Providing Web Content in the Context of a Virtual Environment

• US 20100169837A1
• 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: Hyndman, Arn
• Granted Patent: US 9,064,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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

Abstract

Information URLs may be associated with three dimensional objects in a three dimensional virtual environment. When a URL is selected, an overlay web rendering engine renders a web page associated with the URL over the object in the three dimensional virtual environment. The web page may include rich content, interactive content, or any other type of web content supported by the user'"'"'s local browser and browser plugging. The user may interact with the content in the overlay web rendering engine to obtain successive layers of content or to affect the object in the virtual environment. The web page is rendered with a transparent background so that the three dimensional content of the virtual environment continues to be visible through the web page and provides context for the overlayed content. Information URLs may be used to provide information about objects, Avatars, or the virtual environment itself.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting interaction with a URL associated with the three dimensional computer-generated object;

obtaining web content associated with the URL from a source outside of an application supporting the three dimensional computer-generated object; and

using an overlay web rending engine to display the web content associated with the URL as an overlay to the three dimensional computer-generated object over or near the three dimensional computer-generated object.

2. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 1, wherein the application supporting the three dimensional computer-generated object is a three-dimensional computer-generated virtual environment application which enables a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment to be provided to a user.

3. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 2, wherein the overlay web rendering engine displays the web content associated with the URL as an overlay to the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment over or near the three dimensional computer-generated object.

4. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 2, wherein the source is outside of the three dimensional computer generated virtual environment.

5. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 2, wherein the web content associated with the URL is rendered to have an at least semi-transparent background to enable both the content associated with the URL and the three-dimensional computer generated virtual environment to be visible such that the content associated with the URL may be viewed in context of the three dimensional computer-generated object.

6. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 5, wherein the web content associated with the URL is panned such that it remains over the three dimensional computer-generated object if the user changes a point of view relative to the object.

7. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting interaction with the URL comprises detecting that a user has clicked on the URL.

8. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting interaction with the URL comprises detecting that a user'"'"'s cursor is hovering over the object.

9. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 1, wherein the application supporting the three dimensional computer-generated object is a three-dimensional computer-generated virtual environment application, wherein a user is represented by an Avatar in a three dimensional virtual environment generated by the three-dimensional computer-generated virtual environment application, and wherein the step of detecting interaction with the URL is triggered by an Avatar'"'"'s action within the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment.

10. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 9, wherein the Avatar'"'"'s action that triggered detection of interaction with the URL comprises interaction of the Avatar with the object.

11. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 9, wherein interaction of the Avatar with the object comprises the Avatar touching the object.

12. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 9, wherein interaction of the Avatar with the object comprises the Avatar staring at the object.

13. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 1, wherein the web content is interactive, such that a user can click on elements of the web content to cause the web content to be updated.

14. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to interact with the web content.

15. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a three-dimensional computer-generated object of claim 14, wherein interaction with the web content affects the object by causing events to be sent to the three dimensional application supporting the three dimensional computer-generated object.

16. A computer-implemented method of providing web content in the context of a virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of:

rendering a virtual environment for a user, the virtual environment including information URLs that may be used by the user to obtain web content from sources external to the virtual environment;

detecting interaction with at least one of the information URLs;

obtaining the web content associated with the at least one information URL; and

using an overlay web rending engine to display the web content associated with the at least one information URL as an overlay to the virtual environment.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the information URL is associated with an object in the virtual environment, and wherein the overlay cause the web content to be rendered over or near the object in the virtual environment.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the virtual environment is a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment is a shared virtual environment used by many users, and wherein the web content is only rendered for one of the users and not visible to the other users of the shared virtual environment.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the web content includes content requiring the user to have a plugin associated with a local web browser.