FLOATING TRANSITIONS

• US 20090267937A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pickover, Clifford Alan, Finn, Peter George, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Walker, Keith Raymond, Hamilton, Rick Allen II
• Granted Patent: US 8,212,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation

Abstract

A computer implemented method and apparatus for floating object transitions. In one embodiment, tracking data identifying a location of an avatar in relation to a range of an object in a virtual universe is received. The range comprises a viewable field. In response to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition, a set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition is identified. An optimal location and orientation of the object is identified for each flotation action in a set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules. The set of flotation actions are initiated to float the object above a surface. The object changes the location and orientation of the object in accordance with the set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for floating object transitions, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar associated with a range of an object in a virtual universe, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

responsive to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition,

identifying a set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition;

identifying an optimal location and orientation of the object for each flotation action in a set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules; and

initiating the set of flotation actions to float the object above a surface, wherein the location and orientation of the object is modified in accordance with the set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the set of flotation rules comprises two or more flotation rules and further comprising:

retrieving a priority for each flotation rule from an object floating control table; and

initiating a set of flotation actions associated with a highest priority flotation rule in the set of flotation rules having the highest priority, wherein the object changes location and orientation in accordance with the flotation actions associated with the highest priority flotation rule.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying constraints associated with the flotation action, wherein the location and orientation of the object is modified in accordance with the constraints.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition comprises two or more trigger conditions, and further comprising:

retrieving a weighting for each trigger condition from an object floating control table;

identifying a higher priority trigger condition using the weighting for each trigger condition; and

identifying the set of flotation rules associated with the higher priority trigger condition, wherein the object moves and re-orients in accordance with the set of flotation rules.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the trigger comprises two or more trigger conditions, wherein the two or more trigger conditions trigger conflicting flotation rules, wherein the conflicting flotation rules comprises a trigger priority, wherein the trigger priority identifies a priority of each trigger, and further comprising:

identifying a trigger condition having a highest priority to form a highest priority trigger condition;

identifying a set of flotation rules associated with the highest priority trigger condition to form the highest priority set of flotation rules; and

initiating the flotation action associated with the highest priority set of flotation rules.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a hierarchy for the set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition, wherein each flotation rule in the set of flotation rules is associated with a ranking in the hierarchy;

identifying the flotation rule having a highest ranking in the hierarchy;

identifying a location and orientation of a flotation action associated with the flotation rule having the highest ranking; and

initiating the flotation action associated with the flotation rule having the highest ranking, wherein a flotation action associated with each flotation rule in the set of flotation rules is implemented in accordance with the ranking of each flotation rule in the hierarchy.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions, and further comprising:

responsive to the most recent trigger condition having a higher priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, averaging an optimal location and orientation of a set of flotation actions associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein the location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition is given a higher weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions, and further comprising:

responsive to the most recent trigger condition having a lower priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, averaging an optimal location and orientation of a set of flotation actions associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein the location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition is given a lesser weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to an occurrence of a plurality of trigger conditions, identifying a priority of each trigger condition;

identifying an optimal location and orientation associated with a set of flotation rules for each trigger condition; and

responsive to each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions having a same priority, averaging the optimal location and orientation associated with the set of flotation rules for each trigger condition.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the avatar tracking data is retrieved from at least one of an object avatar rendering table.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for floating transitions, said computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for receiving tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar in associated with a range of an object in a virtual universe, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

computer usable program code for identifying a set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition in response to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition;

computer usable program code for identifying an optimal location and orientation of the object for each flotation action in a set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules; and

computer usable program code for initiating the set of flotation actions to float the object above a surface, wherein the object changes the location and orientation of the object in accordance with the set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the set of flotation rules comprises two or more flotation rules and further comprising:

computer usable program code for retrieving a priority for each flotation rule from an object floating control table; and

computer usable program code for initiating a set of flotation actions associated with a highest priority flotation rule in the set of flotation rules having the highest priority, wherein the object changes location and orientation in accordance with the flotation actions associated with the highest priority flotation rule.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying constraints associated with the flotation action, wherein the location and orientation of the object is modified in accordance with the constraints.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the trigger comprises two or more trigger conditions, and further comprising:

computer usable program code for retrieving a weighting for each trigger condition from an object floating control table;

computer usable program code for identifying a higher priority trigger condition using the weighting for each trigger condition; and

computer usable program code for identifying the set of flotation rules associated with the higher priority trigger condition, wherein the object moves and re-orients in accordance with the set of flotation rules.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the trigger comprises two or more trigger conditions, wherein the two or more trigger conditions trigger conflicting flotation rules, wherein the conflicting flotation rules comprises a trigger priority, wherein the trigger priority identifies a priority of each trigger, and further comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying a trigger condition having a highest priority to form a highest priority trigger condition;

computer usable program code for identifying a set of flotation rules associated with the highest priority trigger condition to form the highest priority set of flotation rules; and

computer usable program code for initiating the flotation action associated with the highest priority set of flotation rules.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying a hierarchy for the set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition, wherein each flotation rule in the set of flotation rules is associated with a ranking in the hierarchy;

computer usable program code for identifying the flotation rule having a highest ranking in the hierarchy;

computer usable program code for identify a location and orientation of a flotation action associated with the flotation rule having the highest ranking; and

computer usable program code for initiating the flotation action associated with the flotation rule having the highest ranking, wherein a flotation action associated with each flotation rule in the set of flotation rules is implemented in accordance with the ranking of each flotation rule in the hierarchy.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions, and further comprising:

computer usable program code for averaging an optimal location and orientation of a set of flotation actions associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions in response to the most recent trigger condition having a higher priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein the location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition is given a higher weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions, and further comprising:

computer usable program code for averaging an optimal location and orientation of a set of flotation actions associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions in response to the most recent trigger condition having a lower priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein the location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition is given a lesser weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.

19. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code for identifying a priority of each trigger condition in response to an occurrence of a plurality of trigger conditions;

computer usable program code for identifying an optimal location and orientation associated with a set of flotation rules for each trigger condition; and

computer usable program code for averaging the optimal location and orientation associated with the set of flotation rules for each trigger condition in response to each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions having a same priority.

20. A system for floating object transitions comprising:

a virtual universe grid software, wherein the virtual universe grid software comprises;

an object based avatar tracking controller, wherein the object based avatar tracking controller generates tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar associated with a range of an object in a virtual universe, wherein the range comprises a viewable field; and

an object floating controller, wherein the object floating controller detects a trigger condition;

identifies a set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition;

identifies an optimal location and orientation of the object for a set of flotation actions and initiates the set of flotation actions, wherein the object floating controller changes the location and orientation of the object in accordance with the set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules to float the object above a surface.