Remote Guest Integration in Room-Scale VR via Network Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current room-scale virtual reality (VR) systems face logistical and cost barriers when attempting to include multiple, remotely located guests, as they require separate physical play areas and conventional VR interface devices, limiting multi-guest participation.
Innovation Solution
A technique that allows remote guests to interact with a room-scale VR environment by establishing a network connection between computing devices, transmitting metadata and user inputs to modify the VR environment, enabling remote guests to control or influence the experience without needing conventional VR interface devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If room-scale VR is implemented with multiple remote guests, then multi-guest interaction capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to requiring separate physical play areas and VR interface devices for each guest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives inputs from multiple remote guests and transmits them to a host system generating the VR environment. This mediator architecture allows multiple participants to interact in the VR space without each needing full VR equipment, resolving the contradiction by enabling multi-guest capability while reducing individual device requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual representation or copy of remote guests within the VR environment through avatars or virtual agents that receive control inputs from remote users. This copying approach allows remote guests to interact in the VR space without physically being present or requiring complex hardware, thus improving multi-guest capability while minimizing device complexity.
2Reliability
If conventional VR interface devices are required for each guest, then immersion quality is improved, but accessibility and ease of operation deteriorate due to cost and logistical barriers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal platform where the VR environment can be accessed by different types of users with different levels of equipment. The host system generates the immersive VR experience while remote guests can participate using various input devices (keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, or even mobile devices), making the system universally accessible while maintaining immersion quality for those with full VR equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring each guest to have VR interface devices to experience the VR environment, the patent inverts the approach by having a centralized host system generate the VR environment and receive inputs from remote guests through any computing device. This inversion allows immersion quality to be maintained through the host's VR capabilities while dramatically improving accessibility for remote participants.
3Reliability
If separate physical play areas are provided for each remote guest, then individual VR experience quality is improved, but cost and logistical complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple remote guests into a single shared VR environment hosted on one system. Instead of requiring separate physical play areas for each guest, the host system creates a unified virtual space where all remote participants can interact simultaneously, dramatically reducing the quantity of physical resources needed while maintaining individual experience quality through personalized avatars and controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the interaction from physical space to virtual space, allowing multiple guests to occupy the same virtual environment simultaneously without requiring separate physical play areas. This dimensional shift from three-dimensional physical space to virtual space enables unlimited remote participation with minimal physical resource requirements while preserving individual experience quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for modifying a virtual reality (VR) environment via a first computing device includes establishing a network connection with a VR application that is executing on a second computing device and generating the VR environment, receiving metadata associated with the VR environment from the second computing device via the network connection, receiving at least one user input VIA the first computing device, and, based on the metadata and on the at least one user input, transmitting data to the VR application via the network connection to modify the VR environment being generated by the VR application.