Virtual reality enhanced through browser connections

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 may define a VR representation of a location, as well as world wide web data 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 of locations in a virtual universe via a computer network, the system comprising:
 memory for storing a plurality of VR data sets, each VR data set defining a VR representation of a location, as well as world wide web data, each data set independently authored 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 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 data is obtained in real-time. 
     
     
         3 . A system in  claim 1 , wherein the web data comprises web, news, images or other related data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the domain server, the one or more data servers, and the client host comprise a plurality of computers with at least one server having access to the world wide web for searching 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more data servers stores a database of the locations of the virtual reality representations and web data strings for web, news and image data, 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. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the VR data sets comprise first data representing a plurality of photographs and related web data strings allowing the system to search the world wide web for the selected geographical location, each photograph taken in a respective viewing direction, and second data representing the viewing direction of each photograph. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising: means for enabling the author to update the domain data with the network address of the data server and the location in the virtual reality universe associated with the VR data set and the wed data strings. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the VR data sets comprise data representing a photograph taken from a geographical location as well as world wide web data strings. 
     
     
         9 . A method for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors 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, as well as world wide web data, each data set independently authored by a respective author different from the other authors;   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.   
     
     
         10 . A virtual reality viewing system for viewing virtual locations in a virtual universe accessed through a computer network, the viewing system comprising:
 memory for storing:
 a plurality of data sets, each data set representing a location in a virtual universe, each data set independently authored by a respective author different from the other authors, each data set comprising world wide web data; and 
 data representing a map of the locations in the virtual universe represented by the plurality of data sets; 
   a display for displaying an image of a map from the map data;   an interface for:
 receiving visitor input for selecting a location displayed on the map, the location represented by one of the plurality of data sets; 
 transmitting the one data set representing the selected location through the network; 
 receiving data representing the network address of a network data server providing access to the one data set; and 
 communicating with the network data server to receive the one data set; and 
   a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor generates a virtual reality presentation from the one data set without leaving the virtual universe.   
     
     
         11 . 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 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, as well as world wide web data, each data set independently authored by a respective author different from the other authors;   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.