Method and apparatus for delivering a virtual reality environment

Abstract

A system is described for providing assistance and guidance to users of a virtual reality environment that includes at least one input device for each of the users, at least one client device, each coupled to a network an operable to respond to a plurality of commands from each input device issued by the users. A plurality of servers are provided which are also coupled to the network that are operable to execute the virtual reality environment and which include at least one user profile server for storing a user profile for each of the users. The system also includes an artificial intelligence engine and at least one output device which is coupled to each of the plurality of client devices, the artificial intelligence being operable to invoke and execute at least one intelligent assistant in the virtual reality environment for each user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 964,224, filed Sep. 25, 2001, and Provisional Application No. 60 / 235,777, filed Sep. 25, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] 1. Field of the Invention [0004] This invention relates to global communications networks, and more specifically to delivering an easy to use virtual reality environment to take advantage of existing technologies and global communications networks such as the Internet without requiring the use of computers nor computer literacy. This invention includes an artificial intelligence assistant which receives commands through a speech recognition device, adapts to each individual user, and provides customized guidance to the user. The intelligent assistant pr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0036] It is a further object of this invention to humanize information technology by making the technology truly easy to use, accessible, affordable, and relevant in people's everyday lives while bypassing the requirements of computer literacy and ownership, deliver entertainment, current, and relevant information, and useful services and merchandise on demand in a manner that accurately reflects each user's reality at many levels. The virtual environment of the present invention, respects users desire for privacy, as the user only interacts with a set-top box and not with retailers or service providers. The environment interacts with and responds to users both individually and as a group, learns, evolves and changes quickly in response to user demands and preferences.

[0065] Still another object of the present invention is to offer an attractive approach which would increase the size of the audience and the length of their visits. Thus, increasing the traffic in the virtual shopping zone allowing the host to set higher prices for the retail space of the Shopping Zone and realizing higher sales fees.

Problems solved by technology

Five years after the experts accepted the Internet as a commercial medium, the Internet today is a chaotic, overpopulated road, accessible only to the relatively few people who own and can operate computers.

Today's Internet is generally deficient in several ways.

In addition, all users must navigate through the pre-set paths and iterations even when the bulk of the information accessible via those paths would not be applicable to that user's needs nor to the user's level of familiarity with the available information.

One of the factors slowing the wider deployment of the Internet is that it requires an expertise level which is still quite high.

Today's computers are difficult to use and require significant levels of expertise, generally built over many years of computer use.

Also, non-computer users are quite often intimidated by the technology of computers.

This combination of factors results in more than half of the 25 world population bewildered, uninterested in using and enjoying one of the best technologies developed in the twentieth century.

In addition, there is a natural, human fear of failure when challenged to master new skills.

Stated differently, users realize that the availability of information itself is not useful unless the information is reduced to a manageable size and unless the information so reduced in size is of interest and of value to the specific user.

With the rapid growth of content available on the Internet, these directories are becoming increasingly difficult to build and update with a high level of quality.

In addition, the creators of these directories often have limited relevant knowledge about the directories' particular topic areas.

These software programs have a limited ability to determine the quality or relevance of the web sites they retrieve.

Further, as the nature of the available content has become more difficult to classify, many companies offering search engines are being forced to employ significant editorial staffs to ensure that responses to queries are satisfactory.

Search engines based on natural language have the added difficulty of accurately determining sentence syntax and nuances.

Because most portals have many similar tools and features and provide limited original content, there is little differentiation among them.

However, the quality of this content varies significantly and the content is frequently un-managed and poorly organized and presented.

As a result, advertisers may be reluctant to entrust their brands to sites that rely upon user-generated content.

Moreover, almost any search string results in a huge number of documents and the user would not know which documents have already been ruled out as being of no interest.

Further, the search engines generally do not focus on particular sites that are of interest to the user; they search the entire Internet.

The Internet is huge and complex.

None of the devices or methods available in the prior art, however, provides a way of integrating all available technologies together in order to provide an user friendly virtual environment which provides the user with an easy to use technological solution while at the same time taking advantage several available technologies.

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