Systems and methods for changing a users perspective in virtual reality based on a user-selected position

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10535190-B2
Application number	US-201715856941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for a media guidance application (e.g., implemented on a user device) that allows users to select any arbitrary position in a virtual reality environment from where to view the virtual reality content and changes a user's perspective based on the selected position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for changing a user's perspective in virtual reality, the method comprising:
identifying a first user perspective at a first camera position in a virtual reality space;
receiving a first user request to switch from the first camera position to a first user-selected position in the virtual reality space;
determining a first set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first camera position, wherein the first set of attributes include depth and color information with respect to the first camera position;
determining a second set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at a second camera position, wherein the second set of attributes include depth and color information with respect to the second camera position;
determining a displacement between the first camera position and the second camera position;
generating a third set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first user-selected position, by superimposing the depth and color information from the first set of attributes with the depth and color information from second set of attributes with respect to the displacement;
generating a second user perspective at the first user-selected position based on the third set of attributes;
in response to generating the second user perspective, switching from the first user perspective at the first camera position to the second user perspective at the first user-selected position
searching a social network of the user to identify a friend associated with the user;
determining whether the friend is within a threshold proximity of a geographical location of the first and second camera positions;
in response to determining the friend is within the threshold proximity of the geographical location, retrieving from a perspective database a friend position of the friend; and
generating a hologram of the friend at the friend position in the virtual reality space.

2. The method of claim 1 , the method comprising:
receiving a second user request to switch from the first camera position to a first object position in the virtual reality space;
identifying a first object at the first object position;
generating a fourth set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first object position, by superimposing the depth and color information from the first set of attributes with the depth and color information from second set of attributes with respect to the displacement;

generating a first object perspective at the first object position based on the fourth set of attributes; and
in response to generating the first object perspective, switching from the first user perspective at the first camera position to the first object perspective at the first object position.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein switching from the first user perspective at the first camera position to the object perspective at the first object position further comprises:
determining that the first object has changed position to a second object position;
generating a fifth set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the second object position, by superimposing the depth and color information from the first set of attributes with the depth and color information from second set of attributes with respect to the displacement;
generating a second object perspective at the second object position based on the fifth set of attributes; and
in response to generating the second object perspective, switching from the first object perspective at the first object position to the second object perspective at the second object position.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein superimposing the depth and color information from the first set of attributes with the depth and color information from second set of attributes with respect to the displacement, further comprises:
determining a first origin point of the depth and color information of the first set of attributes;
determining a second origin point of the depth and color information of the second set of attributes;
shifting the second origin point by the displacement to a third origin point; and
superimposing the depth and color information of the first origin point and the depth and color information of the third origin point.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising applying a computer vision process to superimpose the depth and color information of the first origin point and the depth and color information of the third origin point.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing a media asset representing an event associated with the geographical location in the virtual reality space;
determining the friend position at a play position of the media asset; and
causing the hologram to be presented when the media asset reaches the play position.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling the user to interact with the friend via the hologram.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a video object animation of the friend; and
causing the video object animation to be presented in the form of the hologram.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the video object animation represents a reaction of the friend to an event that takes place at a location associated with the first and second camera positions.

10. A system for changing a user's perspective in virtual reality, the system comprising:
control circuitry configured to:
identify a first user perspective at a first camera position in a virtual reality space;
receive a first user request to switch from the first camera position to a first user-selected position in the virtual reality space;
determine a first set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first camera position, wherein the first set of attributes include depth and color information with respect to the first camera position;
determine a second set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at a second camera position, wherein the second set of attributes include depth and color information with respect to the second camera position;
determine a displacement between the first camera position and the second camera position;
generate a third set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first user-selected position, by superimposing the depth and color information from the first set of attributes with the depth and color information from second set of attributes with respect to the displacement;
generate a second user perspective at the first user-selected position based on the third set of attributes;
in response to generating the second user perspective, switch from the first user perspective at the first camera position to the second user perspective at the first user-selected position
search a social network of the user to identify a friend associated with the user;
determine whether the friend is within a threshold proximity of a geographical location of the first and second camera positions;
in response to determining the friend is within the threshold proximity of the geographical location, retrieve from a perspective database a friend position of the friend; and
generate a hologram of the friend at the friend position in the virtual reality space.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a second user request to switch from the first camera position to a first object position in the virtual reality space;
identify a first object at the first object position;
generate a fourth set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first object posit

Assignees

• Rovi Guides Inc

Inventors

• Logan Jonathan A
• Bates Adam
• Jameela Hafiza
• Patterson Jesse F
• Berner Mark K
• Dorsey Eric
• Chamberlin David W
• Stevens Paul
• Waterman Herbert A

Classifications

• H04N21/4788

  communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)} · CPC title

• H04N21/472

  End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4722

  for requesting additional data associated with the content · CPC title

• G06T13/40

  of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings · CPC title

• H04N21/6587

  Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection · CPC title