SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT CONSTRUCTION FOR BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH

• US 20150302426A1
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frost Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: 2020 IP LLC
• Inventors: ROGERS, Isaac David, BRYSON, James Edward, HARLAN, Kathryn Kersey
• Granted Patent: US 10,354,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/197 Matching; Classification

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide methods, mediums, and systems for behavioral research. In some embodiments, a simulated environment may be created. The simulated environment may be displayed to a user on a proprietary display device which utilizes a proprietary data format for storing the simulated environment. Multiple different types of proprietary devices may be supported by providing a hardware agnostic canvas and translation logic. The hardware agnostic canvas may be stored in a neutral format that is not specific to a proprietary display device. The translation logic may translate the hardware agnostic canvas into a format that is interpretably by a proprietary display device, and may translate data gathered from the proprietary display device into a hardware neutral format for further analysis.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring behaviors of a participant by a moderator and a client, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a hardware agnostic canvas for a simulated environment, and translation logic for translating the hardware agnostic canvas into a viewer-specific format; and

a processor programmed to;

access the hardware agnostic canvas, and

apply the translation logic to translate the hardware agnostic canvas into the viewer-specific format.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware agnostic canvas comprises a database of objects to be placed in the simulated environment, and coordinates for locating the objects in the simulated environment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the database further comprises trigger information associated with one or more of the objects, the trigger information relating to survey questions that may be triggered when an object associated with the trigger information is viewed in the simulated environment.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

access the objects in the database, and

add each object from the database to a viewer-specific virtual reality environment.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the objects comprise setting objects for defining the simulated environment, and environment objects representing objects of interest in a study.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a viewer collects gaze data regarding an amount of time spent viewing the environment objects.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the translation logic translates the gaze data collected by the viewer into a hardware-agnostic format.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the storage medium further stores translation mapping information, the translation mapping information comprising display information for a plurality of different types of viewers, and

the translation logic accesses the translation mapping information to translate the hardware agnostic canvas into the viewer-specific format.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware agnostic canvas comprises vector image data for rendering an object of the hardware agnostic canvas in the simulated environment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the translation logic translates the hardware agnostic canvas into the viewer-specific format in real time as a viewer displays the simulated environment.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

access a hardware agnostic canvas for a simulated environment;

apply translation logic to the hardware agnostic canvas to translate the hardware agnostic canvas into a viewer-specific format, and

transmit simulated environment information in the viewer-specific format to a viewer.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the hardware agnostic canvas comprises a database of objects to be placed in the simulated environment, and coordinates for locating the objects in the simulated environment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the database further comprises trigger information associated with one or more of the objects, the trigger information relating to survey questions that may be triggered when an object associated with the trigger information is viewed in the simulated environment.

14. The medium of claim 11, further storing instructions for:

receiving gaze data regarding an amount of time spent viewing objects in the simulated environment from the viewer, and

translating the gaze data collected into a hardware-agnostic format.

15. The medium of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

access translation mapping information, the translation mapping information comprising display information for a plurality of different types of viewers, and

using the translation mapping information to translate the hardware agnostic canvas into the viewer-specific format.

16. The medium of claim 11, wherein the hardware agnostic canvas is translated into the viewer-specific format in real time as a viewer displays the simulated environment.

17. A method comprising:

accessing, using a processor of an electronic device, a hardware agnostic canvas for a simulated environment;

applying, using the processor, translation logic to the hardware agnostic canvas to translate the hardware agnostic canvas into a viewer-specific format, and

transmitting simulated environment information in the viewer-specific format to a viewer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the hardware agnostic canvas comprises a database of objects to be placed in the simulated environment, and coordinates for locating the objects in the simulated environment.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

accessing translation mapping information, the translation mapping information comprising display information for a plurality of different types of viewers, and

using the translation mapping information to translate the hardware agnostic canvas into the viewer-specific format.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the hardware agnostic canvas is translated into the viewer-specific format in real time as a viewer displays the simulated environment.