METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A 3D ACTIVITY IN A VIRTUAL PRESENTATION
First Claim
1. A method of developing user-generated challenges in a virtual environment, the method comprising:
- receiving registration information transmitted over a communication network;
validating the registration information;
establishing a user account on a computer and associating a first virtual character with the user account;
granting a user, via said user account, access to a course creation tool comprising a plurality of different course portions that are selectable to be arranged in different ways in the virtual environment to construct a course to be navigated from a start point to an end point,controlling access to said course to allow navigation of the course by another virtual character in the virtual environment, different than said first virtual character;
including along the course, to be encountered by the another virtual character between the starting point and the end point, a challenge region that is to interfere with a progression of the another virtual character along the course in a direction generally toward the end point; and
offering a plurality of virtual obstacles represented by icons that are selectable for inclusion in the challenge region, wherein the another virtual character will be required to interact with at least one of the virtual obstacles included in the challenge region before continuing the progression along the course beyond the challenge region.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided is a method of developing user-generated challenges in a virtual environment. The method includes receiving registration information transmitted over a communication network, validating the registration information, establishing a user account on a computer and associating a first virtual character with the user account. A user is granted access to a course creation tool comprising a plurality of different course portions that are to be arranged in the virtual environment to construct a course to be navigated from a start point to an end point. Included along the course, to be encountered by another virtual character between the starting point and the end point, is a challenge region that is to interfere with a progression of the another virtual character along the course in a direction generally toward the end point. Two or more virtual obstacles represented by icons are selectable for inclusion in the challenge region. The another virtual character will be required to interact with at least one of the virtual obstacles included in the challenge region before continuing the progression along the course beyond the challenge region.
99 Citations
74 Claims
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1. A method of developing user-generated challenges in a virtual environment, the method comprising:
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receiving registration information transmitted over a communication network; validating the registration information; establishing a user account on a computer and associating a first virtual character with the user account; granting a user, via said user account, access to a course creation tool comprising a plurality of different course portions that are selectable to be arranged in different ways in the virtual environment to construct a course to be navigated from a start point to an end point, controlling access to said course to allow navigation of the course by another virtual character in the virtual environment, different than said first virtual character; including along the course, to be encountered by the another virtual character between the starting point and the end point, a challenge region that is to interfere with a progression of the another virtual character along the course in a direction generally toward the end point; and offering a plurality of virtual obstacles represented by icons that are selectable for inclusion in the challenge region, wherein the another virtual character will be required to interact with at least one of the virtual obstacles included in the challenge region before continuing the progression along the course beyond the challenge region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of creating a user-generated challenge in a virtual environment, the method comprising:
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associating a first virtual character with a user account created for a user on a computer; granting access to a maze creation tool based on said user account, said maze creation tool comprising a plurality of maze portions that are selectable to be arranged in the virtual environment to construct a simulated three-dimensional maze to be navigated from a start point to an end point by another virtual character in the virtual environment, wherein said another virtual character is associated with another user account created for a different user; transmitting information indicative of a quantity of a plurality of the maze portions available for selection by the user to be included in the maze; associating a second virtual character with the user account; prior to associating the second virtual character with the user account, prohibiting the user from access to a previously-restricted maze portion for inclusion in the maze, and subsequent to associating the second virtual character with the user account, granting the user access to the previously-restricted maze portion that is selectable for inclusion in the maze, the previously-restricted maze portion being different from the plurality of maze portions; and granting the different user, via another user computer, access to navigate the maze with the another virtual character. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of creating a user-generated challenge in a virtual environment, the method comprising:
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associating a plurality of virtual characters with a user account created for a user on a computer; receiving an access request for the virtual environment from a user computer over a communication network; granting access to a maze creation tool, based on said user account, said maze creation tool comprising a plurality of maze portions that are selectable by the user to be arranged in the virtual environment to construct a simulated three-dimensional maze to be navigated by another virtual character in the virtual environment, wherein said another virtual character is associated with another user account created for a different user; transmitting information indicative of a quantity of a plurality of the maze portions available for selection by the user from the maze creation tool to be included in the maze; receiving an instruction to perform a first build operation that adds at least one unit to the quantity of one or more of the maze portions available for selection by the user; receiving, over the communication network, a designation of one or more of the virtual characters associated with the user account as selected virtual characters that are to be allocated to the first build operation; requiring a length of time to elapse before a subsequent build operation involving at least one of the selected virtual characters allocated to the first build operation can be initiated, where said length of time depends at least in part on a quantity of selected virtual characters allocated to the first build operation; and granting the different user, via another user computer, access to navigate the maze constructed using the maze portions with the another virtual character. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of interacting in a virtual world, the method comprising:
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associating a virtual character representing a purchased toy with a user account created for a user on a computer that has a connection to a communication network; associating a plurality of non-player characters with each of a plurality of virtual zones of the virtual world; subsequent to said associating the virtual character, receiving commands input via the communication network to control the virtual character within a three-dimensional rendering of the virtual world, wherein the commands input request an interaction between the virtual character and one or more of the non-player characters within the three-dimensional rendering of the virtual world; in response to said receiving commands, establishing the interaction between the virtual character and the one or more of the non-player characters, resulting in a communication from the one or more of the non-player characters to the virtual character; and subsequent to said associating the virtual character, serving content over the communication network to be received by the user computer and said content representing a three-dimensional rendering of a virtual course that is to be navigated by the virtual character. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of developing a user-generated challenge in a virtual environment, the method comprising:
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entering registration information into a user computer and transmitting the registration information over a communication network for validation; receiving first information indicative of successful validation of the registration information; providing second information for creating a user account; subsequent to said providing, accessing a virtual character associated with the user account; using a course creation tool on said user computer to select one of a plurality of different course portions that are selectable to be arranged in the virtual environment; using said course creation tool to select others of said plurality of different course portions, to select plural course portions; arranging the plural different course portions in the virtual environment to construct a course to be navigated from a start point to an end point; selecting for inclusion along the course, to be encountered a virtual character travelling between the starting point and the end point, a challenge region that is to interfere with a progression of the virtual character along the course in a direction generally toward the end point; selecting a plurality of virtual obstacles for inclusion in the challenge region, wherein the virtual character will be required to interact with at least one of the virtual obstacles included in the challenge region before continuing the progression along the course beyond the challenge region; and submitting the course for publication to allow the course to be accessed and navigated by another virtual character. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method of creating a user-generated challenge in a virtual environment, the method comprising:
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transmitting, over a communication network, a request to register a first virtual character and associate the first virtual character with a user account; accessing a maze creation tool comprising a plurality of maze portions; selecting the plurality of maze portions and arranging the plurality of maze portions selected into a three-dimensional maze in the virtual environment that is to be navigated from a start point to an end point by another virtual character in the virtual environment, wherein said another virtual character is associated with another user account created for a remotely-located user; receiving an indication of a quantity of a plurality of the maze portions available to be included in the maze; transmitting, over the communication network, a request to register a second virtual character and associate the second virtual character with the user account; subsequent to said transmitting the request to register the second virtual character, selecting a previously-restricted maze portion for inclusion in the maze, the previously-restricted maze portion being different from the plurality of maze portions; and submitting the maze for publication to allow the maze to be accessed by the remotely-located user, via a user computer, and navigated with the another virtual character. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
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63. A method of creating a user-generated challenge in a virtual environment, the method comprising:
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requesting registration of a plurality of virtual characters to be associated with a user account; accessing a maze creation tool comprising a plurality of maze portions; selecting the plurality of maze portions and arranging the plurality of maze portions selected to construct a three-dimensional maze in the virtual environment to be navigated by another virtual character in the virtual environment, wherein said another virtual character is associated with another user account created for a remotely-located user; receiving an indication of a quantity of a plurality of the maze portions available for selection from the maze creation tool to be included in the maze; requesting performance of a first build operation that adds at least one unit to the quantity of one or more of the maze portions available for selection; designating one or more of the virtual characters associated with the user account as selected virtual characters that are to be allocated to the first build operation, wherein a length of time before a subsequent build operation involving at least one of the selected virtual characters allocated to the first build operation can be initiated depends at least in part on a quantity of selected virtual characters allocated to the first build operation; and submitting the maze for publication to allow the maze to be accessed by the remotely-located user, via a user computer, and navigated with the another virtual character. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of providing a virtual presentation, the method comprising:
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requesting registration of a virtual character representing a purchased toy and association of said virtual character with a user account; transmitting an instruction requesting an interaction between the virtual character and at least one of a plurality of non-player characters associated with a virtual zone forming a portion of a virtual world, wherein the interaction between the virtual character and the at least one of the non-player characters is to occur within a three-dimensional rendering of the virtual world; receiving a communication from the one or more of the non-player characters in response to the interaction between the virtual character and the at least one of the non-player characters; and subsequent to said associating the virtual character, displaying a three-dimensional rendering of a virtual course that is to be navigated by the virtual character. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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Specification