- Number
- 11294615
- Published
- 2022-04-05
- Filed
- 2017-03-29
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- McNabb; Michael
- CPC
- H04L65/1069; A63F13/5255; A63F13/212; A63F13/211; A63F13/42; A63F13/53; A63F13/35; A63F13/25; G06F3/1454
- Verdict
- Low Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Multi-user VR environment technique incorporating external guests.
Abstract
A technique for modifying a virtual reality (VR) environment via a first computing device includes establishing a network connection with a VR application that is executing on a second computing device and generating the VR environment, receiving metadata associated with the VR environment from the second computing device via the network connection, receiving at least one user input VIA the first computing device, and, based on the metadata and on the at least one user input, transmitting data to the VR application via the network connection to modify the VR environment being generated by the VR application.
Background
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention (1) The present disclosure relates generally to virtual reality systems and, more specifically, to incorporating external guests into a virtual reality environment. Description of the Related Art (2) Room-scale virtual reality (VR), in which a user or “guest” can physically move within and interact with a virtual environment, is a very powerful and valuable addition to storytelling technology. Because room-scale VR allows a guest to walk around a physical play area, where the physical motions of the guest within the play area are reflected in the virtual environment, room-scale VR can provide a more compelling VR experience that is less dependent on being able to render high-quality visual and audio content. In particular, with a greater level of interaction available to a guest in room-scale VR, minor deficiencies in the presentation of video or audio content are less likely to detract from the immersive aspects of the room-scale VR experience, wherein a guest perceives that he or she is actually physically present in the virtual environment. (3) Generally speaking, room-scale VR has implementation requirements beyond the requirement that each guest participating in a given room-scale VR experience have a conventional VR headset. For example, 360 degree position-tracking equipment, such as one or more infrared sensors, and a physical play area are typically necessary to generate a robust room-scale VR environment. Furthermor
Claims
1. A method for modifying a room-scale virtual reality (VR) environment via a first computing device, the method comprising: establishing a network connection with a VR application that is executing on a second computing device and generating the VR environment, wherein: a physical space equipped with one or more sensors defines a physical play area associated with the VR environment, wherein the VR environment is generated within the physical space, and a VR interface device, physically separate from the one or more sensors within the physical play area, displays the VR environment; receiving metadata associated with the VR environment from the second computing device via the network connection, wherein: the metadata specifies one or more locations of a set of virtual objects included in the VR environment, the VR interface device enables a user of the VR interface device to interact with the VR environment via a first virtual object in the set of virtual objects, the first virtual object represents the user of the VR interface device, and the first computing device enables a user of the first computing device to, without occupying the physical play area and from a perspective of a two-dimensional surface of a second virtual object, view the first virtual object within the VR environment, and the second virtual object represents the user of the first computing device; receiving a first user input via the first computing device; modifying, at the first computing device, the first user input based on the one or more locations to generate VR content that shares one or more characteristics of the VR environment, wherein the VR content includes the second virtual object; and transmitting the VR content to the VR application via the network connection to modify the VR environment being generated by the VR application, wherein a movement within the physical play area of the user of the VR interface device, captured by the one or more sensors, modifies a location of the second virtual object within the VR environment. ||
9. A method for modifying a room-scale virtual reality (VR) environment being generated via a local computing device, the method comprising: establishing a network connection with a remote computing device; transmitting, via the network connection, metadata associated with the VR environment, wherein: a VR application executing on the local computing device generates the VR environment, a physical space equipped with one or more sensors defines a physical play area associated with the VR environment, the VR environment is generated within the physical space, a VR interface device, physically separate from the one or more sensors within the physical play area, displays the VR environment, the metadata specifies one or more locations of a set of virtual objects included in the VR environment, the VR interface device enables a user of the VR interface device to interact with the VR environment via a first virtual object in the set of virtual objects, the first virtual object represents the user of the VR interface device; receiving, via the network connection, data associated with VR content generated by the remote computing device located outside of the physical space, wherein: the remote computing device enables a user of the remote computing device to, without occupying the physical play area and from a perspective of a two-dimensional surface of a second virtual object, view the first virtual object within the VR environment, the second virtual object represents the user for the remote computing device, the VR content is generated by modifying a first user input received from a user of the remote computing device based on the one or more locations, and the VR content shares one or more characteristics of the VR environment; and modifying the VR environment based on the data, wherein a movement within the physical play area made by the user of the VR interface device, captured by the one or more sensors, modifies a location of the second virtual object within the VR environment. ||
14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors of a first computing device to perform the steps of: establishing a network connection with a virtual reality (VR) application that is executing on a second computing device and generating a room-scale VR environment, wherein: a physical space equipped with one or more sensors defines a physical play area associated with the VR environment, wherein the VR environment is generated within the physical space, and a VR interface device, physically separate from the one or more sensors within the physical play area, displays the VR environment; receiving metadata associated with the VR environment from the second computing device via the network connection, wherein: the metadata specifies one or more locations of a set of virtual objects included in the VR environment, the VR interface device enables a user of the VR interface device to interact with the VR environment via a first virtual object in the set of virtual objects, the first virtual object represents the user of the VR interface device, and the first computing device enables a user of the first computing device to, without occupying the physical play area and from a perspective of a two-dimensional surface of a second virtual object, view the first virtual object within the VR environment, and the second virtual object represents the user of the first computing device; receiving a first user input via the first computing device; modifying, at the first computing device, the first user input based on the one or more locations to generate VR content that shares one or more characteristics of the VR environment, wherein the VR content includes the second virtual object; and transmitting the VR content to the VR application via the network connection to modify the VR environment being generated by the VR application, wherein a movement within the physical play area of the user of the VR interface device, captured by the one or more sensors, modifies a location of the second virtual object within the VR environment.