Virtual reality system including social graph

• US 9,851,793 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jaunt Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: van Hoff, Arthur, Annau, Thomas M., Christensen, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US15/146,774
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 386201, 386223, 386224, 386341, 348 36- 39, 348 42- 60, 3482181, 348 1, 348159, 34821111, 707798, 715757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/2431 Multiple classes
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0263 based upon Internet or website rating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/106 Processing image signals for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 : Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 : involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 : for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The disclosure includes a system and method for receiving viewing data that describes a location of a first user'"'"'s gaze while viewing virtual reality content. The method also determining an object of interest in the virtual reality content based on the location of the first user'"'"'s gaze. The method also includes generating a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network. The method also includes performing an action in the social network related to the object of interest.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving viewing data that describes a location of a first user'"'"'s gaze while viewing virtual reality content;

determining an object of interest to a first user in the virtual reality content based on the location of the first user'"'"'s gaze;

performing an action in a social network related to the object of interest, wherein the action includes preventing disclosure of at least one of private and embarrassing information by;

determining a category associated with the object of interest;

comparing the category to a list of user-approved subject matter to determine whether the category is in the list, wherein the list of user-approved subject matter is subject matter that is not sensitive to the user, and

responsive to the category being in the list, automatically generating a social network update that describes an interaction of the first user with the virtual reality content based on the viewing data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action in the social network further includes:

identifying one or more second users in the social network that are associated with the object of interest; and

suggesting a connection between the first user and the one or more second users in the social network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action in the social network further includes comprises:

identifying one or more second users in the social network that are associated with the object of interest; and

inviting the one or more second users to join the first user in interacting with the virtual reality content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action in the social network further comprises:

providing the social network update to one or more second users that are connected to the first user via a social graph.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action in the social network further comprises:

determining one or more advertisements that correspond to the category;

providing the one or more advertisements as part of the virtual reality content; and

updating a user profile associated with the first user to include information about at least one of the category and the one or more advertisements.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing information in a social graph about the first user'"'"'s gaze at advertisements displayed as part of the virtual reality content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action in the social network further comprises:

suggesting a group associated with the social network based on the category.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting instructions to physical hardware to vibrate to provide physical stimulation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the object of interest is based on a heat map that measures the first user'"'"'s gaze at different locations in the virtual reality content and illustrates the first user'"'"'s gaze with different colors based on a length of time the first user spent looking at the different locations.

10. A method comprising:

determining locations of user gaze within virtual reality content;

generating a heat map that includes different colors based on a number of user gazes for each location; and

automatically providing a first user that is viewing the virtual reality content with a recommendation to look at one or more of the locations in the virtual reality content based on the heat map, wherein the recommendation includes an audio cue and a visual cue.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a playlist of virtual reality experiences based on most user views of virtual reality content.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a playlist of virtual reality experiences based on a geographical location.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a playlist of virtual reality experiences, wherein the playlist is generated by a second user that is an expert in subject matter that is in the virtual reality content and the playlist is based on the subject matter.

14. A method comprising:

receiving viewing data that includes a location of a user'"'"'s gaze while viewing virtual reality content;

determining the location of the user'"'"'s gaze;

determining a category associated with an object of interest that is within the location of the user'"'"'s gaze;

determining one or more first advertisements that correspond to the category;

generating graphics for displaying at least one of a bottom portion that is located below feet of the user and a top portion is located above a head of the user in a three-dimensional world of the virtual reality content; and

providing the one or more first advertisements to display in at least one of the bottom portion and the top portion of the three-dimensional world.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a social network profile for the user that includes one or more user interests;

wherein determining the one or more first advertisements is further based on the one or more user interests.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

analyzing the virtual reality content to identify a stitching aberration in the virtual reality content;

incorporating a second advertisement into the virtual reality content such that the stitching aberration is not visible; and

providing the virtual reality content with the second advertisement to the user.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a cost for displaying one or more second advertisements based on a location of the one or more second advertisements in the virtual reality content and the category associated with the one or more second advertisements; and

suggesting a second advertisement from the one or more second advertisements based on the cost for displaying each of the one or more second advertisements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the cost for displaying each of the one or more first advertisements is further based on a length of time that the user gazes at the location.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a graphical object as part of the virtual reality content that is linked to a second advertisement;

receiving a selection of the second advertisement from the user, and

generating a pop-up window in the virtual reality content or providing access to a third-party website.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining locations of user gaze of the virtual reality content;

generating a heat map that determines different areas of interest based on a number of user gazes for each location; and

determining a fee for displaying the second advertisement in each area of interest associated with the heat map.