Methods and systems for providing geospatially-aware user-customizable virtual environments

• US 10,063,996 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermopylae Sciences & Technology
• Original Assignee: Thermopylae Sciences & Technology
• Inventors: Clark, Abraham J., Clark, John-Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Du, Hung
• Application Number:
  US13/370,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20120208564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141, 4554561, 4554562, 4554563, 4554566, 455457, 709221, 709222, 709223, 709229, 715738, 715742, 715749, 715760, 715762, 715763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for generating and delivering data content to a mobile device using geospatially-aware virtual environments. A virtual environment management system generates a virtual environment based on a hybrid application having one or more functionality associated with an activation condition, and provides the virtual environment to the mobile device. The virtual environment management system then determines that a location of the mobile device satisfies the activation condition, and activates the one or more functionality for the virtual environment.

Claims

1. A method of providing data content to a mobile device using geospatially-aware virtual environments, comprising:

generating a virtual environment using a hybrid application having at least one dynamic overlay associated with an activation condition;

providing, by a server, the virtual environment to the mobile device;

determining that a location of the mobile device satisfies the activation condition;

activating the at least one dynamic overlay in the virtual environment;

receiving sensor data from the mobile device, the sensor data indicating a temperature at the mobile device; and

updating the virtual environment based on the sensor data;

receiving, from the mobile device, image data representative of an image captured by and displayed on the mobile device;

detecting, by the server, one or more points of interest in the image data;

generating, by the server, overlay data in the virtual environment based on the one or more detected points of interest, wherein the server dynamically generates the overlay data that includes one or more relative locations of the one or more detected points of interest;

providing the overlay data to the mobile device to be superimposed over the image via the at least one dynamic overlay;

receiving, via a Web-based dashboard, a modification to data associated with at least one of the one or more points of interest;

modifying, dynamically by the server based on the modification, the at least one point of interest, thereby providing at least one modified point of interest;

detecting, dynamically by the server based on the modification, that the at least one modified point of interest is in the image displayed on the mobile device;

updating the overlay data in the virtual environment to include the at least one modified point of interest, thereby providing updated overlay data; and

providing the updated overlay data to the mobile device to be superimposed over the image via the at least one dynamic overlay.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the hybrid application based on an interaction with a user via the Web-based dashboard.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data associated with the at least one point of interest includes at least one of a user-defined geospatial data or a user-defined non-geospatial data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the hybrid application further comprises:

selecting the at least one dynamic overlay; and

integrating the at least one dynamic overlay into the hybrid application.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the hybrid application in an account of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating overlay data further comprises:

receiving sensor data from the mobile device, the sensor data indicating at least one of a location, spatial orientation, or movement of the mobile device; and

generating the overlay data based on the sensor data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation condition includes at least one of a period of time or a range of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein activating further comprising:

linking the at least one dynamic overlay with at least one data source associated with the hybrid application; and

populating the at least one dynamic overlay with data from the at least one data source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one dynamic overlay is provided via at least one of a service, a widget, or an application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation condition includes a temperature at the mobile device reaching a threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the activation condition associated with the at least one dynamic overlay based on an interaction with a user via the Web-based dashboard.

12. A system for providing data content to a mobile device using geospatially-aware virtual environments, comprising:

a server configured to;

generate a virtual environment using a hybrid application having at least one dynamic overlay associated with an activation condition;

provide the virtual environment to the mobile device;

determine that a location of the mobile device satisfies the activation condition;

activate at least one dynamic overlay in the virtual environment;

receive, from the mobile device, image data representative of an image captured by and displayed on the mobile device;

detect one or more points of interest in the image data;

generate overlay data in the virtual environment based on the one or more detected points of interest, wherein the server dynamically generates the overlay data that includes one or more relative locations of the one or more detected points of interest;

receive sensor data from the mobile device, the sensor data indicating a temperature at the mobile device;

generate the overlay data based on the sensor data;

provide the overlay data to the mobile device to be superimposed over the image via the at least one dynamic overlay;

receive, via a Web-based dashboard, a modification to data associated with at least one of the one or more points of interest;

modify, dynamically based on the modification, the at least one point of interest, thereby providing at least one modified point of interest;

detect, dynamically based on the modification, that the at least one modified point of interest is in the image displayed on the mobile device;

update the overlay data in the virtual environment to include the at least one modified point of interest, thereby providing updated overlay data;

provide the updated overlay data to the mobile device to be superimposed over the image via the at least one dynamic overlay.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured to modify the hybrid application based on an interaction with a user via the Web-based dashboard.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to:

select the at least one dynamic overlay; and

integrate the at least one dynamic overlay into the hybrid application.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the data associated with the at least one point of interest includes at least one of a user-defined geospatial data or a user-defined non-geospatial data.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured to modify the activation condition associated with the at least one dynamic overlay based on an interaction with a user via the Web-based dashboard.

17. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that cause a computer to provide data content via a network to a mobile device using geospatially-aware virtual environments when executed by the computer, comprising;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to generate a virtual environment using a hybrid application having at least one dynamic overlay associated with an activation condition;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to provide the virtual environment to the mobile device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to determine that a location of the mobile device satisfies the activation condition;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to activate the at least one dynamic overlay in the virtual environment;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive, from the mobile device, image data representative of an image captured by and displayed on the mobile device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to detect one or more points of interest in the image data;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to generate overlay data in the virtual environment based on the one or more detected points of interest, wherein the server dynamically generates the overlay data that includes one or more relative locations of the one or more detected points of interest;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive sensor data from the mobile device, the sensor data indicating a temperature at the mobile device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to generate the overlay data based on the sensor data;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to provide via the network the overlay data to the mobile device to be superimposed over the image via the at least one dynamic overlay;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive, via a Web-based dashboard, a modification to data associated with at least one of the one or more points of interest;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to modify, dynamically based on the modification, the at least one point of interest, thereby providing at least one modified point of interest;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to detect, dynamically based on the modification, that the at least one modified point of interest is in the image displayed on the mobile device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to update the overlay data in the virtual environment to include the at least one modified point of interest, thereby providing updated overlay data; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to provide the updated overlay data to the mobile device to be superimposed over the image via the at least one dynamic overlay.