Avatar Control Mode Transfer for Virtual Environment Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In massively multiplayer online games, providing direct representation of a supervising entity within the virtual environment is costly due to the need for human operators to be present in each instance, especially with tens of thousands of users dispersed across multiple virtual environments.
Innovation Solution
An entertainment device and server system that generates a representation of a virtual environment, includes software-controlled avatars for initial interaction, and seamlessly transfers control to human operators when needed, allowing interaction within the same instance of the environment via data communications, enabling efficient support without continuous human presence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human operators are deployed to represent supervising entities within each instance of the virtual environment, then user interaction quality is improved, but operational cost increases proportionally with the number of users and instances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies (avatars) of human operators that can be deployed across multiple virtual environment instances. These software-controlled avatars replicate the functionality of human operators, allowing a single human operator to serve multiple instances simultaneously through avatar representations, thereby reducing the need for proportional human resources while maintaining interaction quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables a single human operator to perform multiple functions across different virtual environment instances through the use of avatars. The operator can control avatars in parallel, allowing one person to fulfill the role of multiple operators across numerous instances, thus achieving multi-functionality and reducing overall human resource requirements
2Quantity of substance
If software-controlled avatars are used for initial interaction, then operational cost is reduced, but interaction flexibility deteriorates when complex user assistance is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic system where avatars can transition between autonomous software-controlled mode and human-operated mode based on user needs. When complex assistance is required, the system dynamically transfers control from the software avatar to a human operator, and vice versa, allowing the interaction model to adapt flexibly to different situations while maintaining cost efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces avatars as intermediary entities between users and human operators. These avatars serve as the primary point of contact, handling routine interactions autonomously, while acting as a bridge to human operators when complex assistance is needed, thus maintaining both cost efficiency and interaction flexibility
3Loss of time
If human operators are continuously present in each virtual environment instance, then user support responsiveness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple human operators across multiple virtual environment instances into a single centralized control system. By allowing one operator to control avatars across numerous instances simultaneously, the system combines what would otherwise require many separate operator stations into a unified platform, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining responsive user support
Data Source
AI summary
An entertainment device comprises a display generator arranged to generate for display a representation of an on-line virtual environment corresponding to a first instance of a plurality of substantially similar on-line virtual environments and to generate for display within the representation of the on-line virtual environment an avatar controlled by the user of the entertainment device and one or more software-controlled avatars; a data communications arrangement operable to transmit an alert signal in response to a predetermined action of the user of the entertainment device within the first instance of the on-line virtual environment, said signal serving to request interaction with a human operator, the data communications arrangement being further operable to receive a notification signal; the display generator being arranged to respond to the notification signal by changing the mode of a software controlled avatar to represent an additional user of another entertainment device in data communication with the entertainment device, wherein the additional user is an operator whose entertainment device has been switched to the same first instance of the on-line virtual environment as that of the entertainment device in response to the transmitted alert signal; and the data communications arrangement being arranged to exchange information between the user of the entertainment device and the operator within the same first instance of the on-line virtual environment via their respective avatars.