Client apparatus, image display controlling method, shared virtual space providing apparatus and method, and program providing medium

• US 6,253,167 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1998
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Koichi, Hanaya, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMSON, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/084,515
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/355, 345/418, 395/500.32, 709/203, 709/204, 709/218, 463/42, 203/6, 203/11
• US Class Current: 703/11
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

A plurality of users can share a virtual life object and breed the same. A growth parameter control table is stored in a hard disk of an AO server. When a predetermined event is inputted from a client PC 1 or PC 2, a growth parameter, in the growth parameter control table, corresponding to the inputted event is updated. According to the updated growth parameter, the client PC 1 or PC 2 changes the state of the virtual life object existing in a shared virtual space.

Claims

1. A server for providing access to a shared virtual space, said server comprising:

receiving means for receiving a growth parameter of a virtual creature being reared by a first user via a first input from a first apparatus and by a second user via a second input from a second apparatus and existing in said shared virtual space, said growth parameter changing as a predetermined event occurs; and

display-controlling means for interpreting a script for dynamically changing one or both of an external view or a behavioral sequence of said virtual creature based on said growth parameter to control a display of said virtual creature according to said growth parameter,

wherein said predetermined event is based on one of said first input from said first client apparatus, said second input from said second client apparatus or a passage of time.

2. A display-controlling method for a first client apparatus connected along with a second client apparatus to a server through a network to gain access to a shared virtual space, comprising the steps of:

receiving a growth parameter of a virtual creature being reared by a first user via a first input from said first client apparatus and by a second user via a second input from said second client apparatus and existing in said shared virtual space, said growth parameter being transmitted from said server, said growth parameter changing as a predetermined event occurs; and

interpreting a script for dynamically changing one or both of an external view or a behavioral sequence of said virtual creature based on said growth parameter received from said server to control a display of said virtual creature according to said growth parameter;

wherein said predetermined event is one of said first input from said first client apparatus, said second input from said second client apparatus or a passage of time.

3. A program-providing medium for providing a program for controlling a first client apparatus connected along with a second client apparatus to a server through a network to gain access to a shared virtual space, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving a growth parameter of a virtual creature being reared by a first user via a first input from said first client apparatus and by a second user via a second input from said second client apparatus and existing in said shared virtual space, said growth parameter being transmitted from said server, said growth parameter changing as a predetermined event occurs;

interpreting a script for dynamically changing one or both of an external view or a behavioral sequence of said virtual creature based on said growth parameter received from said server to control a display of said virtual creature according to said growth parameter;

wherein said predetermined event is one of said first input from said first client apparatus, said second input from said second client apparatus or a passage of time.

4. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 3, wherein said growth parameter received in said receiving step of said program is a value indicative of a degree of outer growth of said virtual creature to be calculated based on a time passed from the birth of said virtual creature.

5. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 3, wherein said growth parameter received in said receiving step of said program is a value indicative of a degree of inner growth of said virtual creature to be calculated based on an event caused for said virtual creature.

6. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 3, wherein, according to a type of said event caused for said virtual creature, a different value is calculated for said growth parameter received in said receiving step of said program.

7. An apparatus for providing a shared virtual space to a plurality of client apparatuses interconnected through a network, comprising:

means for controlling a growth parameter for specifying an autonomous behavior of a virtual life object being reared by a first user via a first input from said first client apparatus and by a second user via a second input from said second client apparatus and existing in said shared virtual space, said growth parameter changing as a predetermined event occurs; and

means for transferring said growth parameter read from said controlling means upon request from said first client apparatus or an occurrence of said predetermined event to one or both of said first client apparatus or said second client apparatus;

wherein said predetermined event is one of an input from said first client apparatus, an input from said second client apparatus or a passage of time.

8. A method of providing a shared virtual space to a plurality of client apparatuses interconnected through a network, comprising the steps of:

controlling a growth parameter for specifying an autonomous behavior of a virtual life object being reared by a first user via a first input from a first client apparatus and by a second user via a second input from a second client apparatus and existing in said shared virtual space, said growth parameter changing as a predetermined event occurs; and

transferring said growth parameter read in said controlling step upon request from said first client apparatus or an occurrence of said predetermined event to one or both of said first client apparatus or said second client apparatus;

wherein said predetermined event is one of an input from said first client apparatus, an input from said second client apparatus or a passage of time.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein a birth date of said virtual life object is stored in a storage device, further comprising the steps of:

calculating said growth parameter according to an age of said virtual life object based on a time passed from said birth date stored in said storage device; and

updating said growth parameter.

23. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling step comprises independently controlling a growth parameter for each of a plurality of virtual life objects.

24. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

storing history information in a storage medium regarding a client'"'"'s history of interactions with said virtual life object; and

starting an event indicative of said virtual life object'"'"'s degree of familiarity with said client according to said history information.

25. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of

registering, as a keeper of said virtual life object, an identification of a client who has set or reset said virtual life object into a keeper control table;

disabling an updating of said identification of said client until a life allocated to said virtual life object expires; and

deleting said identification of said client at said expiration.

26. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of;

recording a history of a client who has set or reset said virtual life object into a history control table to control said history; and

starting a behavioral sequence indicative of intimacy emotional expression corresponding to a frequency of access from said client controlled by said history control table.

27. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of controlling a position of said virtual life object in said shared virtual space according to a position of a client in said shared virtual space, thereby performing behavioral control.

28. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of causing said virtual life object to report to a keeper at a time when said keeper is not accessing said shared virtual space.

29. The method of claim 8, wherein said growth parameter is selected from the group consisting of an activity index, an intelligence quotient, a language index, a sociability index, and an independence index.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein, when said life allocated to said virtual life object expires, a child of said virtual life object is generated, and said identification of said keeper is given to said child.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said reporting step comprises reporting to a keeper by one of a chat window based on voice, a chat window based on text, a transmission to a pager;

an e-mail message, a PHS mail message, a voice message, or a facsimile message.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of allowing said keeper to communicate with said virtual life object by one of an e-mail, PHS mail, a signal generated by a telephone, a voice browser, a chat window based on voice, or a chat window based on text.

9. A program-providing medium for providing a program for controlling an apparatus for providing a shared virtual space to a plurality of client apparatuses interconnected through a network, said program comprising the steps of:

controlling a growth parameter for specifying an autonomous behavior of a virtual life object being reared by a first user via a first input from a first client apparatus and by a second user via a second input from a second client apparatus and existing in said shared virtual space, said growth parameter changing as a predetermined event occurs; and

transferring said growth parameter read in said controlling step upon request from said first client apparatus or an occurrence of said predetermined event to one or both of said first client apparatus or said second client apparatus,

wherein said predetermined event is one of an input from said first client apparatus, an input from said second client apparatus or a passage of time.

10. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein said program holds a birth date of said virtual life object in a growth parameter control table, calculates said growth parameter according to an age of said virtual life object based on a time passed from said birth date, and updates said growth parameter in said growth parameter control table.

11. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein, in the controlling step of said program, a growth parameter is independently controlled for each of a plurality of virtual life objects.

12. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein said program further comprises the steps of:

controlling a client control table for controlling an identification of a client who accessed said virtual life object by registering said identification into a client identification control table; and

starting an event indicative of intimacy emotional expression according to access by the client having said identification controlled by said client identification control table.

13. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein said program further comprises the steps of:

registering, as a keeper of said virtual life object, an identification of a client who has set or reset said virtual life object into a keeper control table;

disabling an updating of said identification of said client until a life allocated to said virtual life object expires; and

deleting said identification of said client at said expiration.

14. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein, when said life allocated to said virtual life object expires, a child of said virtual life object is generated, and said identification of said keeper is given to said child.

15. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein said program further comprises the steps of:

recording a history of a client who has set or reset said virtual life object into a history control table to control said history; and

starting a behavioral sequence indicative of intimacy emotional expression corresponding to a frequency of access from said client controlled by said history control table.

16. A program-providing medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein said program further comprises the step of controlling a position of said virtual life object in said shared virtual space according to a position of a client in said shared virtual space, thereby performing behavioral control.

17. A program providing medium as claimed in claim 9, wherein said program further comprises the step of causing said virtual life object to report to a keeper at a time when said keeper is not accessing said shared virtual space.

18. A program providing medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein said reporting step of said program comprises reporting to a keeper by one of a chat window based on voice, a chat window based on text, a transmission to a pager;

an e-mail message, a PHS mail message, a voice message, or a facsimile message.

19. The program-providing medium of claim 9, wherein said growth parameter is selected from the group consisting of a an activity index, an intelligence quotient, a language index, a sociability index, and an independence index.

20. The program-providing medium of claim 17, wherein said program further comprises the step of allowing said keeper to communicate with said virtual life object by one of an e-mail, PHS mail, a signal generated by a telephone, a voice browser, a chat window based on voice, or a chat window based on text.

21. A server for providing access to a shared virtual space, said server comprising:

an input device for receiving a growth parameter of a virtual creature being reared by a first user via a first input from a first apparatus and by a second user via a second input from a second apparatus and existing in said shared virtual space, said growth parameter changing as a predetermined event occurs; and

a display controller for interpreting a script for dynamically changing one or both of an external view or a behavioral sequence of said virtual creature based on said growth parameter to control a display of said virtual creature according to said growth parameter,

wherein said predetermined event is based on one of said first input from said first client apparatus, said second input from said second client apparatus or a passage of time.