Virtual reality streaming

Abstract

Disclosed is a cloud network server system, a method and a software program product for experiencing a three-dimensional (3D) model. 3D model data associated with a 3D video game is uploaded to the cloud network server system. These are used to design for example a computer game that renders non-spatial characteristics such as, smell, reflection and/or refraction of light, wind direction, sound reflection, etc., along with spatial and visibility information associated with 3D objects displayed in the 3D video game. Different versions of the 3D model are created based on memory, streaming bandwidth, and/or processing power requirements of different user terminal computers. Based on a virtual location of a user in the 3D model, parts of at least one version of the 3D model are rendered to the user. This renders a more lifelike virtual reality gaming experience with substantially lesser time lag and lesser memory footprint requirement.

1 . A method for experiencing a three-dimensional graphical computer model, comprises at least one distributed cloud network server system ( 200 ) comprising a plurality of servers ( 321 ,  322 ,  323 ), at least one model upload computer ( 300 ) and at least one user terminal computer ( 210 ), wherein,
 a three-dimensional graphical computer model comprising spatial and visibility information data is uploaded to the cloud network ( 320 ) from the at least one model upload computer ( 300 ),   the three-dimensional graphical computer model is composed from the data and is partitioned into smaller cells ( 610 ,  620 ,  630 ),   a user connects to the cloud network ( 320 ) with a terminal computer ( 210 ) installed with an application ( 220 ) configured for viewing the three-dimensional graphical computer model from said cloud server network ( 320 ),   based on the virtual location of the user within the three-dimensional graphical computer model, only the parts of the three-dimensional model visible from said virtual location are displayed on the terminal computer screen to the user,   parts of the three-dimensional graphical computer model are streamed to the application ( 220 ) on said terminal computer ( 210 ).   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, additional non-spatial information is included with the spatial and visibility information of the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, said additional non-spatial information included with the spatial information of the three-dimensional model comprises any of the following: reflectance and/or refractance attributes of light at a particular location in the three-dimensional model, reflectance of sound at a particular location in the three-dimensional model, smell, temperature, wind, quantity of natural light at a certain time and/or air speed. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein, said streaming prioritises the cell ( 610 ) the user is currently in, or cells ( 620  or  630 ) that are visible from the cell ( 610 ) that the user is currently in, or are near the cell ( 610 ) the user is currently in. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein, the complexity of the model is adjusted based on the available streaming bandwidth to the user terminal computer ( 210 ) and/or memory and/or processing power of said terminal computer ( 210 ). 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein, different versions of different sizes are created from the three-dimensional graphical computer model for different bandwidth, memory and/or processing power environments. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein, the plurality of different versions of the three-dimensional model are hosted in the cloud network server system ( 200 ). 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, the cells ( 610 ,  620 ,  630 ) are connected by portals that may appear as doors or corridors in the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, the three-dimensional graphical computer model is a voxel grid ( 600 ) with portal graphs. 
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, the user terminal computer ( 210 ) is a mobile terminal computer, and the viewing application ( 220 ) is a virtual reality software application. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, the information structure of the three-dimensional computer model in the model upload computer ( 300 ) and cloud server network ( 320 ) can be transferred to and preserved in multiple different user applications ( 220 ) using said three dimensional graphical model. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored a program for providing a three-dimensional graphical computer model, and when executed by at least one distributed cloud network server system ( 200 ) comprising a plurality of servers ( 321 ,  322 ,  323 ), at least one model upload computer ( 300 ) and at least one user terminal computer ( 210 ), wherein,
 three-dimensional graphical computer model comprising spatial and visibility information data is configured to be uploaded to the cloud network ( 320 ) from the at least one model upload computer ( 300 ),   the three-dimensional graphical computer model is configured to be composed from the data and is partitioned into smaller cells ( 610 ,  620 ,  630 ),   a user connects to the cloud network ( 320 ) with a terminal computer ( 210 ) installed with an application ( 220 ) configured for viewing the three-dimensional graphical computer model from said cloud server network ( 320 ),   based on the virtual location of the user within the three-dimensional graphical computer model, only the parts of the three-dimensional model visible from said virtual location is configured to be displayed on the terminal computer screen to the user,   parts of the three-dimensional graphical computer model and associated non-spatial information are streamed to the application ( 220 ) on said terminal computer ( 210 ).   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, additional non-spatial information is included with the spatial and visibility information of the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, said additional non-spatial information included with the spatial information of the three-dimensional model comprises any of the following: reflectance and/or refractance attributes of light at a particular location in the three-dimensional model, reflectance of sound at a particular location in the three-dimensional model, smell, temperature, wind, quantity of natural light at a certain time and/or air speed. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein, said streaming prioritises the cell ( 610 ) the user is currently in, or cells ( 620  or  630 ) that are visible from the cell ( 610 ) that the user is currently in, or are near the cell ( 610 ) the user is currently in. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein, the complexity of the model is adjusted based on the available streaming bandwidth to the user terminal computer ( 210 ) and/or memory and/or processing power of said terminal computer ( 210 ). 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein, different versions of different sizes are created from the three-dimensional graphical computer model for different bandwidth, memory and/or processing power environments. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein, the plurality of different versions of the three-dimensional model are hosted in the cloud network server system ( 200 ). 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, the cells ( 610 ,  620 ,  630 ) are connected by portals that may appear as doors or corridors in the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, the three-dimensional graphical computer model is a voxel grid ( 600 ) with portal graphs. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, the user terminal computer ( 210 ) is a mobile terminal computer, and the viewing application ( 220 ) is a virtual reality software application. 
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, the information structure of the three-dimensional computer model in the model upload computer ( 300 ) and cloud server network ( 320 ) can be transferred to and preserved in multiple different user applications ( 220 ) using said three dimensional graphical model. 
     
     
         23 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) for providing a three-dimensional graphical computer comprising a plurality of servers ( 321 ,  322 ,  323 ), at least one model upload computer ( 300 ) and at least one user terminal computer ( 210 ), wherein,
 three-dimensional graphical computer model comprising spatial and visibility information data is configured to be uploaded to the cloud network ( 320 ) from the at least one model upload computer ( 300 ),   the three-dimensional graphical computer model is configured to be composed from the data and is partitioned into smaller cells ( 610 ,  620 ,  630 ),   a user is configured to connect to the cloud network ( 320 ) with a terminal computer ( 210 ) installed with an application ( 220 ) configured for viewing the three-dimensional graphical computer model from said cloud server network ( 320 ),   based on the virtual location of the user within the three-dimensional graphical computer model, only the parts of the three-dimensional model visible from said virtual location are configured to be displayed on the terminal computer screen to the user,   parts of the three-dimensional graphical computer model and associated non-spatial information are configured to be streamed to the application ( 220 ) on said terminal computer ( 210 ).   
     
     
         24 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein, additional non-spatial information is included with the spatial and visibility information of the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         25 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein, said additional non-spatial information included with the spatial information of the three-dimensional model is configured to comprise any of the following: reflectance and/or refractance attributes of light at a particular location in the three-dimensional model, reflectance of sound at a particular location in the three-dimensional model, smell, temperature, wind, quantity of natural light at a certain time and/or air speed. 
     
     
         26 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein, said streaming is configured to prioritise the cell ( 610 ) the user is currently in, or cells ( 620 ,  630 ) that are visible from the cell ( 610 ) that the user is currently in, or are near the cell ( 610 ) the user is currently in. 
     
     
         27 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein, the complexity of the model is configured to be adjusted based on the available streaming bandwidth to the user terminal computer ( 210 ) and/or memory and/or processing power of said terminal computer ( 210 ). 
     
     
         28 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein, different versions of different sizes are configured to be created from the three-dimensional graphical computer model for different bandwidth, memory and/or processing power environments. 
     
     
         29 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein, the plurality of different versions of the three-dimensional model is configured to be hosted in the cloud network server system ( 200 ). 
     
     
         30 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein, the cells ( 610 ,  620 ,  630 ) are configured to be connected by portals that may appear as doors or corridors in the three-dimensional model. 
     
     
         31 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein, the three-dimensional graphical computer model is configured as a voxel grid ( 600 ) with portal graphs. 
     
     
         32 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein, the user terminal computer ( 210 ) is configured to be a mobile terminal computer, and the viewing application ( 220 ) is configured to be a virtual reality software application. 
     
     
         33 . A cloud server network system ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein, the information structure of the three-dimensional computer model in the model upload computer ( 300 ) and cloud server network ( 320 ) is configured to be transferred to and preserved in multiple different user applications ( 220 ) using said three dimensional graphical model.