Virtual entertainment environment and methods of creating the same

• US 9,823,738 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Newell, Nicholas B., Khan, Omar A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KURIEN, CHRISTEN A
• Application Number:
  US14/449,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image

Abstract

Various embodiments facilitate the creation and presentation of a virtual entertainment world. In one embodiment, the virtual entertainment world is created to help a user find and watch content. The virtual entertainment world includes various environments, including a virtual program guide, a virtual viewing environment, and a concession environment. The virtual program guide provides a starting point for users to easily and efficiently find content. The virtual viewing environment provides an immersive environment for users to watch content. The concession environment provides a convenient location where users may make purchases.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a virtual world storage configured to store virtual world data including concierge model data, concierge location data, and viewing location data;

a media storage configured to store media data including celebrity model data;

a concession storage configured to store concession data including food data, apparel data, and memorabilia data;

a server coupled to the virtual world storage, the media storage, and the concession storage, the server configured to assemble virtual environment data including the virtual world data, the media data, and the concession data; and

a receiver coupled to the server, the receiver configured to obtain the virtual environment data from the server and virtual event data from a distributor, the virtual event data including audio data, video data, description data, and celebrity wardrobe data, the receiver further configured to combine the virtual environment data with the virtual event data to create a virtual world having a virtual program guide, a virtual viewing environment, and a virtual concession environment, the virtual program guide displaying, within a first virtual location, a menu of virtual events including a selection of viewing content, the virtual viewing environment displaying, within a second virtual location, an access point and selected viewing content from the selection of viewing content in response to the selected viewing content being selected from the menu, the access point providing a passage from the virtual viewing environment to the virtual concession environment, the virtual concession environment displaying, within a third virtual location, a plurality of items available for purchase in response to accessing the access point from the virtual viewing environment, the first virtual location simulating a first physical location, the second virtual location simulating a second physical location that is different from the first physical location, the third virtual location simulating a third physical location that is different from the first physical location and the second physical location.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is further configured to customize the virtual world by analyzing virtual events that the user has selected in a prior time period, loading virtual event data based on the analysis, and combining the virtual event data that was loaded based on the analysis with the virtual environment data.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual program guide includes a concierge model at a concierge location, the concierge model configured to introduce the menu of virtual events to the user.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the virtual viewing environment includes a celebrity model that is customized to the selected viewing content, the celebrity model donning wardrobe that is derived the selected viewing content.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the virtual concession environment includes a food concession, an apparel concession, a memorabilia concession.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual world data, the media data, the concession data, and the virtual event data are updated periodically.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second virtual location is customized to the selected viewing content and has attributes derived from the selected viewing content.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second physical location and the third physical location having matching motifs.

7. A method comprising:

displaying, to a user, a virtual program guide in a virtual world, the virtual program guide displaying a menu of virtual events and a concierge model at a concierge location, the concierge location simulating a first physical location;

communicating, to the user, an introduction of the menu of virtual events by the concierge model at the concierge location;

receiving, from the user, a consideration selection of a virtual event from the menu of virtual events;

displaying, to the user, a celebrity model simultaneously with the concierge model at the concierge location after the receiving of the consideration selection, the celebrity model having an identity that matches a celebrity shown in the virtual event;

communicating, to the user, description information of the virtual event by the celebrity model at the concierge location;

receiving, from the user, a viewing selection of the virtual event;

displaying, to the user, the virtual event and the celebrity model within a virtual viewing environment in the virtual world after the receiving of the viewing selection, the virtual viewing environment simulating a second physical location that is different from the first physical location.

8. The method according to claim 7, further including:

communicating, to the user, an introduction of the virtual event by the celebrity model within the virtual viewing environment; and

communicating, to the user, answers to questions asked by the user by the celebrity model within the virtual viewing environment.

9. The method according to claim 7, further including:

displaying, to the user, a concession environment access point in the virtual viewing environment;

receiving, from the user, a concession environment access point selection; and

displaying, to the user, a food concession, an apparel concession, and a memorabilia concession in a virtual concession environment in the virtual world.

10. The method according to claim 9, further including:

receiving, from the user, a purchase selection in the virtual concession environment;

notifying a concession vendor of the purchase selection and the user'"'"'s current activity; and

delivering, by the concession vendor, the purchase selection to the user based on the user'"'"'s current activity.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including:

notifying, by the concession vendor, a status of the purchase selection to the user within the virtual world.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the celebrity model includes a wardrobe that is related to the virtual event.

18. The method according to claim 7, wherein the virtual viewing environment is customized to the virtual event and has attributes derived from the virtual event.

13. A method comprising:

assembling, by a server, virtual environment data including virtual world data, media data, and concession data, the virtual world data including concierge model data, concierge location data, and viewing location data, the media data including celebrity model data, the concession data including food data, apparel data, and memorabilia data;

obtaining, by a receiver, the virtual environment data from the server and virtual event data from a distributor, the virtual event data including audio data, video data, description data, and celebrity wardrobe data;

creating, by the receiver, a virtual program guide in a virtual world by combining the virtual environment data with the virtual event data, the virtual program guide including a menu of virtual events and a concierge model at a concierge location, the concierge location simulating a first physical location;

displaying, by a virtual headset, the virtual program guide to a user;

receiving, by the receiver, a viewing selection of a virtual event from the menu of virtual events from the user;

loading, by the receiver, virtual event data of the viewing selection;

creating, by the receiver, a virtual viewing environment in the virtual world by combining the virtual environment data with the loaded virtual event data, the virtual viewing environment simulating a second physical location that is different from the first physical location;

creating, by the receiver, a virtual concession environment in the virtual world using the virtual environment data, the virtual concession environment simulating a third physical location that is different from the first physical location and the second physical location;

displaying, by the virtual headset, the viewing selection within the virtual viewing environment to the user; and

displaying, by the virtual headset, a celebrity model and an access point within the virtual viewing environment to the user, the celebrity model having an identity that matches a celebrity shown in the viewing selection and having attributes that are derived from the viewing selection, the access point providing a passage from the virtual viewing environment to the virtual concession environment.

14. The method according to claim 13, further including:

receiving, by the device, an access point selection from the user;

displaying, by the virtual headset, the virtual concession environment to the user, the concession environment including a food concession, an apparel concession, and a memorabilia concession.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the creating of the virtual program guide further includes:

analyzing, by the receiver, virtual events that the user has selected in a prior time period;

loading, by the receiver, virtual event data based on the analysis; and

customizing, by the receiver, the virtual program guide by combining the virtual environment data with the virtual event data that was loaded based on the analysis.

16. The method according to claim 13, further including:

updating the virtual world data, the media data, the concession data, and the virtual event data periodically.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the celebrity model is donning wardrobe that is derived from the viewing selection.