Patent ID: 7293235
Filing Date: 2007-11-06
Classification: A63F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A terminal for providing a virtual environment interface to server means which maintains said virtual environment as a plurality of zones, comprising: a client providing a user interface to the virtual environment to allow a user to control an avatar in the virtual environment; and apparatus for estimating the likelihood of said avatar, under the control of said user in the virtual environment, moving within a predetermined range of a boundary, the apparatus comprising: recording means for recording the position of the avatar at intervals to obtain movement data; means for storing data as to the relative frequency of occurrence of different categories of said movement; means arranged to read, from the stored data, frequency data for categories of movement such as would correspond to a potential movement of the avatar from its current position into a position within said predetermined range of said boundary; wherein the client is arranged to obtain information from said server means about the status of the adjacent zone before the avatar enters the adjacent zone only when the likelihood of the avatar moving within the predetermined range of the boundary of said adjacent zone is above a threshold.