Method and apparatus for implementing dynamic VRML
First Claim
1. A method of generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world, the method comprising the steps of:
- (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition;
(B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation;
(C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value from the database;
(D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node.
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Abstract
Mechanisms and methods for storing, dynamically reconstructing, and navigating a three-dimensional virtual world using a database are disclosed. A virtual world is described in a source text according to the grammar of a modeling language. The source text is read, parsed, and decomposed into a database schema in which characteristics of the world are represented in database tables. In an embodiment, nodes and fields of the world are associated with database queries. When the world is to be displayed, values in the database schema are recomposed into a source text. The database queries are executed against a database, yielding values, in real time based on the current state of the data in the database, for the nodes associated with the queries. Thus, a large virtual world are efficiently displayed and easily modified, and the size, shape, or other aspects of elements of the virtual world can change as data in the database changes.
163 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world, the method comprising the steps of:
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(A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value from the database; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of one or more instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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(A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value from the database; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer apparatus for generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world, the computer apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor;
the memory having the first source definition stored therein; andsequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the display of the virtual world by causing the processor to perform the steps of; (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification