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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11580699-B2
Application number	US-202117333759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

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 perspective of a first user consuming a virtual reality media asset, the method comprising:
generating for presentation a first user perspective at a first camera position in a virtual reality space associated with the virtual reality media asset;
receiving a user request to switch from the first camera position to a user-selected position in the virtual reality space;
generating a second user perspective at the user-selected position based on a combination of image information associated with the first camera position and image information associated with a second camera position in the virtual reality space;
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 user-selected position;
identifying, based on a profile of the first user, a second user that is also consuming, or has previously consumed, the virtual reality media asset;
identifying a camera position within the virtual reality space selected by the second user while consuming the virtual reality media asset; and
in response to determining that the camera position selected by the second user is within a predetermined proximity of the first camera position or the second camera position within the virtual reality space, generating for presentation a representation associated with the second user at the camera position selected by the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the image information associated with the first camera position by determining a first set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first camera position, wherein the first set of attributes includes depth and color information with respect to the first camera position; and
determining the image information associated with the second camera position by determining a second set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first camera position, wherein the second set of attributes includes depth and color information with respect to the second camera position.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the second user perspective at the user-selected position comprises:
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 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; and
generating a second user perspective at the first user-selected position based on the third set of attributes.

4. The method of claim 3 , further 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.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
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.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
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.

7. The method of claim 6 , 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.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating for presentation the representation associated with the second user comprises generating a hologram of the second user.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
permitting the first user to communicate with the second user by interacting with the representation associated with the second user.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the profile of the first user is a social media profile of the first user, and the second user is identified based on being a social media friend of the first user.

11. A system for changing a perspective of a first user consuming a virtual reality media asset, the system comprising:
a display;
control circuitry configured to:
generate for presentation at the display a first user perspective at a first camera position in a virtual reality space associated with the virtual reality media asset;
receive a user request to switch from the first camera position to a user-selected position in the virtual reality space;
generate a second user perspective at the user-selected position based on a combination of image information associated with the first camera position and image information associated with a second camera position in the virtual reality space;
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 user-selected position;
identify, based on a profile of the first user, a second user that is also consuming, or has previously consumed, the virtual reality media asset;
identify a camera position within the virtual reality space selected by the second user while consuming the virtual reality media asset; and
in response to determining that the camera position selected by the second user is within a predetermined proximity of the first camera position or the second camera position within the virtual reality space, generate for presentation at the display a representation associated with the second user at the camera position selected by the second user.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
determine the image information associated with the first camera position by determining a first set of attributes associated with the virtual reality space at the first camera position, wherein the first set of attributes includes depth and color information with respect to the first camera position; and

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

• H04N21/4524

  involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00) · 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

• G06T7/73

  using feature-based methods · CPC title

• H04N21/816

  involving special video data, e.g 3D video · CPC title

• H04N21/6587

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