System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space
US7493558B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 2, 2006 |
| Grant date | Feb 17, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 20, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/329
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.