Patent ID: 8629866
Filing Date: 2014-01-14
Classification: A63F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A computer method of operating an individual avatar in a computer virtual environment, the method comprising: communicatively coupling a first computer node to a server supporting a virtual environment; sending a video stream of the virtual environment from the first computer node to a second computer node, the first computer node running a full client application of the virtual environment and the second computer node running no application program of the virtual environment and thus being a lightweight client, wherein said full client application renders the virtual environment to a user of the first computer node and handles functions to control an individual avatar in said virtual environment, the individual avatar being controlled by the user of the first computer node, and wherein said lightweight client, by receiving the video stream from the first computer node with the user of the first computer node controlling the individual avatar, (a) relieves the second computer node from being required to execute any application program of the virtual environment, and (b) enables a user of the second computer node to be a remote viewer of the virtual environment, and the first computer node running the full client application includes establishing one state of the individual avatar as corresponding to the remote viewer, wherein the user of the first computer node and the remote viewer of the second computer node are different from each other, the user of the first computer node, through the first computer node operating the individual avatar (i) in the one state on behalf of the remote viewer and (ii) in a different state as representative of himself, and the user of the first computer node operates the individual avatar in the one state to export views of the virtual environment in the video stream and to render virtual environment views through the video stream to the remote viewer on the second computer node; using the first computer node, receiving a request from the remote viewer through the second computer node to take over control of the individual avatar; and receiving at the first computer node communications from the second computer node containing functions for control of the individual avatar in the one state, such that a same avatar is used by both the user of the first computer node and the user of the second computer node.