IP Library Granted Patent US 10,938,958
Granted Patent B2
US 10,938,958 · App. 16/438,344 · Granted Mar 2, 2021

Virtual reality universe representation changes viewing based upon client side parameters

Inventor: John Cronin (Williston, VT)
Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
H04L67/38A63F13/352A63F13/355A63F13/63H04L67/32A63F13/335H04L67/42
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,938,958
App. No.
16/438,344
Granted
Mar 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors of images at different quality levels at various locations in a virtual universe via a computer network are provided. A plurality of data sets may be stored in memory. Each VR data set may define a VR representation of a location and may be independently authored by a respective author different from the other authors. In addition, each VR dataset may have a speed and quality metric to assist the visitors in an optimized experience. One or more VR data servers may access and transmit the VR data sets of various quality and speeds, each of which may be associated with a VR data server having access to the VR data set. A domain server may be adapted to access and transmit domain data comprising the location within the universe of each VR representation and the network address of the VR data server associated with the VR representation. Further, a client host may be adapted to communicate with the domain server to receive domain data representing the network address of the VR data server associated with a bets matched quality and speed VR representation and to communicate with that VR data server to access the VR data set defining the VR representation without leaving the virtual universe.

Claims (37)

1. A device for displaying a digital representation of a location, the device comprising:

memory that stores a map of a plurality of different real world locations each associated with at least one digital representation;

a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor:

detects user input indicative of movement to one of the locations, and

identifies that the indicated location is associated with a plurality of available digital representations, each available digital representation associated with a different set of display quality metrics;

a network interface that communicates over a communication network to retrieve a data set associated with an identified one of the available digital representations from a remote data server, wherein the identified digital representation is associated with the set of display quality metrics corresponding to a current set of device capabilities; and

a headset display that displays the identified digital representation of the indicated location based on the retrieved data set.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the current set of device capabilities also includes one or more metrics that measure data speed.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the available digital representations is further associated with a type, and wherein the type is displayed in association with a respective one of the locations on the map.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein each real-world location on the map is associated with a number of different digital representations, and wherein the number is displayed in association with a respective one of the locations on the map.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the headset display further displays the map of the plurality of different real world locations.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the headset display displays the map in a separate window from the identified digital representation of the indicated location.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor identifies the current set of device capabilities of the headset display that displays the digital representation of the indicated location; and wherein the network interface retrieves the data set for the indicated location based on the current set of device capabilities of the headset display.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the detected user input is further indicative of a selected display quality level that is lower than a maximum display quality level associated with the current set of device capabilities; and wherein the network interface retrieves the data set further based on the selected display quality level.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the selected display quality level is different than a selected display quality level for a different location on the map.

10. A method for displaying a digital representation of a location, the method comprising:

storing into memory a map of a plurality of different real world locations each associated with at least one digital representation;

detecting, via a processor, user input indicative of movement to one of the locations;

identifying, via the processor, that the indicated location is associated with a plurality of available digital representations, each available digital representation associated with a different set of display quality metrics;

communicating, via a network interface, over a communication network to retrieve a data set associated with an identified one of the available digital representations from a remote data server, wherein the identified digital representation is associated with the set of display quality metrics corresponding to a current set of device capabilities; and

displaying, via a headset, the identified digital representation of the indicated location based on the retrieved data set.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the current set of device capabilities also includes one or more metrics that measure data speed.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the available digital representations is further associated with a type, and wherein the type is displayed in association with a respective one of the locations on the map.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein each real-world location on the map is associated with a number of different digital representations, and wherein the number is displayed in association with a respective one of the locations on the map.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the headset further displays the map of the plurality of different real world locations.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the headset displays the map in a separate window from the identified digital representation of the indicated location.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying, via the processor, the current set of device capabilities of the headset that displays the digital representation of the indicated location; and

retrieving, via the network interface the data set for the indicated location based on the current set of device capabilities of the headset.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detected user input is further indicative of a selected display quality level that is lower than a maximum display quality level associated with the current set of device capabilities; and wherein the network interface retrieves the data set further based on the selected display quality level.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the selected display quality level is different than a selected display quality level for a different location on the map.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for displaying a digital representation of a location, the method comprising:

storing into memory a map of a plurality of different real world locations each associated with at least one digital representation;

detecting user input indicative of movement to one of the locations;

identifying that the indicated location is associated with a plurality of available digital representations, each available digital representation associated with a different set of display quality metrics;

communicating, via a network interface, over a communication network to retrieve a data set associated with an identified one of the available digital representations from a remote data server, wherein the identified digital representation is associated with the set of display quality metrics corresponding to a current set of device capabilities; and

displaying, via a headset, the identified digital representation of the indicated location based on the retrieved data set.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2021
From: CRONIN, JOHN
To: IPCREATE, INC.
Reel/Frame 054971/0406 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2021
From: IPCREATE, INC.
To: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 054971/0483 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 20, 2021
From: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
To: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 055053/0983 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 30, 2020
From: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
To: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 053323/0567 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 15832022 · Dec 5, 2017
Continuation 14460277 · Aug 14, 2014
Continuation 14147433 · Jan 3, 2014
Provisional Application 61786576 · Mar 15, 2013
Related Publication 20190297172A1 · Sep 26, 2019