Systems and methods of managed script execution

• US 8,493,386 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfaqutruma Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Utherverse, Inc.
• Inventors: Burch, Aaron, Neufeld, Ian, Herling, Dirk, Shuster, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Martello, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/590,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20130044107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• 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 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• 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 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 : where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 : Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods of virtual world interaction, operation, implementation, instantiation, creation, and other functions related to virtual worlds (note that where the term “virtual world” is used herein, it is to be understood as referring to virtual world systems, virtual environments reflecting real, simulated, fantasy, or other structures, and includes information systems that utilize interaction within a 3D environment). Various embodiments facilitate interoperation between and within virtual worlds, and may provide consistent structures for operating virtual worlds. The disclosed embodiments may further enable individuals to build new virtual worlds within a framework, and allow third party users to better interact with those worlds.

Claims

1. A method of operating executable scripts on a virtual worlds system to enable automation of actions on the virtual worlds system, the method comprising:

maintaining, on computer-readable media, a data representation of a virtual space, the data representation including a hierarchical representation of objects within the virtual space, the hierarchical representation including an executable script associated with a first object within the hierarchical representation, the hierarchical representation including a plurality of nodes, one of the plurality of nodes including the first object, the hierarchical representation identifying a relationship between the plurality of nodes, wherein an executable script included in a first node having a higher position in the hierarchical representation is configured to alter a second node having a lower position in the hierarchical representation;

executing the executable script on one or more computer processors in communication with the computer-readable media;

enabling the executable script to modify a second object within the hierarchical representation, based on a determination that the second object is in a node with the first object or a descendant node of the first object with which the executable script is associated; and

preventing the executable script from modifying a third object within the hierarchical representation, based on a determination that the third object is not in a node with the first object or a descendant node of the first object with which the executable script is associated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical representation of objects is associated with a document object model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is maintained as a subelement of the first object in the hierarchical representation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the executable script to invoke a second executable script associated with the third object, whereby the executable script may indirectly modify the third object through invocation of the second executable script.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the executable script invokes the second executable script by executing a function naming an action identifier associated with the second executable script.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein enabling the executable script to invoke the second executable script is conditioned on successful transmission of the second executable script to the third object.

7. A computer system configured to operate executable scripts on a virtual worlds system to enable automation of actions on the virtual worlds system, the computer system comprising:

computer-readable storage having stored thereon a plurality of modules implemented as executable instructions;

one or more computer processors configured to execute the plurality of modules;

stored computer data comprising a data representation of a virtual space, the data representation including a hierarchical representation of objects within the virtual space, the hierarchical representation including an executable script associated with a first object within the hierarchical representation, the hierarchical representation including a plurality of nodes, one of the plurality of nodes including the first object, the hierarchical representation identifying a relationship between the plurality of nodes, wherein an executable script included in a first node having a higher position in the hierarchical representation is configured to alter a second node having a lower position in the hierarchical representation;

a script execution module configured to execute the executable script on one or more computer processors in communication with the computer-readable storage; and

an object modification module configured to enable the executable script to modify a second object within the hierarchical representation, based on a determination that the second object is in a node with the first object or a descendant node of the first object with which the executable script is associated;

the object modification module further configured to prevent the executable script from modifying a third object within the hierarchical representation, based on a determination that the third object is not in a node with the first object or a descendant node of the first object with which the executable script is associated.