Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Cellco Partnership

Christian Egeler

Mohammad Raheel Khalid

Ali Jaafar

Xavier Hansen

Syed Meeran Kamal

Lama Hewage Ravi Prathapa Chandrasiri

Denny Breitenfeld

Dan Sun

Steven L Smith

Jyotsna Kachroo

John Gu

Samir S Vaidya

Paul Berman

Danny C Lui

Manuel Enrique Caceres

Yuk Lun Li

Mauricio Pati Caldeira De Andrada

Christopher M Schmidt

Taussif Khan

Pai Moodlagiri

Sergey Virodov

Ji Hoon Kim

David B Murray

Vinay Polavarapu

Cory Michael Bruno

Gang Lin

Paul Duree

David J Strumwasser

Adwait Ashish Murudkar

Shiva Narayanabhatla

William Patrick Dildine

Alexander Zilbershtein

Paul Cannon

Marlene Kay Enright

An exemplary object identification system detects, based on a machine learning model, an object depicted within a video frame. The system identifies, based on the detecting of the object, a class label of the object and a region of interest, within the video frame, of the object. The system identifies, within the region of interest of the object, set of features of the object. The system compares the set of features of the object with a plurality of predefined features within a data store associated with the class label of the object. The system determines, based on the comparing of the set of features of the object with the plurality of predefined features within the data store, whether the object is configured to trigger an augmentation of video content associated with the video frame. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for identification and augmentation of video content

An exemplary scene customization system detects a selection, by a user of an artificial reality device, of a customization scheme to be applied to an original immersive scene. The system generates a custom immersive scene based on an application of the selected customization scheme to the original immersive scene. This generating of the custom immersive scene includes identifying, within a dynamic volumetric model of the original immersive scene, a particular object that is of a particular object type and is included in the original immersive scene. This generating of the custom immersive scene also includes replacing, within the dynamic volumetric model and in accordance with the applied customization scheme, the particular object with a custom object that is predetermined within the applied customization scheme to correspond to the particular object type. The system also presents the custom immersive scene to the user by way of the artificial reality device.

Methods and systems for customizing a scene for presentation to a user

An exemplary virtual reality media provider system differentiates static objects depicted in two-dimensional video data from dynamic objects depicted in the two-dimensional video data. Based on the differentiating of the static objects from the dynamic objects, the virtual reality media provider system generates dynamic volumetric models of the surfaces of the static objects and the dynamic objects. The virtual reality media provider system updates the dynamic volumetric models of the surfaces of the static objects with a lower regularity or on an as-needed basis, and the virtual reality media provider system separately updates the dynamic volumetric models of the surfaces of the dynamic objects with a higher regularity. The higher regularity is higher than the lower regularity and keeps the dynamic volumetric models of the surfaces of the dynamic objects up-to-date with what is occurring in the two-dimensional video data. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for creating a volumetric representation of a real-world event

An exemplary virtual reality media provider system receives two-dimensional ('2D') video data for surfaces of first and second objects located in a natural setting. The 2D video data is captured by first and second capture devices disposed at different positions with respect to the objects. The system distinguishes the first object from the second object by performing a plurality of techniques in combination with one another. The plurality of techniques include determining that the first object is moving in relation to the second object; and determining that, from a vantage point of at least one of the different positions, a representation of the first object captured within the 2D video data does not overlap with a representation of the second object. Based on the received 2D video data and the distinguishing of the first and second objects, the system generates an individually-manipulable volumetric model of the first object.

Methods and systems for distinguishing objects in a natural setting to create an individually-manipulable volumetric model of an object

A first communication device communicatively coupled with a second communication device by way of a first network interface and by way of a second network interface parallel to the first network interface prepares object data in accordance with a data partitioning protocol for transmission to the second communication device. The first communication device transmits the prepared object data to the second communication device at an overall data transfer rate that is at least as great as a sum of first and second data transfer rates associated, respectively, with the first and second network interfaces by concurrently transmitting first and second portions of the prepared object data by way of the first and second network interfaces and at the first and second data transfer rates, respectively. Corresponding methods and devices for receiving concurrently transmitted object data by way of parallel network interfaces are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for concurrently transmitting object data by way of parallel network interfaces

An exemplary system generates a plurality of different content files each including data representative of content of a virtual reality world, and provides the plurality of different content files to a media player device via a network. In particular, the generated and provided plurality of different content files comprises at least one of a plurality of uniform-resolution content files and a plurality of mixed-resolution content files. The plurality of uniform-resolution content files are each associated with a different respective center point within the virtual reality world. The plurality of mixed-resolution content files each correspond to one respective content sector of a plurality of partially overlapping content sectors that together form a view of the virtual reality world associated with a single center point, the one respective content sector being encoded in a high resolution while a remainder of the content sectors are encoded in a low resolution.

Methods and systems for delivering independently-controllable interactive media content

An exemplary scene customization system detects a selection, by a user, of a customization scheme to be applied to an original immersive scene throughout a scene customization session to be experienced by the user by way of an artificial reality device. The system dynamically generates a custom immersive scene based on an application of the selected customization scheme to the original immersive scene by receiving data representative of the original immersive scene, developing a dynamic volumetric model of the original immersive scene based on the received data representative of the original immersive scene, identifying one or more objects included in the original immersive scene, and replacing the one or more objects with one or more custom objects in accordance with the applied customization scheme. The system also presents the custom immersive scene to the user by way of the artificial reality device throughout the scene customization session.

Methods and systems for dynamically customizing a scene for presentation to a user

An exemplary device renders, within a field of view of an immersive virtual reality world ('world') presented on a display screen, content of the world based on a stream of a first content file comprising a first content sector of the world encoded in a high resolution and a second content sector encoded in a low resolution. The device detects user input to shift additional content included in the second content sector but not the first content sector into the field of view. In response, the device switches from receiving a stream of the first content file to receiving a stream of a second content file comprising the first content sector encoded in the low resolution and the second content sector encoded in the high resolution. The device then renders the additional content from the second content sector in the high resolution based on the second content file.

Methods and systems for efficient distribution of virtual reality media content

An exemplary method includes a media player device ('device') providing a user with an immersive virtual reality experience in accordance with a specification file corresponding to the immersive virtual reality experience. The specification file includes data that defines a plurality of elements included in the immersive virtual reality experience by providing a plurality of links for use by the device in acquiring the plurality of elements while providing the user with the immersive virtual reality experience. The method further includes the device detecting, while the immersive virtual reality experience is being provided to the user, real-world input associated with the user, and integrating the real-world input into the immersive virtual reality experience by updating the specification file to further include data that defines the real-world input as a user-specific element that is specific to the user and that is included in the immersive virtual reality experience.

Methods and systems for representing real-world input as a user-specific element in an immersive virtual reality experience

An exemplary device renders, within a field of view of an immersive virtual reality world ('world') presented on a display screen, content of the world based on a stream of a first content file comprising a first content sector of the world. The device predicts that a user will provide user input representative of a request to shift additional content included in a second content sector of the world but not the first content sector into the field of view. Based on the prediction, the device requests and begins receiving a stream of a second content file comprising the second content sector. The device then detects the predicted user input from the user and, in response, switches from rendering the content included in the first content sector based on the first content file to rendering the additional content included in the second content sector based on the second content file.

Prediction-based methods and systems for efficient distribution of virtual reality media content

An exemplary virtual reality media provider system ('system') includes a configuration of synchronous video and depth capture devices disposed at fixed positions at a real-world event. In real time, the video and depth capture devices capture two-dimensional video data and depth data for surfaces of objects at the real-world event. The system generates a real-time volumetric data stream representative of a dynamic volumetric model of the surfaces of the objects at the real-world event in real time based on the captured two-dimensional video data and captured depth data. The dynamic volumetric model of the surfaces of the objects at the real-world event is configured to be used to generate virtual reality media content representative of the real-world event as experienced from a dynamically selectable viewpoint corresponding to an arbitrary location at the real-world event and selected by a user experiencing the real-world event using a media player device.

Methods and systems for creating and providing a real-time volumetric representation of a real-world event

An exemplary virtual reality media provider system ('system') includes a configuration of synchronous video and depth capture devices disposed at fixed positions in a vicinity of a first object located in a natural setting along with one or more additional objects. The video and depth capture devices capture two-dimensional video data and depth data for a surface the first object. The system distinguishes the first object from a second object included in the one or more additional objects located in the natural setting and generates an individually-manipulable volumetric model of the first object. The individually-manipulable volumetric model of the first object is configured to be individually manipulated with respect to an immersive virtual reality world while a user of a media player device is experiencing the immersive virtual reality world using the media player device.

Methods and systems for creating and manipulating an individually-manipulable volumetric model of an object

An exemplary interactive media content provider system generates overall data representative of interactive media content. The exemplary interactive media content provider system concurrently provides the overall data to both a first media player device associated with a first user and a second media player device associated with a second user by way of a point-to-multipoint media delivery protocol. The first media player device and the second media player device may each be configured to render different portions of the overall data to respective display screens of the media player devices at a particular point in time based on different user input from the first user and the second user, respectively, as the first user and the second user independently interact with the interactive media content. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

Methods and systems for point-to-multipoint delivery of independently-controllable interactive media content

To virtually transfer subscriber identity module ('SIM') credentials from an active device to an inactive device in order to share carrier network access, temporary identifiers and SIM credentials are transferred using secure connections and an optional public-private key pair with encryption at the transport layer. In an example, a carrier identification ('ID') server receives a temporary identifier, such as a temporary international mobile subscriber identity (&#x201c;TIMSI&#x201d;), from an inactive device via a carrier network. The carrier ID server authenticates the inactive device using the TIMSI by issuing a network challenge. Next, the carrier ID server verifies with an active device associated with the inactive device that the active device distributed the TIMSI. After authenticating and verifying with both devices, the carrier ID server activates the inactive device by allowing the TIMSI to behave as virtual SIM credentials on the carrier network.

Secure virtual transfer of subscriber credentials

A supplemental display unit may provide information to a display associated with a wearable article. The supplemental display unit may share a communications channel with a mobile device, and exchange data with the mobile device over the communications channel while the mobile device resides within the wearable article. The supplemental display unit may generate a screen having a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the exchanged data, where an appearance of the screen is based on a measurement of the wearable article. The supplemental display unit may provide icons on the GUI presenting information to the user, where the icons may be arranged in groups based upon the type of information that each icon presents, and provide the GUI to the display, where the display is coupled to the wearable article.

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Basking Ridge, NJ, United States of America

Christian Egeler