Replicating changes between corresponding objects

• US 8,564,621 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roblox Corp.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Branson, Michael J., Hintermeister, Gregory R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richer, Aaron M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cobb, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US12/854,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345629-632, 705 261- 269, 705 271- 272, 705/28, 705 51- 59, 705 76- 78, 705901-912, 713168-171, 713189-190, 713155-159, 715/733, 715/835, 715740-743, 726 26- 33, 726 5- 10
• US Class Current: 345/632
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to replicating changes between corresponding real objects and virtual objects in a virtual world. Embodiments of the invention may include receiving a request to generate a virtual item in a virtual world based on a real-world object, generating the virtual item, synchronizing the virtual item and real-world object, and sharing the virtual item with a second avatar in the virtual world.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of communicating content, the method comprising:

creating a virtual object in a virtual world based on a real-world object existing outside the virtual world;

associating the virtual object with a first avatar in the virtual world;

synchronizing, by operation of one or more computer processors, the virtual object with the real-world object such that one or more changes to one of the objects are reflected in the other object, wherein said synchronizing comprises;

receiving a request from a user associated with the first avatar to view a current viewing position of the first avatar in the virtual object, and

in response to receiving the request, updating a state of the real-world object based on the current viewing position;

and transferring possession of the virtual object from the first avatar to a second avatar in the virtual world.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling use of the real-world object until the first avatar regains possession of the virtual object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to restore possession of the virtual object to the first avatar; and

responsive to the request, transferring possession of the virtual object from the second avatar to the first avatar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the virtual object with the real-world object further comprises:

detecting a state change for the virtual object; and

updating a state of the real-world object based on an updated state of the virtual object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the virtual object with the real-world object further comprises:

detecting a state change for the real-world object; and

updating a state of the virtual object based on an updated state of the real-world object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making at least one portion of the virtual object viewable by a user associated with the second avatar, wherein the at least one portion of the virtual object is viewable by the user associated with the second avatar only for a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting permission from the first avatar to share the virtual object with the second avatar; and

upon receiving the permission making at least a portion of the virtual object viewable by the second avatar.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting permission from the first avatar to share the virtual object with the second avatar;

determining whether an identifier associated with the second avatar is included on a list of pre-approved avatars; and

upon determining that the identifier is on the list, making at least a portion of the virtual object viewable by the second avatar.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user associated with the first avatar has possession of the real-world object; and

upon determining that the user associated with the first avatar has possession, making at least a portion of the virtual object viewable by a user associated with the second avatar.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual object is viewable by the second avatar only when a user associated with the second avatar has access to the real-world object.

11. A system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory containing a program that, when executed on the computer processor, performs an operation for communicating content, the operation comprising;

creating a virtual object in a virtual world based on a real-world object existing outside the virtual world;

associating the virtual object with a first avatar in the virtual world;

synchronizing the virtual object with the real-world object such that one or more changes to one of the objects are reflected in the other object,

wherein said synchronizing comprises;

receiving a request from a user associated with the first avatar to view a current viewing position of the first avatar in the virtual object, and

in response to receiving the request, updating a state of the real-world object based on the current viewing position;

transferring possession of the virtual object from the first avatar to a second avatar in the virtual world.

12. The system of claim 11, the operation further comprising:

disabling use of the real-world object until the first avatar regains possession of the virtual object.

13. The system of claim 11, the operation further comprising:

receiving a request to restore possession of the virtual object to the first avatar;

and responsive to the request, transferring possession of the virtual object from the second avatar to the first avatar.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein synchronizing the virtual object with the real-world object further comprises:

detecting a state change for the virtual object; and

updating a state of the real-world object based on an updated state of the virtual object.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein synchronizing the virtual object with the real-world object further comprises:

detecting a state change for the real-world object; and

updating a state of the virtual object based on an updated state of the real-world object.

16. The system of claim 11, the operation further comprising:

making at least one portion of the virtual object viewable by a user associated with the second avatar, wherein the at least one portion of the virtual object is viewable by the user associated with the second avatar only for a predetermined period of time.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual object is viewable by the second avatar only when a user associated with the second avatar has access to the real-world object.

18. A computer program product for communicating content, comprising:

computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code to create a virtual object in the virtual world based on a real-world object existing outside the virtual world;

computer readable program code to synchronize the virtual object with the real- world object such that one or more changes to one of the objects are reflected in the other object, wherein the computer readable code to synchronize comprises;

computer readable program code to receive a request from a user associated with the first avatar to view a current viewing position of the first avatar in the virtual object, and

computer readable program code to update a state of the real-world object based on the current viewing position in response to receiving the request;

computer readable program code to associate the virtual object with a first avatar in the virtual world; and

computer readable program code to transfer possession of the virtual object from the first avatar to a second avatar in the virtual world.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer readable program code to make at least a portion of the virtual object viewable by the second avatar upon receiving permission from the first avatar to share the virtual object with the second avatar.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the virtual object is viewable by the second avatar only when a user associated with the second avatar has access to the real-world object.