Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications in virtual reality

• US 8,601,386 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Ingenio LLC
• Inventors: Altberg, Ebbe, Faber, Scott, Hirson, Ron, Lyon, Ben Harris, Manca, Paul G., Van Der Linden, Sean, Yang, Virginia Hong-Jia
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/738,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/757, 715/706, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

Methods and systems for connecting people for real time communications via a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object presented in a virtual reality world; indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object is being called; and responsive to an input from one resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the resident for a real time communication session.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, a telephonic call for a real time communication session at a virtual object telephone, wherein

the virtual object telephone is presented in a virtual reality world,

the virtual reality world comprises a three dimensional model including the virtual object telephone,

the virtual object telephone has a visible volume in the virtual reality world, and

the virtual reality world is presented to residents of the virtual reality world based on respective view points of residents in the virtual reality world;

indicating, via the computing device, to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object telephone is being called, wherein

the plurality of residents correspond to a plurality of users of the virtual reality world connected via a network,

the plurality of residents are represented by a plurality of avatars presented in the virtual reality world, and

the plurality of avatars are located in a vicinity of the virtual object telephone in the virtual reality world; and

responsive to an input from a receiving resident of the plurality of residents, connecting via the computing device, the telephonic call to the receiving resident for a real time communication session, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object telephone is being called provides each of the plurality of residents an opportunity to provide the input to receive the telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world comprises displaying a visual cue on the virtual object telephone;

and the plurality of avatars are in the virtual reality world at positions where the virtual object telephone is visible to the plurality of avatars.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world comprises providing an audio cue which is delivered to residents who are within a predetermined distance from the virtual object telephone in the virtual reality world.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world comprises providing an audio cue which is delivered to residents to who the virtual object telephone is visible.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an advertisement in the virtual reality world via the virtual object telephone; and

connecting a call from an advertiser of the advertisement to the virtual object telephone.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an advertisement in the virtual reality world via the virtual object telephone; and

alerting an advertiser to call the virtual object telephone for an opportunity to reach a customer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting an opportunity to reach a customer through monitoring activities surrounding the virtual object telephone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the monitoring comprises the virtual object telephone receiving public messages from residents located within a threshold distance away from the virtual object telephone.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the monitoring comprises the virtual object telephone receiving displayed messages from residents within a view of the virtual object telephone.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting an opportunity to reach a customer through interaction with a resident via the virtual object telephone.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an advertisement in the virtual reality world via the virtual object telephone;

placing a call to the virtual object telephone; and

after the call is connected to the receiving resident, bridging the call to an advertiser of the advertisement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bridging the call to the advertiser comprises placing a separate call to the advertiser.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the bridging the call to the advertiser comprises a connection provider placing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call to a telecommunication carrier which bridges a second VoIP call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the advertiser.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting of the call to the receiving resident for a real time communication session comprises the virtual object telephone automatically obtaining contact information from the receiving resident via a data packet configured with the receiving resident.

15. A non-transitory machine readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a telephonic call for a real time communication session at a virtual object telephone, wherein

the virtual object telephone is presented in a virtual reality world,

the virtual reality world comprises a three dimensional model including the virtual object telephone,

the virtual object telephone has a visible volume in the virtual reality world, and

the virtual reality world is presented to residents of the virtual reality world based on respective view points of residents in the virtual reality world;

indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object telephone is being called, wherein

the plurality of residents correspond to a plurality of users of the virtual reality world connected via a network,

the plurality of residents are represented by a plurality of avatars presented in the virtual reality world, and

the plurality of avatars are located in a vicinity of the virtual object telephone in the virtual reality world; and

responsive to an input from a receiving resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the telephonic call to the receiving resident for a real time communication session, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object telephone is being called provides each of the plurality of residents an opportunity to provide the input to receive the telephone call.

16. A data processing system, comprising:

means for receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object telephone presented in a virtual reality world, wherein

the virtual object telephone is presented in a virtual reality world,

the virtual reality world comprises a three dimensional model including the virtual object telephone,

the virtual object telephone has a visible volume in the virtual reality world, and

the virtual reality world is presented to residents of the virtual reality world based on respective view points of residents in the virtual reality world;

means for indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object telephone is being called, wherein

the plurality of residents correspond to a plurality of users of the virtual reality world connected via a network,

the plurality of residents are represented by a plurality of avatars presented in the virtual reality world, and

the plurality of avatars are located in a vicinity of the virtual object telephone in the virtual reality world; and

means for responsive to an input from a receiving resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the receiving resident for a real time communication session, wherein the indicating to the plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object telephone is being called provides each of the plurality of residents an opportunity to provide the input to receive the telephone call.