Three dimensional virtual pointer apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A method for use with a virtual collaboration environment having a plurality of participating avatars representing participants at a plurality of locations with each avatar displayed in its respective environmental perspective and each participant viewing the virtual collaboration environment from a unique perspective of its avatar and at least one object, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a selectable three dimensional virtual pointer;
detecting selection of the selectable three dimensional virtual pointer by a first collaborator;
displaying the selectable three dimensional virtual pointer as being sourced by a given one of the plurality of participating avatars as corresponds to the first collaborator and which points to an object.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A selectable three dimensional virtual pointer (501) that can be selected by a collaborator and displayed within a virtual collaboration environment (200) as being sourced by an avatar (202) that corresponds to the collaborator who selected the pointer. This pointer can be used, for example, to point towards a given object (205) within the virtual collaboration environment. So configured, in a preferred approach this orientation with respect to source and target persists regardless of which collaborator views the pointer (and hence the perspective view of the pointer varies with respect to the viewer in order to ensure this orientation).
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for use with a virtual collaboration environment having a plurality of participating avatars representing participants at a plurality of locations with each avatar displayed in its respective environmental perspective and each participant viewing the virtual collaboration environment from a unique perspective of its avatar and at least one object, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a selectable three dimensional virtual pointer;
detecting selection of the selectable three dimensional virtual pointer by a first collaborator;
displaying the selectable three dimensional virtual pointer as being sourced by a given one of the plurality of participating avatars as corresponds to the first collaborator and which points to an object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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a display that provides a display of a virtual collaboration environment having a plurality of participating avatars representing participants at a plurality of locations with each avatar being displayed in its respective environmental perspective and each participant viewing the virtual collaboration environment from a unique perspective of its avatar and at least one object;
a collaborator-selectable three dimensional virtual pointer;
a collaborator interface operably coupled to the display and the collaborator-selectable three dimensional virtual pointer and being configured and arranged to respond to selection of the collaborator-selectable three dimensional virtual pointer by a first collaborator by facilitating the display of the collaborator-selectable three dimensional virtual pointer as being sourced by a given one of the plurality of participating avatars as corresponds to the first collaborator and which points to a given object which the first collaborator has identified to be pointed towards. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification