Virtual location management computing system and methods thereof

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for allowing stakeholders in the video production industry to perform location scouting and other film-related processes via virtual reality devices. Imagery can be collected from a plurality of different physical locations. Subsequently, directors, location managers, directors of photography, production designers, and others, can virtually view each of the different physical locations using a virtual reality device. Attributes regarding the physical locations that are relative to filming can also be collected and provided to the users.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-based method, comprising:
 storing, by a virtual location management computing system, 360-degree imagery collected at each of a plurality of physical locations in a data store as a data hierarchy, wherein the data hierarchy organizes the 360-degree imagery for searching and retrieval;   storing, by the virtual location management computing system, a set of attributes associated with each of the respective plurality of physical locations in the data store;   initiating, by the virtual location management computing system, a multi-user presentation for a plurality of users including at least a presenting user and at least one viewing user;   providing, by the virtual location management computing system, an interface to the presenting user that provides access to the data hierarchy, wherein the interface permits navigation of the data hierarchy for individual selection of 360-degree imagery;   in response to a selection received from the presenting user, providing, by the virtual location management computing system, the selected 360-degree imagery to each of the plurality of users through a virtual reality interface at a head mounted virtual reality device that is associated with that user;   providing, by the virtual location management computing system, a set of attributes for visual presentment via the virtual reality interface in parallel with the visual presentment of the selected 360-degree imagery; and   while the plurality of users are viewing the selected 360-degree imagery through the virtual reality interface, receiving, by the virtual location management computing system, a rating associated with the selected 360-degree imagery from at least one of the plurality of users.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-based method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of attributes comprises dimensional information of the associated physical location. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-based method of  claim 2 , wherein the dimensional information identifies a dimension of a physical attribute of the physical location using an augmented reality display. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-based method of  claim 3 , wherein the physical attribute is any of a doorway, a window, and a ceiling. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-based method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of attributes comprises logistical information associated with the associated physical location. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-based method of  claim 5 , wherein the logistical information comprises utility information. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-based method of  claim 1 , wherein the data hierarchy comprises a navigable city listing. 
     
     
         8 . A virtual location management computing system, the virtual location management computing system comprising instructions stored in a memory, which when executed by one or more processors of the virtual location management computing system, cause the virtual location management computing system to:
 store 360-degree imagery collected at each of a plurality of physical locations in a data store as a data hierarchy, wherein the data hierarchy organizes the 360-degree imagery for searching and retrieval;   store a set of attributes associated with each of the respective physical locations in the data store;   initiate, by the virtual location management computing system, a multi-user presentation for a plurality of users including at least a presenting user and at least one viewing user;   provide, by the virtual location management computing system, an interface to the presenting user that provides access to the data hierarchy, wherein the interface permits navigation of the data hierarchy for individual selection of 360-degree imagery;   in response to a selection received from the presenting user, provide the selected 360-degree imagery to each of the plurality of users through a virtual reality interface of a head mounted virtual reality device that is associated with that user;   provide the set of attributes for visual presentment via the virtual reality interface in parallel with the visual presentment of the selected 360-degree imagery; and   while the plurality of users are viewing the selected 360-degree imagery through the virtual reality interface, receive a rating associated with the selected 360-degree imagery from at least one of the plurality of users.   
     
     
         9 . The virtual location management computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the set of attributes comprises dimensional information of the associated physical location. 
     
     
         10 . The virtual location management computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the dimensional information of the set of attributes is collected using laser-aided measurement. 
     
     
         11 . The virtual location management computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the physical attribute is any of a doorway, a window, and a ceiling. 
     
     
         12 . The virtual location management computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the data hierarchy comprises a city listing. 
     
     
         13 . A multi-user location presentation system comprising:
 a server comprising one or more processors and memory;   a plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices in communication with the server, wherein each of the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices is associated with a respective user of a plurality of users, and wherein the plurality of users comprises a presenting user and at least one viewing user;   wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
 receive 360 degree imagery captured at each of a plurality of physical locations, wherein the 360 degree imagery is configured to be presented via the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices as 360 degree virtual reality views of the plurality of physical locations; 
 store the set of 360 degree imagery in a data store as a data hierarchy, wherein the data hierarchy organizes the 360-degree imagery for searching and retrieval 
 cause a physical location selection control to display on a head mounted virtual reality device of the presenting user, wherein the physical location selection control is configured to allow the presenting user to navigate through the data hierarchy to select a physical location from the plurality of physical locations; 
 for each physical location selected from the plurality of physical locations received from the head mounted virtual reality device of the presenting user:
 cause a 360 degree imagery of the selected physical location to display on the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices; 
 cause a location input interface to display on the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices with the 360 degree imagery of the selected physical location, wherein the location input interface is configured to receive one or more inputs from the plurality of users and provide those one or more inputs to the processor, wherein the one or more inputs comprise any of a note describing the physical location, a rating of the physical location, and an attribute of the physical location. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The multi-user location presentation system of  claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices are physically located within the same environment. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-user location presentation system of  claim 13 , wherein one of the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices is physically located in a different environment than another of the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-user location presentation system of  claim 13 , wherein the data hierarchy comprises a city listing. 
     
     
         17 . The multi-user location presentation system of  claim 16 , wherein the hierarchy comprises a location type listing for each city in the city listing. 
     
     
         18 . A multi-user location presentation system comprising:
 a server comprising one or more processors and memory;   a plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices in communication with the server, wherein each of the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices is associated with a respective user of a plurality of users, and wherein the plurality of users comprises a presenting user located in a first physical location, a first viewing user located in a second physical location, and a second viewing user in a third physical location, wherein each of the first, second, and third locations are geographically separated;   wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
 receive 360 degree imagery captured at each of a plurality of physical locations, wherein the 360 degree imagery is configured to be presented via the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices as 360 degree virtual reality views of the plurality of physical locations; 
 store the set of 360 degree imagery in a data store as a data hierarchy, wherein the data hierarchy organizes the 360-degree imagery for searching and retrieval 
 cause a physical location selection control to display on a head mounted virtual reality device of the presenting user, wherein the physical location selection control is configured to allow the presenting user to navigate through the data hierarchy to select a physical location from the plurality of physical locations; 
 for each physical location selected from the plurality of physical locations received from the head mounted virtual reality device of the presenting user:
 cause a 360 degree imagery of the selected physical location to display on the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices; 
 cause a location input interface to display on the plurality of head mounted virtual reality devices with the 360 degree imagery of the selected physical location, wherein the location input interface is configured to receive one or more inputs from the plurality of users and provide those one or more inputs to the processor, wherein the one or more inputs comprise any of a note describing the physical location, a rating of the physical location, and an attribute of the physical location. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The multi-user location presentation system of  claim 18 , wherein the data hierarchy comprises a city listing. 
     
     
         20 . The multi-user location presentation system of  claim 19 , wherein the hierarchy comprises a location type listing for each city in the city listing.