Systems and Methods for Simulating Sense Data and Creating Perceptions

Abstract

A method includes defining a first virtual being (e.g., including sensory locations for sensors, sense locations for sense properties, artificial neural networks connecting sensors to sense properties) in a virtual environment. The method also includes defining an object (e.g., including sense locations) in the virtual environment. The method also includes, in accordance with an interaction between the virtual being and the object, receiving sensory input at a first sensor at a first sensory location using a first virtual medium according to a first sense property of the object at a first sense location. The first sensor, the first virtual medium, and the first sense property have a same sensory type. According to the received sensory input, a first artificial neural network translates the received sensory input into updates to one or more configuration parameters of sensors of the first virtual being or movement of the virtual being.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of simulating sense data for virtual beings in virtual environments, performed at a computer system having one or more processors, memory, and one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
 defining a first virtual being in a virtual environment, wherein the first virtual being includes:
 a plurality of sensory locations, each sensory location having one or more sensors, wherein each sensor has a respective sensory type and is configured to receive sensory input by one or more respective virtual mediums having the respective sensory type; 
 a plurality of sense locations, each sense location storing a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type; and 
 a plurality of artificial neural networks connecting sensors at the plurality of sensory locations; 
   defining an object in the virtual environment, wherein the object has a plurality of sense locations, each sense location storing a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type;   in accordance with an interaction between the virtual being and the object, receiving sensory input at a first sensor at a first sensory location using a first virtual medium according to a first sense property of the object at a first sense location, wherein the first sensor, the first virtual medium, and the first sense property have a same sensory type; and   in accordance with the received sensory input, using a first artificial neural network to translate the received sensory input into (i) updates to one or more configuration parameters of sensors of the first virtual being and/or (ii) movement of the virtual being.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting enhancements or impairments to apply to the first sensory location and/or the first artificial neural network based on (i) the first sensory location and the first sense location, and (ii) the sensory type of the first sensor, the first virtual medium, and the first sense property; and   altering, based on the enhancements or impairments, (i) one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor, thereby modifying its ability to receive sensory input, and/or (ii) one or more configuration parameters of the first artificial neural network, thereby modifying ability of the first sensor and/or the first artificial neural network to process sensory input from the first virtual medium that determines when there is an interaction with the first sensor using the first sense property.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 in accordance with a determination that the sensory type is light touch, selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining whether the first sensory location is deformed by a predetermined amount in a direction normal to the first sensory location's non-deformed baseline location, within a predetermined time period.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor comprises enhancing the ability of the first sensor to receive sensory input at the first sensory location by increasing resolution of the first sensor by a predetermined amount.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 in accordance with a determination that the sensory type is temperature, selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining whether a distance between the first sensory location and the first sense location is less than a predetermined amount in a direction normal to the first sensory location's non-deformed baseline location.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor comprises enhancing the ability of one or more sensors to receive sensory input, at or near the first sensory location, by increasing resolution of the first sensor by a first predetermined amount for each degree of temperature, as sensed by the first sensor, above a predetermined minimum temperature up to a predetermined maximum temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining if the first sensory location is deformed by a predetermined amount in a direction normal to the first sensory location's non-deformed baseline location.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor comprises enhancing the ability of one or more sensors to receive sensory input, at or near the first sensory location, by increasing resolution of the first sensor by a second predetermined amount for each degree of temperature, as sensed by the first sensor, above a predetermined minimum temperature up to a predetermined maximum temperature.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 after altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor and/or the one or more configuration parameters of the first artificial neural network:
 in accordance with a determination that the ability of the first sensor to receive sensory input, and/or the ability of the first artificial neural network to sense properties has not changed within a predetermined time period, impairing the ability of one or more sensors to receive sensory input by decreasing resolution of the first sensor by a predetermined amount, wherein the one or more sensors correspond to sensory locations with a sensory type of light touch. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 in accordance with a determination that the sensory type is pressure, selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining whether the first sensory location is deformed by greater than a predetermined amount in a direction normal to the first sensory location's non-deformed baseline location, within a predetermined time period.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor comprises impairing the ability of the first sensor to receive sensory input at the first sensory location by decreasing resolution of one or more sensors, at or near the first sensory, for a predetermined time period, wherein the one or more sensors correspond to sensory locations with a sensory type of light touch or pressure.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in accordance with a determination that resolution of a subset of sensors, of the one or more sensors, equals 0, or has a maximum resolution parameter equal to 0, removing the subset of sensors from the first virtual being.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 in accordance with a determination that the sensory type is temperature, selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining whether a distance between the first sensory location and the first sense location is less than a predetermined amount in a direction normal to the first sensory location's non-deformed baseline location.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor comprises impairing the ability of one or more sensors to receive sensory input, at or near the first sensory location, by decreasing resolution of the first sensor by a second predetermined amount for each degree of temperature, as sensed by the first sensor, above a first predetermined minimum temperature or below a second predetermined maximum temperature.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 in accordance with a determination that the sensory type is temperature, selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining whether the first sensory location is deformed by a predetermined amount in a direction normal to the first sensory location's non-deformed baseline location.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor comprises impairing the ability of one or more sensors to receive sensory input, at or near the first sensory location, by decreasing resolution of the first sensor by a third predetermined amount for each degree of temperature, as sensed by the first sensor, above a predetermined minimum temperature or below a fourth predetermined maximum temperature.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 in accordance with a determination that the sensory type is sound, selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining whether a decibel range of sound arriving at the first sensory location is within a predetermined range; and   in accordance with a determination that the sensory type is bright, selecting the enhancements or impairments is further based on determining whether a duration for which the first sensory location receives bright input is within a first predetermined time period.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 altering the one or more configuration parameters of the first sensor comprises:
 impairing the ability of the first sensor to receive sensory input at the first sensory location by decreasing resolution of one or more sensors, at or near the first sensory location, at a predetermined rate, for a second predetermined time period, wherein the one or more sensors correspond to sensory locations with a sensory type of sound; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the one or more sensors have become inactive, after the second predetermined time period, increasing the resolution of the one or more sensors until the resolution reaches a predetermined maximum resolution. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the first virtual being on one or more displays of the computer system. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the object is a second virtual being, distinct from the first virtual being. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each sensory location is a point, a one-dimensional segment, a two dimensional area, or a three dimensional region. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each sensory location is an n-dimensional manifold in the virtual environment, with n=0, 1, 2, or 3. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each sense location is an n-dimensional manifold in the virtual environment, with n=0, 1, 2, or 3. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each sensory location corresponds to a respective region, surface, or point, on or within the first virtual being. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensory locations are dynamically generated and associated with specific points and/or areas on the first virtual being when a surface topology of the first virtual being is changing. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensory type includes one or more of: temperature, light touch, pressure, vibration, stretch/compress, sound, and bright. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing one or more Application Programming Interface (API) calls to update the plurality of sensory locations; and   in response to receiving a call to the one or more Application Programming Interface (API) calls, performing one or more operations selected from the group consisting of: creating, writing, reading, modifying, moving, and/or deleting a sensory location.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first virtual being comprises a virtual approximation of a body of human, an animal, an insect, a humanoid, or a creature. 
     
     
         29 . A virtual reality system for simulating sense data for virtual beings in virtual environments, the system comprising:
 one or more processors;   memory; and   one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:   defining a first virtual being in a virtual environment, wherein the first virtual being includes:
 a plurality of sensory locations, each sensory location having one or more sensors, wherein each sensor has a respective sensory type and is configured to receive sensory input by one or more respective virtual mediums having the respective sensory type; 
 a plurality of sense locations, each sense location storing a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type; and 
 a plurality of artificial neural networks connecting sensors at the plurality of sensory locations; 
   defining an object in the virtual environment, wherein the object has a plurality of sense locations, each sense location storing a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type;   in accordance with an interaction between the virtual being and the object, receiving sensory input at a first sensor at a first sensory location using a first virtual medium according to a first sense property of the object at a first sense location, wherein the first sensor, the first virtual medium, and the first sense property have a same sensory type; and   in accordance with the received sensory input, using a first artificial neural network to translate the received sensory input into (i) updates to one or more configuration parameters of sensors of the first virtual being and/or (ii) movement of the virtual being.   
     
     
         30 . A computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer system having one or more processors and memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
 defining a first virtual being in a virtual environment, wherein the first virtual being includes:
 a plurality of sensory locations, each sensory location having one or more sensors, wherein each sensor has a respective sensory type and is configured to receive sensory input by one or more respective virtual mediums having the respective sensory type; 
 a plurality of sense locations, each sense location storing a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type; and 
 a plurality of artificial neural networks connecting sensors at the plurality of sensory locations; 
   defining an object in the virtual environment, wherein the object has a plurality of sense locations, each sense location storing a respective set of one or more sense properties, each sense property having a respective sensory type;   in accordance with an interaction between the virtual being and the object, receiving sensory input at a first sensor at a first sensory location using a first virtual medium according to a first sense property of the object at a first sense location, wherein the first sensor, the first virtual medium, and the first sense property have a same sensory type; and   in accordance with the received sensory input, using a first artificial neural network to translate the received sensory input into (i) updates to one or more configuration parameters of sensors of the first virtual being and/or (ii) movement of the virtual being.