System for designing graphical multi-participant environments

• US 6,100,896 A
• Filed: 03/24/1997
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Information Technology Center America, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Barros, Barbara, Strohecker, Carol
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US08/822,011
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/425, 345/427, 345/429, 345/433
• US Class Current: 345/427
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects

Abstract

A system for generating a virtual reality environment applies principles of urban planning. Participants interact with the system by designating or anging certain objects or characteristics of the environment. The environment includes designation of districts having similar scenic characteristics. Paths define routes through the districts and within the environment. Specific foci or landmarks can be identified at locations within the environment. In addition to creating a conceptual view of the environment, the system generates a set of scenes representing movement of a participant along a defined walkway through the environment. The scenes are generated as composite images of objects in a perspective view. The objects forming a composite in the scene are determined based upon the characteristics of the district to which the scene applies.

Claims

1. A computer system for generating an environment comprising:

input means for receiving data including a plurality of districts defining areas in said environment representing elements in the environment and their locations;

characteristic receiving means for receiving characteristics for each of said districts which distinguish one district from another district;

concept generation means for generating a conceptual representation of the environment;

transformation means for transforming said conceptual representation to at least one scene representing a view of the environment at a specified location within one of the plurality of districts; and

a display for displaying said at least one scene with the represented elements automatically having the received characteristics of the one district.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said input means includes a plurality of user input means, each of the user input means receiving data from one of a plurality of users.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data includes edges defining boundaries between districts.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said transformation means transforms said conceptual representation to the at least one scene based upon the characteristics of the one district including the specified location.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said characteristics include types of objects present in each district, and wherein said at least one scene includes objects of types corresponding to a district including the specified location.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data includes a plurality of nodes defining objects at node locations in said environment;

and wherein said at least one scene includes a representation of at least one node, when the specified location is near a node location corresponding to said at least one node.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said transformation means includes:

means for identifying objects at the specified location; and

means for creating a perspective view compositing representations of the identified objects.

8. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising walkway definition means for defining a walkway in said environment;

and wherein said transformation means includes means for transforming said conceptual representation to a series of scenes representing views at a series of specified locations along the walkway.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein said walkway definition means includes means for receiving a user input identifying a portion of a walkway while at least one scene is being displayed.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein said data includes a plurality of paths in said environment, and wherein at least a portion of said walkway coincides with at least a portion of one path.

11. A method for generating a virtual reality environment comprising the steps of:

receiving user input data representing elements in the environment and corresponding locations;

receiving district data for a plurality of non-overlapping districts in the environment;

receiving characteristic data corresponding to each of the districts;

automatically associating the received characteristic data corresponding to each district to the elements having locations in that district based upon said elements having locations within that district;

displaying a conceptual representation of the environment with each element being represented at a corresponding location;

generating at least one scene representing a view of the environment at a specified location based upon the displayed conceptual representation and with the elements within the scene having characteristics determined by the characteristic data associated with those elements; and

displaying the at least one scene.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving step includes receiving user input data from a plurality of users.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving step includes the steps of

receiving edge data defining boundaries between districts.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one scene has characteristics corresponding to a district which includes said specified location.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said generating step includes the steps of:

identifying objects at the specified location; and

compositing representations of the identified objects in a perspective view.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said generating step includes the step of generating a series of scenes at a series of adjacent locations.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said generating step further includes receiving at least one user input identifying a subsequent adjacent location in the series.

18. A method of creating a graphical environment, comprising the steps of:

defining at least two districts within a graphical environment;

defining first characteristics of objects for a first of the defined at least two districts and second characteristics of the objects, different than the first characteristics, for a second of the defined at least two districts;

locating an object within the defined first district and within the defined second district;

automatically associating the object located within the defined first district with at least one of the first characteristics based on the object being located in the first district and the object located within the defined second district with at least one of the second characteristics based on the object being located in the second district; and

creating a graphical environment with the object located within the first district having the associated at least one of the defined first characteristics and the object located within the second district having the associated at least one of the defined second characteristics.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein:

the first characteristics include at least one of first types of the objects and first styles of the objects within the first district; and

the second characteristics include at least one of second types of the objects, different than the first types of the objects, and second styles of the objects, different than the first styles of the objects, within the second district.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

defining a walkway for movement of a participant within the first district and within the second district;

generating scenes with the object having the at least one of the defined first characteristics while the participant is moving along the defined walkway within the first district; and

generating scenes with the object having the at least one of the defined second characteristics while the participant is moving along the defined walkway within the second district.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

locating other objects within the first district;

locating the other objects within the second district;

automatically associating the other objects within the first district with the defined first characteristics based on the other objects being located within the first district;

automatically associating the other objects within the second district with the defined second characteristics based on the other objects being located within the second district;

generating a first scene depicting the other objects located in the first district having the defined first characteristics; and

generating a second scene depicting the other objects located in the second district having the defined second characteristics.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein:

the object is a building;

the object having the at least one of the defined first characteristics is a first style building; and

the object having the at least one of the defined second characteristics is a second style building.

23. A method according to claim 18, wherein:

the object is a tree;

the object having the at least one of the defined first characteristics is a first type tree; and

the object having the at least one of the defined second characteristics is a second type tree.

24. A method according to claim 18, wherein the objects include at least one of manmade objects and natural objects.

25. A graphical environment system, comprising:

a memory configured to store (i) a first graphical environment district and associated first characteristics, (ii) a second graphical environment district, different than the first graphical environment district, and associated second characteristics, different than the first characteristics, and (iii) graphical objects; and

a processor configured to receive an input to locate the graphical objects within the first graphical environment district, to receive an input to locate the graphical objects within the second graphical environment district, to automatically apply the first characteristics to the graphical objects located within the first graphical environment district based on the graphical objects being located in the first graphical environment district, to automatically apply the second characteristics to the graphical objects located within the second graphical environment district based on the graphical objects being located in the second graphical environment district, to generate scenes depicting the graphical objects within the first graphical environment district, with the graphical objects having the first characteristics, and to generate scenes of the graphical objects within the second graphical environment district, with the graphical objects having the second characteristics.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein:

the stored first characteristics include at least one of first types of graphical objects and first styles of graphical objects associated with the first graphical environment district; and

the stored second characteristics include at least one of second types of graphical objects, different than the first types of graphical objects, and second styles of graphic objects, different than the first styles of graphical objects, associated with the second graphical environment district.

27. A system according to claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an input defining a walkway for movement of a participant within the first graphical environment district and within the second graphical environment district;

automatically generate the scenes of the graphical objects located within the first graphical environment district, with the graphical objects having the first characteristics, while the participant is moving along the walkway defined within the first graphical environment district; and

automatically generate the scenes of the graphical objects located within the second graphical environment district, with the graphical objects having the second characteristics, while the participant is moving along the walkway defined within the second graphical environment district.

28. A system for creating a graphical environment, comprising:

a memory configured to store a first graphical environment district and associated first characteristics, a second graphical environment district and associated second characteristics, and graphical objects; and

a processor configured to process a first input directing a first of the graphical objects be located in the first graphical environment district, to apply the first characteristics to the first object based on the first object being located in the first graphical environment district, and to generate a first scene having the first object with the first characteristics, and to process a second input directing the first object be located in the second graphical environment district, to apply the second characteristics to the first object based on the first object being located in the second graphical environment district, and to generate a second scene having the first object with the second characteristics.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein:

the stored first characteristics include at least one of first types of the stored graphical objects and first styles of the stored graphical objects associated with the first graphical environment district; and

the stored second characteristics include at least one of second types of the stored graphical objects, different than the first types of the stored graphical objects, and second styles of the stored graphic objects, different than the first styles of the stored graphical objects, associated with the second graphical environment district.

30. A system according to claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an input defining a walkway for movement of a participant within the first graphical environment district and within the second graphical environment district;

generate the first scene while the participant is moving along the defined walkway within the first graphical environment district; and

generate the second scene while the participant is moving along the defined walkway within the second graphical environment district.