MODIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL CHAT DISTANCE BASED ON AVATAR POPULATION DENSITY IN AN AREA OF A VIRTUAL WORLD

• US 20100077034A1
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Zitiao Network Technology Company Limited (ByteDance Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grigsby, Travis M., Deluca, Lisa Seacat, Alkov, Christopher S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,384,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• 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: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A mechanism for modifying a chat distance associated with an environmental chat based on the avatar population density of an area of a virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. An initial environmental chat distance may be determined based on the avatar population density, i.e., the number of avatars, in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. The environmental chat distance may be modified in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. The environmental chat distance may be modified such that the environmental chat distance is inversely proportional to the detected number of avatars in the virtual universe area associated with the environmental chat.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a number of avatars in an area of a virtual universe associated with an environmental chat associated with an avatar;

determining a chat distance associated with the environmental chat based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat; and

modifying the chat distance in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat associated with an avatar comprises the area of the virtual universe displayed on a computer system associated with the avatar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a chat distance based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises determining the chat distance such that the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a chat distance based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises selecting a chat distance from a plurality of predefined chat distances based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, if the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat is within a first predefined range of number of avatars, selecting a first chat distance from the plurality of predefined chat distances, wherein, if the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat is within a second predefined range that is higher than the first predefined range, selecting a second chat distance that is less than the first chat distance from the plurality of predefined chat distances, wherein, if the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat is within a third predefined range that is higher than the second predefined range, selecting a third chat distance that is less than the second chat distance from the plurality of predefined chat distances.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises a change from a first number of avatars associated with a first range of number of avatars to a different number of avatars associated with a second range of number of avatars.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar associated with the environmental chat is controlled by a user, wherein a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat is detected in response to the avatar being controlled by the user moving to a different location within the virtual universe, or in response to additional avatars moving into or out of the virtual universe area associated with the environmental chat.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises an environmental chat obstruction, wherein, if the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat does comprise an environmental chat obstruction, modifying the chat distance associated with a subsection of the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat based on a location of the environmental chat obstruction with respect to the avatar associated with the environmental chat.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental chat is an environmental text chat, an environmental voice chat, or both an environmental voice and text chat.

10. A method comprising:

determining a number of avatars in an area of a virtual universe associated with an environmental chat associated with an avatar;

determining a chat distance associated with the environmental chat based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat such that the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars;

modifying the chat distance in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat;

determining whether the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises an environmental chat obstruction; and

if the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises an environmental chat obstruction, modifying the chat distance associated with the environmental chat based on a location of the environmental chat obstruction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining a chat distance based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat such that the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars comprises selecting a chat distance from a plurality of predefined chat distances based on the number of avatars such that the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises a change from a first number of avatars associated with a first range of number of avatars to a different number of avatars associated with a second range of number of avatars.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein, if the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises an environmental chat obstruction, modifying the chat distance associated with a subsection of the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat based on a location of the environmental chat obstruction with respect to the avatar associated with the environmental chat.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the environmental chat is an environmental text chat, an environmental voice chat, or both an environmental voice and text chat.

15. One or more machine-readable media having stored therein a program product, which when executed a set of one or more processor units causes the set of one or more processor units to perform operations that comprise:

determining a number of avatars in an area of a virtual universe associated with an environmental chat associated with an avatar;

determining a chat distance based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat; and

modifying the chat distance in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat.

16. The machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein the program product when executed causes the set of one or more processor units to perform operations that comprise determining the chat distance such that the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe.

17. The machine-readable media of claim 15, wherein the program product when executed causes the set of one or more processor units to perform operations that comprise modifying the chat distance in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat from a first number of avatars associated with a first range of number of avatars to a different number of avatars associated with a second range of number of avatars.

18. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processing units; and

a memory unit coupled to the one or more processing units, the memory unit having stored therein program instructions that are executable by the one or more processing units to;

determine a number of avatars in an area of a virtual universe associated with an environmental chat associated with an avatar;

determine a chat distance based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat; and

modify the chat distance in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory unit further comprises program instructions that are executable by the one or more processing units to determine the chat distance such that the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory unit further comprises program instructions that are executable by the one or more processing units to modifying the chat distance in response to a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat from a first number of avatars associated with a first range of number of avatars to a different number of avatars associated with a second range of number of avatars.