Multi-user animation coupled to bulletin board

• US 8,253,735 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloudrock LLC (Slingshot Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bourgham Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Brian Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US13/230,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 345473-474, 709203-206
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

A multi-user animation process receives input from multiple remote clients to manipulate avatars through a modeled 3-D environment. Each user is represented by an avatar. The 3-D environment and avatar position/location data is provided to client workstations, which display a simulated environment visible to all participants. A text or speech-based bulletin board application is coupled to the animation process. The bulletin board application receives text or speech input from the multiple remote users and publishes the input in a public forum. The bulletin board application maintains multiple forums organized by topic. Access or participation to particular forums is coordinated with the animation process, such that each user may be permitted access to a forum only when the user'"'"'s avatar is located within a designated room or region of the modeled 3-D environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, by a computer system on a computer-readable storage medium, data representative of one or more user actions taken within a multi-user virtual reality environment hosted by the computer system; and

the computer system making the stored data accessible via an interactive graphical bulletin board element that is usable to cause a display of the one or more user actions taken within the multi-user virtual reality environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored data includes recorded animation data of events occurring within the multi-user virtual reality environment, wherein the animation data is usable to play back the events.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes information specifying a plurality of movements of one or more avatars within the multi-user virtual reality environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes selected chat data between a plurality of users within the multi-user virtual reality environment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising limiting the selected chat data to chat data received from one or more of the plurality of users who have indicated consent to store their chat data for later viewing.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a visible indication on the interactive graphical bulletin board element that one or more new posts have been made, wherein the one or more new posts include data representative of user actions taken within the multi-user virtual reality environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the one or more user actions includes playback of an audible voice message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing access to the stored data in response to one or more avatars within the multi-user virtual reality environment being within a specified distance of the interactive graphical bulletin board element.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the display of the one or more user actions on a display screen of a user computing device in response to receiving one or more user commands.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic data storage component, bulletin board data from a virtual reality universe (VRU) process in which multiple clients provide input for controlling respective avatar objects in an interactive environment, wherein the VRU process is operating on a VRU host separate from the electronic data storage component and provides an object in the interactive environment responsive to input from corresponding ones of the clients to initiate obtaining of recorded data items from the interactive environment for including in the bulletin board data;

storing the bulletin board data organized according to index elements related to VRU process data, using the electronic data storage component; and

providing the bulletin board data from the electronic data storage component in response to queries referring to the index elements, wherein the bulletin board data comprises data recorded from the VRU process as at least one of animation data, audio data, or chat data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising organizing the bulletin board data in the database in relation to the index elements.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the index elements identify a time and location within the interactive environment.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing the bulletin board data to the VRU host formatted for display in the interactive environment.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing the bulletin board data directly to individual ones of the multiple clients as identified by the VRU host.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:

storing data on an electronic storage device, wherein the data is representative of one or more user actions taken within a multi-user virtual reality environment hosted by the computer system; and

making the data stored on the electronic storage device accessible via an interactive graphical bulletin board implemented within the multi-user virtual reality environment, wherein the interactive graphical bulletin board element is usable to cause a display of the one or more user actions taken within the multi-user virtual reality environment.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the stored data specifies at least a portion of an animation sequence that includes video of one or more user avatars interacting with a plurality of modeled objects, wherein the plurality of modeled objects are non-user controlled and form a part of the multi-user virtual reality environment.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise causing the data to be stored in response to an indication from a user.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise causing one or more hyperlinks to be displayed on the interactive graphical bulletin board.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise displaying an indication of the popularity of one or more user content posts on the interactive graphical bulletin board.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the input data includes information specifying multiple viewpoints of a same event within the multi-user virtual reality environment.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the display of the one or more user actions taken within the multi-user virtual reality environment occurs on a user computing device that is configured to connect to the computer system via the Internet.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving bulletin board data from a virtual reality universe (VRU) process in which multiple clients provide input for controlling respective avatar objects in an interactive environment, wherein the VRU process is operating on a VRU host separate from the electronic data storage component and provides an object in the interactive environment responsive to input from corresponding ones of the clients to initiate obtaining of recorded data items from the interactive environment for including in the bulletin board data;

storing the bulletin board data organized according to index elements related to VRU process data; and

providing the bulletin board data in response to queries referring to the index elements, wherein the bulletin board data comprises at least one of animation data, audio data, or chat data.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise organizing the bulletin board data in the database in relation to the index elements, wherein the index elements indicate a time and location within the interactive environment.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise providing the bulletin board data to the VRU host formatted for display in the interactive environment.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise providing the bulletin board data directly to individual ones of the multiple clients as identified by the VRU host.

24. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

storing, on an electronic storage device, data representative of one or more user actions taken within a multi-user virtual reality environment hosted by the computer system, wherein the data is stored on an electronic storage device; and

providing an interactive graphical bulletin board element within the multi-user virtual reality environment, wherein the interactive graphical bulletin board element is usable to cause a display of the one or more user actions taken within the multi-user virtual reality environment.

25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the multi-user virtual reality environment includes a plurality of user-controlled animate objects and a plurality of modeled objects controlled by the computer system.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the interactive graphical bulletin board element is configured to provide access to the data stored on the electronic storage device in response detecting an access attempt from one or more of the plurality of user-controlled animate objects.

27. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the operations include providing access to the data stored on the electronic storage device via a graphical display that is outside of the multi-user virtual reality environment.

28. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the interactive graphical bulletin board element is a region of modeled space within the multi-user virtual reality environment.