- Number
- 11683662
- Published
- 2023-06-20
- Filed
- 2022-06-23
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Braunschweiler; Manuel et al.
- CPC
- H04N21/8545; H04W4/029; H04W4/021; H04N21/422; H04N21/8541; H04W4/023
- Verdict
- Low Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Location-based interactive storytelling technique (granted).
Abstract
A storytelling system includes location-based content (LBC) servers and LBC effects databases for use in a real-world story venue, and a computing platform communicatively coupled to those LBC servers and databases. A processor of the computing platform executes software code to receive story selection data from a user device, obtain a story template including story arcs each associated with one or more LBC effect(s) that corresponds to the story selection data, and determine, using a location of the user device, one of the story arcs as an active story arc. The software code also identifies an LBC interaction zone for the LBC effect(s), designates one LBC server and one LBC effects database for supporting the active story arc, and distributes one or more of the LBC effect(s) to the designated database. The designated server enables instantiation of the one or more of the LBC effect(s) at the LBC interaction zone.
Background
BACKGROUND (1) A significant challenge for immersive mixed reality storytelling is how to structure and manage a story arc that adapts to user interactions with both the digital and physical features of the story world. A particularly challenging issue is how to author and deliver location-based stories where virtual content is delivered and instantiated based on location-based interactions. For example, the content may include a character from a movie, and it may be desirable to present that character to users of a real-world story venue and enable the users to walk around the virtual character and to trigger the presentation of additional location-based content by interacting with the virtual character or real-world story venue. (2) Some conventional solutions to the challenge of providing an interactive character utilize a robotic figure to try to achieve the desired effect. However, such robotic figures can be challenging to design and costly to maintain, and may nevertheless not ultimately be capable of credibly replicating some characters, particularly animations. Consequently, there remains a need in the art for solutions for providing location-based content including interactive characters, or the illusion of the presence of such characters, within a real-world story venue in which one or more users may be present.
Claims
1. A storytelling system comprising: a plurality of location-based content (LBC) servers and a plurality of LBC effects databases for use in a real-world story venue; a computing platform communicatively coupled to the plurality of LBC servers and the plurality of LBC effects databases, the computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software code; a user database accessible by the computing platform, the user database storing a user model associated with a user of a user device; the hardware processor configured to execute the software code to: select, using at least one of a known user preference or an inferred user preference included in the user model associated with the user device, a first LBC effect associated with an active story arc of a story template for distribution to a first one of the plurality of LBC effects databases; distribute the first LBC effect associated with the active story arc to the first one of the plurality of LBC effects databases to be instantiated by one of the plurality of LBC servers at an LBC interaction zone; predict, using the story template and the user model associated with the user of the user device, a next active story arc and a next destination LBC interaction zone for the user within the real-world story venue; designate, based on proximity to the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone, a second one of the plurality of LBC effects databases for supporting the predicted next active story arc at the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone; and distribute a second LBC effect associated with the predicted next active story arc to the second one of the plurality of LBC effects databases for supporting the predicted next active story arc prior to arrival of the user device at the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone. ||
9. A method for use by a storytelling system including a plurality of location-based content (LBC) servers and a plurality of LBC effects databases for use in a real-world story venue, a computing platform communicatively coupled to the plurality of LBC servers and the plurality of LBC effects databases, the computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software code, and a user database accessible by the computing platform, the user database storing a user model associated with a user of a user device, the method comprising: selecting, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, using at least one of a known user preference or an inferred user preference included in the user model associated with the user device, a first LBC effect associated with an active story arc of a story template for distribution to a first one of the plurality of LBC effects databases; distributing, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, the first LBC effect associated with the active story arc to the first one of the plurality of LBC effects databases to be instantiated by one of the plurality of LBC servers at an LBC interaction zone; predicting, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, using the story template and the user model associated with the user of the user device, a next active story arc and a next destination LBC interaction zone for the user within the real-world story venue; designating, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, based on proximity to the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone, a second one of the plurality of LBC effects databases for supporting the predicted next active story arc at the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone; and distributing, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a second LBC effect associated with the predicted next active story arc to the second one of the plurality of LBC effects databases for supporting the predicted next active story arc prior to arrival of the user device at the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone. ||
17. A computing platform configured to be communicatively coupled to a plurality of location-based content (LBC) servers and a plurality of LBC effects databases for use in a real-world story venue, the computing platform comprising: a hardware processor; and a system memory storing a software code; the hardware processor configured to execute the software code to: select a first LBC effect associated with an active story arc of a story template for distribution to a first one of the plurality of LBC effects databases; distribute the first LBC effect associated with the active story arc to the first one of the plurality of LBC effects databases to be instantiated by one of the plurality of LBC servers at an LBC interaction zone; predict, using the story template, a next active story arc and a next destination LBC interaction zone for a user device of a user within the real-world story venue; designate, based on proximity to the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone, a second one of the plurality of LBC effects databases for supporting the predicted next active story arc at the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone; and distribute a second LBC effect associated with the predicted next active story arc to the second one of the plurality of LBC effects databases for supporting the predicted next active story arc prior to arrival of the user device at the predicted next destination LBC interaction zone.