Information processing apparatus and method, and storage medium

• US 20020002585A1
• Filed: 04/25/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LINE Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Kouichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

An information processing apparatus is disclosed which is connected to a server along with other information processing apparatuses through a network and which is supplied with a shared virtual space wherein avatars representing users remain active. The apparatus comprises a registering element for registering any of the avatars as an object to be filtered out, a filtering element for filtering out data on the avatar registered by the registering element, the data having been transmitted from the server and a processing element for processing the shared virtual space based on the data left intact following the filtering by the filtering element.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which is connected to a server along with other information processing apparatuses through a network and which is supplied with a shared virtual space wherein avatars representing users remain active, said information processing apparatus comprising:

registering means for registering any of said avatars as an object to be filtered out;

filtering means for filtering out data on the avatar registered by said registering means, said data having been transmitted from said server; and

processing means for processing said shared virtual space based on the data left intact following the filtering by said filtering means.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising requesting means for requesting any of said other information processing apparatuses to register the avatar representing the requesting user as an object to be filtered out;

wherein said registering means, in response to the request from the other information processing apparatus, registers the avatar representing the requesting user as an object to be filtered out.

3. An information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus which is connected to a server along with other information processing apparatuses through a network and which is supplied with a shared virtual space wherein avatars representing users remain active, said information processing method comprising the steps of:

registering any of said avatars as an object to be filtered out;

filtering out data on the avatar registered in said registering step, said data having been transmitted from said server; and

processing said shared virtual space based on the data left intact following the filtering in said filtering step.

4. A storage medium which stores a computer-readable program for use by an information processing apparatus which is connected to a server along with other information processing apparatuses through a network and which is supplied with a shared virtual space wherein avatars representing users remain active, the program comprising the steps of:

registering any of said avatars as an object to be filtered out;

filtering out data on the avatar registered in said registering step, said data having been transmitted from said server; and

processing said shared virtual space based on the data left intact following the filtering in said filtering step.