Passageway properties: customizable protocols for entry and exit of places

• US 6,069,632 A
• Filed: 07/03/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mullaly, John Martin, Berry, Richard Edmond, Isensee, Scott Harlan, Roberts, David John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/887,829
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345/419, 345/420, 345/423, 345/424, 345/425, 345/427
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering

Abstract

The instant invention relates to a system and method of assisting interactive users to effectively address the need to control the user'"'"'s entrance and exit of places in virtual 3-D workspace. Specifically, how can a designer and or a user best control what happens when the user enters or exits a particular place in a virtual reality environment. The purpose of this invention, "Passageway Properties", is the creation of customizable attributes pertaining to the behavior of the user interface upon the entrance or exit of places in virtual environments.

Claims

1. A data processor controlled display system for displaying a virtual three-dimensional workplace comprising:

means for defining a plurality of three dimensional regions in said workplace;

means for displaying a plurality of three-dimensional objects within said regions;

viewer interactive means for navigating within said workspace;

region passage means separating said plurality of regions comprising;

means for displaying passages between adjacent regions in said plurality of regions;

means for defining a set of at least one condition which must be met in order to permit said viewer interactive means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another through a selected passage means.

2. The data processor controlled display system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of region passage means is defined by data storage in said system as a software entity.

3. The data processor controlled display system of claim 2 wherein said software entities are object oriented programming entities including data defining the displayed passage and data defining the conditions which must be met in order to permit passage through said displayed passage.

4. The data processor controlled display system of claim 1 wherein a security checks, represents said means for defining a set of condition which must be met in order to permit said navigating means to move said viewer from one of said regions to another of said regions, through said selected passage means.

5. The data processor controlled display system of claim 4 wherein said security checks are a list of authorized users or a password.

6. The data processor controlled display system of claim 1 wherein visual or audio effects, represent said means for defining a set of condition which must be met in order to permit said navigating means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another of said regions, through said selected passage means.

7. The data processor controlled display system of claim 6 wherein said visual effects are to, fade, cut, or to wipe.

8. A data processor controlled display method for displaying a virtual three-dimensional workplace comprising:

defining a plurality of three dimensional regions in said workplace;

displaying a plurality of three-dimensional objects within said regions;

providing a viewer with interactive means for navigating within said workspace;

providing region passage means through said separate plurality of regions by;

displaying passages between adjacent regions in said plurality of regions;

defining a set of at least one condition which must be met in order to permit said viewer interactive means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another of said regions, through a selected passage means.

9. A data processor controlled display method for displaying a virtual three-dimensional workplace of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of said region passage means is defined by data stored in said system as a software entity.

10. A data processor controlled display method for displaying a virtual three-dimensional workplace of claim 8, wherein said software entities are object-oriented programming entities including data defining the displayed passage and data defining the conditions which must be met in order to permit passage through said displayed passage.

11. A data processor controlled display method for displaying a virtual three-dimensional workplace of claim 8, wherein security checks, represent said means for defining a set of condition which must be met in order to permit said navigating means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another through said selected passage means.

12. The data processor controlled display method of claim 11 wherein said security checks are a list of authorized users or a password.

13. The data processor controlled display method of claim 8, wherein said visual or audio effects, represent said means for defining a set of condition which must be met in order to permit said navigating means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another through said selected passage means.

14. The data processor controlled display method of claim 13 wherein said visual effects are to, fade, cut, or to wipe.

15. A computer readable program having data structures included on a computer readable medium which causes the display on a data processor controlled display of a virtual three-dimensional workspace comprising:

means for defining a plurality of three dimensional regions in said workplace;

means for displaying a plurality of three-dimensional objects within said regions;

viewer interactive means for navigating within said workspace;

region passage means separating said plurality of regions comprising;

means for displaying passages between adjacent regions in said plurality of regions;

means for defining a set of at least one condition which must be met in order to permit said viewer interactive means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another of said regions through a selected passage means.

16. The computer program of claim 15 wherein each of said plurality of region passage means is defined by data storage in said system as a software entity.

17. The computer program of claim 15 wherein said software entities are object-oriented programming entities including data defining the displayed passage and data defining the conditions which must be met in order to permit passage through said displayed passage.

18. The computer program of claim 15 wherein a security checks, represents said means for defining a set of condition which must be met in order to permit said navigating means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another of said regions through said selected passage means.

19. The computer program of claim 18 wherein said security checks are a list of authorized users or a password.

20. The computer program of claim 15 wherein visual or audio effects, represent said means for defining a set of condition which must be met in order to permit said navigating means to move the viewer from one of said regions to another through said selected passage means.

21. The computer program of claim 20 wherein said visual effects are to, fade, cut, or to wipe.