the first virtual media instance, and wherein a second virtual media instance created by the remote user device is based on the second media parameters updated based on the first virtual media instance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the first virtual media instance to the first user via a media output device;

receiving feedback associated with the first user regarding the first virtual media instance from a feedback device located in a proximity of the user, wherein the feedback comprises at least one of a blood pressure of the first user, a pulse of the first user, facial movements of the first user, muscle tension of the first user, brain activity of the first user, or location of the first user; and

updating the first media parameters corresponding to the feedback received.

8. A system for providing virtual media environments, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first plurality of media components, the first plurality of media components comprising a first media component and a second media component,

determining that a portion of the first media component and a portion of the second media component of the first plurality of media components conflict when the first media component and the second media component are combined,

determining a first weighting parameter associated with the first media component and a second weighting parameter associated with the second media component based on first media parameters corresponding to a first user, the first weighting parameter less than the second weighting parameter, and

modifying the first plurality of media components to create a first virtual media instance, wherein modifying the first plurality of media components comprises combining the first media component and the second media component and eliminating the portion of the first media component in favor of the portion of the second media component based on the first weighting parameter associated with the first media component being less than the second weighting parameter associated with the second media component.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores thereon further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining characteristics of the first virtual media instance;

updating the first media parameters corresponding to the first user with information corresponding to the characteristics of the first virtual media instance;

receiving a second plurality of media components; and

modifying the second plurality of media components based on the first media parameters updated to create a second virtual media instance.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second virtual media instances are for stimulating at least three of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory user senses.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first weighting parameter associated with the first media component and the second weighting parameter associated with the second media component are based on how frequently a first parameter associated with the first media component is used when virtual media instances associated with the first user are created in comparison to how frequently a second parameter associated with the second media component is used when the virtual media instances associated with the first user are created.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores thereon further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a remote user device a request for specifications corresponding to the first virtual media instance; and

providing the specifications to the remote user device, wherein the specifications are used by the remote user device to create the first virtual media instance.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores thereon further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a remote user device a request for the first virtual media instance; and

providing the first virtual media instance to the remote user device, wherein second media parameters corresponding to a second user of the remote user device are updated based on the first virtual media instance, and wherein a second virtual media instance created by the remote user device is based on the second media parameters updated-based on the first virtual media instance.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores thereon further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing the first virtual media instance to the first user via a media output device;

receiving feedback associated with the first user regarding the first virtual media instance from a feedback device located in a proximity of the user, wherein the feedback comprises at least one of a blood pressure of the first user, a pulse of the first user, facial movements of the first user, muscle tension of the first user, brain activity of the first user, or location of the first user; and

updating the first media parameters corresponding to the first user based on the first virtual media instance and the feedback received.

15. A computer-readable storage medium for providing virtual media environments, comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first plurality of media components, the first plurality of media components comprising a first media component and a second media component;

determining that a portion of the first media component and a portion of the second media component of the first plurality of media components conflict when the first media component and the second media component are combined;

determining a first weighting parameter associated with the first media component and a second weighting parameter associated with the second media component based on first media parameters corresponding to a first user, the first weighting parameter less than the second weighting parameter; and

modifying the first plurality of media components to create a first virtual media instance, wherein modifying the first plurality of media components comprises combining the first media component and the second media component and eliminating the portion of the first media component in favor of the portion of the second media component based on the first weighting parameter associated with the first media component being less than the second weighting parameter associated with the second media component.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining characteristics of the first virtual media instance;

updating first media parameters corresponding to the first user with information corresponding to the characteristics of the first virtual media instance;

receiving a second plurality of media components; and

modifying the second plurality of media components based on the first media parameters updated to create a second virtual media instance.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second virtual media instances are for stimulating at least three of visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory user senses.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first weighting parameter associated with the first media component and the second weighting parameter associated with the second media component are based on how frequently a first parameter associated with the first media component is used when virtual media instances associated with the first user are created in comparison to how frequently a second parameter associated with the second media component is used when the virtual media instances associated with the first user are created.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a remote user device a request for specifications corresponding to the first virtual media instance; and

providing the specifications to the remote user device, wherein the specifications are used by the remote user device to create the first virtual media instance.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a remote user device a request for the first virtual media instance; and

providing the first virtual media instance to the remote user device, wherein second media parameters corresponding to a second user of the remote user device are updated based on the first virtual media instance, and wherein a second virtual media instance created by the remote user device is based on the second media parameters updated based on the first virtual media instance.