System and method for creating and manipulating synthetic environments

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media for synthesizing a virtual window. The method includes receiving an environment feed, selecting video elements of the environment feed, displaying the selected video elements on a virtual window in a window casing, selecting non-video elements of the environment feed, and outputting the selected non-video elements coordinated with the displayed video elements. Environment feeds can include synthetic and natural elements. The method can further toggle the virtual window between displaying the selected elements and being transparent. The method can track user motion and adapt the displayed selected elements on the virtual window based on the tracked user motion. The method can further detect a user in close proximity to the virtual window, receive an interaction from the detected user, and adapt the displayed selected elements on the virtual window based on the received interaction.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 identifying, by a processor, an environment feed from a plurality of environment feeds, wherein each environment feed of the plurality of environment feeds represents physical environmental characteristics associated with a different physical location; and   toggling, by the processor, a virtual window in a window casing between displaying at least one video element of the environment feed and having a transparency ranging from zero percent transparent to one hundred percent transparent.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 outputting at least one non-video element coordinated with the at least one video element.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the environment feed comprises synthetic and natural elements. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 tracking a user motion; and   adapting the at least one video element on the virtual window based on the user motion.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 altering at least one element of the environment feed over a period of time.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a user in close proximity to the virtual window;   receiving an interaction from the user; and   adapting the at least one video element on the virtual window based on the interaction.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 retrieving a user profile; and   selecting at least one of: the at least one video element and the at least one non-video element of the environment feed based on the user profile.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the environment feed comprises at least one of:
 a sound element, a video element, a smell element, a humidity element, a temperature element, and a wind element.   
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 identifying an environment feed from a plurality of environment feeds, wherein each environment feed of the plurality of environment feeds represents physical environmental characteristics associated with a different physical location; and 
 toggling a virtual window in a window casing between displaying at least one video element of the environment feed and having a transparency ranging from zero percent transparent to one hundred percent transparent. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 outputting at least one non-video element coordinated with the at least one video element.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the environment feed comprises synthetic and natural elements. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 tracking a user motion; and   adapting the at least one video element on the virtual window based on the user motion.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 altering at least one element of the environment feed over a period of time.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting a user in close proximity to the virtual window;   receiving an interaction from the user; and   adapting the at least one video element on the virtual window based on the interaction.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
 retrieving a user profile; and   selecting at least one of: the at least one video element and the at least one non-video element of the environment feed based on the user profile.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the environment feed comprises at least one of: a sound element, a video element, a smell element, a humidity element, a temperature element, and a wind element. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 identifying an environment feed from a plurality of environment feeds, wherein each environment feed of the plurality of environment feeds represents physical environmental characteristics associated with a different physical location; and   toggling a virtual window in a window casing between displaying at least one video element of the environment feed and having a transparency ranging from zero percent transparent to one hundred percent transparent.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
 outputting at least one non-video element coordinated with the at least one video element.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the environment feed comprises synthetic and natural elements. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
 tracking a user motion; and   adapting the at least one video element on the virtual window based on the user motion.