U.S. Philips Corporation

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Dale R Heron

Richard D Gallery

Richard David Gallery

Clive Van Heerden

Jain K Shah

Michael K Verhagen

Christopher Thorne

A virtual environment browser () holds a number of clip-in files () defining guide characters&#x2014;locally generated visual aids to navigation that appear within a generated image of a virtual environment and follow a user's input () navigational commands to provide an advance cue as to the effects of an input command. Where the virtual environment data is supplied from a remote source () and includes () an indication of a preferred mode for navigating that environment, for example, flying or walking, the browser () detects this indication and automatically selects the appropriate guide character. Scaling () of the guide character to match the scale of the virtual environment, or such as to render the guide character unobtrusive, may also be provided.

Virtual environment navigation aid

Objects of a three dimensional (3D) virtual world that are represented on a two dimensional (2D) image plane are provided with labels which are generated in the 2D image plane itself. The labels are in spatial registration with the object as represented on the 2D image plane. The generation of the labels in the 2D image plane avoids problems relating to perspective and aliasing which can occur when labels are provided in the virtual world itself and are rendered from the 3D virtual world.

3D environment labelling

A data browser is described for accessing data defining virtual environments via the Internet/World Wide Web. In conjunction with at least one store (,) of virtual environment assets, such as audio, video, graphics textures and so forth, a list (,) is maintained recording the identity of the stored assets received via the Web, suitably in the form of their respective URL's. Browser applications requiring assets from the store (,) scan the master list to determine whether a particular asset is already stored there on encountering a program requirement for that asset to avoid the need to access the remote source of asset data via the Web. Where the assets are distributed over more than one storage device (,), each device is suitably provided with such a contents list.

Data management within a virtual environment browser

A method and apparatus are provided for providing user-directed operation of a virtual manipulator, such as a simulated hand or claw (30) within a computer-generated virtual environment. The environment comprises one or more objects (32) which may be held, released or impelled by the manipulator under user control. Movement of the virtual manipulator is directed by a suitable hand held device operated by a user, with a simple control directing opening or closing of the claw (30). In operation, actions such as throwing, catching or punching an object (32) are partially automated, with the decision as to the action initiated being determined by the separation (D) between object and manipulator, and the current and previous states of each as recorded in the form of respective state variables. A method for the derivation of an applied velocity for the object acted upon is also described.

Virtual environment manipulation device modelling and control

An interactive entertainment apparatus is provided having means (10,14) for modelling a virtual environment populated by modelled characters, with each of the characters being controlled by respective rule-based agents. A camera control function (58) within the apparatus processor periodically monitors at least one compiled behavior per character agent, together with the respective locations within the virtual environment for each of the characters. The processor (10) generates clusters of adjacent characters within the virtual environment in accordance with predetermined clustering criteria such as relatively proximity and commonality of behavioral characteristics, and generates a respective cluster value derived from the current settings of the monitored behaviors within that cluster. In operation, one cluster is selected in dependence on the derived cluster values and, following determination of the location of that cluster within the virtual environment, the viewpoint from which the image of the virtual environment is rendered is shifted to a further viewpoint overlooking the selected cluster.

Virtual environment navigation

An apparatus is provided for modelling and interacting with a virtual environment. An image of the environment, and a representation of the user's presence therein, is generated by a CPU (12) based on data from memories (14,16) and supplied to the user by a stereoscopic display (10). The user is provided with a hand-held unit (18) which has a single control button (20). When the button (20) is not pressed, the user's movements of the control (18) are replicated by a modelled icon (such as a virtual hand) within the virtual environment to enable interaction. When the button (20) is actuated, the user's movements of control device (18) are instead converted to navigational commands shifting the location of the user's virtual presence around the virtual environment.

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Ashtead, United Kingdom

Dale R Heron