Audio-visual navigation and communication dynamic memory architectures

• US 9,405,503 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AQ Media, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AQ Media, Inc.
• Inventors: Roos, Jan Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Nabi, Reza
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/607,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 715/851
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• 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: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a plurality of spatial publishing objects (SPOs) is provided in a multidimensional space in a user interface. Each of the plurality of spatial publishing objects is associated with digital media data from at least one digital media source. The user interface has a field for the digital media data. A user is provided via the user interface with a user presence that is optionally capable of being represented in the user interface relative to the plurality of spatial publishing objects. The digital media data associated with the at least one spatial publishing object are combined to generate a media output corresponding to the combined digital media data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of spatial publishing objects in a multidimensional space in a user interface, wherein each of the plurality of spatial publishing objects comprises an interior communication space defined by three dimensions capable of containing another plurality of spatial publishing objects, each spatial publishing object associated with audio and visual portions of digital media data from at least one digital media source;

providing a user presence in the user interface, the user interface having fields in the multidimensional space for the audio and visual portions of the digital media data, the user presence providing a user point of view from any one of the plurality of spatial publishing objects to a remainder of the plurality of spatial publishing objects;

mixing together varying amounts of each of the audio and visual portions of the digital media data associated with at least two spatial publishing objects of the plurality of spatial publishing objects, wherein

the variation in the amounts of each of the audio and visual portions of the two digital media data changes continuously in accordance with the distance of each of the at least two spatial publishing objects to the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence or the user point of view; and

generating a first integrated mixed media output corresponding to the mixing of the digital media data for the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence or the user point of view; and

outputting a second integrated mixed media output in the interior communication space of the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence while simultaneously outputting the second integrated mixed media output to the surface of the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence, wherein the second integrated mixed media output is user controllable.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein at least a subset of the plurality of spatial publishing objects has properties configurable by the user or a publisher of the subset of spatial publishing objects, and

wherein access to the digital media data of the plurality of spatial publishing objects is capable of being filtered based on at least the properties.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the properties can be determined by at least one of the group consisting of:

password protection, subscription, pay-per-view or pay-per-download, copy protection, and digital rights management.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising the step of updating the plurality of spatial publishing objects in the multidimensional space of the user interface in real-time based on changes to the properties by the users or publishers.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the properties corresponding to at least a subset of the spatial publishing objects are capable of changing in real-time in response to a navigational input by the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising programming a keyword or property within at least one of the plurality of spatial publishing objects.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the keyword or property is associated with at least one of the group consisting of software controls, interactions, and display formatting of the user interface.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing tracking functionality to track and log at least one of the group consisting of creation, usage, and modifications of spatial publishing objects, spatial publishing object properties or their associated digital media data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the tracking functionality can, upon optional user selection, provide at least one alternate input for navigational trajectory control other than by the user within the multidimensional space of the user interface.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one alternate input for navigational control comprises at least one of the group consisting of external input for navigational control, autopilot navigational control, and randomly-generated navigational control.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the tracking functionality is configured to provide an external input to display data representing trajectories through the multidimensional space logged for individuals other than the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising the step of

receiving updates to the plurality of spatial publishing objects based on the at least one of creation, usage, and modifications, and

wherein each of the creation, usage, and modifications updates are available for sharing from previous users of the currently-active spatial publishing objects.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising the step of providing currently-active spatial publishing objects based on the creation, usage, and modifications updates shared from previous users of the currently-active spatial publishing objects.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of setting for private communication the second integrated mixed media output from the interior communication space of the spatial publishing object.

15. A computer system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

a processor configured to perform at least the following instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium;

providing a plurality of spatial publishing objects in a multidimensional space in a user interface, wherein each of the plurality of spatial publishing objects comprises an interior communication space defined by three dimensions capable of containing another plurality of spatial publishing objects, each associated with audio and visual portions of digital media data from at least one digital media source;

providing a user presence in the user interface, the user interface having fields in the multidimensional space for the audio and visual portions of the digital media data, the user presence providing a user point of view from any one of the plurality of spatial publishing objects to a remainder of the plurality of spatial publishing objects;

mixing together varying amounts of each of the audio and visual portions of the digital media data associated with at least two spatial publishing objects of the plurality of spatial publishing objects wherein

the variation in the amounts of each of the audio and visual portions of the two digital media data changes continuously in accordance with the distance of each of the at least two spatial publishing objects to the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence or the user point of view; and

generating a first integrated mixed media output corresponding to the mixed digital media data for the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence or the user point of view; and

outputting a second integrated mixed media output in the interior communication space of the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence while simultaneously outputting the second integrated mixed media output to the surface of the spatial publishing object comprising the user presence, wherein the second integrated mixed media output is user controllable.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of spatial publishing objects has properties configurable by the user or a publisher of the subset of spatial publishing objects, and wherein access to the digital media data of the plurality of spatial publishing objects is capable of being filtered based on at least the properties.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the properties can be determined by at least one of the group consisting of:

password protection, subscription, pay-per-view or pay-per-download, copy protection, and digital rights management.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to further perform updating the plurality of spatial publishing objects in the multidimensional space of the user interface in real-time based on changes to the properties by the users or publishers.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the properties corresponding to at least a subset of the spatial publishing objects are capable of changing in real-time in response to a navigational input by the user.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to further perform programming a keyword or property within at least one of the plurality of spatial publishing objects.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the keyword or property is associated with at least one of the group consisting of software controls, interactions, and display formatting of the user interface.

22. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to further perform providing tracking functionality to track and to at least one of the group consisting of creation, usage, and modifications of spatial publishing objects, spatial publishing object properties or their associated digital media data.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the tracking functionality can upon optional user selection, provide at least one alternate input for navigational trajectory control other than by the user within the multidimensional space of the user interface.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein the at least one alternate input for navigational control comprises at least one of the group consisting of external input for navigational control, autopilot navigational control, and randomly-generated navigational control.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, wherein the tracking functionality is configured to provide an external input to display data representing trajectories through the multidimensional space logged for individuals other than the user.

26. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to further perform:

receiving updates to the plurality of spatial publishing objects based on the at least one of creation, usage, and modifications, and

wherein each of the creation, usage, and modifications updates are available for sharing from previous users of the currently-active spatial publishing objects.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the processor is configured to further perform providing currently-active spatial publishing objects based on the creation, usage, and modifications updates shared from previous users of the currently-active spatial publishing objects.

28. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to further perform providing, concurrently with setting for private communication the second integrated mixed media output from the interior communication space of the spatial publishing object.