MODIFYING SPACES IN VIRTUAL UNIVERSES

• US 20090175559A1
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kozioski, James R., O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R., Moskowitz, Paul A., Hamilton II, Rick A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/298
• 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 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5526 Game data structure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Methods arid arrangements of modifying spaces in virtual universes are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to receive data from a software agent in a virtual universe, directly or indirectly. The data may be based upon information automatically gathered from data stores outside the virtual universe, including account data and. user profile data. The embodiment may also involve developing a user profile of the user in the virtual universe, based upon the data received from the software agent. An embodiment may also involve automatically gathering information from data stores external to the virtual universe. The information may include user account data and user profile information. The embodiment may also include aggregating data for generating the user profile in the virtual universe, based upon the information; and transmitting the data directly or indirectly to the virtual universe.

Claims

1. A method of modifying the spaces of virtual universes, the method comprising:

remapping the interior of a space of a virtual universe, the remapping comprising;

changing the size of the interior of the space; and

preserving the spaces bordering the space;

placing artifacts in the interior of the space, the artifacts comprising avatars; and

determining a method of accessing the remapped interior of the space.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning one or more servers to render the artifacts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remapping comprises an injection into a space of dimension higher than 3.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remapping comprises expanding the interior of the space linearly along one or more dimensions of the space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remapping comprises contracting the interior of the space linearly along one or more dimensions of the space.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remapping comprises remapping the interior of the space by a non-linear transformation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remapping comprises creating multiple copies of the interior of the space.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the remapping comprises performing a one-time remapping of the interior of the space pursuant to a request from a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remapping comprises automatically triggering

the remapping of the interior of the space, the triggering based upon the avatars in the interior of the space.

10. An apparatus to modify the spaces of virtual universes, the apparatus comprising:

a transformer to remap the interior of a space of a virtual universe, the remapping to change the size of the interior of the space and to preserve the spaces bordering the space;

a populator to place artifacts in the interior of the space, the artifacts comprising avatars; and

a navigator to determine a method of accessing the remapped interior of the space.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising a resource administrator to assign computing resources to render the artifacts in the interior of the space.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the apparatus comprises a census to determine satisfaction of a condition of avatars occupying the space; and

the transformer is to remap the interior of the space automatically based upon a determination by the census that the condition is satisfied.

13. A computer program product to modify the spaces of virtual universes, the 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:

remap the interior of a space of a virtual universe, the remapping comprising;

changing the size of the interior of the space; and

preserving the spaces bordering the space;

place artifacts in the interior of the space, me artifacts comprising avatars; and

determine a method of accessing the remapped interior of the space.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to assign one or more servers to render the artifacts in the interior of the space.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program which causes the computer to remap comprises a computer readable program which causes the computer to expand the interior of the space linearly along one or more dimensions of the interior space.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program which causes the computer to remap comprises a computer readable program which causes the computer to contract the interior of the, space linearly along one or more dimensions of the interior space.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program which causes the computer to remap comprises a computer readable program which causes the computer to create multiple copies of the interior of the space.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program which causes the computer to remap comprises a computer readable program which causes the computer to perform a one-time remapping of the interior of the space pursuant to a request from a user.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program which causes the computer to remap comprises a computer readable program which causes the computer to remap the interior of the space automatically based upon the virtual universe server load.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer useable medium comprises a transmission medium.