Programming APIS for an extensible avatar system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer implemented method for implementing an application programming interface (API), the method comprising:
- informing, via the API, a video game application executing on a video gaming system that an avatar renderer of the video gaming system is enabled, the avatar renderer being a functional feature of the video gaming system configured to provide avatar rendering functionality for the video game application during execution of the video game application by the video gaming system and allow the video game application executing in the video game system to access data for rendering an avatar to a render target selected by the video game application, the avatar renderer configured to render the avatar to a destination in a rendered environment of the video game application so that the rendered avatar is displayed within the rendered environment of the video game application;
receiving an indication from the video game application via the API of whether the video game application is using a left-handed or right-handed coordinate system for processing graphics data;
informing the video game application via the API of an amount of memory to be allocated for the avatar renderer and the avatar'"'"'s metadata; and
communicating metadata for one or more player profiles describing an avatar to be rendered on the video game system using the avatar renderer during execution of the video game application.
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Abstract
Disclosed is an application programming interface (API) that provides for an extensible avatar system. In one embodiment an API may allow video game applications to retrieve structures of data which represent an avatar. The game can then take those structures and incorporate the data into its own rendering system. In another embodiment an API may allow a video game application to render an avatar to a render target or texture wherein the video game system performs rendering and animation functions.
86 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for implementing an application programming interface (API), the method comprising:
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informing, via the API, a video game application executing on a video gaming system that an avatar renderer of the video gaming system is enabled, the avatar renderer being a functional feature of the video gaming system configured to provide avatar rendering functionality for the video game application during execution of the video game application by the video gaming system and allow the video game application executing in the video game system to access data for rendering an avatar to a render target selected by the video game application, the avatar renderer configured to render the avatar to a destination in a rendered environment of the video game application so that the rendered avatar is displayed within the rendered environment of the video game application; receiving an indication from the video game application via the API of whether the video game application is using a left-handed or right-handed coordinate system for processing graphics data; informing the video game application via the API of an amount of memory to be allocated for the avatar renderer and the avatar'"'"'s metadata; and communicating metadata for one or more player profiles describing an avatar to be rendered on the video game system using the avatar renderer during execution of the video game application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A tangible computer readable storage medium storing thereon computer executable instructions for instantiating an API, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for:
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instantiating a programming interface for allowing a video game application executing in a video game system to access data for rendering an avatar to a render target selected by the video game application, wherein the video game system is configured to provide rendering and animation functions and the video game application is configured to present a rendered avatar on a two-dimensional surface presented by the video game application and wherein the rendering and animation functions are configured to render the avatar to a destination in a rendered environment of the video game application so that the rendered avatar is displayed within the rendered environment of the video game application; and rendering one or more avatars at a rendering destination selected by the video game application. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system adapted to instantiate an application programming interface (API), the system comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively coupled to said at least one processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions for implementing the API, the API configured to expose a programming interface for allowing a video game application executing in a video game system to access data for representing an avatar and incorporate the data into an avatar rendering function configured to receive data for constructing, rendering and animating the avatar to a destination in a rendered environment of the video game application so that the rendered avatar is displayed within the rendered environment of the video game application, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one process, cause the system to perform functions including; requesting a data buffer size for storing the data; allocating memory space in accordance with said buffer size; specifying components of the avatar for retrieval, wherein an entire body of said avatar may be requested; and requesting the data for said avatar. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification