Information processing system, information processing method and apparatus, and information serving medium

• US 6,820,112 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2000
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LINE Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Koji, Matsuda, Koichi, Takeda, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US09/520,910
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 703/203, 345/355, 345/473, 345/419, 345/329, 345/435, 345/706, 345/757, 345/849, 345/854, 395/200, 700/86, 709/203, 709/204, 709/208
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/04 Animation description language
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An AO server 100, shared server 105 and a client PC 110 are connected to one another via the Internet to build virtual community space accessible from a plurality of client PCs 110, 120, 130, 140, .. . A movement interpretation node 112 for a virtual living object 111 is provided at the client PC 110 for example, and an object management node 102 for the virtual living object 101 (111) in the virtual community space is provided at the AO server 100. Thus, the movement and structure of an object in a virtual space can freely be changed or modified.

Claims

1. An information processing system including:

a server;

a network; and

plural terminals each configured to be connected to the server via the network,

wherein the server provides data defining a virtual community space accessible from each of the terminals,

wherein each of the terminals provides a movement interpretation node configured to set forth parameters needed for interpretation of the movement of an associated virtual living object based upon user input and to provide the movement interpretation node to the server via the network, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints, and

wherein the server provides a management node configured to determine at least some movements for each virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the movement interpretation node received from each terminal.

2. The information processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the management node for the virtual living object manages at least the action of the virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the movement interpretation node parameters.

3. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

building a virtual living object at a terminal;

determining a movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the associated virtual living object at the terminal, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints;

connecting the terminal to a server via network;

building a virtual community space based on information supplied from the server; and

transmitting the virtual living object along with the associated movement interpretation node to the server to at least in part manage movement of the associated virtual living object in the virtual community space.

4. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

connecting a server to a terminal via a network;

receiving data over the network from the terminal indicating a virtual living object built by the terminal and a movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object node, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints, and

generating a management node for determining at least one movement of the virtual living object in a virtual community space based on the movement interpretation node being received.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

the management node for the virtual living object manages at least the action of the virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the at least one parameter.

6. An information processing apparatus comprising:

means for building a virtual living object and determining an associated movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints;

means for connecting to a server via a network;

means for building a virtual community space based on information from the server; and

means for transmitting the virtual living object along with the associated movement interpretation node to the server to at least in part manage movement of the associated virtual living object in the virtual community space.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

means for connecting to a terminal via a network;

means for receiving terminal transmitted data from the network; and

means for generating a management node for managing at least one movement of a virtual living object in a virtual community space based on a movement interpretation node being received as part of said terminal transmitted data,

wherein the terminal transmitted data indicates the virtual living object and the associated movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

the management node for the virtual living object manages at least the action of the virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the at least one parameter.

9. A computer readable medium including a computer executable information processing method for use with a server, a network, and plural terminals each configured to be connected to the server via the network, comprising:

a first computer code configured for the server to provide data defining a virtual community space accessible from each of the terminals;

a second computer code configured for each of the terminals to provide a movement interpretation node configured to set forth parameters needed for interpretation of the movement of an associated virtual living object based upon user input and to provide the movement interpretation node to the server via the network, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints; and

a third computer code configured for the server to provide a management node configured to determine at least some movements for each virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the movement interpretation node received from each terminal.

10. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the management node for the virtual living object manages at least the action of the virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the movement interpretation node parameters.

11. A computer readable medium including a computer executable information processing method, comprising:

a first computer code configured to build a virtual living object at a terminal;

a second computer code configured to determine a movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the associated virtual living object at the terminal, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints, the terminal being connected to a server via network;

a third computer code configured to build a virtual community space based on information supplied from the server; and

a fourth computer code configured to transmit the virtual living object along with the associated movement interpretation node to the server to at least in part manage movement of the associated virtual living object in the virtual community space.

12. A computer readable medium including a computer executable information processing method for use with a server connected to a terminal via a network, comprising:

a first computer code configured to receive data over the network from the terminal indicating a virtual living object built by the terminal and a movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object node, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints, and

a second computer code configured to generate a management node for determining at least one movement of the virtual living object in a virtual community space based on the movement interpretation node being received.

13. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein:

the management node for the virtual living object manages at least the action of the virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the at least one parameter.

14. A computer readable medium including a computer executable information processing apparatus for use with a server connected to a network, comprising:

a first computer code configured to build a virtual living object and determining an associated movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints;

a second computer code configured to build a virtual community space based on information from the server; and

a third computer code configured to transmit the virtual living object along with the associated movement interpretation node to the server to at least in part manage movement of the associated virtual living object in the virtual community space.

15. A computer readable medium including a computer executable information processing apparatus for use with a terminal connected to a network, comprising:

a first computer code configured to receive terminal transmitted data from the network; and

a second computer code configured to generate a management node for managing at least one movement of a virtual living object in a virtual community space based on a movement interpretation node being received as part of said terminal transmitted data,

wherein the terminal transmitted data indicates the virtual living object and the associated movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints.

16. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

the management node for the virtual living object manages at least the action of the virtual living object in the virtual community space based on the at least one parameter.

17. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first control configured to build a virtual living object and determine an associated movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints;

a connector configured to connect to a server via a network;

a second control configured to build a virtual community space based on information from the server; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the virtual living object along with the associated movement interpretation node to the server to at least in part manage movement of the associated virtual living object in the virtual community space.

18. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a connector configured to connect to a terminal via a network;

a receiver configured to receive terminal transmitted data from the network; and

a control configured to generate a management node for managing at least one movement of a virtual living object in a virtual community space based on a movement interpretation node being received as part of said terminal transmitted data,

wherein the terminal transmitted data indicates the virtual living object and the associated movement interpretation node setting forth at least some parameters needed for interpretation of at least some of the movements of the virtual living object, the parameters defining at least bones and joints of the associated virtual living object, limits of joint movement, and movement of the bones and joints.