Geometric and texture modifications of objects in a virtual universe based on real world user characteristics
First Claim
1. A method for managing and displaying objects in a computer-simulated virtual universe, the method comprising:
- a computer including in the computer-simulated 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, determining whether the first particular avatar has previously viewed a particular one of the objects inside the viewable field;
the computer, in response to determining that the first particular avatar has not previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, triggering an object initiation process that includes buffering all of a content associated with the particular one of the objects in a buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer;
the computer, in response to determining that the first particular avatar has previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, triggering an object re-initiation process that includes buffering a portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer;
the computer determining that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to an obstructing one of the objects;
the computer, in response to determining that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to the obstructing one of the objects, 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; and
the computer, in response to the first particular avatar entering the viewable field, displaying the particular one of the objects along with one of all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects or the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects to the first particular avatar based on the buffering of the content in the buffer according to the object initiation process or the object re-initiation process, respectively.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product modify objects in a virtual universe. The virtual universe includes 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. 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. In response to an entrance of a first particular avatar of the set of avatars into the detection area, one of the objects is prepared for display to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars, without displaying, by buffering content associated with the one of the objects. If a particular one of the objects is determined to be adjacent to an obstructing one of the objects, a focal point of the viewable field is set at a location that is a different location than a location of the particular one of the objects.
114 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for managing and displaying objects in a computer-simulated virtual universe, the method comprising:
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a computer including in the computer-simulated 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, determining whether the first particular avatar has previously viewed a particular one of the objects inside the viewable field; the computer, in response to determining that the first particular avatar has not previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, triggering an object initiation process that includes buffering all of a content associated with the particular one of the objects in a buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer; the computer, in response to determining that the first particular avatar has previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, triggering an object re-initiation process that includes buffering a portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer; the computer determining that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to an obstructing one of the objects; the computer, in response to determining that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to the obstructing one of the objects, 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; and the computer, in response to the first particular avatar entering the viewable field, displaying the particular one of the objects along with one of all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects or the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects to the first particular avatar based on the buffering of the content in the buffer according to the object initiation process or the object re-initiation process, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer program product for managing and displaying objects in a computer-simulated virtual universe, the computer program product comprising:
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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 computer-simulated 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, determine whether the first particular avatar has previously viewed a particular one of the objects inside the viewable field; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to determining that the first particular avatar has not previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, trigger an object initiation process that includes buffering all of a content associated with the particular one of the objects in a buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to determining that the first particular avatar has previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, trigger an object re-initiation process that includes buffering a portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that the particular one of the objects is adjacent to an obstructing one of the objects; 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; and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to the first particular avatar entering the viewable field, display the particular one of the objects along with one of all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects or the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects to the first particular avatar based on the buffering of the content in the buffer according to the object initiation process or the object re-initiation process, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer system for managing and displaying objects in a computer-simulated virtual universe, the computer system comprising:
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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 computer-simulated 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, determine whether the first particular avatar has previously viewed a particular one of the objects inside the viewable field; 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 determining that the first particular avatar has not previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, trigger an object initiation process that includes buffering all of a content associated with the particular one of the objects in a buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer; 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 determining that the first particular avatar has previously viewed the particular one of the objects inside the viewable field, trigger an object re-initiation process that includes buffering a portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer to prepare to display, without displaying, to the first particular avatar of the set of avatars the particular one of the objects along with the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects in the buffer; 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 the particular one of the objects is adjacent to an obstructing 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, 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; 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 response to the first particular avatar entering the viewable field, display the particular one of the objects along with one of all of the content associated with the particular one of the objects or the portion of the content associated with the particular one of the objects to the first particular avatar based on the buffering of the content in the buffer according to the object initiation process or the object re-initiation process, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification