SPAWNING PROJECTED AVATARS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE

• US 20130009972A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick Allen II, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Pickover, Clifford Alan, Walker, Keith Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 8,692,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/522
• 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: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer implemented method and apparatus to project a projected avatar associated with an avatar in a virtual universe. A computer receives a command to project the avatar, the command having a projection point. The computer transmits a request to place a projected avatar at the projection point to a virtual universe host. The computer renders a tab associated with the projected avatar.

Claims

1. A method for positioning a copy of an avatar within a virtual universe, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer receiving a command to project the avatar to a different location in the virtual universe than a current location of the avatar in the virtual universe;

after the step of receiving the command to project the avatar, the computer transmitting, to a virtual universe host, a request to place the copy of the avatar at the different location, the request permitting both the copy of the avatar and an object in the virtual universe to both occupy the different location;

the computer causing a user interface to be displayed, the user interface including a selectable element corresponding to a view that is displayable in the user interface in response to selection of the selectable element, the view including a scene of the virtual universe from a perspective of the copy of the avatar at the different location;

the computer receiving an event associated with the copy of the avatar;

after the step of receiving the event associated with the copy of the avatar, the computer transmitting, to the virtual universe host, a request to remove the copy of the avatar from the virtual universe; and

the computer removing the selectable element from the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

the computer causing the scene including the view to be displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

the computer adding the different location to a queue identifying locations in the virtual universe, wherein at least one of the locations is associated in the queue with a unique identifier of the avatar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is command entered by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a client computer logging off a session with the virtual universe host.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

the computer causing a second selectable element to be displayed in the user interface, wherein the command is a selection of the second selectable element.

7. A computer program product for positioning a copy of an avatar within a virtual universe, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to receive a command to project the avatar to a different location in the virtual universe than a current location of the avatar in the virtual universe;

program instructions to, after receiving the command to project the avatar, transmit a request to a virtual universe host to place the copy of the avatar at the different location, the request permitting both the copy of the avatar and an object in the virtual universe to both occupy the different location;

program instructions to cause a user interface to be displayed, the user interface including a selectable element corresponding to a view that is displayable in the user interface in response to selection of the selectable element, the view including a scene of the virtual universe from a perspective of the copy of the avatar at the different location;

program instructions to receive an event associated with the copy of the avatar;

program instructions to, after receiving the event associated with the copy of the avatar, transmit a request to the virtual universe host to remove the copy of the avatar from the virtual universe; and

program instructions to remove the selectable element from the user interface.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to cause the scene including the view to be displayed.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to add the different location to a queue identifying locations in the virtual universe, wherein at least one of the locations is associated in the queue with a unique identifier of the avatar.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the event is command entered by a user.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the event is a client computer logging off a session with the virtual universe host.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to cause a second selectable element to be displayed in the user interface, wherein the command is a selection of the second selectable element.

13. A computer system for positioning a copy of an avatar within a virtual universe, the computer system comprising one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to receive a command to project the avatar to a different location in the virtual universe than a current location of the avatar in the virtual universe;

program instructions to, after receiving the command to project the avatar, transmit a request to a virtual universe host to place the copy of the avatar at the different location, the request permitting both the copy of the avatar and an object in the virtual universe to both occupy the different location;

program instructions to cause a user interface to be displayed, the user interface including a selectable element corresponding to a view that is displayable in the user interface in response to selection of the selectable element, the view including a scene of the virtual universe from a perspective of the copy of the avatar at the different location;

program instructions to receive an event associated with the copy of the avatar;

program instructions to, after receiving the event associated with the copy of the avatar, transmit a request to the virtual universe host to remove the copy of the avatar from the virtual universe; and

program instructions to remove the selectable element from the user interface.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to cause the scene including the view to be displayed.

15. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to add the different location to a queue identifying locations in the virtual universe, wherein at least one of the locations is associated in the queue with a unique identifier of the avatar.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the event is command entered by a user.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the event is a client computer logging off a session with the virtual universe host.

18. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to cause a second selectable element to be displayed in the user interface, wherein the command is a selection of the second selectable element.