Collision detection apparatus and method for avatars in a three-dimensional virtual space

• US 6,496,207 B1
• Filed: 12/04/1998
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1997
• 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): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thomas T.
• Application Number:
  US09/205,947
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/420, 345/349, 345/332, 345/331, 345/976, 345/355, 345/848, 345/849, 345/850, 345/862, 345/757, 345/751, 345/759
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

The invention presents to a user a situation of the collision of an avatar against another object in a three-dimensional virtual space in an easy-to-understand manner. When the avatar is being navigated forward in the three-dimensional virtual space, if the avatar collides at its head node against a fixed object arranged in the three-dimensional virtual space (the object simulating a billboard, for example), an alert frame is displayed in the upper portion of the display area of a browser for displaying the three-dimensional virtual space. At the same time, an artificial collision sound is outputted. Thus, the alert frame corresponding to the colliding node is displayed and different collision sounds are outputted according to colliding nodes, so that the collision situation is presented to the user in an intuitively understandable manner.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, the apparatus comprising:

a collision node detecting means for detecting at least one collision node of a plurality of collision nodes associated with different two-dimensional portions of said avatar object when said avatar object collides with another object in said three-dimensional virtual space; and

an alerting means for outputting an alert corresponding to said colliding node detected by said collision node detecting means, wherein

said alert indicates that a specific two-dimensional portion of said avatar object has collided with said another object by displaying an alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to a position of said colliding node being detected by said collision node detecting means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

said collision node detecting means detects a collision of said avatar object at one of a left node and a right node of said avatar object against said another object, and

said alerting means displays an alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to one of said left node and said right node detected by said collision node detecting means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said collision node detecting means detects a collision of said avatar object at one of an upper node and a lower node of said avatar object against said another object and

said alerting means displays an alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to one of said upper node and said lower node detected by said collision node detecting means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said collision node detecting means detects a collision of said avatar object at one of an upper node, a lower node, a left node, and a right node of said avatar object against said another object and

said alerting means displays an alert frame at a position on a display screen, corresponding to one of said upper node, said lower node, said left node, and said right node detected by said collision node detecting means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said alerting means displays an alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to said colliding node detected by said collision node detecting means and generates an alert sound corresponding to said colliding node.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said collision node detecting means detects a collision of said avatar object at one of a front node and a rear node of said avatar object against said another object and

said alerting means displays an alert frame on a display screen, said alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node detected by said collision node detecting means.

5. The apparatus of claimed 1, wherein said alerting means generates an alert sound corresponding to said colliding node detected by said collision node detecting means.

8. An apparatus for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, the apparatus comprising:

a collision node detecting means for detecting a collision node of said avatar object when said avatar object collides with another object in said three-dimensional virtual space, wherein said avatar object comprises a plurality of collision nodes, including at least an upper node and a lower node of each of a front node and a rear node that correspond with an associated portion of said avatar;

an alerting means for outputting an alert indicating that a front or rear portion of said avatar object has collided with said another object by displaying an alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node detected by said collision detecting means on a display screen, wherein

said alert further indicates which two-dimensional portion of said avatar object has collided with said another object by displaying said alert frame at a position on the display screen corresponding to one of said upper node and said lower node detected by said collision node detecting means.

9. An apparatus for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, the apparatus comprising:

a collision node detecting means for detecting a collision node of said avatar object at one of an upper node, a lower node, a left node, and a right node of each of a front node and a rear node when said avatar object collides with another object in said three-dimensional virtual space; and

an alerting means for outputting an alert indicating that a front or rear portion of said avatar object has collided with said another object by displaying an alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node detected by said collision detecting means on a display screen, wherein

said alert further indicates which two-dimensional portion of said avatar object has collided with said another object by displaying said alert frame at a position on the display screen corresponding to one of said upper node, said lower node, said left node, and said right node detected by said collision node detecting means.

10. A method for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space; and

displaying an alert frame at a position corresponding to a position of a two-dimensional portion of said avatar object detected as colliding with said another object in said detecting step.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said detecting step comprises detecting a collision of one of a left node and a right node of said avatar object against said another object and

said displaying step comprises displaying said alert frame at a position on said display screen corresponding to said one of the left node and the right node detected in said detecting step.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said detecting step comprises detecting a collision of said avatar object at one of an upper node and a lower node of said avatar object against said another object; and

said displaying step comprises displaying said alert frame at a position on said display screen corresponding to said one of said upper node and said lower node detected in said detecting step.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said detecting step comprises detecting a collision of said avatar object at one of an upper node, a lower node, a left node, and a right node of said avatar object against said another object and

said displaying step comprises displaying said alert frame at a position on said display screen corresponding to said one of said upper node, said lower node, said left node, and said right node detected by said collision node detecting means.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising outputting an alert sound corresponding to said two-dimensional portion of said avatar object detected in said detecting step.

15. A medium for providing a program for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, said program comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space; and

displaying an alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to a position of a two-dimensional portion of said avatar object detected as colliding with said another object in said detecting step.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein:

said detecting step of said program comprises detecting a collision of one of a left node and a right node of said avatar object against said another object and

said displaying step of said program comprises displaying said alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to said one of the left node and the right node detected in said detecting step.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein:

said detecting step of said program comprises detecting a collision of said avatar object at one of an upper node and a lower node of said avatar object against said another object; and

said displaying step of said program comprises displaying said alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to one of said upper node and said lower node detected in said detecting step.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein:

said detecting step of said program comprises detecting a collision of said avatar object at one of an upper node, a lower node, a left node, and a right node of said avatar object against said another object and

said displaying step of said program comprises displaying said alert frame at a position on a display screen corresponding to said one of said upper node, said lower node, said left node, and said right node detected in said detecting step.

19. The medium of claim 15, further comprising outputting an alert sound corresponding to said two-dimensional portion of said avatar object detected in said detecting step.

20. A method for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space at one of a front node and a rear node of said avatar object; and

displaying an alert frame on a display screen, said alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node detected in said detecting step.

21. A method for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space at one of an upper node and a lower node of each of a front node and a rear node; and

displaying an alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node at a position corresponding to one of said upper node and said lower node on a display screen depending on the outcome of the detecting step.

22. A method of displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space at one of an upper node, a lower node, a left node, and a right node, of each of a front node and a rear node; and

displaying an alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node at a position corresponding to one of said upper node, said lower node, said left node, and said right node on a display screen depending on the outcome of the detecting step.

23. A medium for providing a program for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, said program comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space at one of a front node and a rear node of said avatar object; and

displaying an alert frame on a display screen, said alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node detected in said detecting step of said program.

24. A medium for providing a program for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, said program comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space at one of an upper node and a lower node of each of a front node and a rear node; and

displaying an alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node at a position corresponding to one of said upper node and said lower node on a display screen depending on the outcome of the detecting step of said program.

25. A medium for providing a program for displaying an image as viewed from a viewpoint of an avatar object located in a three-dimensional virtual space as said avatar object is navigated, said program comprising the steps of:

detecting when said avatar object collides against another object in said three-dimensional virtual space at one of an upper node, a lower node, a left node, and a right node, of each of a front node and a rear node; and

displaying an alert frame comprising a display pattern corresponding to one of said front node and said rear node at a position corresponding to one of said upper node, said lower node, said left node, and said right node on a display screen depending on the outcome of the detecting step of said program.