Networked computer system for communicating and operating in a virtual reality environment
First Claim
1. A networked computer system for enabling a plurality of users to access a virtual reality environment and interact in the virtual reality environment, the system comprising:
- data representing the virtual reality environment including static virtual reality data and dynamic virtual reality data wherein the static virtual reality data is object information representing virtual reality objects wherein the object information of the static virtual reality data represents any one of a three-dimensional model, a graphic texture, a sound, a program module or a script wherein the dynamic virtual reality data represents parameter values of exemplars of the virtual reality objects within the virtual reality environment wherein the parameter values represent geometric coordinates and describe a state of the exemplars of the virtual reality objects within the virtual reality environment;
a server host receiving and storing the data representing the virtual reality environment wherein the server host changes, stores and transmits the dynamic virtual reality data representing the virtual reality environment wherein a host name of the server host has been assigned to the server host wherein the host name of the server host represents a network location of the server host wherein the server host is accessible via the host name of the server host;
a plurality of servers storing and transmitting the data representing the virtual reality environment and data representing the location of the server host wherein the data representing the network location of the server host identifies a network address of the server host wherein at least one of the plurality of servers communicates with the server host; and
a client host communicating with at least one of the plurality of servers wherein the client host obtains the data representing the location of the server host from at least one of the plurality of servers to establish network communication with the server host wherein the client host requests and receives the network address of the server host from one of the servers by providing the host name representing the network location of the server host wherein the client host connects to the server host via the network address of the server and receives the dynamic virtual reality data from the server host wherein the client host identifies the static virtual reality data of the virtual reality environment from the dynamic virtual reality data received from the server host wherein the client host requests and receives the static virtual reality data from one of the servers to access the virtual reality environment wherein the client host activates the virtual reality environment with the dynamic virtual reality data and the static virtual reality data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to interactive virtual reality networked computer systems and methods that facilitate communication and operation in a virtual reality environment. The virtual reality networked computer system has an infrastructure that includes a number of users, hosts and servers. The interconnected hosts and servers allow users to effectively locate, activate, access and interact within virtual reality environments in a variety of different ways. For example, users can establish user groups such that interaction within the virtual reality environment occurs between hosts (accessed by users) without the need of a central or dedicated server.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A networked computer system for enabling a plurality of users to access a virtual reality environment and interact in the virtual reality environment, the system comprising:
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data representing the virtual reality environment including static virtual reality data and dynamic virtual reality data wherein the static virtual reality data is object information representing virtual reality objects wherein the object information of the static virtual reality data represents any one of a three-dimensional model, a graphic texture, a sound, a program module or a script wherein the dynamic virtual reality data represents parameter values of exemplars of the virtual reality objects within the virtual reality environment wherein the parameter values represent geometric coordinates and describe a state of the exemplars of the virtual reality objects within the virtual reality environment; a server host receiving and storing the data representing the virtual reality environment wherein the server host changes, stores and transmits the dynamic virtual reality data representing the virtual reality environment wherein a host name of the server host has been assigned to the server host wherein the host name of the server host represents a network location of the server host wherein the server host is accessible via the host name of the server host; a plurality of servers storing and transmitting the data representing the virtual reality environment and data representing the location of the server host wherein the data representing the network location of the server host identifies a network address of the server host wherein at least one of the plurality of servers communicates with the server host; and a client host communicating with at least one of the plurality of servers wherein the client host obtains the data representing the location of the server host from at least one of the plurality of servers to establish network communication with the server host wherein the client host requests and receives the network address of the server host from one of the servers by providing the host name representing the network location of the server host wherein the client host connects to the server host via the network address of the server and receives the dynamic virtual reality data from the server host wherein the client host identifies the static virtual reality data of the virtual reality environment from the dynamic virtual reality data received from the server host wherein the client host requests and receives the static virtual reality data from one of the servers to access the virtual reality environment wherein the client host activates the virtual reality environment with the dynamic virtual reality data and the static virtual reality data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for users to interact within a virtual reality environment, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of hosts which are connected to a network wherein each of the plurality of hosts are accessed via the network wherein a host name is assigned to each of the plurality of hosts wherein the host name of each of the plurality of hosts identifies a network location of each of the plurality of hosts; providing a plurality servers interconnected with the plurality of hosts wherein at least one of the plurality of servers stores and transmits host informational data, dynamic virtual reality data and static virtual reality data to each of the plurality of hosts via the network wherein the static virtual reality data is object information representing virtual reality objects wherein the object information of the static virtual reality data represents any one of a three-dimensional model, a graphic texture, a sound, a program module or a script wherein the dynamic virtual reality data represents parameter values of exemplars of the virtual reality objects within the virtual reality environment wherein the parameter values represent geometric coordinates and describe a state of the exemplars of the virtual reality objects within the virtual reality environment wherein the host informational data identifies the host name assigned to each of the plurality of hosts; identifying the location of each of the plurality of hosts via the host name assigned to each of the plurality of hosts wherein by the host informational data is accessed with at least one of the plurality of servers to determine the network location of each of the plurality of hosts; and establishing a network communication between a server host and a client host of the plurality of hosts via the network wherein the server host stores the dynamic virtual reality data wherein the server host is a server to the client host wherein the client host is a client to the server host wherein the server host transmits the dynamic virtual reality data to the client host wherein the client host accesses the dynamic virtual reality data received from the server host and obtains the static virtual reality data which corresponds to the dynamic virtual reality data received from the server host from at least one of the plurality of servers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification