Creation and use of virtual places
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for providing a virtual 3-D model of a defined physical place, the method comprising:
- monitoring a news feed to detect a triggering event comprising a newsworthy event taking place at a defined physical place;
in response to the triggering event, obtaining in real or near real time, video or photographic images from news reports of the newsworthy event;
determining a surface geometry of the defined physical place using the video or photographic images;
creating a 3-D model of the defined physical place in a computer memory in real or near real time using the surface geometry;
providing a user interface for remote access to the 3-D model, wherein the video or photographic images used to create the 3-D model of the defined place are captured by one or more devices that are not controlled by a user of the user interface; and
enabling an avatar operated by the user of the user interface to enter, tour and interact with the 3-D model of the newsworthy event in real or near real time.
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Abstract
An apparatus, method and system facilitate efficient creation of virtual places and provide tools for using the virtual places. The virtual places include a virtual real estate listing, newsworthy place and a virtual box seat. Tools are provided including an automatic declutter tool and a staging tool.
81 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for providing a virtual 3-D model of a defined physical place, the method comprising:
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monitoring a news feed to detect a triggering event comprising a newsworthy event taking place at a defined physical place; in response to the triggering event, obtaining in real or near real time, video or photographic images from news reports of the newsworthy event; determining a surface geometry of the defined physical place using the video or photographic images; creating a 3-D model of the defined physical place in a computer memory in real or near real time using the surface geometry; providing a user interface for remote access to the 3-D model, wherein the video or photographic images used to create the 3-D model of the defined place are captured by one or more devices that are not controlled by a user of the user interface; and enabling an avatar operated by the user of the user interface to enter, tour and interact with the 3-D model of the newsworthy event in real or near real time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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monitoring a news feed to detect a triggering event comprising a newsworthy event taking place at a news site; obtaining digital images from the news feed, wherein the digital images include real or near real time images of elements of the news site; determining a surface geometry of the news site and supplying texture maps to the surface geometry, using the digital images; creating a 3-D model of the news site in a computer memory in real or near real time using the surface geometry and texture maps; identifying and mapping anchor points; providing a user interface for remote access to the 3-D model, wherein the digital images used to create the 3-D model of the defined place are captured by one or more devices that are not controlled by a user of the user interface; and manipulating objects within the 3-D model of the news site in real or near real time based on one or more characteristics of the mapped anchor points and based on inputs from the user of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method, comprising:
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obtaining video or photographic images of a defined physical place, wherein the video or photographic images include real or near real time images of elements of the defined physical place; processing selected ones of the video or photographic images to remove objects smaller than a specified size from the selected images; determining a surface geometry of the defined place and supplying texture maps to the surface geometry, using the video or photographic images; creating a 3-D model of the defined place in a computer memory in real or near real time using the surface geometry and texture maps; identifying independent objects within the physical place; modeling the independent objects in real or near real time, wherein the video or photographic images used to create the 3-D model of the defined place are captured by one or more devices that are not controlled by a user of the user interface; providing a user interface for remote access to the 3-D model and for manipulating the independent objects; and manipulating the independent objects of the 3-D model in real or near real time based on inputs from the user of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification