Avatar Movement Control Using Portals for Virtual Gathering
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtual spaces, avatars face difficulties in easily moving between locations or finding specific users, leading to disorientation and inefficiencies in casual gatherings, such as spontaneous conversations, due to the lack of effective navigation and identification methods.
Innovation Solution
A system that manages virtual spaces by providing options for user avatar movement, including direct location and user-specific movements, allowing easy navigation and gathering through a user interface that includes movement and invitation features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If avatars move by walking around to specific places in virtual space, then the movement is natural and simple to implement, but it becomes troublesome and time-consuming when the virtual space is large or crowded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a portal object as an intermediary element in the virtual space. This portal serves as a mediator that enables avatars to teleport between different locations instantly, rather than walking through the virtual space. The portal object acts as a gateway that connects different spatial points, resolving the contradiction by providing a shortcut mechanism that maintains ease of operation while dramatically reducing travel time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical walking movement system with a teleportation system based on portal objects. Instead of using the traditional mechanical approach of avatar movement through physical traversal, the system substitutes it with an instantaneous spatial transition mechanism. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming aspect of walking while preserving the simplicity of user interaction through portal selection.
2Reliability
If avatars search for other avatars in crowded areas, then the system maintains realism and social dynamics, but it becomes difficult to identify specific persons and find desired counterparts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a portal object as an intermediary that facilitates direct access to specific avatars or locations. Instead of requiring avatars to visually search through crowded areas, the portal serves as a mediator that provides direct navigation paths. Users can select portals associated with specific targets, and the system handles the navigation automatically, thereby improving identification accuracy while reducing search complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual visual search mechanism with an automated navigation system based on portal selection. Instead of relying on avatars to physically move through crowds and visually locate targets, the system substitutes this mechanical search process with an intelligent routing system that calculates and executes optimal paths through portal objects, significantly improving efficiency in crowded environments.
3Ease of operation
If portals are disposed as objects for moving between virtual spaces, then avatar movement becomes easier, but the system requires additional objects and setup complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the portal object to serve multiple functions simultaneously. The portal not only enables movement between different virtual spaces but also serves as a navigation aid, a meeting point indicator, and a wayfinding tool. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized objects for each function, thereby maintaining ease of operation while minimizing the overall number of objects required in the system.
Data Source
AI summary
A system configured to manage a virtual space in which a plurality of user avatars can exist comprises a providing unit configured to provide a plurality of options for the movement of a user avatar within the virtual space, and a moving unit configured to move the user avatar to another location within the virtual space according to a selection from the plurality of options, wherein the plurality of options includes at least a movement that specifies a predetermined location, and a movement that specifies another user avatar.