Outer Rim Archives
Archives · 2021 · 11145125

Granted patent

Communication protocol for streaming mixed-reality environments between multiple devices

Number
11145125
Published
2021-10-12
Filed
2018-09-13
Assignee
Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.
Inventors
Cordes; Roger, Brickhill; David
CPC
G06V40/23; G06F3/011; A63F13/65; H04L65/611; A63F13/53; A63F13/60; G02B27/017; G06T7/246; G06V40/20; G06T19/20; G06T15/08; G06T19/006; A63F13/655; G06T7/73; G06F3/012; A63F13/35; G06T13/40; G06T7/596; A63F13/213; A63F13/25
Verdict
Medium Notable software
Source
Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Streaming protocol for shared mixed-reality virtual-production environments.

Abstract

An immersive content presentation system can capture the motion or position of a performer in a real-world environment. A game engine can be modified to receive the position or motion of the performer and identify predetermined gestures or positions that can be used to trigger actions in a 3-D virtual environment, such as generating a digital effect, transitioning virtual assets through an animation graph, adding new objects, and so forth. The use of the 3-D environment can be rendered and composited views can be generated. Information for constructing the composited views can be streamed to numerous display devices in many different physical locations using a customized communication protocol. Multiple real-world performers can interact with virtual objects through the game engine in a shared mixed-reality experience.

Background

TECHNICAL FIELD (1) This application discloses technology related to the fields of computer animation, virtual reality environments, and digital content generation. Specifically, this application discloses technology for using a real-time gestures to drive computer-generated assets in a multi-device viewing environment. BACKGROUND (2) Augmented reality includes a live view of a real-world environment that is augmented by computer generated sensory input(s), such as GPS graphics, video, sound, data statistics, and so forth. In contrast to virtual reality, which replaces the real-world environment with a simulated one, augmented reality elements are often displayed in real time in semantic context with elements of the real-world environment. For example, sports scores can be displayed on a television during a basketball game on a same screen. Headmounted displays can also be used to place the virtual images over a view of the physical world such that both are in the user's field of view. (3) Virtual reality is very similar to augmented reality in that it entails an interactive computer generated experience. However, virtual reality takes place within a simulated, immersive environment. Current virtual reality technology commonly uses virtual-reality headset or multi-projected environments to create realistic sensations, sales, and images that simulate the user having a physical presence in the virtual or imaginary environment. This effect is usually implemented using a virtual-

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving, at a server, changes to a virtual asset in a 3-D virtual environment, wherein the 3-D virtual environment is shared between a plurality of real-world environments; preparing, by the server, a stream of real-time communication packets, wherein each communication packet in the stream of communication packets comprises: a first field configured to store a 2-D image frame depicting at least in part a view of a first real-world environment in the plurality of real-world environments and/or a rendered view of the 3-D virtual environment; and a second field configured to represent one or more 3-D transforms to be applied to the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment by devices receiving the stream of real-time communication packets; and transmitting, from the server, the stream of real-time communication packets to a plurality of display devices distributed in the plurality of real-world environments. || 8. An immersive content presentation system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memory devices comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving, at a server, changes to a virtual asset in a 3-D virtual environment, wherein the 3-D virtual environment is shared between a plurality of real-world environments; preparing, by the server, a stream of real-time communication packets, wherein each communication packet in the stream of communication packets comprises: a first field configured to store a 2-D image frame depicting at least in part a view of a first real-world environment in the plurality of real-world environments and/or a rendered view of the 3-D virtual environment; and a second field configured to represent one or more 3-D transforms to be applied to the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment by devices receiving the stream of real-time communication packets; and transmitting, from the server, the stream of real-time communication packets to a plurality of display devices distributed in the plurality of real-world environments. || 15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving, at a server, changes to a virtual asset in a 3-D virtual environment, wherein the 3-D virtual environment is shared between a plurality of real-world environments; preparing, by the server, a stream of real-time communication packets, wherein each communication packet in the stream of communication packets comprises: a first field configured to store a 2-D image frame depicting at least in part a view of a first real-world environment in the plurality of real-world environments and/or a rendered view of the 3-D virtual environment; and a second field configured to represent one or more 3-D transforms to be applied to the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment by devices receiving the stream of real-time communication packets; and transmitting, from the server, the stream of real-time communication packets to a plurality of display devices distributed in the plurality of real-world environments.