System and method of instantly previewing immersive content

1. A method of rendering a content preview in a virtual space based on user locations, the method comprising:

at a computing system having one or more processors, memory for storing programs to be executed by the one or more processors, wherein the computing system is communicatively connected to a head-mounted display wore by a user:

rendering a user interface panel in the virtual space, wherein the user interface panel includes multiple content posters, each having a unique location in the virtual space;

measuring the head-mounted display's location in a physical space using a position tracking system adjacent the user;

determining the user's location in the virtual space relative to the user interface panel according to the head-mounted display's location in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's location relative to the user interface panel and at least one of the multiple content posters' location in the virtual space satisfy a predefined condition, replacing the user interface panel with a content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space without having additional user input beyond the user's location relative to the user interface panel.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously updating the user's current location in the virtual space according to a current location of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's current location and the corresponding content poster's location in the virtual space no longer satisfy the predefined condition, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with the user interface panel in the virtual space.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined condition is satisfied when the user is behind the corresponding content poster in the virtual space for at least a predefined amount of time.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the predefined condition is no longer satisfied when the user exists from the corresponding content poster in the virtual space for at least a predefined amount of time.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the operation of determining the user's location in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display's location in the physical space further includes:

detecting a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

updating the user's location in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display's movement in the physical space.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously updating the user's current location in the virtual space according to a current location of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's current location and the corresponding content poster's location in the virtual space satisfy the predefined condition for at least a predefined amount of time, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with a full view associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously monitoring the user's movement in the virtual space according to a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's movement in the virtual space satisfies a predefined movement pattern, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with a full view associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position tracking system includes a plurality of monitors and the head-mounted display includes one or more sensors that communicate with the plurality of monitors for determining the head-mounted display's location in the physical space.

9. A computing system for rendering a content preview in a virtual space based on user locations, wherein the computing system is communicatively connected to a head-mounted display wore by a user, the computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

a plurality of programs stored in the memory, wherein the plurality of programs, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform one or more operations including:

rendering a user interface panel in the virtual space, wherein the user interface panel includes multiple content posters, each having a unique location in the virtual space;

measuring the head-mounted display's location in a physical space using a position tracking system adjacent the user;

determining the user's location in the virtual space relative to the user interface panel according to the head-mounted display's location in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's location relative to the user interface panel and at least one of the multiple content posters' location in the virtual space satisfy a predefined condition, replacing the user interface panel with a content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space without having additional user input beyond the user's location relative to the user interface panel.

10. The computing system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously updating the user's current location in the virtual space according to a current location of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's current location and the corresponding content poster's location in the virtual space no longer satisfy the predefined condition, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with the user interface panel in the virtual space.

11. The computing system according to claim 9 , wherein the predefined condition is satisfied when the user is behind the corresponding content poster in the virtual space for at least a predefined amount of time.

12. The computing system according to claim 11 , wherein the predefined condition is no longer satisfied when the user exists from the corresponding content poster in the virtual space for at least a predefined amount of time.

13. The computing system according to claim 9 , wherein the operation of determining the user's location in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display's location in the physical space further includes:

detecting a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

updating the user's location in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display's movement in the physical space.

14. The computing system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously updating the user's current location in the virtual space according to a current location of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's current location and the corresponding content poster's location in the virtual space satisfy the predefined condition for at least a predefined amount of time, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with a full view associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.

15. The computing system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously monitoring the user's movement in the virtual space according to a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's movement in the virtual space satisfies a predefined movement pattern, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with a full view associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in connection with a computing system having one or more processors for rendering a content preview in a virtual space based on user locations, wherein the computing system is communicatively connected to a head-mounted display wore by a user, and the non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores a plurality of programs that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform one or more operations including:

rendering a user interface panel in the virtual space, wherein the user interface panel includes multiple content posters, each having a unique location in the virtual space;

measuring the head-mounted display's location in a physical space using a position tracking system adjacent the user;

determining the user's location in the virtual space relative to the user interface panel according to the head-mounted display's location in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's location relative to the user interface panel and at least one of the multiple content posters' location in the virtual space satisfy a predefined condition, replacing the user interface panel with a content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space without having additional user input beyond the user's location relative to the user interface panel.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously updating the user's current location in the virtual space according to a current location of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's current location and the corresponding content poster's location in the virtual space no longer satisfy the predefined condition, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with the user interface panel in the virtual space.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the operation of determining the user's location in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display's location in the physical space further includes:

detecting a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

updating the user's location in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display's movement in the physical space.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously updating the user's current location in the virtual space according to a current location of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's current location and the corresponding content poster's location in the virtual space satisfy the predefined condition for at least a predefined amount of time, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with a full view associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:

while rendering the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:

continuously monitoring the user's movement in the virtual space according to a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space; and

in accordance with a determination that the user's movement in the virtual space satisfies a predefined movement pattern, replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding content poster with a full view associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.