Granted Patent B2

US 12,208,324 · App. 17/339,872 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Inventors: Brian Mark Shuster (Vancouver, CA); Gary Stephen Shuster (Vancouver, CA)

Assignee: Utherverse Gaming LLC

A63F13/30A63F13/20A63F13/35A63F13/358A63F13/79G06T7/20G06T13/40G06T15/08G06T17/00G06T19/003G06T19/006G06T19/20A63F13/5252A63F2300/407A63F2300/5533A63F2300/5553A63F2300/8082G06T2200/04G06T2215/12G06T2219/024

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A method for populating a virtual environment, comprising:

modeling, in computer memory, a plurality of parallel instances of a virtual space, wherein each parallel instance of the plurality of parallel instances replicates at least a portion of the virtual space;

modeling, in computer memory, a common space in relation to the plurality of parallel instances;

modeling, in computer memory, an object inside the common space for a time period, wherein:

the time period starts at a first time corresponding to when the object is added to the common space;

the time period ends at a second time corresponding to when the object is removed from the common space;

the object moves from a first position in the common space to a second position in the common space within the time period; and

the object is visible from viewpoints located inside each of the plurality of parallel instances during the entire time period;

assigning, in the computer memory, each human-controlled avatar of a plurality of human-controlled avatars to one of the parallel instances so that each human-controlled avatar populates one of the parallel instances and each of the parallel instances is populated by a subset of the plurality of human-controlled avatars, wherein:

the assigning limits a total number of the plurality of human-controlled avatars in each of the subsets;

a first human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars is assigned to a first parallel instance;

a second human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars is assigned to a second parallel instance; and

the first human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars and the second human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human controlled avatars can simultaneously observe the object; and

modeling actions of each human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars in response to input from respective corresponding ones of a plurality of client devices to provide data in the computer memory, the data configured to enable the client devices to output an animated display of a corresponding one of the parallel instances and human-controlled avatars assigned thereto.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a communication channel between human-controlled avatars populating different ones of the plurality of parallel instances.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising relocating the first human-controlled avatar from the first parallel instance to the second parallel instance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parallel instances are simultaneously existing dimensions in a virtual realty universe, wherein each instance is a recognizable counterpart of the virtual space.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object is an automated entity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common space is a bounded area or portion of multiple dimensions that provides for real time interactions with multiple parallel dimensions or instances.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars and the second human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human controlled avatars can simultaneously interact with the object.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removal of the object from the common space is independent of any actions performed by the plurality of human-controlled avatars.

9. A method for populating a virtual environment, comprising:

storing, in computer memory, data for a plurality of parallel instances of a virtual space, wherein each parallel instance of the plurality of parallel instances comprises a copy of at least a portion of the virtual space;

modeling, in computer memory, a common space in relation to the plurality of parallel instances;

modeling, in computer memory, an object inside the common space for a time period, wherein:

the time period starts at a first time corresponding to when the object is added to the common space;

the time period ends at a second time corresponding to when the object is removed from the common space;

the object moves from a first position in the common space to a second position in the common space within the time period; and

the object is visible from viewpoints located inside each of the plurality of parallel instances during the entire time period;

assigning, in the computer memory, each human-controlled avatar of a plurality of human-controlled avatars to one of the parallel instances so that each human-controlled avatar populates one of the parallel instances and each of the parallel instances is populated by a subset of the plurality of human-controlled avatars, wherein:

the assigning limits a total number of the plurality of human-controlled avatars in each of the parallel instances;

a first human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars is assigned to a first parallel instance;

a second human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars is assigned to a second parallel instance; and

the first human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars and the second human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human controlled avatars can simultaneously observe the object; and

in response to receiving data indicating actions of each human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars from respective corresponding ones of a plurality of client devices, providing data in the computer memory, the data configured to enable the client devices to output an animated display of a corresponding one of the parallel instances and human-controlled avatars assigned thereto.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing a communication channel between human-controlled avatars populating different ones of the plurality of parallel instances.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising relocating the first human-controlled avatar from the first parallel instance to the second parallel instance.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of parallel instances are simultaneously existing dimensions in a virtual realty universe, wherein each instance is a recognizable counterpart of the virtual space.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the object is an automated entity.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the common space is a bounded area or portion of multiple dimensions that provides for real time interactions with multiple parallel dimensions or instances.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human-controlled avatars and the second human-controlled avatar of the plurality of human controlled avatars can simultaneously interact with the object.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the removal of the object from the common space is independent of any actions performed by the plurality of human-controlled avatars.

Assignments (5)

Continuity (11)

References Cited (216)