System and method for presenting virtual reality content to a user

• US 9,986,219 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mindshow, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Visionary VR, Inc.
• Inventors: Ross, Jonathan Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Mishawn
• Application Number:
  US15/601,901
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9305 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system configured to present primary and secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content to a user. Primary virtual reality content may be displayed to a user, and, responsive to the user turning his view away from the primary virtual reality content, a sensory cue is provided to the user that indicates to the user that his view is no longer directed toward the primary virtual reality content, and secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content may be displayed to the user. Primary virtual reality content may resume when the user returns his view to the primary virtual reality content. Primary virtual reality content may be adjusted based on a user'"'"'s interaction with the secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content. Secondary, tertiary, etc., virtual reality content may be adjusted based on a user'"'"'s progression through the primary virtual reality content, or interaction with the primary virtual reality content.

Claims

1. A system for presenting virtual reality content to a user, the system comprising:

one or more sensors that generate output signals conveying information related to a view direction of the user, the view direction of the user corresponding to a physical direction toward which the gaze of the user is directed;

a display that presents the virtual reality content to the user, wherein presentation of the virtual reality content via the display visually simulates presence of the user within a virtual space, wherein the virtual space is fixed relative to physical space and a view direction of the user dictates which portions of the virtual space are visible to the user, wherein the virtual space includes multiple fields of view that are part of the same virtual space and fixed spatially within the virtual space so that the positions of the fields of view in the virtual space are independent of the view direction of the user, the multiple fields of view including the first field of view and the second field of view; and

one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to;

determine the view direction of the user based on the output signals;

identify a change in the view direction of the user from the first field of view to the second field of view based on the output signals;

cause a change in flow of the virtual reality content presented via the display responsive to identifying the change in the view direction of the user, wherein the change in flow of the virtual reality content alters the rhythm, pace, and/or style of the virtual reality content; and

cause the display to provide a sensory cue to the user responsive to identifying the change in the view direction of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to provide the cue responsive to the view direction moving across a field boundary between a first field of view and a second field of view.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to facilitate adjustment of the first field of view, the second field of view and/or the first field boundary by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to cause the display to pause the presentation of a portion of the virtual reality content responsive to identifying the change in view direction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to facilitate:

interaction between the user and the virtual reality content.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to adjust the virtual reality content to be presented to the user in the future based on an interaction between the user and the virtual reality content.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to adjust the virtual reality content to be presented to the user in the future based on one or more of an interaction between the user and the virtual reality content, or a progression of the user through the virtual reality content.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is included in a virtual reality headset worn by the user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to cause the display to stop presenting the virtual reality content to the user responsive to the user removing the virtual reality headset from his head and/or resume presenting the virtual reality content responsive to the user replacing the virtual reality headset on his head.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality content includes a movie.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the virtual reality content includes interactive virtual reality content associated with the movie.

12. A method for presenting virtual reality content to a user, the method comprising:

generating output signals conveying information related to a view direction of the user, the view direction of the user corresponding to a physical direction toward which a gaze of the user is directed;

determining the view direction of the user based on the output signals;

presenting the virtual reality content to the user, wherein presentation of the virtual reality content via the display visually simulates presence of the user within a virtual space, wherein the virtual space is fixed relative to physical space and a view direction of the user dictates which portions of the virtual space are visible to the user, wherein the virtual space includes multiple fields of view that are part of the same virtual space and fixed spatially within the virtual space so that the positions of the fields of view in the virtual space are independent of the view direction of the user the multiple fields of view including the first field of view and the second field of view;

identifying a change in the view direction of the user based from the first field of view to the second field of view on the output signals;

causing a change in flow of the virtual reality content presented via the display responsive to identifying the change in the view direction of the user, wherein the change in flow of the virtual reality content alters the rhythm, pace, and/or style of the virtual reality content; and

causing the display to provide a sensory cue to the user responsive to identifying the change in the view direction of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cue is provided responsive to the view direction moving across a field boundary between a first field of view and a second field of view.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising facilitating adjustment of the first field of view, the second field of view, and/or the first field boundary by the user.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising causing the display to pause the presentation of a portion of the virtual reality content responsive to identifying the change in view direction.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising facilitating interaction between the user and the virtual reality content.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting the virtual reality content to be presented to the user in the future based on an interaction between the user and the virtual reality content.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting the virtual reality content to be presented to the user in the future based on one or more of an interaction between the user and the virtual reality content, or a progression of the user through the virtual reality content.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the display is included in a virtual reality headset worn by the user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising causing the display to stop presenting the virtual reality content to the user responsive to the user removing the virtual reality headset from his head and/or resume presenting the virtual reality content responsive to the user replacing the virtual reality headset on his head.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual reality content includes a movie.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the virtual reality content includes interactive virtual reality content associated with the movie.