System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space

• US 8,145,998 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Worlds Online Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Worlds Online Incorporated
• Inventors: Ardon, S. Mitra, Leahy, Dave, Challinger, Judith, Adler, B. Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/406,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715853-855, 715736-738, 715/717, 715/756, 715751-753, 715/740, 715/704, 715/762
• 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 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• 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 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The present invention provides a highly scalable architecture for a three-dimensional graphical, multi-user, interactive virtual world system. In a preferred embodiment a plurality of users interact in the three-dimensional, computer-generated graphical space where each user executes a client process to view a virtual world from the perspective of that user. The virtual world shows avatars representing the other users who are neighbors of the user viewing the virtual word. In order that the view can be updated to reflect the motion of the remote user'"'"'s avatars, motion information is transmitted to a central server process which provides positions updates to client processes for neighbors of the user at that client process. The client process also uses an environment database to determine which background objects to render as well as to limit the movement of the user'"'"'s avatar.

Claims

1. A method for displaying interactions of a local user avatar of a local user and a plurality of remote user avatars of remote users interacting in a virtual environment, the method comprising:

receiving, at a client processor associated with the local user, positions associated with less than all of the remote user avatars in one or more interaction rooms of the virtual environment, wherein the client processor does not receive position information associated with at least some of the remote user avatars in the one or more rooms of the virtual environment, each avatar of the at least some of the remote user avatars failing to satisfy a condition imposed on displaying remote avatars to the local user;

generating, on a graphic display associated with the client processor, a rendering showing position of at least one remote user avatar; and

switching between a rendering on the graphic display that shows at least a portion of the virtual environment to the local user from a perspective of one of the remote user avatars and a rendering that allows the local user to view the local user avatar in the virtual environment.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the plurality of avatars on a display device associated with the client processor.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the packet is a TCP/IP packet or a UDP packet.

2. A system for displaying interactions in a virtual world among a local user avatar of a local user and a plurality of remote user avatars of remote users, comprising:

a database storing information associated with one or more avatars, each user being associated with a three dimensional avatar;

a memory storing instructions; and

a first processor programmed using the instructions to;

receive position information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars in one or more interaction rooms of the virtual world, wherein the processor does not receive position information associated with at least some of the remote user avatars in the virtual world, each avatar of the at least some of the remote user avatars failing to satisfy a condition,

receive orientation information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, wherein the processor does not receive orientation information associated with at least some of the remote user avatars in the virtual world,

generate on a graphic display a rendering showing the position and orientation of at least one remote user avatar, and

switch between a rendering on the graphic display that shows the virtual world to the local user from a third user perspective and a rendering that allows the local user to view the local user avatar in the virtual world.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the local user is associated with a custom avatar created based on input from the local user.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the local user is associated with an avatar selected from a fixed avatar image database.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the orientation information is further associated with a plurality of views of an avatar at different angles.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of views comprises a plurality of image panels.

7. The system according to claim 2, further comprising an audio processor coupled to the first processor for generating and routing messages associated with audio signals received from a remote user to an audio device.

8. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a primitives database storing information describing how to render an object.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first processor is further programmed to receive input from the local user associated with movement of the local user avatar and determine the movement of the local user avatar relative to objects in the virtual world based on a non-linear model.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the non-linear model comprises model based on squared forward movement.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first processor is further programmed to limit the number of remote user avatars shown on the graphic display based on the proximity of the remote user avatars relative to the local user avatar.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first processor is further programmed to limit the number of remote user avatars shown on the graphic display based on the orientation of the remote user avatars relative to the local user avatar.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first processor is further programmed to limit the number of remote user avatars shown on the graphic display based on computing resources available to the local user graphic display.

14. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first processor is further programmed to limit the number of remote user avatars shown on the graphic display based on a selection made by the local user.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the selection is independent of the relative position of the local avatar and the remote user avatars not shown on the graphic display.

16. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a rooms database containing information describing a plurality of rooms associated with the virtual world.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first processor is further programmed to allow an avatar to teleport between the rooms associated with the virtual world.

18. A system for displaying interactions in a virtual world among a local user and a plurality of remote users, comprising:

a database storing information associated with one or more avatars, each user being associated with a three dimensional avatar;

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor programmed using the instructions to;

receive position information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars in one or more interaction rooms of the virtual world, wherein the processor does not receive position information associated with at least some of the remote user avatars in the virtual world, each avatar of the at least some of the remote user avatars failing to satisfy a condition,

receive orientation information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars, wherein the processor does not receive orientation information associated with at least some of the remote user avatars in the virtual world,

generate on a graphic display a rendering of a perspective view of the virtual world in three dimensions which includes three dimensional renderings of the less than all of the remote user avatars based on the received orientation and position information, and

change in three dimensions the perspective view of the rendering on the graphic display of the virtual world in response to user input.

19. A system for displaying interactions in a virtual world among a local user and a plurality of remote users, the system comprising:

a database storing information associated with one or more avatars, each user being associated with a three dimensional avatar;

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor programmed using the instructions to;

receive position information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars in one or more rooms of the virtual world where user interactions take place, wherein the processor does not receive position information associated with at least some of the remote user avatars in the virtual world,

receive orientation information associated with less than all of the remote user avatars in the one or more rooms of the virtual world where user interactions take place, wherein the processor does not receive orientation information associated with at least some of the remote user avatars in the virtual world,

generate on a graphic display a rendering showing the position and orientation of at least one remote user avatar, and

switch between a rendering in which all of a perspective view of a local user avatar of the local user is displayed and a rendering in which less than all of the perspective view is displayed.