Geometric and texture modifications of objects in a virtual universe based on real world user characteristics

• US 8,471,843 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick Allen II, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Pickover, Clifford Alan, Walker, Keith Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Said
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/168,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20100001993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 715/744, 706/47
• 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 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• 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: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for modifying objects in a virtual universe. A user priority controller determines a real world identity of a set of users controlling a set of avatars within a viewable field of an object in a virtual universe. The user priority controller receives user information describing characteristics of the set of users based on the real world identity of each user in the set of users. The user priority controller generates a temporary and dynamic rule to control modification of the object based on the user information. The user priority controller modifies the object in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule to increase visibility of the object to an avatar in the set of avatars. The temporary and dynamic rule initiates implementation of geometric and texture modifications to modify the object in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule.

Claims

1. A method for modifying objects in a virtual universe, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer including in the virtual universe a viewable field, a detection area that is adjacent to the viewable field, and an outside area that is outside the viewable field and the detection area, wherein each avatar in a set of avatars is incapable of viewing the objects while the avatar is within either the detection area or the outside area;

the computer, in response to an entrance of a first particular avatar of the set of avatars into the detection area, preparing to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars one of the objects by buffering content associated with the one of the objects;

the computer detecting a presence of the set of avatars within the viewable field of the one of the objects;

the computer determining a real world identity of each user in a set of users that controls an avatar in the set of avatars;

the computer receiving user information that is associated with the real world identity of each user in the set of users;

the computer assigning, for each avatar in the set of avatars, a priority to the avatar in the set of avatars based on the one of the objects and on the user information that is associated with the real world identity of the user in the set of users that controls the avatar in the set of avatars;

the computer creating a temporary and dynamic rule to control modification of the one of the objects based on the priority assigned to each avatar in the set of avatars;

the computer modifying the one of the objects to have a first visibility to a second particular avatar in the set of avatars and to have a second visibility to a third particular avatar in the set of avatars in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule wherein the first visibility is different from the second visibility;

the computer initiating implementation of a set of geometric and texture modifications for dynamically modifying the one of the objects in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule;

the computer determining that a particular one of the objects is adjacent to an obstructing one of the objects; and

responsive to determining that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to the obstructing one of the objects, the computer setting a focal point of the viewable field at a location that is a different location than a location of the particular one of the objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

the computer receiving the user information from a set of user information sources, wherein the set of user information sources includes an external user information look-up table.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of geometric and texture modifications comprises at least one of floating the one of the objects above a surface in the virtual universe, moving the one of the objects along a fixed path in the virtual universe, changing a size of the one of the objects, changing a size of a set of elements associated with the one of the objects, changing a color of the one of the objects, and cloning the one of the objects.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user information comprises at least one of past purchasing history, credit rating, purchase trends, income level, hobbies, income, employment history, current employer, profession, education level, children, pets, and home ownership.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

the computer modifying the one of the objects to have the first visibility at a same time the one of the objects has the second visibility.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

the computer modifying the one of the objects to have the first visibility and to have the second visibility, wherein the first visibility is an increased visibility and the second visibility is a reduced visibility.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

the computer using the priority to identify a first particular plurality of avatars of the set of avatars that are assigned a high priority that is higher than a low priority that is assigned to a second particular plurality of avatars of the set of avatars; and

the computer modifying the one of the objects to have a third visibility to the first particular plurality of avatars and to have a fourth visibility to the second particular plurality of avatars, wherein the third visibility is increased with respect to the fourth visibility.

5. A computer program product for modifying objects in a virtual universe, 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 include in the virtual universe a viewable field, a detection area that is adjacent to the viewable field, and an outside area that is outside the viewable field and the detection area, wherein each avatar in a set of avatars is incapable of viewing the objects while the avatar is within either the detection area or the outside area;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to an entrance of a first particular avatar of the set of avatars into the detection area, prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars one of the objects by buffering content associated with the one of the objects;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to detect a presence of the set of avatars within the viewable field of the one of the objects;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine a real world identity of each user in a set of users that controls an avatar in the set of avatars;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive user information that is associated with the real world identity of each user in the set of users;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, for each avatar in the set of avatars, assign a priority to the avatar in the set of avatars based on the one of the objects and on the user information that is associated with the real world identity of the user in the set of users that controls the avatar in the set of avatars;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to create a temporary and dynamic rule to control modification of the one of the objects based on the priority assigned to each avatar in the set of avatars;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify the one of the objects to have a first visibility to a second particular avatar in the set of avatars and to have a second visibility to a third particular avatar in the set of avatars in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule, wherein the first visibility is different from the second visibility;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to initiate implementation of a set of geometric and texture modifications for dynamically modifying the one of the objects in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that a particular one of the objects is adjacent to an obstructing one of the objects; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to determining that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to the obstructing one of the objects, set a focal point of the viewable field at a location that is a different location than a location of the particular one of the objects.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive the user information from a set of user information sources, wherein the set of user information sources includes an external user information look-up table.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the set of geometric and texture modifications comprises at least one of floating the one of the objects above a surface in the virtual universe, moving the one of the objects along a fixed path in the virtual universe, changing a size of the one of the objects, changing a size of a set of elements associated with the one of the objects, changing a color of the one of the objects, and cloning the one of the objects.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the user information comprises at least one of past purchasing history, credit rating, purchase trends, income level, hobbies, income, employment history, current employer, profession, education level, children, pets, and home ownership.

9. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to send the query to an online user information database that is included in the set of user information sources via a network connection.

13. The computer program product according to claim 5, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify the one of the objects to have the first visibility at a same time the one of the objects has the second visibility.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify the one of the objects to have the first visibility and to have the second visibility, wherein the first visibility is an increased visibility and the second visibility is a reduced visibility.

15. The computer program product according to claim 5, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to use the priority to identify a first particular plurality of avatars of the set of avatars that are assigned a high priority that is higher than a low priority that is assigned to a second particular plurality of avatars of the set of avatars; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to modify the one of the objects to have a third visibility to the first particular plurality of avatars and to have a fourth visibility to the second particular plurality of avatars, wherein the third visibility is increased with respect to the fourth visibility.

16. A computer system for modifying objects in a virtual universe, 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 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 include in the virtual universe a viewable field, a detection area that is adjacent to the viewable field, and an outside area that is outside the viewable field and the detection area, wherein each avatar in a set of avatars is incapable of viewing the objects while the avatar is within either the detection area or the outside area;

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, in response to an entrance of a particular avatar of the set of avatars into the detection area, prepare to display, without displaying, to the particular avatar of the set of avatars one of the objects by buffering content associated with the one of the objects;

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 detect a presence of the set of avatars within the viewable field of the one of the objects;

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 determine a real world identity of each user in a set of users that controls an avatar in the set of avatars;

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 receive user information that is associated with the real world identity of each user in the set of users;

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, for each avatar in the set of avatars, assign a priority to the avatar in the set of avatars based on the one of the objects and on the user information that is associated with the real world identity of the user in the set of users that controls the avatar in the set of avatars;

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 create a temporary and dynamic rule to control modification of the one of the objects based on the priority assigned to each avatar in the set of avatars; 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 one of the objects to have a first visibility to a second particular avatar in the set of avatars and to have a second visibility to a third particular avatar in the set of avatars in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule, wherein the first visibility is different from the second visibility;

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 initiate implementation of a set of geometric and texture modifications for dynamically modifying the one of the objects in accordance with the temporary and dynamic rule;

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 determine that a particular one of the objects is adjacent to an obstructing one of the objects; 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, in responsive determining that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to the obstructing one of the objects, set a focal point of the viewable field at a location that is a different location than a location of the particular one of the objects.

17. The computer system according to claim 16, 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 the one of the objects to have the first visibility at a same time the one of the objects has the second visibility, and wherein the first visibility is an increased visibility and the second visibility is a reduced visibility.