Real time virtual reality leveraging web cams and IP cams and web cam and IP cam networks

• US 9,521,368 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Cronin, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/460,281
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 707/999.01, 707/217, 707/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• 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: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors of locations in a virtual universe via a computer network are provided. A plurality of VR data sets may be stored. Each VR data set comprise web or IP camera VR datasets and may be independently authored by a respective author different from the other authors. One or more VR data servers may be adapted to access and transmit the VR data sets, and each VR data set may be associated with a VR data server for access to the VR data set. A domain server may be adapted to access and transmit domain data comprising the location within the universe of each VR representation and the network address of the VR data server associated with the VR representation. Further, a client host may be adapted to communicate with the domain server to receive domain data representing the network address of the VR data server associated with a selected VR representation, the client host further adapted to communicate with that VR data server to access the VR data set defining the VR representation without leaving the virtual universe.

Claims

1. A system for accessing VR representations in a virtual universe, the system comprising:

memory that stores a plurality of VR data sets including VR data sets captured by a web camera or an IP camera, the VR datasets defining a VR representation of a location, wherein at least one VR data set-is associated with time-sliced data indicating when the at least one VR data set was captured, each data set independently authored or defined by a respective author different from the other authors;

one or more VR data servers that accesses and transmits the VR data sets, each VR data set associated with a VR data server for access to the VR data set;

a domain server that accesses and transmits domain data including the location within the universe of each VR representation and the network address of the VR data server associated with the VR representation; and

a client host that communicates with the domain server to receive the domain data representing the network address of the VR data server associated with a selected VR representation, the client host further communicating with that VR data server to access the VR data set defining the VR representation without leaving the virtual universe, wherein the client host accesses a different VR data set by changing a time option associated with the selected VR representation, and changing the time option comprises switching between real-time and time-sliced VR data sets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the web or IP camera data includes data obtained in real-time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the web or IP camera data includes time-sliced data obtained at a plurality of different times.

4. The system of claim 1, where the web or IP camera data is changeable by remotely changing the camera location.

5. The system of claim 1, where the web or IP camera data is extracted from a web site that aggregates the web or IP camera data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more data servers stores a database of the locations of the both static and web or IP camera virtual reality representations accessible through the data server and the network addresses of the VR data sets defining such virtual reality representations, whereby VR data sets can be stored remotely from the data server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the VR data sets comprise first data representing a plurality of photographs or data from a web or IP camera taken from a geographical location, each photograph or data from a web or IP camera taken in a respective viewing direction, and second data representing the viewing direction of each photograph.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the client host comprises means for generating both static and web or IP camera virtual reality presentation utilizing the accessed VR data set.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain data in the domain server is updated based on author submission of information regarding the network address of the data server and the location in the virtual reality universe associated with the VR data set as well as determining the time when an IP or web camera data is to take automatic pictures.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the VR data sets comprise data representing a photograph or data from a web or IP camera taken from a geographical location.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a timer collector, wherein the web or IP camera captures camera data in accordance with instruction by the timer collector.

12. A method for accessing VR representations in a virtual universe, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of data servers and a domain server interconnected with the data servers, the data servers providing that accesses and transmits the VR data sets of virtual representations of locations within the universe, each set of VR data authored by a respective different author independently of the other authors, the VR data including VR data sets captured by a web camera or an IP camera, wherein at least one VR data set is associated with time-sliced data indicating when the at least one VR data set was captured, the domain server that accesses and transmits domain data including the location to visit and the network address of the data server of the VR data for the selected location;

receiving data from the visitor representing a selected location in the universe;

accessing the domain data in response to the received data and obtaining therefrom the network address of the data server that provides access to the VR data for the selected location; and

transferring the VR data for the selected location from the data server to the visitor'"'"'s computer for generation of a VR presentation of the selected location without leaving the virtual universe, wherein the client host accesses a different VR data set by changing a time option associated with the selected VR representation, and changing the time option comprises switching between real-time and time-sliced VR data sets.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for accessing VR representations in a virtual universe, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of data servers and a domain server interconnected with the data servers, the data servers that accesses and transmits the VR data sets of virtual representations of locations within the universe, each set of VR data authored by a respective different author independently of the other authors, the VR data including VR data sets captured by a web camera or an IP camera, wherein at least one VR data set is associated with time-sliced data indicating when the at least one VR data set was captured, the domain server that accesses and transmits domain data including the location to visit and the network address of the data server of the VR data for the selected location;

receiving data from the visitor representing a selected location in the universe;

accessing the domain data in response to the received data and obtaining therefrom the network address of the data server that provides access to the VR data for the selected location; and

transferring the VR data for the selected location from the data server to the visitor'"'"'s computer for generation of a VR presentation of the selected location without leaving the virtual universe, wherein the client host accesses a different VR data set by changing a time option associated with the selected VR representation, and changing the time option comprises switching between real-time and time-sliced VR data sets.