The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 18, 2000
Filed:
May. 14, 1997
David Bruce Lection, Raleigh, NC (US);
Kevin Baker Sizer, Raleigh, NC (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which display an animation in a three dimensional virtual environment by associating the animation with a parent transform such that the geometry of the animation is transformed so that the animation is viewed from a predefined point of view with respect to a user in the three dimensional virtual environment. The animation may, optionally, be played for the user when the user is located in a predefined area of the three dimensional virtual environment. Preferably, the predefined point of view is facing the user. In a VRML embodiment of the present invention, the parent transform is a VRML billboard transform such that a VRML billboard node is created utilizing an animation as a child to the billboard node.