Object size modifications based on avatar distance

• US 8,233,005 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter George, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Pickover, Clifford Alan, Walker, Keith Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sonners, Scott E
• Application Number:
  US12/108,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/428, 345/581, 463 1- 47
• US Class Current: 345/581
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for modifying objects. In one embodiment, tracking data is obtained which identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object. The range of the object includes a viewable field. In response to determining that the object requires modification, a size of the object is compared with a set of size constraints to form a comparison. Thereafter, the size of the object is modified based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.

Claims

1. A method for modifying an object, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer obtaining tracking data that identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object, wherein the range comprises a viewable field, and wherein the location of the set of avatars is an average of distances of the set of avatars from the object;

responsive to a determination that the object requires a modification, the computer comparing a size of the object with a set of size constraints to form a comparison; and

the computer modifying the size of the object based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer obtaining the tracking data comprises the step of the computer obtaining the tracking data from at least one of:

a data structure storing universally unique identifiers for objects and avatars within the viewable field, and a software program that manages information describing locations of avatars in a virtual universe in relation to an object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the range further comprises an area adjacent to the viewable field.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

the computer applying the set of size modifications to a clone of the object to form a modified clone; and

the computer presenting the modified clone to the set of avatars.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the average is a weighted average based on a priority of each avatar in the set of avatars.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer modifying the size of the object comprises the step of:

the computer modifying dimensions of a visual element presented on the object.

7. A computer program product for modifying an object, 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 storage devices, to obtain tracking data that identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object, wherein the range comprises a viewable field, and wherein the location of the set of avatars is an average of the distances of the set of avatars from the object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to compare a size of the object with a set of size constraints to form a comparison in response to a determination that the object requires a modification; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify the size of the object based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to obtain the tracking data comprise program instructions to obtain the tracking data from at least one of:

a data structure storing universally unique identifiers for objects and avatars within the viewable field, and a software program that manages information describing locations of avatars in a virtual universe in relation to an object.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the range further comprises an area adjacent to the viewable field.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to apply the set of size modifications to a clone of the object; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to present the clone of the object to the avatar.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the average is a weighted average based on a priority of each avatar in the set of avatars.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify dimensions of a visual element presented on the object.

13. An apparatus for modifying an object, the apparatus 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 storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to obtain tracking data that identifies a location of a set of avatars in relation to a range of the object, wherein the range comprises a viewable field, and wherein the location of the set of avatars is an average of the distances of the set of avatars from the object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, responsive to a determination that the object requires a modification, to compare a size of the object with a set of size constraints to form a comparison; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to modify the size of the object based on the comparison to form a set of size modifications.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to apply the set of size modifications to a clone of the object to form a modified clone; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to present the modified clone of the object to the set of avatars.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the average is a weighted average based on a priority of each avatar in the set of avatars.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to modify dimensions of a visual element presented on the object.