Real time virtual reality leveraging web cams and ip cams and web cam and ip cam networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors of locations in a virtual universe via a computer network are provided. A plurality of VR data sets may be stored. Each VR data set comprise web or IP camera VR datasets and may be independently authored by a respective author different from the other authors. One or more VR data servers may be adapted to access and transmit the VR data sets, and each VR data set may be associated with a VR data server for access to the VR data set. A domain server may be adapted to access and transmit domain data comprising the location within the universe of each VR representation and the network address of the VR data server associated with the VR representation. Further, a client host may be adapted to communicate with the domain server to receive domain data representing the network address of the VR data server associated with a selected VR representation, the client host further adapted to communicate with that VR data server to access the VR data set defining the VR representation without leaving the virtual universe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors as well as any of a plurality of web or IP cameras of locations in a virtual universe via a computer network, the system comprising:
 memory for storing a plurality of VR data sets comprising web or IP camera VR datasets, wherein each VR data set defines a VR representation of a location, each data set independently authored or defined by a respective author different from the other authors;   one or more VR data servers adapted to access and transmit the VR data sets, each VR data set associated with a VR data server for access to the VR data set;   a domain server adapted to access and transmit domain data comprising the location within the universe of each VR representation and the network address of the VR data server associated with the VR representation; and   a client host adapted to communicate with the domain server to receive the domain data representing the network address of the VR data server associated with a selected VR representation, the client host further adapted to communicate with that VR data server to access the VR data set defining the VR representation without leaving the virtual universe.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the web or IP camera data is obtained in real-time. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the web or IP camera data is time-sliced data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , where the web or IP camera data is changeable by remotely changing the camera location. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , where the web or IP camera data is extracted from a web site that aggregates the web or IP camera data. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data servers stores a database of the locations of the both static and web or IP camera virtual reality representations accessible through the data server and the network addresses of the VR data sets defining such virtual reality representations, whereby VR data sets can be stored remotely from the data server. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the VR data sets comprise first data representing a plurality of photographs or data from a web or IP camera taken from a geographical location, each photograph or data from a web or IP camera taken in a respective viewing direction, and second data representing the viewing direction of each photograph. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client host comprises means for generating both static and web or IP camera virtual reality presentation utilizing the accessed VR data set. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the domain data in the domain server is updated based on author submission of information regarding the network address of the data server and the location in the virtual reality universe associated with the VR data set as well as determining the time when an IP or web camera data is to take automatic pictures. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the VR data sets comprise data representing a photograph or data from a web or IP camera taken from a geographical location. 
     
     
         12 . A method for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors as well as any of a plurality of web or IP cameras of locations in a virtual universe via a computer network, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of data servers and a domain server interconnected with the data servers, the data servers providing access to sets of VR data of virtual representations of locations within the universe, each set of VR data authored by a respective different author independently of the other authors, the VR data comprising comprising web or IP camera VR datasets, the domain server providing access to domain data for selecting the location to visit and the network address of the data server providing access to the VR data for the selected location;   receiving data from the visitor representing a selected location in the universe;   accessing the domain data in response to the received data and obtaining therefrom the network address of the data server that provides access to the VR data for the selected location; and   transferring the VR data for the selected location from the data server to the visitor's computer for generation of a VR presentation of the selected location without leaving the virtual universe.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors as well as any of a plurality of web or IP cameras of locations in a virtual universe via a computer network, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of data servers and a domain server interconnected with the data servers, the data servers providing access to sets of VR data of virtual representations of locations within the universe, each set of VR data authored by a respective different author independently of the other authors, the VR data comprising comprising web or IP camera VR datasets, the domain server providing access to domain data for selecting the location to visit and the network address of the data server providing access to the VR data for the selected location;   receiving data from the visitor representing a selected location in the universe;   accessing the domain data in response to the received data and obtaining therefrom the network address of the data server that provides access to the VR data for the selected location; and   transferring the VR data for the selected location from the data server to the visitor's computer for generation of a VR presentation of the selected location without leaving the virtual universe.