User Interface for Orienting New Users to a Three Dimensional Computer-Generated Virtual Environment

• US 20100169797A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Lynk, John Chris, Hyndman, Arn
• Granted Patent: US 8,584,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

When new users are first introduced to virtual environments, the new users may be confused and uncertain as to how to interact with the virtual environment. Several new user orientation features have been added to the virtual environment user interface to help orient new users to the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment and to prevent the new users from making common mistakes. Example beginning user orientation features include clearly distinguishing when the user is interacting with the virtual environment and when the user is interacting with virtual environment application controls, limiting the vertical field of view of the new user'"'"'s Avatar to prevent the user from becoming stuck looking straight up or straight down, providing the user with visual feedback when switching between first and third person points of view, and providing the user with clear instructions as to how to control their Avatar and how to reenter the virtual environment.

Claims

1. A method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment supported by a virtual environment application, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting the user with a beginning-user interface, the beginning-user interface being designed to indoctrinate the user to the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment when the user first starts to use the virtual environment application; and

enabling the user to switch from the beginning-user interface to an advanced-user interface.

2. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting comprises presenting the user with a graphical user interface to the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment that is divided into two portions, a first portion created to show content of the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment, and a second portion created to contain controls of the virtual environment application, the graphical user interface being created such that only the first portion or the second portion is active and available for use by the user at any one point in time, and wherein when one of the two portions is active and available for use, an appearance of the other of the two portions is altered to visually indicate to the user that the other of the two portions is not active or available for use.

3. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 2, wherein the appearance is altered by graying out the portion that is not active or available for use.

4. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 3, wherein a prompt is displayed to indicate how to switch between interacting with the two portions.

5. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 4, wherein the prompt is textual and is continuously displayed.

6. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 1, wherein the beginning-user interface enables the user to toggle between first and third person viewpoints, and wherein when the user toggles from third person viewpoint to first person viewpoint a virtual camera representing the user flys in toward and ends at an Avatar representing the user in the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment to visually show the user which Avatar represents them in the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment.

7. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 6, wherein the virtual camera fly-in starts in the back of the Avatar to fly into the back of the Avatar'"'"'s head.

8. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 6, wherein the virtual camera fly-in starts in front of the Avatar to show the user what their Avatar looks like in the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment.

9. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 8, wherein the virtual camera fly-in spirals around the Avatar to fly into the back of the Avatar'"'"'s head to enable the user to see what the Avatar is seeing in the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment.

10. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 6, wherein the user may toggle between first and third person viewpoints using a zoom vision control.

11. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 10, wherein the zoom vision control is a mouse wheel.

12. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 6, wherein the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment uses first person viewpoint by default, but when the user first enters the virtual environment, the virtual camera representing the user flys in toward and ends at the Avatar representing the user in the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment to visually show the user which Avatar represents them in the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment.

13. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 12, wherein the virtual camera fly-in occurs when the user first clicks on the virtual environment.

14. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 1, wherein the beginning-user interface has a vertical field of view restriction so that the user is always can always see a horizon within the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment.

15. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 14, wherein the vertical field of view restriction is implemented when the user is viewing the virtual environment in first person viewpoint such that the user is looking at the virtual environment as if viewed by an Avatar representing the user in the virtual environment.

16. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 15, wherein the vertical field of view restriction is adjustable based on the position of the Avatar within the virtual environment.

17. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 16, wherein the vertical field of view restriction has an upper limit and a lower limit, wherein the upper limit is increased as the user approaches a tall object to enable the user to look farther up at the tall object, and wherein the lower limit is decreased as the user approaches a short object to enable the user to look farther down at the short object.

18. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 15, wherein the user may turn off the vertical field of view restriction.

19. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 1, wherein the beginning-user interface has a limited set of controls, and as the user becomes more adept at interacting in the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment the set of controls is increased to provide the user with control over additional features of the virtual environment application.

20. The method of orienting a beginning user to a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment of claim 19, wherein placement of the controls of the limited set of controls is not affected as the set of controls is increased so that the user does not need to re-learn where the controls are located as the set of controls is increased.