Fixed path transitions

• US 8,259,100 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• 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:
  US12/109,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 715/706
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/12 Rule based animation

Abstract

Fixed path transitions in a virtual universe environment are provided. In one embodiment, tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar in relation to a range of an object in a virtual universe is received. The range comprises a viewable field. In response to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition associated with a fixed path rule, a fixed path defined by the fixed path rule is identified. A speed of movement and an orientation of the object associated with the fixed path rule is identified. Movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule is initiated. The object then moves along the fixed path at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule.

Claims

1. A method for fixed path transitions in a virtual universe environment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a computer, tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar in relation to a range of an object in a virtual universe, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

responsive to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition associated with a fixed path rule, identifying, by the computer, a fixed path defined by the fixed path rule;

identifying, by the computer, a speed and an orientation for the object associated with the fixed path rule;

initiating, by the computer, movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule, wherein the object moves at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule;

responsive to an occurrence of a plurality of trigger conditions, identifying, by the computer, a priority of each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions; and

responsive to each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions having a same priority, averaging, by the computer, an optimal location and orientation associated with a set of fixed path rules for each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the avatar tracking data is retrieved from an object avatar rendering table by an object based avatar tracking controller.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the fixed path comprises a set of locations and a set of orientations for an object moving along the fixed path.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition triggers two or more fixed path rules and further comprising:

retrieving, by the computer, a priority for each fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition from an object movement control table;

identifying, by the computer, a highest priority fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition based on the priority for the each fixed path rule; and

moving, by the computer, the object along the fixed path defined by the highest priority fixed path rule.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition comprises two or more trigger conditions, and further comprising:

retrieving, by the computer, a weighting for each of the two or more trigger conditions from an object movement control table;

identifying, by the computer, a higher priority trigger condition using the weighting for the each of the two or more trigger conditions; and

identifying, by the computer, a fixed path rule associated with the higher priority trigger condition, wherein the object moves along a path defined by a highest priority fixed path rule and re-orients in accordance with orientation rules defined by the fixed path rule associated with the higher priority trigger condition.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying, by the computer, a hierarchy for a set of fixed path rules associated with the trigger condition, wherein each fixed path rule in the set of fixed path rules is associated with a ranking in the hierarchy;

identifying, by the computer, a fixed path rule having a highest ranking in the hierarchy; and

initiating, by the computer, movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule having the highest ranking in the hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a part of the fixed path is located along a surface, and wherein another part of the fixed path is located a predetermined set of distances above the surface.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions, and further comprising:

responsive to the most recent trigger condition having a lower priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, averaging, by the computer, an optimal location and orientation of a set of fixed path rules associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein a location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition are given a lesser weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions, and further comprising:

responsive to the most recent trigger condition having a higher priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, averaging, by the computer, an optimal location and orientation of a set of fixed path rules associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein a location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition are given a higher weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to an occurrence of a trigger condition triggering a change in mode from a fixed path mode to a floating transitions mode, stopping, by the computer, the movement of the object along the fixed path;

identifying, by the computer, a set of flotation rules associated with a set of existing trigger conditions; and

initiating, by the computer, a set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules, wherein the object is modified to float above a surface in accordance with the set of flotation actions.

11. A computer program product for fixed path transitions in a virtual universe environment, 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 receive tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar in relation to a range of an object in a virtual universe, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to identify a fixed path defined by a fixed path rule in response to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition associated with the fixed path rule;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to identify a speed and an orientation for the object associated with the fixed path rule;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to initiate movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule, wherein the object moves at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to identify a priority of each trigger condition in a plurality of trigger conditions in response to an occurrence of the plurality of trigger conditions; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to average an optimal location and orientation associated with a set of fixed path rules for each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions in response to each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions having a same priority.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the fixed path comprises a set of locations and a set of orientations for an object moving along the fixed path.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the trigger condition triggers two or more fixed path rules and further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to retrieve a priority for each fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition from an object movement control table;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to identify a highest priority fixed path rule triggered by the trigger condition based on the priority for the each fixed path rule; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to move the object along the fixed path defined by the highest priority fixed path rule.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the trigger condition comprises two or more trigger conditions, and further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to retrieve a weighting for each of the two or more trigger conditions from an object movement control table;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to identify a higher priority trigger condition using the weighting for the each of the two or more trigger conditions; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to identify a fixed path rule associated with the higher priority trigger condition, wherein the object moves along a path defined by a highest priority fixed path rule and re-orients in accordance with orientation rules defined by the fixed path rule associated with the higher priority trigger condition.

15. 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 identify a hierarchy for a set of fixed path rules associated with the trigger condition, wherein each fixed path rule in the set of fixed path rules is associated with a ranking in the hierarchy;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to identify a fixed path rule having a highest ranking in the hierarchy; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to initiate movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule having the highest ranking in the hierarchy.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein a part of the fixed path is located along a surface, and wherein another part of the fixed path is located a predetermined set of distances above the surface.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the trigger condition is a most recent trigger condition in a plurality of existing trigger conditions, and further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to average an optimal location and orientation of a set of fixed path rules associated with the plurality of existing trigger conditions in response to the most recent trigger condition having a lower priority than the plurality of existing trigger conditions, wherein a location and orientation associated with the most recent trigger condition are given a lesser weighting than other trigger conditions in the plurality of existing trigger conditions.

18. A computer system for fixed path transitions in a virtual universe environment, 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 receive tracking data that identifies a location of an avatar in relation to a range of an object in a virtual universe, wherein the range comprises a viewable field;

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 identify a fixed path defined by a fixed path rule in response to the tracking data indicating an occurrence of a trigger condition associated with the fixed path rule;

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 identify a speed and an orientation for the object associated with the fixed path rule;

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 initiate movement of the object along the fixed path defined by the fixed path rule, wherein the object moves at the identified speed and with the orientation associated with the fixed path rule;

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 identify a priority of each trigger condition in a plurality of trigger conditions in response to an occurrence of the plurality of trigger conditions; 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, to average an optimal location and orientation associated with a set of fixed path rules for each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions in response to each trigger condition in the plurality of trigger conditions having a same priority.

19. The computer system of claim 18 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 detect a trigger condition;

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 identify a set of flotation rules associated with the trigger condition;

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 identify an optimal location and orientation of the object for a set of flotation actions; 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, to initiate the set of flotation actions, wherein the location and orientation of the object is changed in accordance with the set of flotation actions associated with the set of flotation rules to float the object above a surface as the object moves along the fixed path.