Object display system in a virtual world

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying an object such as a billboard in a virtual world is provided. An input history of a user's operation for moving a character in the virtual world is obtained. The movement track of the character in the virtual world is also obtained. The position and direction of the billboard are changed according to the input history and the movement track so that the billboard is visible to the user. For instance, on a street where the user is expected to move at a high speed, the direction of the billboard is changed so that its display surface can face the front of the character and the billboard is displayed in a position far away from the user's viewing position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This patent application is a continuation of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 286,731, filed on Oct. 31, 2002, which claims foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application Numbers: JP2001-385209, filed Dec. 18, 2001; JP2001-385212, filed Dec. 18, 2001; JP2001-385219, filed Dec. 18, 2001; and JP2002-281729, filed Sep. 26, 2002; all of which are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an object display technology, and it particularly relates to method, apparatus, and system for displaying an object such as a billboard and a message board in a virtual world that is provided by a server on a designated network such as the Internet. The present invention also relates to method for setting a land value and an advertisement fee in the virtual world. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] The user herein is a player who explores the virtual world while operating an object such as a character, however, even in the case where such an operational object is not displayed in the virtual world and the display image changes three-dimensionally according to the player's operation as if the player were in the virtual world, the player is regarded to be operating an operational object of the player in the virtual world. It is meant herein by displaying the display object in such a manner that it is visible to the user that the display position and direction of the display object are changed so that the visibility of the user who sees information displayed on the display object can be improved. The information displayed on the display object is, for instance, an advertisement, however it can be any information to be recognized by the user, such as an announcement of server maintenance or updating data in the virtual world.

Problems solved by technology

However, since the action pattern of a player's character in the virtual world varies, not all the players' characters necessarily gather in the central area or places where the level of human traffic is higher.

Therefore, displaying objects like a billboard only in the central area of town or places where the level of human traffic is higher is not enough to show an advertisement of an enterprise or merchandise, or send the important information to every player.

In such a condition, if, for example, the server in charge of managing the virtual world has displayed important information such as maintenance related information in a busy area, the message board, on which such important information is displayed, might be lost among the clutter of so many other billboards and message boards, and become barely recognizable to the players.

Consequently, players may be inconvenienced because they failed to see some important information.

However, such a method of displaying important information might reduce the area available for landscapes and streetscapes in the virtual world, and negatively impact the image of the virtual world.

Therefore, if land values are determined only by taking into account the level of human traffic and convenience, inappropriate land values will be determined in the virtual world which do not accurately reflect the sense of land value perceived by each individual player.

This is certainly not the ideal means to do this.

Therefore, if advertisement fees are determined only by using a fixed method such as setting a higher advertisement fee for the areas where the level of human traffic is higher, they will not adequately correspond to the fluctuation of the condition in the virtual world.

As a result, an advertiser might be charged an inappropriate advertisement fee, which is also not ideal.

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