Multi-instance, multi-user animation platforms

• US 8,276,071 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utherverse Gaming LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Brian Mark Shuster, Gary S. Shuster
• Inventors: Shuster, Brian Mark, Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bautista, Xiomar L
• Application Number:
  US12/554,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/733, 715/737, 715/764, 715/765, 715/835, 715/836, 715/839, 715/970.1, 715/976, 715/977, 345/419, 345/420, 345/473, 345/949, 345/957, 463/1, 463/31, 463/32, 463/40, 463/42, 340/323.R
• US Class Current: 715/706
• 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 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• 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: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• 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 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/12 Shadow map, environment map
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 : Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

A multi-instance, multi-user animation platform includes a plurality of modeled parallel dimensions in a computer memory. Each of the parallel dimensions may be an independent model of a physical, three-dimensional space having corresponding features such that the parallel dimensions are recognizable as counterparts to each other. Avatars are located within corresponding ones of the parallel dimensions so as to prevent over-population of any one of the parallel dimensions by avatars. Avatars are animated within different ones of the parallel dimensions using input from respective users to provide virtual-reality data. The virtual-reality data may be configured to cause remote clients to output an animated display of a corresponding one of the parallel dimensions and avatars therein.

Claims

1. A method for managing a multi-instance, multi-user animation process, comprising:

modeling, using a computer, a plurality of parallel dimensions in a computer memory, each of the plurality of parallel dimensions being a replica of a modeled three dimensional space configured for modeling occupancy and movement of multiple avatars within limits that are defined by at least one model of a three dimensional object;

assigning ones of a plurality of avatars within the computer memory so that each of the plurality of avatars populates a respective one of the parallel dimensions and each of the plurality of parallel dimensions is populated by a unique subset of the plurality of avatars, so as to prevent over-population of any one of the parallel dimensions by avatars; and

animating ones of the plurality of avatars populating different ones of the parallel dimensions in response to input from respective corresponding ones of a plurality of clients to provide virtual-reality data, using the computer, the virtual-reality data configured to enable the clients to output an animated display of a corresponding one of the parallel dimensions and avatars populated therein.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising relocating an avatar from a first one of the parallel dimensions to a second one of the parallel dimensions.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising relocating an avatar from a first one of the parallel dimensions to a second one of the parallel dimensions in response to user input signifying a request to relocate the avatar.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising relocating an avatar from a first one of the parallel dimensions to a second one of the parallel dimensions in response to determining that a population of avatars in the first one of the parallel dimensions has reached a predetermined limit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an additional parallel dimension to accommodate an increase in avatar population.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising relocating avatars from the plurality of parallel dimensions into the additional parallel dimension.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the plurality of parallel dimensions as replicas of a template space.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising modeling a common space in the computer memory configured in relation to the plurality of parallel dimensions so that at least one object located inside the common space is visible from viewpoints located inside each of the plurality of parallel dimensions.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising animating at least one avatar populating the common space in response to input from a corresponding client, to provide the virtual-reality data further enabling the corresponding client to output an animated display including at least a portion of each of the plurality of parallel dimensions and avatars populated therein.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising modeling a common space in the computer memory configured in relation to the plurality of parallel dimensions so that a modeled object originating from the common space is capable of passing into at least one of the plurality of parallel dimensions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising replicating the modeled object passing into the plurality of parallel dimensions so that a replica of the object is modeled in each of the plurality of parallel dimensions after the object passes from the common space.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising modeling a common space in the computer memory configured in relation to the plurality of parallel dimensions so that an avatar originating from the common space is capable of passing into one of the plurality of parallel dimensions.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting which one of the plurality of parallel dimensions the avatar is capable of passing into based on avatar populations of each parallel space.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting which one of the plurality of parallel dimensions the avatar is capable of passing into based on a corresponding user preference.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising modeling a common space in the computer memory configured in relation to the plurality of parallel dimensions so that an avatar originating from any one of the plurality of parallel dimensions is capable of passing into the common space.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking analogous objects in different ones of the parallel dimensions and moving any displaced ones of the analogous objects so that positions of analogous objects within each of the parallel dimension tend to converge over time.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising collapsing first and second ones of the plurality of dimensions into a combined dimension populated by the avatars formerly in the first and second ones of the plurality of dimensions.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronously animating an avatar present in multiple ones of the plurality of dimensions.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising asynchronously animating an avatar present in multiple ones of the plurality of dimensions.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising modeling an interface between adjacent ones of the plurality of dimensions.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising modeling the interface to include an overlapping region interactive with both adjacent ones of the plurality of dimensions.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising modeling the interface as a transparent object rendering the adjacent ones of the plurality of dimensions visible to each other.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing a communication channel between avatars populating different ones of the plurality of dimensions.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions, that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

model a plurality of parallel dimensions, each of the plurality of parallel dimensions being a replica of a modeled three dimensional space configured for modeling occupancy and movement of multiple avatars within limits defined for the three-dimensional space;

assign ones of a plurality of avatars between respective ones of the plurality of parallel dimensions so that each of the plurality of avatars populates a respective one of the parallel dimensions and each of the plurality of parallel dimensions is populated by a unique subset of the plurality of avatars, to control avatar population counts in each of the plurality of parallel dimensions; and

animate ones of the plurality of avatars populating different ones of the parallel dimensions in response to input identified as belonging to respective ones of multiple clients, to generate virtual-reality data configured to enable the respective ones of the clients to output an animated display of a corresponding one of the parallel dimensions and avatars populated therein.

25. A computer comprising a memory holding instructions, that when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

generate a plurality of parallel dimensions in a computer memory, each being a replica of a modeled three dimensional space configured for modeling occupancy and movement of multiple avatars within defined spatial limits;

assign ones of a plurality of avatars between respective ones of the plurality of parallel dimensions so that each of the plurality of avatars populates a respective one of the parallel dimensions and each of the plurality of parallel dimensions is populated by a unique subset of the plurality of avatars, to control avatar population counts in each of the plurality of parallel dimensions; and

animate ones of the plurality of avatars populating different ones of the parallel dimensions in response to input identified as belonging to respective ones of multiple clients, to generate virtual-reality data configured to enable the respective ones of the clients to output an animated display of an assigned one of the parallel dimensions and avatars populated therein.