SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF OBJECT PROCESSING IN VIRTUAL WORLDS

• US 20130044106A1
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfaqutruma Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Utherverse Digital, Inc.
• Inventors: Shuster, Brian, Shuster, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• 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 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• 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: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 : where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods of virtual world interaction, operation, implementation, instantiation, creation, and other functions related to virtual worlds (note that where the term “virtual world” is used herein, it is to be understood as referring to virtual world systems, virtual environments reflecting real, simulated, fantasy, or other structures, and includes information systems that utilize interaction within a 3D environment). Various embodiments facilitate interoperation between and within virtual worlds, and may provide consistent structures for operating virtual worlds. The disclosed embodiments may further enable individuals to build new virtual worlds within a framework, and allow third party users to better interact with those worlds.

Claims

1. A method of arranging objects within a three-dimensional virtual space, the method being performed on a virtual worlds service provider, the method comprising:

maintaining, on a service provider comprising one or more computer processors, an instance of a virtual world scene comprising a plurality of objects in a first spatial arrangement;

identifying a first object of the plurality of objects, the first object having a first spatial position;

comparing the first spatial position of the first object to an original spatial position associated with the first object;

computing a transition path for replacing the first object from the first spatial position to the original spatial position, based on the comparison of the first spatial position of the first object and the original spatial position; and

automatically transitioning the first object based on the computed transition path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically transitioning the first object comprises causing the first object to autonomously transport along the computed transition path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically transitioning the first object comprises introducing a non-player character to transition the first object based on the computed transition path.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the non-player character is configurable by an operator of the three-dimensional virtual space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the original spatial position is associated with the virtual world scene.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically transitioning the first object comprises determining a speed for transitioning the first object and transitioning the first object based on the determined speed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the speed is determined at least in part based on the number of avatars present in the instance of the virtual world scene.

8. A computer system configured to arrange objects within a three-dimensional virtual space, the computer system comprising:

computer-readable storage having stored thereon a plurality of modules implemented as executable instructions;

one or more computer processors configured to execute the plurality of modules;

stored data representing an instance of a virtual world scene comprising a plurality of objects in a first spatial arrangement;

an object identification module configured to identify a first object of the plurality of objects, the first object having a first spatial position;

a position comparison module configured to compare the first spatial position of the first object to an original spatial position associated with the first object;

a path computation module configured to compute a transition path for replacing the first object from the first spatial position to the original spatial position, based on the comparison of the first spatial position of the first object and the original spatial position; and

a path execution module configured to automatically transition the first object based on the computed transition path.