Synchronizing multiple head-mounted displays to a unified space and correlating movement of objects in the unified space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9818225-B2
Application number	US-201514866700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A method for sharing content with other HMDs includes rendering content of a virtual environment scene on a display screen of a head-mounted display associated with a first user. The display screen rendering the virtual environment scene represents a virtual reality space of the first user. A request to share the virtual reality space of the first user is detected. The request targets a second user. In response to detecting acceptance of the request to share, the virtual reality space of the first user is shared with the second user. The sharing allows synchronizing the virtual environment scene rendered on the head mounted display of the first and the second users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing content of a virtual environment scene for rendering on a display screen of a head mounted display associated with a first user, in response to detecting a request for the content initiated by the first user, the content for the virtual environment scene is provided by an application and presented in a virtual reality space of the first user;
detecting a request to share the virtual reality space of the first user, the request targeting a second user;
providing the content of the virtual reality space of the first user for rendering on the display screen of the head mounted display of the second user, in response to detecting a signal accepting the request to share, the content being rendered in a second virtual reality space defined on the head mounted display associated with the second user,
wherein providing the content includes presenting an image representation of the first user in the second virtual reality space so as to present the content and the image of the first user interacting with the content from a perspective of the second user; and
in response to detecting the signal accepting the request to share, updating the content presented in the virtual reality space of the first user to include an image representation of the second user interacting with the content so as to present the content and the image of the second user from a perspective of the first user and wherein the content rendered in the virtual reality space and the second virtual reality space is synchronized in substantial real time,
wherein method operations are performed by one or more processors of a server computer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to share is initiated by the first user and extended to the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to share is initiated by the second user to the first user.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first user is identified from social contacts of the second user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein targeting the second user includes,
retrieving social contacts of the first user from one or more social networks associated with the first user in response to detection of the request to share, the social contacts presented at the head mounted display for selection; and
receiving selection of the second user from the social contacts.

6. The method of claim 1 , further includes providing access to the content rendered in the head mounted displays of the first and the second user, the access allowing the first user and the second user to interact with the application, the interaction used as input to dynamically affect an outcome of the application, such that the virtual environment scene presented at the head mounted display of the first and the second users is adjusted in substantial real time to reflect the outcome.

7. The method of claim 1 , further includes,
identifying one or more real world objects from a real world scene within a vicinity of the first user and the second user;
coordinating positions of the real world objects to specific objects or positions in the virtual environment scene; and
translating actions taken related to the real world objects into actions to be taken by the application in the virtual environment scene, the actions used to dynamically adjust content of the virtual environment scene presented on the head mounted display of the first and the second users.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein coordinating positions further includes,
tracking the positions of the real world objects using one or more cameras; and
synchronizing the positions of the real world objects with the specific objects or positions in the virtual environment scene.

9. The method of claim 1 , further includes presenting other user-related information associated with the second user within the virtual reality space of the first user and other user-related information associated with the first user within the virtual reality space of the second user.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein presenting the other user-related information includes bringing the user-related information of the first and the second users gradually into focus within the respective virtual reality spaces.

11. The method of claim 1 , further includes,
generating a signal to pause an activity that the second user was involved in prior to detection of the signal granting the request to share, the activity providing second content for rendering at the head mounted display of the second user, wherein the second content is different from the content rendered at the head mounted display of the first user; and
presenting the content from the virtual environment scene of the first user.

12. The method of claim 11 , further includes,
detecting a request to leave the virtual reality space of the first user, the request to leave initiated by the second user;
in response to the request to leave, ceasing rendering of content from the virtual reality space of the first user on the display screen of the head mounted display of the second user; and
resuming the activity that the second user was involved in from a point where it was paused, the resuming causes rendering of the second content on the display screen of the head mounted display of the second user.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the request to leave further includes removing user-related information of the second user including the image representation of the second user from the virtual reality space of the first user, the removal is by gradually fading out the user-related information and the image representation of the second user from the virtual reality space of the first user.

14. The method of claim 1 , further includes,
detecting a request to leave the virtual reality space, the request initiated by the first user; and
in response to the request to leave, ceasing the rendering of the content in the virtual reality space of the first user and the second user.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein ceasing further includes,
providing a portion of the application to the second user to allow the second user to continue interacting with the application, the portion of the application providing content for rendering on the head mounted display of the second user,
wherein the portion is one of an abridged version of the application, a portion that is less than whole application or the application with less features.

16. A method, comprising:
receiving a request for a virtual tour of a geo location, from a first user;
returning video content associated with the virtual tour for presenting in virtual reality space defined on a display screen of a head mounted display associated with the first user, in response to the request, the video content being presented in three dimensional space;
detecting an invitation to share the virtual tour of the geo location, wherein the invitation is extended by the first user to a second user;
providing the video content from the virtual reality space of the first user to the second user, upon the second user accepting the invitation, the acceptance to join causes the video content associated with the virtual tour of the geo location to be rendered on the display screen of the head mounted display of the second user,
wherein the video content provided to the second user includes an image representation of the first user interacting with the video content from a perspective of the second user; and
updating the video content rendered in the virtual reality space of the first user to include an image representation o

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Mao Xiaodong
• Watson Brian

Classifications

• A63F13/35

  Details of game servers · CPC title

• A63F13/42

  by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle · CPC title

• G06T19/003

  Navigation within 3D models or images · CPC title

• A63F13/493

  Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure · CPC title

• A63F13/30

  Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers · CPC title