FIXED PATH TRANSITIONS

• US 20090267950A1
• 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 8,259,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/474
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/12 Rule based animation

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for fixed path transitions in a virtual universe environment. In one embodiment, tracking data that identifies 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 associated with a fixed path rule, a fixed path defined by the fixed path rule is identified. A speed of movement and an orientation of the object associated with the fixed path rule is identified. Movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule is initiated. The object then moves along the fixed path at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for fixed path transitions in a virtual universe environment, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar in relation to 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 associated with a fixed path rule, identifying a fixed path defined by the fixed path rule;

identifying a velocity and an orientation for the object associated with the fixed path rule; and

initiating movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule, wherein the object moves at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the avatar tracking data is retrieved from an object avatar rendering table by an object based avatar tracking controller.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the fixed path comprises a set of locations and a set of orientations for an object moving along the fixed path.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition triggers two or more fixed path rules and further comprising:

retrieving a priority for each fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition from an object movement control table;

identifying a highest priority fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition based on the priority for the each fixed path rule; and

moving the object along the fixed path defined by the highest priority fixed path rule.

5. 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 movement control table;

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

identifying a fixed path rule associated with the higher priority trigger condition, wherein the object moves along a path defined by the highest priority fixed path rule and re-orients in accordance with orientation rules defined by the fixed path rule.

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

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

identifying the fixed path rule having a highest ranking in the hierarchy;

initiating movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule having the highest ranking in the hierarchy.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the fixed path comprises a part of the fixed path located along a surface and a part of the fixed path located a predetermined set of distances above the surface.

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 fixed path rules 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 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 fixed path rules 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.

10. 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; and

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

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

responsive to an occurrence of a trigger condition triggering a change in mode from a fixed path mode to a floating transitions mode, stopping the movement of the object along the fixed path;

identifying a set of flotation rules associated with a set of existing trigger conditions; and

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

12. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for object based avatar tracking, said computer program product comprising;

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

computer usable program code for identifying a fixed path defined by the fixed path rule in response to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition associated with a fixed path rule;

computer usable program code for identifying a velocity and an orientation for the object associated with the fixed path rule; and

computer usable program code for initiating movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule, wherein the object moves at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the fixed path comprises a set of locations and a set of orientations for an object moving along the fixed path.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the trigger condition triggers two or more fixed path rules and further comprising:

computer usable program code for retrieving a priority for each fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition from an object movement control table;

computer usable program code for identifying a highest priority fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition based on the priority for the each fixed path rule; and

computer usable program code for moving the object along the fixed path defined by the highest priority fixed path rule.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the trigger condition comprises two or more trigger conditions, and further comprising:

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

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

computer usable program code for identifying a fixed path rule associated with the higher priority trigger condition, wherein the object moves along a path defined by the highest priority fixed path rule and re-orients in accordance with orientation rules defined by the fixed path rule.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising:

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

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

computer usable program code for initiating movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule having the highest ranking in the hierarchy.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the fixed path comprises a part of the fixed path located along a surface and a part of the fixed path located a predetermined set of distances above the surface.

18. The computer program product of claim 12 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 fixed path rules 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. A system for fixed path 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

a fixed path controller, wherein the fixed path controller identifies a fixed path defined by the fixed path rule in response to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition associated with a fixed path rule, identifies a velocity and an orientation for the object associated with the fixed path rule; and

initiates movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule, wherein the object moves at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

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 as the object moves along the fixed path.