System and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space
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.
1. A client device enabling a first user controlling a first avatar in a virtual space to perform actions in the virtual space, the virtual space comprising a plurality of avatars of a plurality of other users, each user of the plurality of other users being associated with an avatar representing said each user in the virtual space, the first user being associated with the first avatar, the client device comprising:
an input device;
a display device;
one or more data storage devices, wherein the one or more storage devices store:
instructions, and
a rooms database defining constraints on movements of the first avatar in the virtual space, the rooms database comprising data defining appearances of a plurality of objects in the virtual space, the plurality of objects comprising a first object;
a processor programmed using the instructions to:
move the first avatar in the virtual world in response to first avatar positioning data received through the input device,
determine one or more avatars of the other users displayable on the display device, and
cause an action to be performed in response to a selection of the first object through the input device, wherein the first object comprises a first surface having an appearance conveying a message, and the message refers to the action.
2. A client device according to claim 1 , wherein the message comprises text.
3. A client device according to claim 2 , wherein the selection is made by clicking on the first surface.
4. A client device according to claim 2 , wherein the first object is three-dimensional.
5. A client device according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more storage devices further store an avatar image database comprising entries for rendering at least some avatars.
6. A client device according to claim 4 , wherein the first avatar and the plurality of other avatars are three-dimensional avatars.
7. A client device according to claim 1 , wherein the action comprises displaying additional information.
8. A client device according to claim 1 , wherein the rooms database stores data obtained from a central server.
9. A client device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed using the instructions to determine the one or more avatars of the other users displayable on the display device associated with the client device based on computing and networking resources of the client device.
10. A method fur a first user controlling a first avatar of a virtual space perform actions in the virtual space, the virtual space comprising a plurality of avatars of a plurality of other users, each user of the plurality of other users being associated with an avatar representing said each user in the virtual space, the first user being associated with the first avatar, the method comprising steps of:
storing a rooms database defining constraints on movements of the first avatar in the virtual space, the rooms database comprising data defining appearances of a plurality of objects in the virtual space, the plurality of objects comprising a first object;
moving the first avatar in the virtual world in response to first avatar positioning data received through an input device associated with a client device;
determining one or more avatars of the other users displayable on as display device associated with the client device;
receiving through the input device a selection of the first object; and
causing an action to be performed in response to the selection, wherein the first object comprises a first surface having an appearance comprising text conveying a message, and the message refers to the action.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein each step of the plurality of steps is performed by the client device.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the selection is made by clicking on the first surface.
13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the first object is three-dimensional.
14. A method according to claim 13 , the method further comprising:
storing at the client device an avatar image database comprising entries for rendering at least some avatars.
15. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the first avatar and the plurality of other avatars are three-dimensional avatars.
16. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the action comprises displaying additional information.
17. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of determining comprises determining the one or more avatars of the other users displayable on the display device based on computing and networking resources of the client device.
18. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising receiving at the client device the rooms database from a central server over a computer network.
19. An article of manufacture comprising a machine readable memory device storing computer code for performing a method for a first user controlling to first avatar of it virtual space to perform actions in the virtual space, the virtual space comprising a plurality of avatars of a plurality of other users, each user of the plurality of other users being associated with an avatar representing said each user in the virtual space, the first user being associated with the first avatar, the method comprising steps of:
storing at a client device a rooms database defining constraints on movements of the first avatar in the virtual space, the rooms database comprising data defining appearances of a plurality of objects in the virtual space, the plurality of objects comprising a first object;
moving the first avatar in the virtual world in response to first avatar positioning data received through the input device;
determining at the client device one or more avatars of the other users displayable on a display device associated with the client device;
receiving by the client device through an input device associated with the client device a selection of the first object; and
causing an action to be performed in response to the selection, wherein the first object corn rises a first surface having an it appearance conveying a message, and the message refers to the action.
20. An article of manufacture according to claim 19 , wherein the selection is made by clicking on the first object.
21. An article of manufacture according to claim 19 , wherein the action comprises displaying additional information.
22. An article of manufacture according to claim 19 , wherein the first object is three-dimensional.
23. An article of manufacture according to claim 22 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing at the client device an avatar image database comprising entries for rendering at least some avatars.
24. An article of manufacture according to claim 22 , wherein the first avatar and the plurality of other avatars are three-dimensional avatars.
25. An article of manufacture according to claim 19 , wherein the step of determining comprises determining the one or more avatars of the other users displayable on the display device based on computing and networking resources of the client device.
26. An article of manufacture according to claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises receiving at the client device the rooms database from a central server over a computer network.