Virtual reality system for providing individuals with customized live experiences

• US 9,684,371 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molyneux Entertainment
• Original Assignee: Molyneux Entertainment
• Inventors: Molyneux, Timothy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Application Number:
  US14/791,527
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 348142-160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An interactive system and method of the present invention provides a customized experience to individual spectators of a live performance. An input device receives a performance parameter selected by a spectator, and physical features of the spectator are scanned into a processor. Real time data collectors are associated with performers in the live performance, wherein the processor receives the performance parameter from the input device and real time performance data from the real time data collectors, and generates an individually customized real time performance based on the performance parameter and the physical features of the spectator as superimposed with the real time performance data, and further provides the customized real time performance to a virtual reality device for real time presentation to the spectator.

Claims

1. An interactive system for providing a customized viewing experience to individuals with respect to a live performance, the system comprising:

at least one virtual reality device associated with an individual viewing the live performance,

each virtual reality device configured receive data corresponding to real time virtual reality sensory elements and projected in response to one or more parameters selected by the associated viewer, and to display the real time virtual reality elements,

wherein selectable parameters comprise one or more of a visual perspective for the individual viewing the performance, stylistic elements associated with one or more performers, and background scenery elements.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising

at least one data collector dynamically positioned on each of a plurality of performers, and

at least one data collector statically positioned for viewing the plurality of performers,

wherein virtual reality sensory elements associated with one of said dynamically positioned or statically positioned data collectors are provided to the virtual reality device in response to an associated visual perspective parameter selection.

3. The system of claim 2, the selectable parameters further comprising physical features for at least one performer.

4. The system of claim 3, the physical features for the at least one performer selectable by the individual from among various options including the physical features of the associated individual.

5. The system of claim 2, the selectable parameters further comprising environmental effects associated with at least one performer.

6. The system of claim 5, the at least one virtual reality device further comprising at least one virtual reality glove, the environmental effects further comprising temperature effects projected to the at least one glove.

7. An interactive system for customizing a live performance, the system comprising:

an input device configured to receive one or more performance parameters associated with a viewer of the performance;

one or more virtual reality devices associated with the viewer; and

a processor configured to

receive the performance parameters from the input device and real time performance data from one or more real time data collectors associated with a performer in said performance,

generate an individually customized real time performance based on the performance parameters and the real time performance data, and

provide the customized real time performance to the one or more virtual reality devices for real time presentation to the viewer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the input device is configured to receive one or more performance parameters selected by the viewer prior to the performance.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the input device is configured to receive one or more performance parameters selected by the viewer in real time during the performance.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the input device is configured to receive one or more performance parameters selected by the viewer prior to the performance and further configured to receive one or more performance parameters selected by the viewer in real time during the performance to supplement or amend the performance parameters selected prior to the performance.

11. The system of claim 7, the performance parameters selectable by the viewer and comprising one or more of a visual perspective for the viewer, stylistic elements associated with one or more performers, and background scenery elements.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a scanner wherein physical features of the viewer may be scanned prior to the performance,

the processor further configured to generate the customized real time performance based on the scanned physical features of the viewer,

wherein the customized real time performance comprises a perspective view for the viewer of the scanned physical features of the viewer displayed on one or more of the performers in real time.

13. The system of claim 7, the real time performance data collected from the one or more data collectors further comprising one or more of a perspective view, an environmental cue or a sensory experience from the individual performer associated with the one or more data collectors.

14. An interactive system for providing a customized experience to individuals viewing of a live performance, the system comprising:

at least one data collector dynamically positioned on each of a plurality of performers;

at least one data collector statically positioned for viewing the plurality of performers;

a processor remotely coupled to each of the data collectors to receive inputs therefrom, and further configured to

receive one or more parameters selected by an individual viewing the performance, and

independently project real time display elements to a virtual reality device associated with the individual in response to the one or more selected parameters,

wherein selectable parameters further comprise one or more of a visual perspective for the individual, stylistic elements associated with one or more performers, and background scenery elements.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to provide a virtual reality sensory effect associated with one of said dynamically positioned or statically positioned data collectors to the virtual reality device in response to an associated visual perspective parameter selection.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the live performance comprises a theatrical performance, and one or more of the selectable parameters are input to the processor via an input device associated with a theater seat for the individual.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein selected parameters are received by the processor via an input device configured to provide one or more performance parameters selected by the individual prior to the performance.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein selected parameters are received by the processor via an input device configured to provide one or more performance parameters selected by the individual in real time during the performance.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein selected parameters are received by the processor via an input device configured to provide one or more performance parameters selected by the individual prior to the performance and further configured to receive one or more performance parameters selected by the individual in real time during the performance to supplement or amend the performance parameters selected prior to the performance.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to

receive scanned physical features of the individual, and

generate the real time display effects based at least in part on the scanned physical features of the individual,

wherein a customized real time performance comprises a perspective view for the individual of the scanned physical features of the individual superimposed on a performer in real time.