# US 10,369,473 B2 · Method for extending a virtual environment through registration > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,473 B2 - Document ID: US10369473B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/624,479 - Filed: 2015-02-17 - Published: 2015-06-11 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-25 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: George R. Dolbier; Rick A. Hamilton, II; Neil A. Katz; Brian M. O'Connell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369473B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/10 - A63F 13/60: Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor - A63F 13/12 - A63F 13/30: Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers - A63F 13/352: 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 - A63F 13/45: Controlling the progress of the video game - G06F 3/04815: Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - A63F 2300/513: server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing - A63F 2300/5533: using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game - A63F 2300/6009: for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content - A63F 2300/8082: Virtual reality - H04L 67/131: Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for providing virtual world functionality to a user of a base virtual world having base virtual world functionality and a base world list of base virtual world users, includes providing a virtual world layer, communicating to the base virtual world that the virtual world layer will overlay the base virtual world and adding the virtual world layer to the base world list in order to register the virtual world layer with the base virtual world. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for extending functionality of a base virtual world, comprising: coupling a virtual world layer to the base virtual world via a registration process to provide an extended base virtual world functionality, wherein the registration process adds the virtual world layer to a user list of the base virtual world; coupling a further virtual world layer to the base virtual world via the registration process, wherein the registration process adds the further virtual world layer to the user list of the base virtual world; and providing access to the extended base virtual world functionality by way of any of the virtual world layer and the further virtual world layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating to the base virtual world a base virtual world functionality to be augmented by the virtual world layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the registration process registers objects, textures, and scripts that describe the virtual world layer with the base virtual world. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: executing the base virtual world functionality by the virtual world layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: coupling the virtual world layer to a virtual world layer user community; and providing the virtual world layer user community with access to the base virtual world functionality and a virtual world layer functionality by way of the virtual world layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the base virtual world and the virtual world layer each have a respective user community that are segregated from each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: notifying the base virtual world which base virtual world object the virtual world layer will use to provide a used base virtual world object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: managing the used base virtual world object by the virtual world layer to provide a layer managed base virtual world object. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: altering a texture of the layer managed base virtual world object. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: altering a persistence of the layer managed base virtual world object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: notifying the virtual world layer which base virtual world objects are available to the virtual world layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: notifying the base virtual world which base virtual world data the virtual world layer will use to provide a used base virtual world data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the registration process includes a base virtual world registration list that comprises at least users of the base virtual world and the registered virtual world layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the base virtual world operates on a base virtual world infrastructure, the virtual world layer operates on a virtual world layer infrastructure, and the base virtual world infrastructure is separate from the virtual world layer infrastructure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: managing a state of a base virtual world object by the base virtual world to provide a base managed object; managing a state of a virtual world layer object by the virtual world layer to provide a layer managed object; managing a state of the base managed object by the virtual world layer to provide a further managed object; and providing user access to any of the base managed object, the layer managed object, and the further managed object by the virtual world layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the further managed object is independent of any instantiation of the base virtual world object in the virtual world layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the layer managed object is independent of any instantiation of the virtual world layer object in the base virtual world. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein a further managed state of the further managed object comprises an object persistence. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the base virtual world, the virtual world layer, and the further virtual world layer each maintain segregated user lists. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the base virtual world does not have knowledge of any of a user list of the virtual world layer and a user list of the further virtual world layer.