Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
  • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
  • A63F13/35—Details of game servers
  • A63F13/352—Details of game servers involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• • A63F13/12—
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
  • A63F13/30—Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to the creation and management of virtual digital spaces. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for creating and managing virtual universes, authorizing simultaneous and interactive access of the virtual universe to several users via a network.
• the invention also relates to a system making it possible to implement such a method.
• Methods and systems of the type mentioned above are already known.
• Such a virtual object is designated by the term "avatar”.
• An avatar thus constitutes a particular virtual object.
• FIG. 1 thus schematically represents a known system, in which two terminals PC1, PC2 associated with two different respective users are connected to the same network 10.
• Network 10 can be any public or private network. It can for example be the world wide web.
• a server S in association with which the data of a virtual space E is stored, is connected to this same network.
• the PC1 and PC2 terminals can be any type of digital terminal provided with a memory, processing means, an interface allowing a user to enter instructions (for example a keyboard), and means of connection to the network. 10.
• the terminals also include a visual interface (of the screen type) allowing a user to view the virtual space.
• a visual interface of the screen type
• the terminals can thus be personal computers, but also any type of device meeting the above criteria (personal assistant, mobile phone, game console, etc.).
• the user associated with the terminal can access virtual space E, the user associated with the terminal.
• PC1 downloads via the network 10 the data from space E to its terminal PC1.
• the user has opened a session on the server S.
• means are provided at the server S to create an avatar A1 of the terminal PC1, that is to say a virtual object capable of moving in space E.
• the server S stores, in association with the avatar A1: • the network address of the terminal PC1 (address which is typically an IP address - Internet Protocol), as well as “the coordinates of A1 in space E.
• space E is associated with a “physical” coordinate system which corresponds to a coordinate system such as those which allow users to locate themselves in the real world (typically, but not limited to, a two-dimensional coordinate system of type (OXY ) or of type (latitude, longitude), or a three-dimensional coordinate system of type (OXYZ) or of type (latitude, longitude, altitude)).
• a coordinate system such as those which allow users to locate themselves in the real world (typically, but not limited to, a two-dimensional coordinate system of type (OXY ) or of type (latitude, longitude), or a three-dimensional coordinate system of type (OXYZ) or of type (latitude, longitude, altitude)).
• OXY two-dimensional coordinate system of type
• OXYZ three-dimensional coordinate system of type
• the coordinates of the avatar A1 are thus permanently stored in a memory associated with the server S, with the network address of the terminal PC1.
• the user associated with the terminal PC1 can, by entering appropriate instructions on this terminal, order actions of the avatar A1 (movement in space E or other actions), as well as changes of state of this avatar.
• Resources can also be associated with avatar A1.
• These resources can be of any type (multimedia object for example, but also any type of attribute or behavior law specific to the avatar), and can be stored anywhere in the network 10.
• Each resource is thus identified in the network by an address (typically of URL type according to the English acronym of Uniform Resource Locator).
• This user can also view the effects of such instructions on his terminal PC1.
• PC1 can also include the representation of other avatars, associated with other terminals and whose movements, actions and changes of state are controlled by other users.
• the avatar (here A1) associated with the terminal constitutes a “communication channel” from the server to the terminal PC1: each time there is a change in space E (introduction or disappearance of an avatar, change of position or status of an avatar, or any other change in the environment, etc.), the change is signaled by a message from the server S addressed to the terminals which have logged in to it.
• Each terminal being identified by its network address stored in the server S in association with the corresponding avatar, the terminals effectively receive such messages.
• each user can thus view on their terminal the virtual space, with the other avatars corresponding to the other users.
• They can also control the actions of their avatar, which can also interact with space, space objects, and other avatars.
• the known systems and methods which operate in particular according to the principles set out above with respect to FIG. 1 allow a plurality of users to share a virtual experience (for video game purposes for example, but also simulation for all purposes - industrial, economic or other).
• This limitation may result, among other things, in the limitation
• Physical dimensions of the virtual space in which a user can navigate, and / or the quality of the representation (level of detail, textures, number of avatars - and more generally of virtual objects - can be included in the space ).
• An object of the invention is to allow these limitations to be overcome.
• the invention provides a method for creating and managing virtual universes, allowing simultaneous and interactive access of the virtual universe to several users via a network, characterized in that that a common coordinate system is associated with the virtual universe and the virtual spaces it contains, and in that the method comprises:
• the method comprises the connection of a respective terminal of each user with a universe management server, which comprises means for creating an avatar for the user that the user will be able to move around in the universe,
• each user can move his avatar between elementary spaces of the virtual universe, by entering in his terminal an instruction to move the avatar or an instruction of geographic coordinates, the universe management server then ensuring:
• Said sending of data from the universe management server to the user's terminal is carried out as a function of the movement instructions supplied by the user to his terminal,
• the user can control the memorization of the coordinates of a specific point of an elementary virtual space, and the user can then call these memorized coordinates,
• the process includes:> The direct call from the server designated by the network address in order to transfer the avatar to this new server,> The introduction of the new avatar in the new space , at the desired point,
• Said storage is made in association with the avatar, or by storing this information on the terminal,
• FIG. 2a is a diagram illustrating a general principle of spatial division making it possible to associate with different virtual spaces of a virtual universe spatial coordinates, this spatial division being able to implement different levels of division, the cells of which form a more spatial partition. or less detailed,
• FIG. 2b illustrates the cooperation of one of the cutting levels mentioned above with the virtual universe, this cooperation making it possible to locate the virtual spaces of the virtual universe spatially
• FIG. 3 represents a tree structure organized according to the levels mentioned above, in which the nodes of the tree structure correspond to the cells of the different levels of division mentioned above, and in which network addresses corresponding to servers are associated with certain nodes.
• FIG. 2a there is shown very schematically a virtual universe U, which in this case is two-dimensional.
• the universe U includes, as shown in FIG. 2a, a plurality of virtual spaces E1, E2, ... En. These spaces will be called elementary spaces in this text, and they will be designated collectively by the reference Ei.
• Each space Ei is included in the universe U.
• the spaces Ei can form a spatial (or "geographical", these two terms being equivalent in the present text) partition of the universe U (that is to say that their meeting is equivalent to the universe U). It is this configuration which is represented in FIGS. 2a and 2b.
• each space Ei can have any shape and orientation - there is no need to align the boundaries of the spaces Ei in any direction.
• Each space Ei can thus have borders and arbitrary dimensions.
• each elementary space is defined by: • its spatial borders (we will find later in this text a description of the data associated with the borders of each space, which include the network addresses of the two spaces located on each side of the border),
• the space data is stored on a network server •
• the data of each space can be stored on a respective server on the network.
• each server hosting the data in an Ei space includes a network address (of the IP address type).
• FIG. 2a represents above the universe U a plurality of grids G1, G2, G3.
• Each of these grids corresponds to a different partition of the universe U. These partitions are defined by cells associated with each grid. More precisely, in the example of FIG. 2a, the grid G1 defines a general framework corresponding to the spatial boundaries of the universe U. This grid G1 thus only has one cell, referenced C.
• the universe U can therefore have any shape (curved surface, regular or not, and more generally universe of any shape and dimensions).
• the common spatial coordinate system is used to define the limits of the cells (and also as we will see to allow users to find their bearings in the universe U and in the spaces it contains).
• coordinates of type X, Y
• latitude, longitude a notion of time beam
• time beam like the terrestrial reference UTM
• G1 four cells C1, C2, C3, C4 are thus defined.
• G3 therefore corresponds to a different partition from grid G1, performed at a finer level of detail: G3 somehow corresponds to a "zoom" on grid G1. Note here that the partition of G3 is not regular
• the G3 grid thus includes:
• the grids G1 to G3 thus form a set of ordered grids constituted according to the principle for example of “quadtree” or “octree” (one will thus find at the address
• the grid G1 is a “high level” grid, which defines the external boundaries of the universe that we wish to make available to users,
• the grid G2 is a grid of immediately lower level, the cells of which “zoom” on certain parts of the grid G1 in order to define more detailed cells (in the example of FIG. 2a, this zoom is carried out in four equal quarters - however any distribution of the space corresponding to the grid G2 - and therefore to the universe U - is possible), "the grid G3 being a grid of even lower level, which defines even more detailed cells.
• the ordering of the grids defines a tree structure, whose nodes correspond to the cells.
• a tree structure is schematically exposed in FIG. 3.
• On this tree are represented in the form of nodes the cells associated with the three grids G1 to G3.
• the names of the grids are recalled next to each corresponding level of tree structure.
• the universe U is represented with its elementary spaces, on which is superimposed the grid of the lowest level (G3 in this case - the thickness of the limits of the cells of G3 has been exaggerated for better view them).
• nodes which correspond to the most detailed level cells for a given spatial area, and which we will name “leaves” of the tree structure - in the rest of this text for the sake of simplification we will assimilate the leaf, the associated cell and the corresponding tree node) are associated with additional information.
• each elementary space thus covered at least partially by a sheet the following are stored in association with the sheet: • an identifier of the elementary space, • the network address of the server hosting the data of this elementary space, • information on the boundaries of space.
• This information is in the form of a header corresponding to each boundary segment of the space (each boundary segment of the space being parameterized by an equation implementing the defined coordinate system).
• Each header corresponding to a border segment includes:
• this information includes the two network addresses of the two servers on which the data of the two respective spaces are stored.
• universe U can be a space of any dimension, and that the example described here in detail and involving a universe U in two dimensions is in no way limiting.
• each header corresponding to a border segment comprises, in addition to the geometric definition of the border segment, information making it possible to identify each of the adjacent elementary spaces to the border segment (this information thus comprising the network addresses of each of the servers on which the data of the respective spaces are stored, the number of which is thus not limited to two. It should however be specified that in a variant of the invention the header does not directly contain the network addresses of the adjacent elementary spaces; in this case the header contains information allowing access to these network addresses.).
• each sheet is associated with a respective network address, which is the network address at which said data associated with the sheet are stored.
• the data of each sheet can thus be stored on an individual server having an address different from that of the other servers corresponding to the other sheets.
• certain server addresses for data of 5 different sheets can be the same (several sheets have their data stored on the same server).
• each node of the tree structure (that is to say each cell of the set of grids G1, G2, G3) can be associated itself with a network address, even if it is not not a lower level node (of a leaf).
• Such an address is called an intermediate node address.
• the user knows the network address of said server.
• a universe management server For the user, it constitutes a “gateway” to the U universe.
• universe management server to which the user is connected comprises means for connecting himself to each of the servers hosting the data of the various elementary spaces Ei.
• the management program When the user connects to the universe management server, the management program creates an “avatar” for the user, ie a virtual object that the user will be able to move in the universe U .
• the geographic coordinate system of the universe U is the only repository known by the user's terminal, the network addresses of the various servers corresponding to the various elementary spaces not being known to this terminal: the user only needs to know a network address, that of the universe management server to which it wishes to connect.
• an instruction to move the avatar typically corresponding to a speed vector in the universe U
• an instruction for geographic coordinates instruction indicating the coordinates of the universe U to which the user wants to locate his avatar
• Each universe management server can also be a server of the network with which an elementary space is associated.
• each server on the network which stores the data of an elementary space can be a universe management server - that is to say that the universe management program U, which allows to manage the displacements, actions and changes of state of the avatars of the users in the various elementary spaces of the universe U.
• the user cannot “force” a geographic address in the system (that is to say spatial coordinates of P “virtual place” which he wishes to make enter an avatar in the universe U).
• the universe management server to which the user is initially connected which imposes a geographic framework (this imposed geographic framework typically corresponding to the elementary space associated with the universe management server concerned ).
• the user's avatar retrieves the data from this profile.
• the avatar can enter a location specific to the user, and with a state and conditions also specific: for example a fixed origin location can be assigned to this user, or the avatar can enter the universe U in a geographical location corresponding to the last movement of the user in the virtual universe U during his last connection,
• a second variant implementation of the invention it is however possible to allow the user to "force" geographic coordinates when he first connects to a universe management server.
• these initial coordinates can be provided automatically by a device of the GPS type, connected to the network (via the terminal, or else the GPS constituting itself the terminal).
• the initial coordinates can be the real coordinates where the user is located (in the case of a universe U representing the surface of the earth, for example).
• the user must therefore provide the universe management server, via his terminal, the initial spatial coordinates of the virtual place to which he wishes to make an avatar enter the universe. U.
• the universe management server to which the user has connected causes a search to be made in the tree structure of the grids, to identify the sheet containing the initial coordinates.
• this universe management server can use any known technique.
• the universe management server sends to the user's terminal the network address of cell C of the highest level grid (we said that the cells which are not leaves may have intermediate node addresses).
• the terminal connects directly to this address and the search is continued with the initial coordinates: the server associated with cell C also receives these initial coordinates, and determines, thanks to a program loaded on all the servers of the system, that of the cells of lower level which contains the point of the corresponding universe (for this purpose, the addresses of intermediate node of the cells of lower level which represent the partition of cell C are known to the server associated with cell C).
• the intermediate node address of the selected lower level cell is then transmitted to the user's terminal, which connects directly to the server of this last address.
• the process then continues by descending the levels of the tree structure, the user terminal successively connecting to the servers of the addresses of intermediate nodes of descending level, until connecting to the server corresponding to the sheet sought.
• the universe management server itself performs the search for the terminal, by calling that of the servers associated with an intermediate node address which corresponds to the lower level node containing the initial coordinates, this server selecting itself a lower level server, etc. until identifying the network address of the sought-after sheet, which is transmitted to the terminal. The terminal will then connect directly to this address.
• the server associated with the sheet Once connected to the server associated with the sheet sought, the user's terminal sends this server the initial contact details. Based on these initial coordinates, the server associated with the sheet identifies the elementary space which contains the point corresponding to these initial coordinates.
• the server associated with the sheet can thus identify the elementary space which contains the point corresponding to the initial coordinates. It has also been said that in association with the boundary characteristics of each space, the network address hosting the data of the space is stored.
• the terminal has knowledge of this network address of the elementary space (this address being transmitted to it by the sheet server).
• the terminal will then connect to the server corresponding to the network address of the elementary space.
• the terminal remains connected only to the universe management server throughout its session, the universe management server connecting itself to the elementary space servers called In both cases, this server will then create an avatar for the user, as in the prior art described in the introduction to this text.
• an avatar already created by the user has been memorized by the universe management server (in the manner of an avatar "cookie", which would record the characteristics and properties of the avatar) - in this case the data of this avatar can be automatically loaded into the server corresponding to the network address of the elementary space.
• the user's terminal will also load data from the elementary space to the server associated with the elementary space, in a similar manner to what occurs in the prior art.
• the terminal does not load all of the data of the elementary space into its memory (whereas this is the case in the systems known from the state of the technical).
• the terminal only loads the data necessary for the reconstruction of the portions of the elementary space which must be visible to the user (the dimensions of these portions varying according to the type of display - by example overflight or immersive), depending on the position of the avatar: only the portions surrounding the avatar will be loaded (within a radius to be defined).
• streaming is controlled by the movements of the avatar, themselves controlled by the user via his terminal, increases the responsiveness and ergonomics of the system.
• the operation of the server associated with the elementary space in which the avatar was created is also similar to the operation described in the introduction to the state of the art systems (evolution in space, visualization of other avatars and interaction with space and other avatars ).
• the invention allows the avatar to continue his displacement, instead of "hitting" on the border of space as in the case of known systems.
• the space data comprising, as has been said, the network addresses of the two elementary spaces located on either side of each boundary segment
• the server associated with the elementary space whose avatar is in going out has the network address of the server associated with the elementary space located on the other side of the border.
• the server associated with the elementary space from which the avatar is leaving therefore transmits:
• the user's avatar is then created in the “new” elementary space located on the other side of the border, and this avatar evolves in this new elementary space, in which he can interact with the other avatars of this space, as well as with the various virtual objects of this new space.
• the avatar created in this way inherits the input coordinates, the kinematic parameters and possibly other state parameters of P "old” avatar, which in turn may have been destroyed from the memory of the server of P " old "elementary space.
• the avatar can be created in the new space by being stored there with the network address of the user's terminal: in this way, the avatar takes the initiative of sending space change information to the terminal elementary.
• the user has the illusion of always flying the same avatar, having changed elementary space (this change can quite be imperceptible to the user).
• avatars can moreover, as has been mentioned in connection with the state of the art, be associated with resources of their own.
• the invention provides means for distributing the network addresses of these different servers, from a “geographic” distribution key, the coordinates implemented in the universe U being able to be any type of natural and intuitive coordinates. It is also possible to implement the invention to allow a user to change elementary space "at high level”.
• a user may want to move from Paris to San Francisco in a universe U corresponding to the surface of the earth.
• the user has the possibility of indicating by an appropriate command sent to the server of the space in which the avatar of the user is located, that he wishes to move “at a high level”.
• the server associated with the space in which the avatar is located will treat such a request as a border crossing - the only difference with what has been explained above concerning the “classic” border crossing being that in this case the server to which the data linked to the avatar will be directed, a server which will itself create a new corresponding avatar, is a server of an intermediate node located "above" the starting space in the tree.
• the avatar can thus be transferred between intermediate nodes of the same level, these intermediate nodes do not correspond to elementary spaces but with cells of a certain level of grid making it possible to "move" the avatar in space with no significant space.
• the user's terminal can store the coordinates of a specific point in an elementary virtual space, in association with the avatar or by storing this information on the terminal.
• This storage is controlled by an adapted instruction that the user enters on his terminal.
• the coordinates are stored with the network address of the server hosting the data of the elementary space whose geographic limits contain the coordinates of the chosen point.

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• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
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• 2001
  • 2001-12-03 FR FR0115583A patent/FR2833101B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2002
  • 2002-12-03 EP EP02799767A patent/EP1453582A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2002-12-03 US US10/497,593 patent/US20060031578A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-12-03 WO PCT/FR2002/004148 patent/WO2003047709A1/fr active Application Filing

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