Virtual reality system and method

Abstract

A method comprises displaying in virtual reality a computer-generated scene; obtaining a movement command from a real-world physical movement of a user, the movement command corresponding to a movement of a virtual body; and adjusting the movement of the virtual body in dependence on an effect of gravity in the computer-generated scene and/or in dependence on the presence of at least one object within the computer-generated scene that inhibits the movement of the virtual body, wherein the adjusting of the movement is such that the adjusted movement of the virtual body does not correspond with the real-world physical movement of the user.

1 . A method comprising:
 displaying in virtual reality an initial computer-generated scene comprising a miniature model of a structure at a first, smaller scale;   receiving from a user a selection of a location in the miniature model, the location in the miniature model corresponding to a location in the structure; and   displaying in virtual reality a further computer-generated scene representative of at least part of the structure at a second, larger scale, wherein the further computer-generated scene is displayed from a viewing position in the structure that is selected in dependence on the selected location in the miniature model, wherein the initial computer-generated scene is representative of at least part of the structure, and the miniature model is displayed in the initial computer-generated scene as if the miniature model were present in the at least part of the structure.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the initial computer-generated scene is displayed as if viewed from an initial viewing position, and wherein the initial computer-generated scene comprises an indicator indicating a location on the miniature model that corresponds to the initial viewing position. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the displaying of the further computer-generated scene comprises displaying the representation of the miniature model at a or the smaller scale, wherein the representation of the miniature model is displayed in or adjacent to the further computer-generated scene. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the initial computer-generated scene and/or further computer-generated scene comprises an indicator indicating the selected location in the miniature model. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein a transition from the initial computer-generated scene to the further computer-generated scene comprises teleporting the user to the location in the further computer-generated scene that corresponds to the selected location in the miniature model. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user provides the selection of the location in the miniature model by pointing an input device at the location in the miniature model. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises at least one of a handheld input device, a games controller, a wand. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the or a structure represented in the computer-generated scene comprises at least one of an architectural structure, a building, a house, an apartment building, a residential building, a commercial building, an office building. 
     
     
         9 . A computer program product comprising computer readable instructions that are executable by a processor to perform a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising at least one display screen, at least one user input device, and at least one processor configured to:
 display in virtual reality on the at least one display screen an initial computer-generated scene comprising a miniature model of a structure at a first, smaller scale;   receive from a user via the at least one user input device a selection of a location in the miniature model, the location in the miniature model corresponding to a location in the structure; and   display in virtual reality on the at least one display screen a further computer-generated scene representative of at least part of the structure at a second, larger scale, wherein the further computer-generated scene is displayed from a viewing position in the structure that is selected in dependence on the selected location in the miniature model, wherein the initial computer-generated scene is representative of at least part of the structure, and the miniature model is displayed in the initial computer-generated scene as if the miniature model were present in the at least part of the structure.