Method and apparatus for spawning projected avatars in a virtual universe
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRick Allen Hamilton, II, Brian Marshall O'Connell, Clifford Alan Pickover, Keith Raymond Walker
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Abstract
The present invention provides a computer implemented method and apparatus to project a projected avatar associated with an avatar in a virtual universe. A computer receives a command to project the avatar, the command having a projection point. The computer transmits a request to place a projected avatar at the projection point to a virtual universe host. The computer renders a tab associated with the projected avatar.
Claims8
A computer implemented method for projecting an avatar in a virtual universe, comprising:
- receiving a command to project the avatar to form a projected avatar, the command having a projection point in the virtual universe, wherein the avatar represents a user and can interact with objects in the virtual universe;
- copying a geometry of the avatar to form a projected avatar, wherein the projected avatar occupies the projection point;
- applying a rendering effect to the projected avatar, the rendering effect being distinct from a rendering effect applied to the avatar, wherein the rendering effect applied to the projected avatar is transmitted to a client computer;
- receiving a command to swap the avatar with the projected avatar, the avatar having a departure point;
- teleporting the avatar to the projection point;
- and
- teleporting the projected avatar to the departure point.
A data processing system comprising:
- a bus;
- a storage device connected to the bus, wherein computer usable code is located in the storage device;
- a communication unit connected to the bus;
- a processing unit connected to the bus, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable code to receive a command to project the avatar, to form a projected avatar, the command having a projection point, wherein the avatar represents a user and can interact with objects in a virtual universe;
- copy a geometry of the avatar to form a projected avatar, wherein the projected avatar occupies the projection point;
- apply a rendering effect to the projected avatar, the rendering effect being distinct from a rendering effect applied to the avatar, wherein the rendering effect applied to the projected avatar is transmitted to a client computer;
- receive a command to swap the avatar with the projected avatar, the avatar having a departure point;
- teleport the avatar to the projection point;
- and
- teleport the projected avatar to the departure point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.