Systems, methods, and computer program products for accessing, leasing, relocating, constructing and modifying internet sites within a multi-dimensional virtual reality environment

A system for accessing a plurality of Internet sites, comprising:

• means for displaying on a user computer said plurality of Internet sites as a multi-dimensional virtual environment, said virtual environment including at least one respective virtual site for each one of said plurality of Internet sites, wherein the virtual sites have a geographic relationship in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment which is different from a geographic relationship of the plurality of Internet sites, said displaying means comprising:
• means for retrieving Internet site data from the user computer;
• and
• means for retrieving Internet site data from an Internet site corresponding to a respective virtual site;
• navigating means, responsive to user inputs, for moving a reference through the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment, and for accessing selected ones of said Internet sites via respective virtual sites in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment;
• and
• leasing means, responsive to user requests, for allowing a user to lease portions of the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment within a field of view of the reference, said leasing means comprising:
• means for identifying one or more portions of the virtual environment that are available for leasing;
• means for determining a lease rate for the identified one or more portions of the virtual environment available for leasing;
• means for communicating acceptance of a lease rate for a respective portion of the virtual environment available for leasing to an owner of the respective virtual environment portion;
• and
• means for communicating information about a user lease of one or more portions of the virtual environment to other users.

A computer program product for accessing a plurality of Internet sites, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

• computer readable program code means for displaying on a user computer said plurality of Internet sites as a multi-dimensional virtual environment, said virtual environment including at least one respective virtual site for each one of said plurality of Internet sites, wherein the virtual sites have a geographic relationship in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment which is different from a geographic relationship of the plurality of Internet sites, said displaying means comprising:
• computer readable program code means for retrieving Internet site data from the user computer;
• and
• computer readable program code means for retrieving Internet site data from an Internet site corresponding to a respective virtual site;
• computer readable program code means, responsive to user inputs, for moving a reference through the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment, and for accessing selected ones of said Internet sites via respective virtual sites in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment, comprising:
• computer readable program code means for allowing a user to adjust speed, distance, and elevation of the reference relative to virtual sites during navigation of said multi-dimensional virtual environment;
• and
• computer readable program code means for reducing time required for a user to receive Internet site data, comprising:
• computer readable program code means for assigning data transfer priorities to a plurality of virtual sites within a predetermined vicinity of a field of view of the reference;
• computer readable program code means for initiating transfer of data related to an Internet site based on a data transfer priority assigned to a respective virtual site before a user activates said Internet site via said respective virtual site;
• and
• computer readable program code means for receiving and storing transferred data related to an Internet site.

A computer program product for accessing a plurality of Internet sites, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

• computer readable program code means for displaying on a user computer said plurality of Internet sites as a multi-dimensional virtual environment, said virtual environment including at least one respective virtual site for each one of said plurality of Internet sites, wherein the virtual sites have a geographic relationship in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment which is different from a geographic relationship of the plurality of Internet sites, said displaying means comprising:
• computer readable program code means for retrieving Internet site data from the user computer;
• and
• computer readable program code means for retrieving Internet site data from an Internet site corresponding to a respective virtual site;
• computer readable program code means, responsive to user inputs, for moving a reference through the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment, and for accessing selected ones of said Internet sites via respective virtual sites in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment;
• and
• computer readable program code means, responsive to user requests, for allowing a user to lease portions of the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment within a field of view of the reference, comprising:
• computer readable program code means for identifying one or more portions of the virtual environment that are available for leasing;
• computer readable program code means for determining a lease rate for the identified one or more portions of the virtual environment available for leasing;
• computer readable program code means for communicating acceptance of a lease rate for a respective portion of the virtual environment available for leasing to an owner of the respective virtual environment portion;
• and
• computer readable program code means for communicating information about a user lease of one or more portions of the virtual environment to other users.

A method of accessing a plurality of Internet sites, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a user computer said plurality of Internet sites as a multi-dimensional virtual environment, said virtual environment including at least one respective virtual site for each one of said plurality of Internet sites, wherein the virtual sites have a geographic relationship in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment which is different from a geographic relationship of the plurality of Internet sites;
• responsive to user inputs, moving a reference through the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment, and accessing selected ones of said Internet sites via respective virtual sites in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment, comprising:
• adjusting speed, distance, and elevation of the reference relative to virtual sites during navigation of said multi-dimensional virtual environment;
• and
• caching Internet site data, comprising:
• assigning data transfer priorities to a plurality of virtual sites within a predetermined vicinity of a field of view of the reference;
• initiating transfer of data related to an Internet site based on a data transfer priority assigned to a respective virtual site before a user activates said Internet site via said respective virtual site;
• and
• receiving and storing transferred data related to an Internet site.

A method for accessing a plurality of Internet sites, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a user computer said plurality of Internet sites as a multi-dimensional virtual environment, said virtual environment including at least one respective virtual site for each one of said plurality of Internet sites, wherein the virtual sites have a geographic relationship in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment which is different from a geographic relationship of the plurality of Internet sites, comprising:
• retrieving Internet site data from the user computer;
• and
• retrieving Internet site data from an Internet site corresponding to a respective virtual site;
• responsive to user inputs, moving a reference through the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment, and accessing selected ones of said Internet sites via respective virtual sites in the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment;
• and
• leasing portions of the displayed multi-dimensional virtual environment within a field of view of the reference, comprising:
• identifying one or more portions of the virtual environment that are available for leasing;
• determining a lease rate for the identified one or more portions of the virtual environment available for leasing;
• communicating acceptance of a lease rate for a respective portion of the virtual environment available for leasing to an owner of the respective virtual environment portion;
• and
• communicating information about a user lease of one or more portions of the virtual environment to other users.