Apparatus and method for providing virtual world customized for user

• US 7,155,680 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Osamu Iemoto
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Osamu Iemoto
• Inventors: Iemoto, Osamu, Akazawa, Yoshiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): PESIN, BORIS M
• Application Number:
  US09/840,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20020113809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 345/706, 345/745, 345/761, 345/757, 345/744, 345848-852, 705/26
• US Class Current: 715/757
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The invention relates to generating a variable virtual world in accordance with user'"'"'s potential needs. An information processing apparatus includes a processor. The processor causes an image of a first virtual world to be displayed on a display. The first virtual world includes predefined objects and an avatar selected by the user. The avatar is controlled to act in the first virtual world by the user. The processor analyzes the action of the avatar from the position of the avatar relative to the position of the object in the first virtual world to derive a feature of the user and determine a second virtual world including other objects in accordance with the derived feature. The processor causes an image of the second virtual world to be displayed on the display.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display;

a memory device having a first memory area for storing avatar information as controlled by a user and a second memory area for storing data representative of a plurality of respective three-dimensional virtual reality scenes each with virtual objects therein; and

a processor programmed to perform operations

causing rendered images of a first three-dimensional virtual reality scene to be displayed from a third-person point of view on said display, data representative of said first virtual reality scene being stored in said second memory area, said first virtual reality scene including predefined virtual objects and an avatar controlled by said user, said virtual objects being associated with respective specific items of content, said avatar being controlled by said user to act in said first virtual reality scene and to gaze at objects therein to display in the images of the first virtual reality scene, where the display of an object displays information about a corresponding item of content;

storing, at predetermined intervals in said first memory area, records of avatar coordinates representative of behavior of said avatar, as positions and gaze orientation information of said avatar as controlled, and a message of said avatar, in said first virtual reality scene by input from said user, the message of said avatar being inputted by said user while said avatar is talking with a different avatar in said first virtual reality scene;

analyzing the action of said avatar in said first virtual reality scene in accordance with the records of the avatar coordinates stored in said first memory area relative to said virtual objects and coordinates of said virtual objects stored in said second memory area and extracting a keyword from the message inputted by said user to determine, as action data, weights of items of content that are of interest for respective categories to said user in relation to at least one of said virtual objects to which said avatar gets close according to the positions and the gaze orientation information of said avatar relative to positions of said predefined virtual objects and in relation to the extracted keyword, in said first virtual reality scene;

providing, in accordance with said action data, a second three-dimensional virtual reality scene that includes other virtual objects, said other virtual objects having, in accordance with said action data, respective specific optimal items of content and having respective specific optimal positions for prominent display in said second virtual reality scene; and

allowing rendered images of said second virtual reality scene to be displayed on said display.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a set of definition data of said second virtual reality scene is selected from sets of definition data of said respective virtual reality scenes.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a further weighted feature of said user is derived from data related to said user to determine said second virtual reality scene.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second virtual reality scene includes said avatar.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein definition data of said second virtual reality scene is accessed with a URL.

6. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a memory device having a first memory area for storing avatar information as controlled by a user and a second memory area for storing data representative of a plurality of respective three-dimensional virtual reality scenes from a third-person point of view, each with virtual objects therein; and

a processor programmed to perform operations

providing definition data of a first three-dimensional virtual reality scene stored in said second memory area to an information processing terminal of said user, said first virtual reality scene including predefined virtual objects and an avatar controlled by said user, said virtual objects being associated with respective specific items of content, said avatar being controlled to act in said first virtual reality scene by said user and to gaze at objects therein to display in the images of the first virtual reality scene, where the display of an object displays information about its corresponding item of content;

storing, at predetermined intervals in said first memory area, records of avatar coordinates representative of behavior of said avatar, as positions and gaze orientation information of said avatar as controlled, and a message of said avatar in said first virtual reality scene by input from said user, the message of said avatar being inputted by said user while said avatar is talking with a different avatar in said first virtual reality scene;

analyzing the action of said avatar in said first virtual reality scene in accordance with the records of the avatar coordinates stored in said first memory area relative to said virtual objects and coordinates of said virtual objects stored in said second memory area and extracting a keyword from the message inputted by said user to determine, as action data, weights of items of content that are of interest for respective categories to said user in relation to at least one of

said virtual objects to which said avatar gets close according to tho at least the positions and the gaze orientation information of said avatar relative to positions of said predefined virtual objects and in relation to the extracted keyword, in said first virtual reality scene, and providing a second three-dimensional virtual reality scene including other virtual objects in accordance with weighted or identified items of content, said other objects having respective specific optimal items of content and respective specific optimal positions for prominent display in said second virtual reality scene, for said derived weighted interests; and

providing data associated with said second virtual reality scene to said user information processing terminal.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a set of definition data of said second virtual reality scene is selected from sets of definition data of said respective virtual reality scenes.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a further weighted interest of said user is derived from data related to said user to determine said second virtual reality scene.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second virtual reality scene includes said avatar.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the data associated with said second virtual reality scene is a URL for definition data of said second virtual reality scene.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the data associated with said second virtual reality scene is definition data of said second virtual reality scene.

12. A program stored in a recording medium, said program being for use in an information processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising a memory device and a processor, said memory device having a first memory area for storing avatar information as controlled by a user and a second memory area for storing data representative of a plurality of respective three-dimensional virtual reality scenes each with virtual objects therein, said program enabling said processor performing a process comprising:

causing rendered images of a first three-dimensional virtual reality scene to be displayed from a third-person point of view on a display, data representative of said first virtual reality scene being stored in said second memory area, said first virtual reality scene including predefined virtual objects and an avatar controlled by said user, said virtual objects being associated with a respective specific items of content, said avatar being controlled by said user to act in said first virtual reality scene and to gaze at objects therein to display in the images of the first virtual reality scene, where the display of an object displays information about a corresponding item of content;

storing, at predetermined intervals in said first memory area, records of avatar coordinates representative of behavior of said avatar, as positions and gaze orientation information of said avatar as controlled, and a message of said avatar, in said first virtual reality scene by input from said user, the message of said avatar being inputted by said user while said avatar is talking with a different avatar in said first virtual reality scene;

analyzing the action of said avatar in said first virtual reality scene in accordance with the records of the avatar coordinates stored in said first memory area relative to said virtual objects and coordinates of said virtual objects stored in said second memory and extracting a keyword from the message inputted by said user area to determine, as action data, weights of items of content that are of interest for respective categories to said user in relation to at least one of said virtual objects to which said avatar gets close according to the positions and the gaze orientation information of said avatar relative to positions of said predefined virtual objects and in relation to the extracted keyword, in said first virtual reality scene;

providing a second three-dimensional virtual reality scene including other virtual objects in accordance with said action data, said other virtual objects having respective specific optimal items of content and respective specific optimal positions for prominent display in said second virtual reality scene; and

allowing a rendered image of said second virtual reality scene to be displayed on said display.

13. The program according to claim 12, wherein a set of data representative of said second virtual reality scene is selected from sets of the data representative of said respective virtual reality scenes.

14. The program according to claim 12, wherein a further weighted feature of said user is derived from data related to said user to determine said second virtual reality scene.

15. The program according to claim 12, wherein said second virtual reality scene includes said avatar.

16. The program according to claim 12, wherein the definition data of said second virtual reality scene is accessed with a URL.

17. A program stored in a recording medium, said program being for use in an information processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising a memory device and a processor, said memory device having a first memory area for storing avatar information as controlled by a user and a second memory area for storing data representative of a plurality of respective three-dimensional virtual reality scenes each with virtual objects therein, said program enabling said processor to perform a process comprising:

providing definition data of a first three-dimensional virtual reality scene stored in said second memory area to an information processing terminal of said user, said first virtual reality scene including predefined virtual objects and an avatar controlled by said user, said virtual objects being associated with respective specific items of content, said avatar being controlled by said user to act in said first virtual reality scene and to gaze at objects therein to display in the images of the first virtual reality scene from a third-person point of view, where the display of an object displays information about a corresponding item of content;

storing, at predetermined intervals in said first memory area, records of avatar coordinates representative of behavior of said avatar, as positions and gaze orientation information of said avatar as controlled, and a message of said avatar, in said first virtual reality scene by input from said user, the message of said avatar being inputted by said user while said avatar is talking with a different avatar in said first virtual reality scene;

analyzing the action of said avatar in said first virtual reality scene in accordance with the records of the avatar coordinates stored in said first memory area relative to said virtual objects and coordinates of said virtual objects stored in said second memory area and extracting a keyword from the message inputted by said user to determine, as action data, weights of items of content that are of interest for respective categories to said user in relation to at least one of said virtual objects to which said avatar gets close according to the positions and the gaze orientation information of said avatar relative to positions of said predefined virtual objects and in relation to the extracted keyword, in said first virtual reality scene,

providing a second three-dimensional virtual reality scene including other virtual objects in accordance with the action data, said other virtual objects having respective specific optimal items of content and having respective specific optimal positions for prominent display in said second virtual reality scene; and

providing data associated with said second virtual reality scene to said user information processing terminal.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein a set of data representative of said second virtual reality scene is selected from sets of the data representative of said respective virtual reality scenes.

19. The program according to claim 17, wherein a further weighted interest of said user is derived from data related to said user to determine said second virtual reality scene.

20. The program according to claim 17, wherein said second virtual reality scene includes said avatar.

21. The program according to claim 17, wherein the data associated with said second virtual reality scene is the URL for definition data of said second virtual reality scene.

22. The program according to claim 17, wherein the data associated with said second virtual reality scene is definition data of said second virtual reality scene.

23. A method of generating a variable three-dimensional virtual scene, comprising:

storing data inputted by a user in a memory device,

storing data representative of a plurality of respective three-dimensional virtual reality scenes,

causing an image of a first three-dimensional virtual reality scene to be displayed from a third-person point of view on a display, data representative of said first virtual reality scene, said first virtual reality scene including predefined objects and an avatar controlled by said user, said objects being associated with a respective specific items of content, said avatar being controlled to act in said first virtual reality scene by said user,

storing at predetermined intervals records of avatar coordinates representative of behavior of said avatar, as positions and gaze orientations of said avatar in said first virtual reality scene that are inputted by said user, the message of said avatar being inputted by said user while said avatar is talking with a different avatar in said first virtual reality scene,

analyzing the action of said avatar in said first virtual reality scene in accordance with the records of the avatar coordinates stored in said first memory area relative to said virtual objects and coordinates of said virtual objects stored in said second memory area and extracting a keyword from the message inputted by said user to determine, as action data, weights of items of content that are of interest for respective categories to said user in relation to at least one of said virtual objects to which said avatar gets close according to the positions and gaze orientations of said avatar relative to positions of said predefined virtual objects and in relation to the extracted keyword in said first virtual reality scene;

providing a second three-dimensional virtual reality scene including other virtual objects having, in accordance with said action data, respective specific optimal items of content and having respective specific optimal positions for prominent display in said second virtual reality scene, and

displaying said second virtual reality scene to said user.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said user inputted data is coordinate data and/or message data.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the data associated with said second virtual reality scene is the URL for definition data of said second virtual reality scene.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the data associated with said second virtual reality scene is definition data of said second virtual reality scene.