System for interacting with objects in a virtual environment

A method for interacting with a 3-d environment, comprising:

• storing, by a computer system in a data structure in a storage device,
• context-dependent information associated with the 3-d environment;
• providing information associated with the 3-d environment to a virtual world client, wherein the 3-d environment is to be displayed on a first display device coupled to the virtual world client;
• receiving, by the computer system, from a portable electronic device comprising a second display device, a request for a subset of the 3-d components and associated context-dependent information;
• obtaining the associated context-dependent information from the data structure;
• in response to receiving the request, providing to the portable electronic device the requested subset of the 3-d components and the associated context-dependent information without changing the 3-d environment displayed on the first display device, wherein the subset of the 3-d components and the associated context-dependent information is to be displayed on the second display device;
• and
• receiving a modified subset of the 3-d components, wherein the subset of the 3-d components is modified based on the portable electronic device detecting a motion of the portable electronic device.

A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to facilitate interaction with a 3-d environment, the computer-program mechanism including:

• instructions for storing, by a computer system in a data structure in a storage device, context-dependent information associated with the 3-d environment comprising a plurality of inter-related 3-d components;
• instructions for providing information associated with the 3-d environment to a virtual world client, wherein the 3-d environment is to be displayed on a first display device coupled to the virtual world client;
• instructions for receiving from a portable electronic device a request for a subset of the 3-d components and associated context-dependent information;
• instructions for obtaining the associated context-dependent information from the data structure;
• instructions for, in response to receiving the request, providing to the portable electronic device the subset of the 3-d components and the associated context-dependent information without changing the 3-d environment displayed on the first display device, wherein the subset of the 3-d components and the associated context-dependent information is to be displayed on a second display device of the portable electronic device;
• and
• instructions for receiving a modified subset of the 3-d components, wherein the subset of the 3-d components is modified based on the portable electronic device detecting a motion of the portable electronic device.