Time dependent virtual universe avatar rendering

• US 8,223,156 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Dawson, Christopher J., Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Said
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Wynton S
• Application Number:
  US12/238,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 345473-474, 345/633, 345/636
• 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:

a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging a first avatar of a first user in a virtual universe domain, wherein the engaged first avatar is graphically displayed to the second user in an initial visual appearance state comprising an initial appearance of a visual attribute;

selecting and retrieving at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state of the first avatar as a function of an associated time of a prior engagement, wherein the at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state was visually displayed to the second avatar user within the virtual universe domain during the associated prior engagement with the first avatar and comprises another appearance of the visual attribute that is different from and visually distinct from the initial appearance of the visual attribute, wherein the at least one another visual appearance state is selected from at least one previous appearance state of the first avatar stored in a storage medium, wherein each of the at least one previous appearance states have different visually and distinct display appearances of the visual attribute and are stored in the storage medium in association with different respective times that they were visually displayed to a user within the virtual universe domain;

graphically displaying the engaged first avatar to the second user in the selected and retrieved at least one other visual appearance state to the second user in association with the time of the prior engagement; and

storing the initial visual appearance of the first avatar in the storage medium associated with a time of display of the initial visual appearance state to the second avatar during the engaging.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one previous appearance state of the first avatar is a plurality of previous appearance states comprising an intervening state of the first avatar associated with an intervening time between the current engagement time and the time of the prior engagement;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

displaying the intervening avatar state in association with the intervening time and visually distinct from the displaying of the prior engagement visual state of the first avatar during the prior engagement and the current initial visual state.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying each of the initial, intervening and prior engagement visual appearance states in response to the second user scrolling through each of the first avatar initial intervening and prior engagement visual appearance states.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

a third avatar of a third virtual universe user engaging the first avatar simultaneously with the engaging of the second user avatar;

the engaging with the third avatar instigating a selecting and a retrieving of a visual appearance state of the first avatar from the storage medium that was visually displayed to the third avatar during a prior engagement of the first avatar with the third avatar and that is stored in the storage medium in association with a time of the prior engagement with the third avatar, wherein the retrieved third avatar prior engagement visual appearance state is different and visually distinct from the first avatar initial and second avatar prior engagement visual appearance state; and

visually displaying the first avatar in the retrieved third avatar prior engagement visual appearance state to the third user while simultaneously displaying the first avatar initial or the second avatar prior engagement visual appearance states to the second user.

5. The method of claim 2, 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 first avatar initial, intervening and prior engagement visual appearance states.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

visually displaying the first avatar initial, intervening and prior engagement visual appearance states to the second user in response to the first avatar moving into a state progression display area within a graphic virtual universe display domain of the second user.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising the second user specifying a time period, wherein the selecting and the retrieving of the first avatar initial, intervening and prior engagement visual appearance states is a function of their respective associated times being within specified time period.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the visually distinct visual attribute comprises at least one of visually distinct character facial feature, height, clothing, skin color, skin tone, body girth, body height, hair and indicated character capability attributes.

9. A method for providing a service for displaying multiple virtual universe avatar states, the method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure comprising a processing unit in communication with a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage device, wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the tangible computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory;

in response to a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging a first avatar of a first user in a virtual universe domain, graphically displays the engaged first avatar to the second user in an initial visual appearance state comprising an initial appearance of a visual attribute;

selects and retrieves at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state of the first avatar as a function of an associated time of a prior engagement, wherein the at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state was visually displayed to the second avatar user within the virtual universe domain during the associated prior engagement with the first avatar and comprises another appearance of the visual attribute that is different from and visually distinct from the initial appearance of the visual attribute, wherein the at least one another visual appearance state is selected from at least one previous appearance state of the first avatar stored in a storage medium, wherein each of the at least one previous appearance states have different visually and distinct display appearances of the visual attribute and are stored in the storage medium in association with different respective times that they were visually displayed to a user within the virtual universe domain;

graphically displays the prior engagement visual appearance state of the first avatar during the prior engagement to the second user in association with the time of the prior engagement; and

stores the initial visual appearance of the first avatar in the storage medium associated with a time of display of the initial visual appearance state to the second avatar during the engagement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the least one previous appearance state of the first avatar is a plurality of previous appearance states comprising an intervening state of the first avatar associated with an intervening time between the current engagement time and the time of the prior engagement;

and

wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions, further;

displays the intervening avatar state in association with the intervening time and visually distinct from the displaying of the prior engagement visual state of the first avatar during the prior engagement and the current initial visual state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the visually distinct visual attribute comprises at least one of visually distinct character facial feature, height, clothing, skin color, skin tone, body girth, body height, hair and indicated character capability attributes.

12. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to;

in response to a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging a first avatar of a first user in a virtual universe domain, graphically display the engaged first avatar to the second user in an initial visual appearance state comprising an initial appearance of a visual attribute;

select and retrieve at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state of the first avatar as a function of an associated time of a prior engagement, wherein the at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state was visually displayed to the second avatar user within the virtual universe domain during the associated prior engagement with the first avatar and comprises another appearance of the visual attribute that is different from and visually distinct from the initial appearance of the visual attribute, wherein the at least one another visual appearance state is selected from at least one previous appearance state of the first avatar stored in a storage medium, wherein each of the at least one previous appearance states have different visually and distinct display appearances of the visual attribute and are stored in the storage medium in association with different respective times that they were visually displayed to a user within the virtual universe domain;

graphically display the prior engagement visual appearance state of the first avatar during the prior engagement to the second user in association with the time of the prior engagement; and

store the initial visual appearance of the first avatar in the storage medium associated with a time of display of the initial visual appearance state to the second avatar during the engagement.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the least one previous appearance state of the first avatar is a plurality of previous appearance states comprising an intervening state of the first avatar associated with an intervening time between the current engagement time and the time of the prior engagement;

and

wherein the computer readable program code instructions, when executed by the computer processor, further cause the computer processor to display the intervening avatar state in association with the intervening time and visually distinct from the displaying of the prior engagement visual state of the first avatar during the prior engagement and the current initial visual state.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the visually distinct visual attribute comprises at least one of visually distinct character facial feature, height, clothing, skin color, skin tone, body girth, body height, hair and indicated character capability attributes.

15. A system, comprising:

a processing unit in communication with a computer readable memory and a tangible computer-readable storage device;

wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the tangible computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory;

in response to a second avatar of a second virtual universe user engaging a first avatar of a first user in a virtual universe domain, graphically displays the engaged first avatar to the second user in an initial visual appearance state comprising an initial appearance of a visual attribute;

selects and retrieves at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state of the first avatar as a function of an associated time of a prior engagement, wherein the at least one other prior engagement visual appearance state was visually displayed to the second avatar user within the virtual universe domain during the associated prior engagement with the first avatar and comprises another appearance of the visual attribute that is different from and visually distinct from the initial appearance of the visual attribute, wherein the at least one another visual appearance state is selected from at least one previous appearance state of the first avatar stored in a storage medium, wherein each of the at least one previous appearance states have different visually and distinct display appearances of the visual attribute and are stored in the storage medium in association with different respective times that they were visually displayed to a user within the virtual universe domain;

graphically displays the prior engagement visual appearance state of the first avatar during the prior engagement to the second user in association with the time of the prior engagement; and

stores the initial visual appearance of the first avatar in the storage medium associated with a time of display of the initial visual appearance state to the second avatar during the engagement.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the least one previous appearance state of the first avatar is a plurality of previous appearance states comprising an intervening state of the first avatar associated with an intervening time between the current engagement time and the time of the prior engagement;

and

wherein the processing unit, when executing the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory, further displays the intervening avatar state in association with the intervening time and visually distinct from the displaying of the prior engagement visual state of the first avatar during the prior engagement and the current initial visual state.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the visually distinct visual attribute comprises at least one of visually distinct character facial feature, height, clothing, skin color, skin tone, body girth, body height, hair and indicated character capability attributes.