Social media sharing in a virtual reality application

Abstract

A method which allows a user who is viewing panoramic images within a virtual reality (VR) head mounted device to share with a social media network pre-loaded images of the content being viewed and post a comment. Specifically, this invention will allow a user to share an image of a vehicle just viewed or currently being viewed by the user and upload a comment in regards to the vehicle while still maintaining the integrity of the virtual reality experience.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for displaying panoramic images in a head mounted display device, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. creating computer generated images of a virtual reality experience to form six faces of a cube and creating two identical cubes from said six faces, placing together two inverted cubes to form a skybox, wherein the skybox creates a virtual showroom for placing the panoramic images within the skybox that is presented in the head mounted display device;   b. obtaining a multiplicity of pre-rendered panoramic images of interiors of a multiplicity of vehicles and a multiplicity of pre-rendered panoramic images of exteriors of said multiplicity of vehicles;   c. placing a specific one of said panoramic images of a selected vehicle from either said multiplicity of panoramic images of interiors and multiplicity of panoramic images of exteriors within said skybox;   d. placing spin panoramic images of the vehicle within said skybox by having the spin panoramic images of the vehicle line up with a front face of the skybox for rotation of the vehicle within said skybox;   e. providing a plurality of graphic user interfaces that are superimposed on the panoramic images in said skybox displayed in the head mounted display device;   f. displaying one of the plurality of graphic user interfaces over the specific one of said panoramic images of a selected vehicle, wherein the one of the plurality of graphic user interfaces displays a dialog box comprising at least a first button titled set up and a second button titled not now to share the user's social experience of the specific panoramic images of the vehicle with a social media;   g. in response to user selection of the first button titled set up, displaying a keyboard virtual dialog box with a virtual keyboard that allows the user to enter email address into the keyboard virtual dialog box to connect to the user's social network account;   h. in response to user selection of the second button titled not now, closing said virtual dialog box;   i. providing one of the plurality of graphic user interfaces that displays at least a first button for changing a view from exterior panoramic images of the vehicle to interiors panoramic images of the vehicle, a second button for changing the vehicle being viewed by the user, a third button for switching to a home screen, and a fourth button for sharing an image and a comment with the user's social media network;   j. providing one of the plurality of graphic user interfaces that displays a to-be-shared dialog box having a pre-loaded to-be-shared image, an experience display text, and a custom text graphic user interface, wherein the custom text graphic user interface receives user entry of a comment into the custom text graphic user interface to share the pre-loaded to-be-shared image with the comment entered by the user so that other users of a social network can see the pre-loaded to-be-shared image with the comment entered by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising: a database that stores user names, user email addresses, upload dates, and answers to Boolean queries, wherein said database is accessed by a user to determine if said user has already created a username prior to storing username within said database. 
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising: said to-be-shared image is uploaded to said social media network while user is wearing said head mounted display device.