Abstract
The present invention provides a highly scalable architecture for a three-dimensional graphical, multi-user, interactive virtual world system. A plurality of users can 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 world. 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 which provides position 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.
Patent number: 6219045
Filing date: Nov 12, 1996
Issue date: Apr 17, 2001
Inventors: Dave Leahy, Judith Challinger, B. Thomas Adler, S. Mitra Ardon
Assignees: Worlds, Inc.
Primary Examiner: Cao H. Nguyen
U.S. Classification
345/331; 709/204; 345/355
International Classification
G06F 1516