Systems and methods for collision avoidance in virtual environments

Abstract

Systems and methods of unbinding the scope of a virtual reality environment. One method includes the steps of: providing a user virtual reality device to a user; providing the virtual reality environment to the user through the user virtual reality device, wherein the virtual reality environment has a corresponding physical environment in which the users are located when interacting with the virtual reality environment; providing a virtual offset in the virtual reality environment so that the ratio of the virtual reality environment to the corresponding physical environment is greater than 1:1; and providing a user avatar in the virtual reality environment through which the user explores the virtual reality environment.

1 . A method of unbinding the scope of a virtual reality environment comprising the steps of:
 providing a user virtual reality device to a user;   providing the virtual reality environment to the user through the user virtual reality device, wherein the virtual reality environment has a corresponding physical environment in which the users are located when interacting with the virtual reality environment;   providing a user avatar in the virtual reality environment through which the user explores the virtual reality environment;   providing a virtual offset in the virtual reality environment so that the ratio of the virtual reality environment to the corresponding physical environment is greater than 1:1.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual offset includes a plurality of virtual locations in the virtual environment that correspond to a single physical location in the physical environment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual offset comprises a change to a virtual location of the user avatar in the virtual environment without a change to the physical location of the user in the physical environment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the virtual offset results from the user avatar riding one of an escalator, an elevator, a ramp, a zipline, a hot air balloon, a vehicle, and a jetpack in the virtual reality environment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the virtual offset results from the user avatar performing an action selected from the group of climbing, swimming, operating a grappling hook, propelling into the air via a launch pad, and sliding down a slope in the virtual reality environment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual offset comprises a plurality of distinct elevational changes in the virtual reality environment while occupying a singular elevational space in the physical environment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual reality environment uses X, Y, and Z coordinates, and wherein the virtual offset comprises a change to one of the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the user avatar in the virtual reality environment without a change to the corresponding X, Y, and Z coordinates of the user in the physical environment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the user virtual reality device is a head-mounted display. 
     
     
         9 . A system for unbinding the scope of a virtual reality environment comprising:
 a user virtual reality device;   a user location tracking system for tracking the first user virtual reality device in a physical environment associated with the virtual reality environment, wherein the user is located in the physical environment when interacting with the virtual reality environment;   a processor in communication with the first user virtual reality device and the user location tracking system; and   a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 providing the virtual reality environment to the user through the first user virtual reality device; 
 providing at least one virtual offset in the virtual reality environment so that the ratio of the virtual reality environment to the corresponding physical environment is greater than 1:1. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual offset includes a plurality of virtual locations in the virtual environment that correspond to a single physical location in the physical environment. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual offset comprises a change to a virtual location of the user avatar in the virtual environment without a change to the physical location of the user in the physical environment. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the virtual offset results from the user avatar riding one of an escalator, an elevator, a ramp, a zipline, a hot air balloon, a vehicle, and a jetpack in the virtual reality environment. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the virtual offset results from the user avatar performing an action selected from the group of climbing, swimming, operating a grappling hook, propelling into the air via a launch pad, and sliding down a slope in the virtual reality environment. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual offset comprises a plurality of distinct elevational changes in the virtual reality environment while occupying a singular elevational space in the physical environment. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual reality environment uses X, Y, and Z coordinates, and wherein the virtual offset comprises a change to one of the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the user avatar in the virtual reality environment without a change to the corresponding X, Y, and Z coordinates of the user in the physical environment. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the first user virtual reality device is a head-mounted display.