Apparatus and method to transition between a media presentation and a virtual environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254438-B2
Application number	US-56892409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2009
Priority date	Sep 29, 2009
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A virtual universe application and a media (e.g. 3-D movie) presentation application communicate with each other to obtain a location of a current activity application and find, using a search engine or a content addressable index developed during use, a corresponding location accessible from the other application to synchronize the location and time of location and time of scenes in both applications. Point of view can optionally be synchronized and additional search criteria or parameters can be applied to find the best match of views presented to a user when the user toggles between the VU location and the media presentation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for associating an interactive virtual universe (VU) and a non-interactive movie, comprising
obtaining metadata pertaining to either said non-interactive movie or said interactive VU, said metadata describing at least a first location in a scene of said non-interactive movie or a second location in a setting of said interactive VU, wherein said non-interactive movie and said interactive VU are accessible through a networked computer including a display;
when said metadata pertain to said non-interactive movie, conducting a search of said interactive VU or an index therefor for a setting having at least a third location which matches said first location obtained in said obtaining step;
when said metadata pertain to said interactive VU, conducting a search of scenes in said non-interactive movie or an index therefor for a scene with at least a fourth location which matches said second location obtained in said obtaining step; and
while said display is displaying to a user either (i) a view of said scene of said non-interactive movie having said first location or (ii) a view of said setting in said interactive VU having said second location,
receiving in said networked computer a transition command from said user,
if said display is displaying said view (i) when said transition command is received, toggling said display to a view of said setting in said interactive VU having said third location, and
if said display is displaying said view (ii) when said transition command is received, toggling said display to a view of said scene of said non-interactive movie having said fourth location;

wherein said non-interactive movie and said interactive VU are displayed only one at a time, and
wherein said steps of obtaining metadata and conducting searches are performed autonomously by one or more networked computers prior to said step of receiving said transition command from said user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further including
obtaining additional metadata describing a first point of view in either said non-interactive movie or said interactive VU,
when said additional metadata pertain to said non-interactive movie, finding in said interactive VU a second point of view similar to said first point of view, and
when said additional metadata pertain to said interactive VU, finding a scene in said non-interactive movie with a third point of view similar to said first point of view.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining a first point of view either in said non-interactive movie or in said interactive VU, wherein said step of determining includes a computation based on locations of objects visible on said display,
when said metadata pertain to said non-interactive movie, finding in said interactive VU a second point of view similar to said first point of view, and
when said metadata pertain to said interactive VU, finding a scene in said non-interactive movie with a third point of view similar to said first point of view.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein said computation is a triangulation computation.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein said metadata obtained in said obtaining step further describes a first time in said scene of said non-interactive movie or a second time in said setting of said interactive VU,
wherein said step of conducting a search of said interactive VU or an index thereof includes, from among settings having said third location, searching for a setting also having a third time which matches said first time obtained in said obtaining step,
wherein said step of conducting a search of scenes in said non-interactive movie or an index thereof includes, from among scenes having said second location, searching for a scene also having a fourth time which matches said second time obtained in said obtaining step,
wherein said display is toggled to a view of said setting in said interactive VU having at least said third location and said third time if, when said transition command is received, said display is displaying a view of said scene of said non-interactive movie having said first location and said first time, and
wherein said display is toggled to a view of said scene of said non-interactive movie having at least said fourth location and said fourth time if, when said transition command is received, said display is displaying a view of said scene of said non-interactive movie having said second location and said second time.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform steps of
obtaining metadata pertaining to either a non-interactive movie or an interactive VU, said metadata describing at least a first location in a scene of said non-interactive movie or a second location in a setting of said interactive VU, wherein said non-interactive movie and said interactive VU are accessible through said computer including a display;
when said metadata pertain to said non-interactive movie, conducting a search of said interactive VU or an index therefor for a setting having at least a third location which matches said first location obtained in said obtaining step;
when said metadata pertain to said interactive VU, conducting a search of scenes in said non-interactive movie or an index therefor for a scene with at least a fourth location which matches said second location obtained in said obtaining step; and
while said display is displaying to a user either (i) a view of said scene of said non-interactive movie having said first location or (ii) a view of said interactive VU having said second location,
receiving in said computer a transition command from said user,
if said display is displaying said view (i) when said transition command is received, toggling said display to a view of said setting in said interactive VU having said third location, and
if said display is displaying said view (ii) when said transition command is received, toggling said display to a view of said scene of said non-interactive movie having said fourth location;

wherein said non-interactive movie and said interactive VU are displayed only one at a time, and
wherein said steps of obtaining metadata and conducting searches are performed autonomously by said computer prior to said step of receiving said transition command from said user.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 6 , further comprising additional instructions which, when run on said computer, cause the computer to perform further steps including
obtaining additional metadata describing a first point of view in either said non-interactive movie or said interactive VU,
when said additional metadata pertain to said non-interactive movie, finding in said interactive VU a second point of view similar to said first point of view, and
when said additional metadata pertain to said interactive VU, finding a scene in said non-interactive movie with a third point of view similar to said first point of view.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 6 , further comprising additional instructions which, when run on said computer, cause the computer to perform further steps of
determining a first point of view either in said non-interactive movie or in said interactive VU, wherein said step of determining includes a computation based on locations of objects visible on said display,
when said metadata pertain to said non-interactive movie, finding in said interactive VU a second point of view similar to said first point of view, and
when said metadata pertain to said interactive VU, finding a scene in said non-interactive movie with a third point of view similar to sa

Assignees

• Finn Peter G
• Hamilton Ii Rick Allen
• Hangai Dana H
• Walker Keith R
• IBM

Inventors

• Finn Peter G
• Hamilton Ii Rick Allen
• Hangai Dana H
• Walker Keith R

Classifications

• A63F2300/632

  by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time · CPC title

• A63F2300/807

  Role playing or strategy games · CPC title

• A63F2300/5593

  involving scheduling aspects · CPC title

• A63F13/525 Primary

  Changing parameters of virtual cameras · CPC title

• A63F2300/5573

  player location · CPC title