System for providing virtual spaces with separate places and/or acoustic areas
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system configured to provide a virtual space that is accessible to a user, the system comprising:
- a server that executes an instance of the virtual space, wherein the virtual space is a simulated physical space that has a topography, expresses real-time interaction by the user, and includes one or more objects positioned within the topography that are capable of experiencing locomotion within the topography, the virtual space further including a plurality of places, wherein a given one of the plurality of places is defined by spatial boundaries and is expressed in the instance of the virtual space according to a set of parameters different from sets of parameters that correspond to other places in the virtual spaceplace, and wherein the server implements the instance of the virtual space (i) to determine a view of the virtual space according to a set of parameters of a place from the plurality of places that is currently being viewed and (ii) to determine view information that describes the determined view; and
a client in operative communication with the server, wherein the client receives the view information from the server, and wherein the client formats the view of the virtual space for viewing by the user by assembling the view information.
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Abstract
A system configured to provide one or more virtual spaces that are accessible to users. A given virtual space may include a plurality of places. Individual places within the virtual space may have spatial boundaries. The places may be differentiated from each other in that a set of parameters and/or characteristics of a given one of the places may be different than the set(s) of parameters and/or characteristics that correspond to other places in the virtual space. The sonic characteristics of the virtual space may be determined according to a hierarchy of acoustic areas within the virtual space.
107 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system configured to provide a virtual space that is accessible to a user, the system comprising:
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a server that executes an instance of the virtual space, wherein the virtual space is a simulated physical space that has a topography, expresses real-time interaction by the user, and includes one or more objects positioned within the topography that are capable of experiencing locomotion within the topography, the virtual space further including a plurality of places, wherein a given one of the plurality of places is defined by spatial boundaries and is expressed in the instance of the virtual space according to a set of parameters different from sets of parameters that correspond to other places in the virtual spaceplace, and wherein the server implements the instance of the virtual space (i) to determine a view of the virtual space according to a set of parameters of a place from the plurality of places that is currently being viewed and (ii) to determine view information that describes the determined view; and a client in operative communication with the server, wherein the client receives the view information from the server, and wherein the client formats the view of the virtual space for viewing by the user by assembling the view information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A server capable of instancing a virtual space that is accessible to a user, the server comprising:
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an instantiation module that executes an instance of the virtual space, wherein the virtual space is a simulated physical space that has a topography, expresses real-time interaction by the user, and includes one or more objects positioned within the topography that are capable of experiencing locomotion within the topography, the virtual space further including a plurality of places, wherein a given one of the plurality of places has spatial boundaries and is expressed in the instance of the virtual space according to a set of parameters that is different from sets of parameters that correspond to other places in the virtual space; a view module that implements the executed instance of the virtual space to determine a view of the virtual space according to a set of parameters of a place from the plurality of physical places that is currently being viewed, and to determine view information that describes the determined view; and a communication module that transmits the determined view information to a client to enable the client to format the view of the virtual space for viewing by the user by assembling the view information. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A system capable of executing an instance of a virtual space for access by a user, the system comprising:
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an instantiation module that executes the instance of the virtual space, wherein the virtual space is a simulated physical space that has a topography, expresses real-time interaction by the user, and includes one or more objects positioned within the topography that are capable of experiencing locomotion within the topography, the virtual space further including a hierarchy of acoustic areas having one or more subordinate acoustic areas that are contained within a superior acoustic area in the hierarchy, wherein sound that is audible at a given location within the instance of the virtual space is, at least in part, a function of one or more parameters associated with one or more acoustic areas in which the given location is located; and a view module that implements the executed instance of the virtual space to determine a view of the virtual space, and to determine view information that describes the determined view, wherein the view information includes visual information that describes the visual aspects of the view and sound information that describes sound that is audible in the view, wherein sound that is audible in the view is determined by the view module based, at least in part, on a location associated with the view within one or more of the acoustic areas included in the hierarchy of acoustic areas. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification