SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND MEDIA FOR TEMPORAL TELEPORT IN A VIRTUAL WORLD ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090089684A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Pickover, Clifford A., Seaman, James W.
• Application Number:
  US11/865,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089684A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for providing temporal teleport capability in a virtual world environment are disclosed. Embodiments of a method for temporally teleporting an avatar in a virtual world environment (VWE) may include, at a first time in a VWE, receiving a request from a user associated with an avatar to temporally teleport the avatar to a temporal destination at an earlier, second time in the VWE. Embodiments of the method may also include creating for the avatar a recreated virtual world based on the temporal destination at the earlier, second time. Embodiments may also include receiving input from the user associated with interaction between the user'"'"'s avatar and the recreated virtual world and allowing the user'"'"'s avatar to interactively participate in the recreated virtual world during the temporal teleport.

Claims

1. A method for temporally teleporting an avatar in a virtual world environment, the method comprising:

at a first time in a virtual world environment, receiving a request from a user associated with an avatar to temporally teleport the avatar to a temporal destination at an earlier, second time in the virtual world environment;

creating for the avatar a recreated virtual world based on the temporal destination at the earlier, second time;

receiving input from the user associated with interaction between the user'"'"'s avatar and the recreated virtual world; and

allowing the user'"'"'s avatar to interactively participate in the recreated virtual world during the temporal teleport.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning the avatar to a current time in the virtual world environment after completion of the temporal teleport.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising propagating a permitted object configuration change from the temporal teleport to the current time in the virtual world environment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the permitted object configuration change comprises a modification of a configuration of an object of the virtual world environment.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the permitted object configuration change comprises retrieving an object from temporal teleport to the current time of the virtual world environment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising before receiving the temporal teleport request, establishing a virtual world environment session between the user and the virtual world environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising before receiving the temporal teleport request, implementing a data capture system to record events in the virtual world environment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually indicating that the avatar has temporally teleported.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporal destination further comprises a geographical location of the virtual world environment in addition to the earlier, second time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein creating for the avatar the recreated virtual world comprises accessing a recorded virtual world environment to assist in creating the recreated virtual world.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user'"'"'s avatar to interactively participate in the recreated virtual world during the temporal teleport comprises allowing the user'"'"'s avatar to modify a configuration of an object in the recreated virtual world.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user'"'"'s avatar to interactively participate in the recreated virtual world during the temporal teleport comprises allowing the user'"'"'s avatar to communicate with an avatar associated with a different user.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

at a first time in a virtual world environment, receiving a request from a user associated with an avatar to temporally teleport the avatar to a temporal destination at an earlier, second time in the virtual world environment;

creating for the avatar a recreated virtual world based on the temporal destination at the earlier, second time;

receiving input from the user associated with interaction between the user'"'"'s avatar and the recreated virtual world; and

allowing the user'"'"'s avatar to interactively participate in the recreated virtual world during the temporal teleport.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising returning the avatar to a current time in the virtual world environment after completion of the temporal teleport.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising propagating a permitted object configuration change from the temporal teleport to the current time in the virtual world environment.

16. A data processing system having a machine-accessible medium storing a plurality of program modules, the system comprising:

a data capture system stored on a machine-accessible medium to record events in a virtual world environment; and

a temporal teleport manager stored on a machine-accessible medium to facilitate users of the virtual world environment temporally teleporting an avatar to an earlier time, the temporal teleport manager comprising;

a user interface module to receive requests from a user to temporally teleport an avatar associated with the user to a temporal destination at an earlier time in the virtual world environment;

a temporal teleport database interface module to access, from a temporal teleport database, stored virtual world environment information associated with the earlier time; and

an interactive replay module to create a recreated virtual world based on the temporal destination at the earlier time and to allow the user'"'"'s avatar to interactively participate in the recreated virtual world during a temporal teleport.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a temporal teleport database.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the interactive replay module further comprises an object propagation module to propagate a permitted object configuration change from the temporal teleport to a current time in the virtual world environment.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the interactive replay module further comprises a trans-time communication module to facilitate communication between the user'"'"'s avatar and a second avatar associated with a second user.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the interactive replay module further comprises a playback module to manager user input associated with the user'"'"'s interactive participation in the recreated virtual world.