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Method and apparatus for creating virtual worlds using a data flow network

  • US 5,588,104 A
  • Filed: 10/04/1994
  • Issued: 12/24/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for creating a virtual world, the virtual world including a virtual object which represents a physical object, wherein a first point of the virtual object represents a first part of the physical object and the first point moves in relation to second and third points of the virtual object which represent second and third parts of the physical object, wherein a movement of the first point is based on changes in inputs to a data flow network, the data flow network describing the movement of the first point in relation to the second and third points when the movement of the first point is not based on either one of a rotation and a translation of the virtual object, the apparatus comprising:

  • a computer display; and

    means, connected to the computer display, for generating a data flow network for calculating a movement of a first point of a virtual object in a virtual world in relation to a second point and a third point of the virtual object when the movement is not based on either one of a rotation and a translation of the virtual object, the data flow network including a plurality of interconnected units, and the plurality of interconnected units including at least one input unit representing at least one source of input data for providing input data to the data flow network, a plurality of function units which transform the input data, and a plurality of output units each representing one dimension of a corresponding vector of the first point in a three-dimensional coordinate system, wherein the corresponding vector of the first point generates a first spatial position and a first orientation of the first point in the three-dimensional coordinate system in the virtual world.

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