Cloning objects in a virtual universe

• US 8,001,161 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter George, Hamilton, II, Rick Allen, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Pickover, Clifford Alan, Walker, Keith Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich, Brian E
• Application Number:
  US12/109,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803, 707/802, 707/914
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 Video

Abstract

In one embodiment, the process obtains avatar tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar in relation to a range of an object. The range includes a viewable field. In response to the location of the avatar being within the range of the object, the process queries a data structure storing cloning data for a record of a clone of the object. Thereafter, the process instantiates the clone of the object in response to the presence of the record of the clone of the object in the data structure. The process then invokes a set of object methods associated with the record of the clone in the data structure.

Claims

1. A method for cloning objects, the method comprising:

a computer obtaining tracking data that identifies a first location of a first avatar in relation to a range of an object, wherein the object includes a displayed advertisement, wherein the range comprises a viewable field of the object, and wherein an avatar inside of the viewable field of the object can view the object;

the computer, responsive to the first location of the first avatar being within the viewable field of the object, querying a data structure for a record of a first clone of the object, wherein the data structure stores cloning data;

the computer, responsive to a presence of the record of the first clone in the data structure, instantiating the first clone of the object;

the computer invoking a set of object methods associated with the record of the first clone in the data structure, wherein the set of object methods are configured to modify a manner in which the object is displayed to the first avatar to improve a visibility of the object for the first avatar based on the first location of the first avatar;

the computer, responsive to detecting a second avatar in a different location within the viewable field of the object, instantiating a second clone of the object, wherein the second clone includes a display of information associated with the object and displayed to the second avatar differently than a display of information displayed to the first avatar using the first clone;

the computer removing the record of the first clone of the object from the data structure when the first avatar is outside of the range of the object for a predetermined amount of time; and

the computer, responsive to an absence of a record of one of the first clone and the second clone from the data structure, adding an associated record for the one of the first clone and the second clone to the data structure, wherein the associated record comprises an instance unique identifier, an object unique identifier, an avatar unique identifier, and an object method unique identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the computer obtaining the tracking data from at least one of an object avatar rendering data structure and an object based avatar tracking controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer invoking the set of object methods further comprises:

the computer invoking the set of object methods according to a priority assigned to each object method in of the set of object methods and when the first avatar enters the viewable field of an object.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the computer, via the set of object methods, improving the visibility of the object by at least one of enlarging the object and reducing a glare of the object.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the computer, responsive to detecting the first avatar exiting the viewable field of the object and returning to the viewable field of the object within a predetermined amount of time, invoking the set of object methods associated with the record of the first clone in the data structure without re-instantiating the first clone of the object.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

the computer removing the record of the first clone of the object from the data structure when the first avatar is outside of the viewable field of the object for the predetermined amount of time; and

the computer, responsive to detecting the first avatar re-entering the viewable field of the object after the predetermined amount of time and an absence of the record of the first clone in the data structure, adding a new record for a new clone of the object to the data structure and instantiating the new clone of the object.

7. A computer program product for cloning objects, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, to obtain tracking data that identifies a first location of a first avatar in relation to a range of an object, wherein the object includes a displayed advertisement, wherein the range comprises a viewable field of the object, and wherein an avatar inside of the viewable field of the object can view the object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, responsive to the location of the first avatar being within the viewable field of the object, to query a data structure for a record of a first clone of the object, wherein the data structure stores cloning data;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, responsive to a presence of the record of the first clone in the data structure, to instantiate the first clone of the object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, to invoke a set of object methods associated with the record of the first clone in the data structure, wherein the set of object methods are configured to modify a manner in which the object is displayed to the first avatar to improve a visibility of the object for the first avatar based on the first location of the first avatar;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, responsive to detecting a second avatar in a different location within the viewable field of the object, to instantiate a second clone of the object, wherein the second clone includes a display of information associated with the object and displayed to the second avatar differently than a display of information displayed to the first avatar using the first clone;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, to remove the record of the first clone of the object from the data structure when the first avatar is outside of the range of the object for a predetermined amount of time; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, responsive to an absence of a record of one of the first clone and the second clone from the data structure, to add an associated record for the one of the first clone and the second clone to the data structure, wherein the associated record comprises an instance unique identifier, an object unique identifier, an avatar unique identifier, and an object method unique identifier.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, to obtain, the tracking data from at least one of an object avatar rendering data structure and an object based avatar tracking controller.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, to invoke the set of object methods according to a priority assigned to each of the set of object methods and when the first avatar enters the viewable field of an object.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, to, via the set of object methods, improve the visibility of the object by at least one of enlarging the object and reducing a glare of the object.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, responsive to detecting the first avatar exiting the viewable field of the object and returning to the viewable field of the object within a predetermined amount of time, to invoke the set of object methods associated with the record of the first clone in the data structure without re-instantiating the first clone of the object.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, to remove the record of the first clone of the object from the data structure when the first avatar is outside of the viewable field of the object for the predetermined amount of time;

and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices, responsive to detecting the first avatar re-entering the viewable field of the object after the predetermined amount of time and an absence of the record of the first clone in the data structure, to add a new record for a new clone of the object to the data structure and to instantiate the new clone of the object.

13. A computer system for cloning objects, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to obtain tracking data that identifies a first location of a first avatar in relation to a range of an object, wherein the object includes a displayed advertisement, wherein the range comprises a viewable field of the object, and wherein an avatar inside of the viewable field of the object can view the object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to the first location of the first avatar being within the viewable field of the object, to query a data structure for a record of a first clone of the object, wherein the data structure stores cloning data;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to a presence of the record of the first clone in the data structure, to instantiate the first clone of the object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to invoke a set of object methods associated with the record of the first clone in the data structure, wherein the set of object methods are configured to modify a manner in which the object is displayed to the first avatar to improve a visibility of the object for the first avatar based on the first location of the first avatar;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to detecting a second avatar in a different location within the viewable field of the object, to instantiate a second clone of the object, wherein the second clone includes a display of information associated with the object and displayed to the second avatar differently than a display of information displayed to the first avatar using the first clone;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to remove the record of the first clone of the object from the data structure when the first avatar is outside of the viewable field of the object for a predetermined amount of time; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to an absence of a record of one of the first clone and the second clone from the data structure, to add an associated record for the one of the first clone and the second clone to the data structure, wherein the associated record comprises an instance unique identifier, an object unique identifier, an avatar unique identifier, and an object method unique identifier.

14. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to, via the set of object methods, improve the visibility of the object by at least one of enlarging the object and reducing a glare of the object.

15. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to detecting the first avatar exiting the viewable field of the object and returning to the viewable field of the object within the predetermined amount of time, to invoke the set of object methods associated with the record of the first clone in the data structure without re-instantiating the first clone of the object.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, responsive to detecting the first avatar re-entering the viewable field of the object after the predetermined amount of time and an absence of the record of the first clone in the data structure, to add a new record for a new clone of the object to the data structure and to instantiate the new clone of the object.