SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING USERS TO INTERACT IN A VIRTUAL SPACE
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a highly scalable architecture for a three-dimensional graphical, multi-user, interactive virtual world system. In a preferred embodiment a plurality of users interact in the three-dimensional, computer-generated graphical space where each user executes a client process to view a virtual world from the perspective of that user. The virtual world shows avatars representing the other users who are neighbors of the user viewing the virtual word. In order that the view can be updated to reflect the motion of the remote user'"'"'s avatars, motion information is transmitted to a central server process which provides positions updates to client processes for neighbors of the user at that client process. The client process also uses an environment database to determine which background objects to render as well as to limit the movement of the user'"'"'s avatar.
68 Citations
22 Claims
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1-3. -3. (canceled)
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4. A method for communicating information associated with a plurality of users interacting in a virtual environment, each user being associated with a three dimensional avatar representing the user, comprising:
receiving, at a client processor associated with a user, a control packet containing command information updating the positions associated with a plurality of avatars.
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5. A system for displaying interactions in a virtual world among a local user and a plurality of remote users, comprising:
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a database storing information associated with one or more avatars, each user being associated with a three dimensional avatar; a memory storing instructions; and a processor programmed using the instructions to; receive position information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, receive orientation information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, generate on a graphic display a rendering showing the position and orientation of at least one remote user avatar, and switch between a rendering on the graphic display that shows the virtual world to the local user from a third user perspective and a rendering that allows the local user to view the local user avatar in the virtual world. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for displaying interactions in a virtual world among a local user and a plurality of remote users, comprising:
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a database storing information associated with one or more avatars, each user being associated with a three dimensional avatar; a memory storing instructions; and a processor programmed using the instructions to; receive position information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, receive orientation information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, generate on a graphic display a rendering of a perspective view of the virtual world in three dimensions which includes three dimensional renderings of the less than all of the remote users'"'"' avatars based on the received orientation and position information, and change in three dimensions the perspective view of the rendering on the graphic display of the virtual world in response to user input.
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22. A system for displaying interactions in a virtual world among a local user and a plurality of remote users, comprising:
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a database storing information associated with one or more avatars, each user being associated with a three dimensional avatar; a memory storing instructions; and a processor programmed using the instructions to; receive position information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, receive orientation information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, generate on a graphic display a rendering showing the position and orientation of at least one remote user avatars, and switch between a rendering in which all of a perspective view of the local user avatar is displayed and a rendering in which less than all of the perspective view is displayed.
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Specification