Methods and systems for integrating virtual content into an immersive virtual reality world based on real-world scenery

1. A method comprising:

assigning, by a virtual reality media system, a plurality of display parameters to a three-dimensional (“3D”) virtual object that includes a non-flat outer surface and is to be integrated into an immersive virtual reality world;

integrating, by the virtual reality media system in accordance with the assigned plurality of display parameters, the 3D virtual object into the immersive virtual reality world with real objects represented in the immersive virtual reality world, the real objects included within camera-captured real-world scenery from which the immersive virtual reality world is generated;

accessing, by the virtual reality media system based on the assigned plurality of display parameters, two-dimensional (“2D”) content that is to be integrated into the immersive virtual reality world;

integrating, by the virtual reality media system in accordance with the assigned plurality of display parameters, the 2D content into the immersive virtual reality world by mapping the 2D content onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object that has been integrated into the immersive virtual reality world with the real objects, the integrating of the 2D content performed in a manner to make the 2D content viewable as a skin of the 3D virtual object; and

dynamically changing, by the virtual reality media system while the 2D content is integrated into the immersive virtual reality world, a display parameter of the plurality of display parameters so as to change at least one of a location, an orientation, or a size of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to move or change within the immersive virtual reality world.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the camera-captured real-world scenery from which the immersive virtual reality world is generated is separate from real-world scenery in an immediate vicinity of the user; and

further comprising providing, by the virtual reality media system for display on a display screen of a media player device being used by the user, virtual reality media content representative of the immersive virtual reality world, the virtual reality media content depicting the camera-captured real-world scenery and not depicting the real-world scenery in the immediate vicinity of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic changing of the display parameter is performed by at least one of:

changing a positional parameter determinative of the location of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to move within the immersive virtual reality world;

changing an orientational parameter determinative of the orientation of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to rotate within the immersive virtual reality world; and

changing a scaling parameter determinative of the size of the 3D virtual object to cause the size of the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to change within the immersive virtual reality world.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, by the virtual reality media system while the 2D content is integrated into the immersive virtual reality world, that a gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content;

tracking, by the virtual reality media system based on the detecting, an amount of time that the gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content; and

generating, by the virtual reality media system, promotional effectiveness data for the 2D content with respect to the user based on the amount of time that the gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object includes a still image.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object includes at least one of an animated image and a video.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 2D content is interactive 2D content configured to change from a 2D banner to a 2D video presentation when the user is detected to gaze at the 2D content for a predetermined length of time.

8. The method of claim 1 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object is promotional content including a 2D commercial advertisement.

10. A method comprising:

assigning, by a virtual reality media system, a plurality of display parameters to a three-dimensional (“3D”) virtual object that includes a non-flat outer surface and is to be integrated into an immersive virtual reality world;

integrating, by the virtual reality media system and in accordance with the assigned plurality of display parameters, the 3D virtual object into the immersive virtual reality world with real objects represented in the immersive virtual reality world, the real objects included within camera-captured real-world scenery from which the immersive virtual reality world is generated;

dynamically changing, by the virtual reality media system, at least one of

a positional parameter included in the plurality of display parameters and determinative of a location of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to move within the immersive virtual reality world,

an orientational parameter included in the plurality of display parameters and determinative of an orientation of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to rotate within the immersive virtual reality world, or

a scaling parameter included in the plurality of display parameters and determinative of a size of the 3D virtual object to cause the size of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to change within the immersive virtual reality world;

accessing, by the virtual reality media system based on the assigned plurality of display parameters, two-dimensional (“2D”) content that is to be integrated into the immersive virtual reality world;

integrating, by the virtual reality media system, the 2D content into the immersive virtual reality world by mapping the 2D content onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object that has been integrated into the immersive virtual reality world with the real objects, the integrating of the 2D content performed in a manner to make the 2D content viewable as a skin of the 3D virtual object and to make the 2D content appear to the user to move or change in accordance with the move or change of the 3D virtual object while the at least one of the positional parameter, the orientational parameter, and or the scaling parameter is dynamically changing;

detecting, by the virtual reality media system while the 2D content is integrated into the immersive virtual reality world, that a gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content;

tracking, by the virtual reality media system based on the detecting, an amount of time that the gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content; and

generating, by the virtual reality media system, promotional effectiveness data for the 2D content with respect to the user based on the amount of time that the gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the camera-captured real-world scenery from which the immersive virtual reality world is generated is separate from real-world scenery in an immediate vicinity of the user; and

further comprising providing, by the virtual reality media system for display on a display screen of a media player device being used by the user, virtual reality media content representative of the immersive virtual reality world, the virtual reality media content depicting the camera-captured real-world scenery and not depicting the real-world scenery in the immediate vicinity of the user.

12. The method of claim 10 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the 2D content is interactive 2D content configured to change from a 2D banner to a 2D video presentation when the user is detected to gaze at the 2D content for a predetermined length of time.

14. A system comprising:

at least one physical computing device that

assigns a plurality of display parameters to a three-dimensional (“3D”) virtual object that includes a non-flat outer surface and is to be integrated into an immersive virtual reality world;

integrates, and in accordance with the assigned plurality of display parameters, the 3D virtual object into the immersive virtual reality world with real objects represented in the immersive virtual reality world, the real objects included within camera-captured real-world scenery from which the immersive virtual reality world is generated;

accesses, based on the assigned plurality of display parameters, two-dimensional (“2D”) content that is to be integrated into the immersive virtual reality world;

integrates, in accordance with the assigned plurality of display parameters, the 2D content into the immersive virtual reality world by mapping the 2D content onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object that has been integrated into the immersive virtual reality world with the real objects, the integrating of the 2D content performed in a manner to make the 2D content viewable as a skin of the 3D virtual object; and

dynamically changes, while the 2D content is integrated into the immersive virtual reality world, a display parameter of the plurality of display parameters so as to change at least one of a location, an orientation, or a size of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to move or change within the immersive virtual reality world.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the camera-captured real-world scenery from which the immersive virtual reality world is generated is separate from real-world scenery in an immediate vicinity of the user; and

the at least one physical computing device further provides, for display on a display screen of a media player device being used by the user, virtual reality media content representative of the immersive virtual reality world, the virtual reality media content depicting the camera-captured real-world scenery and not depicting the real-world scenery in the immediate vicinity of the user.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one physical computing device performs the dynamic changing of the display parameter by at least one of:

changing a positional parameter determinative of the location of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to move within the immersive virtual reality world;

changing an orientational parameter determinative of the orientation of the 3D virtual object to cause the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to rotate within the immersive virtual reality world; and

changing a scaling parameter determinative of the size of the 3D virtual object to cause the size of the 3D virtual object and the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object to appear to the user to change within the immersive virtual reality world.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one physical computing device further:

detects, while the 2D content is integrated into the immersive virtual reality world, that a gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content;

tracks, based on the detection, an amount of time that the gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content; and

generates promotional effectiveness data for the 2D content with respect to the user based on the amount of time that the gaze of the user is directed at the 2D content.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object includes at least one of a still image, an animated image, and a video.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the 2D content mapped onto the non-flat outer surface of the 3D virtual object is promotional content including a 2D commercial advertisement.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the 2D content is interactive 2D content configured to change from a 2D banner to a 2D video presentation when the user is detected to gaze at the 2D content for a predetermined length of time.