Method for mapping an object to a location in virtual space

An apparatus for mapping an object to a location in a virtual space, the apparatus comprising:

• circuitry configured to:
• assign to locations in the virtual space a prominence value representing prominence of each location for the object when the virtual space is displayed on a virtual equipment device that receives, from the apparatus, a video signal corresponding to the virtual space, the prominence value being assigned according to a distance from each location to a reference location in the virtual space corresponding to a location of a user and a range of motion of a neck of the user and according to a distance from each location to other locations having a prominence value above a predetermined threshold;
• determine a purchase value for the locations in the virtual space representing a payment required to place an object at respective locations in the virtual space, the purchase value being determined at least according to the prominence value assigned to a respective location in the virtual space based on the distance from each location to the reference location and based on the range of motion of the neck of the user;
• and
• in response to receiving the payment for a location in the virtual space, map the object to the location in the virtual space,
• wherein the purchase value is further determined based on a distance from each location to a second location of a popular object in the virtual space and a category of the popular object such that a purchase value is increased to a second purchase value when the popular object is in a same category as the object, and when the popular object is in a different category than the object, the purchase value is not modified to any higher purchase value than the second purchase value.

A method of mapping an object to a location in a virtual space comprising:

• determining, by processing circuitry of a processing device, a purchase value for available locations in the virtual space, the purchase value representing a payment required to place the object at an available location in the virtual space, the purchase value being determined according to prominence of the available location in the virtual space and according to a level of popularity of one or more objects placed at one or more locations adjacent to the available location in the virtual space, the prominence value being assigned according to a distance from each location to a reference location in the virtual space corresponding to a location of a user and according to a distance from each location to other locations having a prominence value above a predetermined threshold;
• and
• in response to receiving a payment for the available location in the virtual space, mapping, by the processing circuitry, the object to the available location in the virtual space, wherein
• the virtual space is displayed on a virtual equipment device that receives, from the processing device, a video signal corresponding to the virtual space,
• wherein the purchase value is further determined based on a distance from each location to a second location of a popular object in the virtual space and a category of the popular object such that a purchase value is increased to a second purchase value when the popular object is in a same category as the object, and when the popular object is in a different category than the object, the purchase value is not modified to any higher purchase value than the second purchase value.

A method of mapping an object to a location in a virtual space, the method comprising:

• assigning, by processing circuitry of a processing device to locations in the virtual space, a prominence value representing prominence of each location for the object when the virtual space is displayed on a virtual equipment device that receives a video signal from the processing device corresponding to the virtual space, the prominence value being assigned according to a distance from each location to a reference location in the virtual space corresponding to a location of a user and according to a distance from each location to other locations having a prominence value above a predetermined threshold;
• determining a purchase value for the locations in the virtual space representing a payment required to place an object at respective locations in the virtual space, the purchase value being determined at least according to the prominence value assigned to a respective location in the virtual space based on the distance from each location to the reference location in the virtual space;
• and
• in response to receiving the payment for a location in the virtual space, mapping the object to the location in the virtual space,
• wherein the purchase value is further determined based on a distance from each location to a second location of a popular object in the virtual space and a category of the popular object such that a purchase value is increased to a second purchase value when the popular object is in a same category as the object, and when the popular object is in a different category than the object, the purchase value is not modified to any higher purchase value than the second purchase value.