Object display system in a virtual world

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-08-18
SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

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

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 som

Method used

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  • Object display system in a virtual world
  • Object display system in a virtual world
  • Object display system in a virtual world

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Example

Embodiment 1

System Configuration

[0054]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network game system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a network game system according to Embodiment 1 includes, for example, a designated network 1 such as the Internet, client terminals 2 of multiple players which can be connected to the network 1, and a game server 3 which is connected to the network 1 and provides a designated virtual world through the client terminals 2 of respective players.

[0055] For a client terminal 2, for example, a video game unit may be used. If a video game unit is used as a client terminal 2, a controller 4 will be used as the input device and a monitor 5 will be used as the display device.

[0056] In addition, other terminal units, such as personal computers may be used as a client terminal 2. When using a personal computer, the keyboard and mouse will be used as input devices.

[0057] The game server 3 includes: a database for data such as poly...

Example

Embodiment 2

[0134] Next, a network game system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. In the description of Embodiment 1 as described above, the display position and display direction of an object like a billboard are to reflect the “movement track” and “input history” of each player. Meanwhile, a network game system according to Embodiment 2 is configured so that the “movement track” of each player is statistically evaluated and based on that the value each player would give for the land in the virtual world is determined.

[0135] This is the only point of difference between Embodiment 1 previously described and Embodiment 2. Therefore, hereafter, only the differences between these two embodiments will be described and repetitive descriptions will be omitted.

[0136]FIG. 17 is a block diagram of the game server 3 according to Embodiment 2. Hereafter referring to this block diagram, the processes on the game server 3 are explained.

General Concept in R...

Example

Embodiment 3

[0150] Next, a network game system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. In Embodiment 2 as described above, it was configured to determine a land value for each player according to such data as the “movement track” of each player. However, in this Embodiment 3, it is configured to determine an advertisement rate for an object like a billboard based on the statistics of the “movement track” of multiple players.

[0151]FIG. 24 is a block diagram of the game server 3 according to Embodiment 3. Hereafter referring to this block diagram, the processes on the game server 3 are explained.

Statistics of the Movement Track of Each Player

[0152] The statistical processing unit 66 of the game server 3 compiles statistics from data of each player's movement track stored in the player profile DB 7, for example, by hours, day, week, month, season, or year, and based on the results of such statistics, the advertisement fee setting unit 68 determines an...

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PUM

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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 ...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A63F13/335A63F13/35A63F13/52A63F13/61A63F13/79G06F3/048G06Q50/00G09F19/00
CPCA63F13/10A63F13/12A63F2300/208G06Q30/02A63F2300/5506A63F2300/64A63F2300/66A63F2300/50A63F13/45A63F13/30G06Q50/10A63F13/61A63F13/52A63F13/79A63F13/57A63F13/35
Inventor KAKE, TOMOKAZUOHBA, AKIO
Owner SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC
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