Shared virtual space conversation support system using virtual telephones

• US 7,086,005 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/714,637
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 345/757, 345/758, 455/422, 455/517, 455/550, 715/763, 715/765, 715/853, 715/854, 715/706, 709/209, 709/210, 713/853, 713/706, 713/854, 713/765
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A conversation support system and a conversation support method for providing a realtime communications environment in which a plurality of users simultaneously participate in a virtual world built and provided on a computer network for realtime talking. A shared virtual space accommodates remote communications infrastructures such as mobile telephone, PHS, and public telephone. Avatars can have a talk with each other by use of these infrastructures regardless of the locations of the communicating avatars, namely regardless of whether each avatar is inside or outside its aura. Namely, the avatars can communicate each other beyond a single shared virtual world. The PHS owned by each avatar can communicate with any PHS in another virtual world or even in the real world.

Claims

1. A conversation support system for supporting a plurality of users in having a virtual conversation in a shared virtual space built and provided on a computer network, comprising:

enrolling means for enrolling an avatar of a logged-in user into said shared virtual space;

imparting means for imparting a virtual mobile telephone to each avatar in said shared virtual space, said virtual mobile telephone being usable within said shared virtual space;

determination means for determining, in response to a call to a virtual mobile telephone, whether a calling party originated said call from a telephone in said shared virtual space, (2) from a telephone in another virtual space, or (3) from a telephone in the real world; and

connecting means for executing connection processing in accordance with the determination made by said determination means.

2. The conversation support system according to claim 1, wherein, if the determination means determines that said calling party originated said call from said telephone in the real world, said connecting means establishes a connection with said calling party through a public telephone network in the real world or executes message transfer.

3. The conversation support system according to claim 1, wherein, if the determination means determines that said calling party originated said call from said telephone in said another virtual space, said connecting means establishes a connection with said telephone in said another virtual space or executes message transfer.

4. The conversation support system according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means receives said call from said telephone in the real world or a virtual telephone in said another virtual space and connects the received call to a virtual mobile telephone of a called avatar in said shared virtual space.

5. A conversation support system for supporting a plurality of users in having a virtual conversation in a shared virtual space built and provided on a computer network, comprising:

enrolling means for enrolling an avatar of a logged-in user into said shared virtual space;

imparting means for imparting a virtual public telephone usable by any enrolled avatar to said shared virtual space at a predetermined place;

determination means for determining, in response to a call to said virtual public telephone, whether a calling party originated said call (1) from a telephone in said shared virtual space, (2) from a telephone in another virtual space, or (3) from a telephone in the real world; and

connecting means for executing connection processing in accordance with the determination made by said determination means.

6. The conversation support system according to claim 5, wherein, if the determination means determines that said calling party originated said call from said telephone in the real world, said connecting means establishes a connection with said calling party through a public telephone network in the real world or executes message transfer.

7. The conversation support system according to claim 5, wherein, if the determination means determines that said caller originated said call from said telephone in said another virtual space, said connecting means establishes a connection with said telephone in said another virtual space or executes message transfer.

8. A conversation support method for supporting a plurality of users in having a virtual conversation in a shared virtual space built and provided on a computer network, comprising:

enrolling an avatar of a logged-in user into said shared virtual space;

imparting a virtual mobile telephone to each avatar in said shared virtual space, said virtual mobile telephone being usable within said shared virtual space;

determining, in response to a call to a virtual mobile telephone, whether a calling party originated said call from a telephone in said shared virtual space, (2) from a telephone in another virtual space, or (3) from a telephone in the real world; and

executing connection processing in accordance with the determination made in said determination step.

9. The conversation support method according to claim 8, wherein, if the determining step determines that said calling party originated said call from said telephone in the real world, said connecting step establishes a connection with said calling party through a public telephone network in the real world or executes message transfer.

10. The conversation support method according to claim 8, wherein, if said determining step determines that said calling party originated said call from said telephone in said another virtual space, said connecting step establishes a connection with said telephone in said another virtual space or executes message transfer.

11. The conversation support method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a call from said telephone in the real world or said telephone in said another virtual space;

determining whether said call is directed to an avatar existing in said shared virtual space; and

if said determining step determines that said call is directed to said avatar existing in said shared virtual space, connecting said call to a virtual telephone of said avatar.

12. A conversation support method for supporting a plurality of users in having a virtual conversation in a shared virtual space built and provided on a computer network, comprising:

enrolling an avatar of a logged-in user into said shared virtual space;

imparting a virtual public telephone usable by any enrolled avatar to said shared virtual space at a predetermined place;

determining, in response to a call to said virtual public telephone, whether a calling party originated said call from a telephone in said shared virtual space, (2) from a telephone in another virtual space, or (3) from a telephone in the real world; and

executing connection processing in accordance with the determination made in said determination step.

13. The conversation support method according to claim 12, wherein, if the determining step determines that said calling party originated said call from said telephone in the real world, said connecting step establishes a connection with said calling party through a public telephone network in the real world or executes message transfer.

14. The conversation support method according to claim 12, wherein, if the determining step determines that said calling party originated said call from said telephone in said another virtual space, said connecting step establishes a connection with said telephone in said another virtual space or executes message transfer.

15. A conversation support method for supporting an activity of an avatar in a shared virtual space built and provided on a computer network, comprising:

receiving a request for sending a message from a telephone of a user in the real world through a public telephone network in the real world, wherein the user is not logged into the shared virtual space;

determining whether a destination of said message exists in said shared virtual space; and

if said determining step determines that the destination of said message exists in said shared virtual space, sending said message to said avatar.

16. A program storage medium storing a computer program in a computer-readable form for executing processing on a computer system to support a virtual conversation in which a plurality of users can participate in a shared virtual space built and provided on a computer network, said computer program comprising the steps of:

enrolling an avatar of a logged-in user into said shared virtual space;

imparting a virtual public telephone usable by any enrolled avatar to said shared virtual space at a predetermined place;

determining, in response to a call to said virtual public telephone, whether a calling party originated said call from a telephone in said shared virtual space, (2) from a telephone in another virtual space, or (3) from a telephone in the real world; and

executing connection processing in accordance with the determination made in said determination step.

17. A program storage medium storing a computer program in a computer readable form for executing processing on a computer system to support a virtual conversation in which a plurality of users can participate in a shared virtual space built and provided on a computer network, said computer program comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for sending a message from a telephone of a user in the real world through a public telephone network in the real world, wherein the user is not logged into the shared virtual space;

determining whether a destination of said message exists in said shared virtual space; and

if said determining step determines that the destination of said message exists in said shared virtual space, sending said message to an avatar.