Modifying spaces in virtual universes

• US 8,910,043 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wrp IP Management, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Kozioski, James R., Moskowitz, Paul A., O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hope, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US11/970,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20090175559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,528 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/815, 715/800, 715757-759
• 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 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5526 Game data structure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• 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 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Methods and arrangements of modifying spaces in virtual universes are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to receive data from a software agent in a virtual universe, directly or indirectly. The data may be based upon information automatically gathered from data stores outside the virtual universe, including account data and user profile data. The embodiment may also involve developing a user profile of the user in the virtual universe, based upon the data received from the software agent. An embodiment may also involve automatically gathering information from data stores external to the virtual universe. The information may include user account data and user profile information. The embodiment may also include aggregating data for generating the user profile in the virtual universe, based upon the information; and transmitting the data directly or indirectly to the virtual universe.

Claims

1. A method of modifying spaces of virtual universes, said method comprising:

a computer displaying (i) an exterior view of a composite space of a virtual universe, said composite space consisting of a first space and additional space bordering the first space, wherein a closed exterior boundary of the composite space that surrounds the composite space is depicted in the displayed exterior view of the composite space as being totally within a first plane, and wherein a closed exterior boundary of the first space that surrounds the first space is depicted in the displayed exterior view of the composite space as being totally within the first plane and as separating the first space from the additional space and (ii) an initial interior view of only the first space, wherein the closed exterior boundary of the first space is depicted in the displayed initial interior view of only the first space as being totally within a second plane that is parallel to the first plane, and wherein the first space is displayed differently in the initial interior view than in the exterior view;

said computer remapping the initial interior view of only the first space without changing the exterior view of the composite space, said remapping comprising changing a size of the first space in the initial interior view of only the first space; and

said computer displaying the remapped interior view of the first space including displaying the closed exterior boundary of the first space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said remapping the initial interior view of only the first space comprises expanding the initial interior view of only the first space linearly along one or more dimensions of the first space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said remapping the initial interior view of only the first space comprises the computer contracting the initial interior view of only the first space linearly along one or more dimensions of the first space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said remapping the initial interior view of only the first space comprises the computer remapping the initial interior view of only the first space by a non-linear transformation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said remapping the initial interior view of only the first space comprises the computer creating multiple copies of the initial interior view of only the first space.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

said computer receiving user input to control movement of avatars between different copies of the multiple copies.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said receiving user input to control movement of avatars between different copies of the multiple copies comprises receiving user input to send a first group of avatars representing a group of employees of a first company to a first copy of the different copies of the multiple copies and to send a second group of avatars representing a group of employees of a second, different company to a second copy of the different copies of the multiple copies.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

said computer placing a plurality of artifacts in the initial interior view of only the first space, wherein the plurality of artifacts include a first avatar and are depicted in the displayed initial interior view of only the first space; and

said computer placing additional artifacts in the remapped interior view of the first space, wherein the additional artifacts include a second avatar and are depicted, along with the plurality of artifacts, in the displayed remapped interior view of the first space.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the exterior view of the first space coincides with a portion of the exterior view of the composite space.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein each spatial point in the initial interior view of only the first space is represented by a coordinate (x, y) relative to an origin (0,0) of a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system in which x and y represent a horizontal distance and a vertical distance, respectively, of each spatial point from the origin, and

wherein said remapping the initial interior view of only the first space comprises transforming each coordinate (x, y) to a corresponding remapped coordinate in the remapped interior view of only the first space.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the remapped coordinate is (Cx,CY), and wherein C is a positive constant differing from 1.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein C is less than 1.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein C is greater than 1.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the x component of the remapped coordinate is tan h(x).

15. The method of claim 1,

wherein each spatial point in the initial interior view of only the first space is represented by a coordinate (x, y, z) relative to an origin (0, 0, 0) of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system in which x, y, and z represent three mutually orthogonal distances of each spatial point from the origin, and

wherein said remapping the initial interior view of only the first space comprises transforming each coordinate (x, y, z) to a corresponding remapped coordinate in the remapped interior view of only the first space.

16. A computer system for modifying spaces of virtual universes, the computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on the one or more storage devices for execution by the one or more processors via the one or more memories, wherein the stored program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to display (i) an exterior view of a composite space of a virtual universe, said composite space consisting of a first space and additional space bordering the first space, wherein a closed exterior boundary of the composite space that surrounds the composite space is depicted in the displayed exterior view of the composite space as being totally within a first plane, and wherein a closed exterior boundary of the first space that surrounds the first space is depicted in the displayed exterior view of the composite space as being totally within the first plane and as separating the first space from the additional space and (ii) an initial interior view of only the first space, wherein the closed exterior boundary of the first space is depicted in the displayed initial interior view of only the first space as being totally within a second plane that is parallel to the first plane, and wherein the first space is displayed differently in the initial interior view than in the exterior view;

program instructions to remap the initial interior view of only the first space without changing the exterior view of the composite space, wherein the program instructions to remap the provided interior view of the first space change a size of the first space in the initial interior view of only the first space; and

program instructions to display the remapped interior view of the first space including program instructions to display the closed exterior boundary of the first space.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the stored program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to take a census to determine satisfaction of a condition, and wherein the program instructions to remap the initial interior view of only the first space comprise program instructions to remap the initial interior view of only the first space based upon said census.

18. A computer program product for modifying spaces of virtual universes, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, wherein the stored program instructions comprise:

program instructions to display (i) an exterior view of a composite space of a virtual universe, said composite space consisting of a first space and additional space bordering the first space, wherein a closed exterior boundary of the composite space that surrounds the composite space is depicted in the displayed exterior view of the composite space as being totally within a first plane, and wherein a closed exterior boundary of the first space that surrounds the first space is depicted in the displayed exterior view of the composite space as being totally within the first plane and as separating the first space from the additional space and (ii) an initial interior view of only the first space, wherein the closed exterior boundary of the first space is depicted in the displayed initial interior view of only the first space as being totally within a second plane that is parallel to the first plane, and wherein the first space is displayed differently in the initial interior view than in the exterior view;

program instructions to remap the initial interior view of only the first space without changing the exterior view of the composite space, wherein the program instructions to remap the provided interior view of the first space change a size of the first space in the initial interior view of only the first space; and

program instructions display the remapped interior view of the first space including program instructions to display the closed exterior boundary of the first space.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions to remap the initial interior view of only the first space comprise program instructions to expand the initial interior view of only the first space linearly along one or more dimensions of the interior view of the first space.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions to remap the interior view of the first space comprise program instructions to contract the initial interior view of only the first space linearly along one or more dimensions of the initial interior view of only the first space.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions to remap the initial interior view of only the first space comprise program instructions to create multiple copies of the initial interior view of only the first space.