SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING USERS TO INTERACT IN A VIRTUAL SPACE
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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.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1-3. -3. (canceled)
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4. A method for enabling a first user to interact with second users in a virtual space, wherein the first user is associated with a first avatar and a first client process, the first client process being configured for communication with a server process, and each second user is associated with a different second avatar and a second client process configured for communication with the server process, at least one second client process per second user, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving by the first client process from the server process received positions of selected second avatars from the server process; and (b) determining, from the received positions, a set of the second avatars that are to be displayed to the first user; wherein the first client process receives positions of fewer than all of the second avatars.
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Specification