TIME DEPENDENT VIRTUAL UNIVERSE AVATAR RENDERING

• US 20100079467A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pickover, Clifford A., Boss, Gregory J., Finn, Peter G., Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/474
• 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 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time

Abstract

Methods, devices, program products and systems are disclosed for displaying multiple virtual universe avatar states. Each of a plurality of avatar states of a first avatar of a first virtual universe user are stored in a storage medium as a function of a time of each state. A first avatar is displayed in a current state to a second user of an engaging second avatar, the engaging instigating a selecting and a retrieving of a subset of plurality of states from the storage medium, each of the subset states different from each other and the current state. Selected subset states are visually displayed to the second user, each of the displayed states visually distinct from another and the current state. The first avatar current state is stored in the storage medium associated with the engagement.

Claims

1. A method for displaying multiple virtual universe avatar states, comprising:

storing each of a plurality of avatar states of a first avatar of a first virtual universe user in a storage medium as a function of a time of each state;

a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging the first avatar, the engaged first avatar displayed to the second user in a current state;

the second avatar engaging instigating a selecting and a retrieving of a subset of states of the plurality of states from the storage medium, each of the subset states different from each other and the current state;

visually displaying the selected subset states to the second user, wherein each of the displayed subset states is visually distinct from another display of each other of the subset states and of the current state; and

storing the first avatar current state in the storage medium associated with the second avatar engaging.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting and the retrieving of the subset is a function of a prior engagement of the second avatar and the first avatar, the subset states comprising a state of the first avatar during the prior engagement;

and

the displaying comprising displaying the state of the first avatar during the prior engagement.

3. The method of claim 2, the subset states comprising an intervening state of the first avatar associated with a time between a current engagement time and a time of the prior engagement;

and

the displaying comprising displaying the intervening avatar state visually distinct from the displaying of the state of the first avatar during the prior engagement and the current state.

4. The method of claim 3, the displaying comprising the second user scrolling through each of the first avatar subset states.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the subset states comprises a visual avatar appearance attribute;

the second avatar engaging further comprising a third avatar of a third virtual universe user engaging the first avatar in the current state;

the engaging instigating a selecting and a retrieving of a state of the first avatar during a prior engagement of the first avatar with the third avatar from the storage medium, the retrieved third avatar prior engagement state different from the subset states and the current state; and

visually displaying the first avatar in the retrieved third avatar prior engagement state to the third user while simultaneously displaying a visually distinct one of the subset states to the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second avatar engaging the first avatar comprises the second avatar moving within a proximity distance of the first user within a graphic virtual universe display domain of the second user, the moving within the proximity distance automatically instigating the selecting and the retrieving of the subset states.

7. The method of claim 5, the visually displaying the selected subset states to the second user comprising the first avatar moving into a state progression display area within a graphic virtual universe display domain of the second user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the second user specifying a time period, wherein the selecting and the retrieving of the subset is a function of the specified time period.

9. The method of claim 8, each of the subset states comprising a discreet attribute value of an object associated with the first avatar;

associating each of the subset state discreet attribute values with an attribute value of another object; and

the visually displaying the selected subset states to the second user comprising visually comparing the discreet attribute of each displayed subset state with the associated another object attribute value.

10. A service for displaying multiple virtual universe avatar states, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure configured to;

store each of a plurality of avatar states of a first avatar of a first virtual universe user in a storage medium as a function of a time of each state;

in response to a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging the first avatar, the engaged first avatar having a current state, instigate a selecting and a retrieving of a subset of the plurality of first avatar states from the storage medium, each of the subset states different from each other and the current state;

visually display the selected subset first avatar states to the second user, wherein each displayed first avatar state is visually distinct from another display of each other of the subset states and of the current state; and

store the first avatar current state in the storage medium associated with the second avatar engaging.

11. The service of claim 10, the computer infrastructure configured to:

retrieve the subset states as a function of a prior engagement of the second avatar and the first avatar, the subset states comprising a state of the first avatar during the prior engagement with the second avatar; and

display the state of the first avatar during the prior engagement to the second user.

12. The service of claim 11, wherein the subset states comprise an intervening avatar state of the first avatar associated with a time between a current engagement time and a prior engagement time, and wherein the computer infrastructure is configured to display the intervening avatar state visually distinct from a display of the first avatar prior engagement avatar state and the first avatar current state.

13. The service of claim 12, wherein each avatar state comprises a visual avatar appearance attribute, and wherein the computer infrastructure configured to:

instigate a selecting and a retrieving of a state of the first avatar during a prior engagement of the first avatar with a third avatar of a third virtual universe user from the storage medium in response to the third avatar engaging the first avatar, the retrieved third avatar prior engagement state divergent from the first avatar current state and the subset states; and

visually display the third avatar prior engagement state to the third user while simultaneously displaying a visually distinct one of the subset states to the second user.

14. The service of claim 10, wherein each subset state comprises a discreet attribute value of an object associated with the first avatar, each subset state attribute value associated with an attribute value of another object, the computer infrastructure configured to:

enable the second user to specify a time period; and

visually display the selected subset states to the second user by visually comparing the discreet attribute value of each displayed subset state with the associated another object attribute value.

15. A method for displaying multiple virtual universe avatar states, comprising:

producing computer executable program code;

storing the code on a computer readable medium; and

providing the program code to be deployed and executed on a computer system, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, cause the computer system to;

store each of a plurality of avatar states of a first avatar of a first virtual universe user in a storage medium as a function of a time of each state;

in response to a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging the first avatar, the engaged first avatar having a current state, instigate a selecting and a retrieving of a subset of the plurality of first avatar states from the storage medium, each of the subset states different from each other and the current state;

visually display the selected subset states to the second user, wherein each displayed state is visually distinct from another display of each other of the subset states and of the current state; and

store the current first avatar state in the storage medium associated with the engagement with the second avatar.

16. The method of claim 15, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to:

retrieve the subset states as a function of a prior engagement of the second avatar with the first avatar, the subset states comprising a state of the first avatar during the prior engagement with the second avatar; and

display the state of the first avatar during the prior engagement to the second user;

wherein the subset states comprise an intervening avatar state of the first avatar associated with a time between a current engagement time and a time of the prior engagement, and wherein the computer system is configured to display the intervening avatar state visually distinct from another display of each other of the subset states and of the current state.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each first avatar subset state comprises a visual avatar appearance attribute, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to:

instigate a selecting and a retrieving of a state of the first avatar during a prior engagement of the first avatar with a third avatar of a third virtual universe user from the storage medium in response to the third avatar engaging the first avatar, the third avatar prior engagement state different from each of the subset states and the current state; and

visually display the third avatar prior engagement state to the third user while simultaneously displaying a visually distinct one of the subset states to the second user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each subset state comprises a discreet attribute value of an object associated with the first user, each subset state attribute value associated with an attribute value of another object comparable to the associated object, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to:

enable the second user to specify a time period; and

visually display the selected subset states to the second user by visually comparing the discreet attribute value of each displayed subset state with the associated another object attribute value.

19. A programmable device comprising:

a processing means;

a memory means in communication with the processing means, the memory means comprising a logic component; and

a network interface in communication with the processing means, the memory and a virtual universe domain;

wherein the processing means is configured to;

store each of a plurality of avatar states of a first avatar of a first virtual universe user in as storage means as a function of a time of each state;

in response to a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging the first avatar within the virtual universe domain, the engaged first avatar having a current state, instigate a selecting and a retrieving of a subset of the plurality of first avatar states from the storage means, each of the subset states different from each other and the current state;

visually display the selected subset states to the second user, wherein each displayed state is visually distinct from another display of each other of the subset states and of the current state; and

store the current first avatar state in the storage means associated with the engagement with the second avatar.

20. The programmable device of claim 19, wherein each first avatar subset state comprises a visual avatar appearance attribute, and wherein the processing means is configured to:

retrieve the subset states as a function of a prior engagement of the second avatar and the first avatar, the subset states comprising a state of the first avatar during the prior engagement with the second avatar;

select and a retrieve a state of the first avatar during a prior engagement of the first avatar with a third avatar of a third virtual universe user from the storage means in response to the third avatar engaging the first avatar within the virtual universe domain, the third user prior engagement state different from each of the subset states and the current state; and

cause a display of the third avatar prior engagement state to the third user while simultaneously causing a display of a visually distinct one of the subset states to the second user.