Computing system and method for rendering avatars

A method for a client program executed on a computing device operated by a first user, the method comprising steps to:

• receive a second-user avatar-data object and second-user pose information of a second user, via a computer network;
• receive an image from a live image feed captured by a camera of the computing device;
• identify a virtual surface corresponding to a physical surface that appears in the image;
• calculate a position and a pose of a second-user avatar relative to the virtual surface based on the second-user pose information;
• and
• render the second-user avatar-data object to thereby display the second-user avatar of the second user superimposed upon the image, the second-user avatar being anchored to the virtual surface according to the calculated position and pose of the second-user avatar, the virtual surface being world-locked to the physical surface in the image in a real world three-dimensional environment.

A server computing device, comprising:

• a processor;
• a non-volatile storage device operatively coupled to the processor;
• and
• an avatar hosting program stored in the non-volatile storage device and executed by the processor of the server computing device, wherein
• the avatar hosting program is configured to host an avatar session to:
• receive and store a second-user avatar-data object and second-user pose information of a second user from a second computing device;
• responsive to receiving a first request from a first computing device for a second-user avatar, send the second-user avatar-data object and the second-user pose information to the first computing device, thereby causing the first computing device to render the second-user avatar-data object and display the second-user avatar;
• receive and store a first-user avatar-data object and initial first-user pose information of a first user from the first computing device;
• responsive to receiving a second request from the second computing device for a first-user avatar, send the first-user avatar-data object and the initial first-user pose information to the second computing device, thereby causing the second computing device to render the first-user avatar-data object and display the first-user avatar;
• and
• in a loop:
• receive updated second-user pose information of the second user from the second computing device;
• and
• responsive to receiving the updated second-user pose information, send the updated second-user pose information to the first computing device, thereby causing the first computing device to render the second-user avatar-data object using the updated second-user pose information and display the second-user avatar;
• receive updated first-user pose information of the first user from the first computing device;
• and
• responsive to receiving the updated first-user pose information, send the updated first-user pose information to the second computing device, thereby causing the second computing device to render the first-user avatar-data object using the updated first-user pose information and display the first-user avatar.