Method and system for selecting and viewing sports content and a scoreguide in a virtual reality device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9894403-B2
Application number	US-201615069737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2016
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A virtual reality (VR) system including a head mounted display (HMD), a sensor or an input device, a selection module, a scoreguide module and a display module. The HMD displays a VR environment including sports content of a live game, a prerecorded game, or a sports channel. The sensor or input device is connected to the HMD and generates signals based on detection of at least one of movement of the HMD, movement of an eyeball of a user, voice communication of the user, or user contact with the input device. The selection module selects the sports content based on the signals and generates a selection signal indicating the sports content. The scoreguide module generates a scoreguide based on the signals. The display module displays the sports content in the VR environment based on the selection signal and displays the scoreguide in the VR environment based on the signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A virtual reality system comprising:
a head mounted display to display a virtual reality environment including sports content of a live game, a prerecorded game, or a sports channel;
at least one sensor or input device connected to the head mounted display and to generate a plurality of head mounted display movement signals based on detection of at least one of movement of the head mounted display or movement of an eyeball of a user;
a selection module configured to select the sports content based on the plurality of signals and generate a selection signal indicating the sports content;
a scoreguide module configured to generate a scoreguide based on the plurality of head mounted display movement signals; and
a display module to display the sports content in the virtual reality environment based on the selection signal in a center window to fill a virtual reality screen display and display the scoreguide to the left right above or below the center window by shifting the center window within the screen display in response to a direction of the movement signals in the virtual reality environment based on the plurality of head mounted display movement signals, said scoreguide not displayed unless movement signals are detected.

2. The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein:
the scoreguide comprises a plurality of tiles;
the plurality of tiles include at least one identifier; and
each of the identifiers of the plurality of tiles corresponds to a respective sports game, sports event, or sports channel.

3. The virtual reality system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of tiles includes a live score of a respective sports game.

4. The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the display module is to change a layout of the scoreguide as shown in the virtual reality environment based on the plurality of head mounted display movement signals.

5. The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sports content is of a first sports game;
the plurality of signals indicate selection of a tile on the scoreguide by the user;
the selected tile corresponds to a second sports game;
the selection module is configured to, based on the plurality of head mounted display movement signals, select the second sports game and generates the selection signal; and
the display module is configured to display the second sports game based on the selection signal.

6. The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the sports content displayed in the virtual reality environment is displayed from a point of reference within a stadium in which a sports game corresponding to the sports content is being played.

7. The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein:
the display module to receive a signal transmitted from a client device to a virtual reality device;
the signal transmitted to the virtual reality device indicates preselected information; the virtual reality device comprises the head mounted display, the at least one sensor or input device, the selection module, the scoreguide module and the display module; and the display module, based on the preselected information, is configured to display the sports content and the scoreguide.

8. The virtual reality system of claim 7 , wherein the preselected information indicates a selected sports game.

9. The virtual reality system of claim 7 , wherein the preselected information indicates content of the scoreguide.

10. A method of operating a virtual reality system, the method comprising:
displaying a virtual reality environment on a head mounted display including sports content of a live game, a prerecorded game, or a sports channel;
generating, via at least one sensor or input device connected to the head mounted display, a plurality of head mounted display movement signals based on detection of at least one of movement of the head mounted display or movement of an eyeball of a user;
selecting the sports content based on the plurality of signals and generate a selection signal indicating the sports content;
generating a scoreguide based on the plurality of head mounted display movement signals; and
displaying the sports content in the virtual reality environment based on the selection signal in a center window to fill a virtual reality screen display and display the scoreguide to the left, right above or below the center window by shifting the center window within the screen display in response to a direction of the movement signals in the virtual reality environment based on the plurality of head mounted display movement signals.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the scoreguide comprises a plurality of tiles;
the plurality of tiles include at least one identifier; and
each of the identifiers of the plurality of tiles corresponds to a respective sports game, sports event, or sports channel.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of tiles includes a live score of a respective sports game.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising changing a layout of the scoreguide as shown in the virtual reality environment based on the plurality of signals.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
based on the plurality of head mounted display movement signals, selecting a second sports game and generating the selection signal,
wherein
the sports content is of a first sports game,
the plurality of head mounted display movement signals indicate selection of a tile on the scoreguide by the user, and
the selected tile corresponds to the second sports game; and

displaying the second sports game based on the selection signal.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sports content displayed in the virtual reality environment is displayed from a point of reference within a stadium in which a sports game corresponding to the sports content is being played.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a signal transmitted from a client device to a virtual reality device,
wherein
the signal transmitted to the virtual reality device indicates preselected information, and
the virtual reality device comprises the head mounted display and the at least one sensor or input device; and

based on the preselected information, displaying the sports content and the scoreguide.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the preselected information indicates a selected sports game.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the preselected information indicates content of the scoreguide.

Assignees

• Directv Group Inc

Inventors

• Depies Michael E
• Sharma Vikash
• Goldstein Aaron L
• Beeson Charles W

Classifications

• H04N21/6143

  involving transmission via a satellite · CPC title

• H04N21/41407

  embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop (constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57) · CPC title

• H04N21/8133

  specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video programme · CPC title

• H04N21/4316 Primary

  for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window · CPC title

• H04N21/42222

  Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device · CPC title