Object Size Modifications Based on Avatar Distance

• US 20090271422A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• 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 8,233,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• 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 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for modifying objects. In one embodiment, tracking data is obtained which identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object. The range of the object includes a viewable field. In response to determining that the object requires modification, a size of the object is compared with a set of size constraints to form a comparison. Thereafter, the size of the object is modified based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for modifying an object, the computer implemented method comprising:

obtaining tracking data that identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

responsive to determining that the object requires modification, comparing a size of the object with a set of size constraints to form a comparison; and

modifying the size of the object based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the tracking data is obtained from at least one of a data structure storing object avatar rendering data and an object based avatar tracking controller.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the range further comprises a detection area.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying the set of size modifications to a clone of the object to form a modified clone; and

presenting the modified clone to the set of avatars.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location of the set of avatars is an average of distances of the set of avatars from the object.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the average is a weighted average based on a priority of each avatar in the set of avatars.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the size of the object comprises:

modifying dimensions of a visual element presented on the object.

8. A computer program product for modifying objects, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to obtain tracking data that identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

second program instructions to compare a size of the object with a set of size constraints to form a comparison in response to determining that the object requires modification;

third program instructions to modify the size of the object based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications; and

wherein the first program instructions, the second program instructions, and the third program instructions are stored on the computer readable medium.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the tracking data is obtained from at least one of a data structure storing object avatar rendering data and an object based avatar tracking controller.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the range further comprises a detection area.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

fourth program instructions for applying the set of size modifications to a clone of the object; and

fifth program instructions for presenting the clone of the object to the avatar.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the location of the set of avatars is an average of the distances of the set of avatars from the object.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the average is a weighted average based on a priority of each avatar in the set of avatars.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

sixth program instructions for modifying dimensions of a visual element presented on the object.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to obtain tracking data that identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

responsive to determining that the object requires modification, compare a size of the object with a set of size constraints to form a comparison; and

modify the size of the object based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to:

apply the set of size modifications to a clone of the object to form a modified clone; and

present the modified clone of the object to the set of avatars.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the location of the set of avatars is an average of the distances of the set of avatars from the object.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the average is a weighted average based on a priority of each avatar in the set of avatars.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing unit executes computer usable program code to:

modify dimensions of a visual element presented on the object.

20. A virtual universe grid computing system for modifying object sizes, the system comprising:

a data structure storing a set of object size constraints;

an object based avatar tracking controller, wherein the object based avatar tracking controller generates tracking data for identifying a location of a set of avatars; and

an object size controller, wherein the object size controller obtains tracking data that identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

responsive to determining that the object requires modification, compares a size of the object with a set of size constraints to form a comparison; and

modifies the size of the object based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.