A three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing method and system

Claim 2

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 1, wherein said global communication network (15) transfers said update data between unspecified said plurality of client terminals and said shared server terminal based on a communication protocol called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

Claim 3

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 2, wherein said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object for displaying said three-dimensional virtual reality space are stored in an information server terminal (14) connected to said global communication network in a state described in Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), said information server terminal transferring, upon request from any of said plurality of client terminals, said three-dimensional graphics data described in said VRML from said information server terminal to the requesting client terminal based on a communication protocol called Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

Claim 4

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 3, wherein: said information server terminal (14) stores said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object for displaying said three-dimensional virtual reality space by making said three-dimensional graphics data correspond to specification information for uniquely specifying a storage location of said three-dimensional graphics data; said client terminal notifies said information server terminal of said specification information via said global communication network; and said information server terminal (14) transfers said three-dimensional graphics data for displaying said three-dimensional virtual reality space specified in said specification information by said plurality of client terminals via said global communication network to said plurality of client terminals via said global communication network.

Claim 5

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object for displaying said three-dimensional virtual reality space are supplied to said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) via a recording medium readable by said plurality of client terminals.

Claim 6

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 1, wherein said update data associated with update of the state of said update object indicate movement of said update object inside said three-dimensional virtual reality space.

Claim 7

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 1, wherein, if another update object is added by any of said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) to said three-dimensional virtual reality space, three-dimensional graphics data about said another update object are notified to said shared server terminal and said three-dimensional graphics data about said another update object are notified to the other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals.

Claim 8

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 1, wherein: a mapping server terminal for controlling address information for addressing said shared server terminal for controlling said update data is connected to said global communication network; if requested for said address information for addressing said shared server terminal from any of said plurality of client terminals via said global communication network, said mapping server terminal supplies said address information to the requesting client terminal via global communication network; and said requesting client terminal accesses said shared server terminal based on said address information.

Claim 9

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 8, wherein: a plurality of shared server terminals (10, 11, 12) for controlling said update data are connected to said global communication network (15); said mapping server terminal connected to said global communication network controls a plurality pieces of address information for addressing each of said plurality of shared server terminals; if said mapping server terminal receives a request for the address information for addressing any of said plurality of shared server terminals from any of said plurality of client terminals via said global communication network (15), said mapping server terminal selects from among said plurality pieces of address information the optimum address information for the requesting client terminal and supplies the selected address information to the requesting client terminal via said global communication network; and the requesting client terminal accesses the shared server terminal corresponding to said selected address information.

Claim 10

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 9, wherein: if said mapping server terminal receives a request from any of said plurality of client terminals via said global communication network (15) for said address information for addressing any of said plurality of shared server terminals (10, 11, 12), said mapping server terminal identifies, based on a source address of the requesting client terminal, a geographical area in which the requesting client terminal is installed; selects the address information from among said plurality pieces of address information for addressing any of said plurality of shared server terminals that is installed in the geographical proximity of the identified area; and supplies the selected address information to the requesting client terminal via said global communication network.

Claim 11

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 10, wherein: if said mapping server terminal receives a request from any of said plurality of client terminals via said global communication network for the address information for addressing any of said plurality of shared server terminals, said mapping server terminal sends an inquiry for a domain name corresponding to the requesting client terminal to a domain name server that controls a table listing relationship between source addresses of the client terminals and domain names to which the source addresses are assigned; identifies a geographical area in which the requesting client terminal is installed based on the corresponding domain name; selects the address information from among said plurality pieces of address information for addressing any of said plurality of shared server terminals (10, 11, 12) that is installed in the geographical proximity of the identified area; and supplies the selected address information to the requesting client terminal via said global communication network.

Claim 12

The method of sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space according to claim 9, wherein: if said mapping server terminal receives a request from any of said plurality of client terminals via said global communication network for the address information for addressing any of said plurality of shared server terminals, said mapping server terminal selects, from among said plurality pieces of address information for addressing said plurality of shared server terminals, the address information for addressing any of said plurality of shared server terminals that is accessed less frequently by said plurality of client terminals than others, as optimum address information for the requesting client terminal; and supplies the selected address information to the requesting client terminal via said global communication network (15).

Claim 14

An information recording medium for use in a system for sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space, said information recording medium recording a computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users and connecting a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for displaying a three-dimensional virtual reality space to a shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals (10, 11, 12); and, if the state of said update object in said three-dimensional virtual reality space is updated by any of said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12), notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network and notifying the other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals of said update data about the update from said shared server terminal via said global communication network; wherein said computer program is readable and executable by at least one of the client terminal and the shared server terminal.

Claim 15

An information recording method for use in a system for sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space, said information recording method recording a computer program on a recording medium, said computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users and connecting a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for displaying a three-dimensional virtual reality space to a shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals; and, if the state of said update object in said three-dimensional virtual reality space is updated by any of said plurality of client terminals, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network and notifying the other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals of said update data about the update from said shared server terminal via said global communication network; wherein said computer program is readable and executable by at least one of the client terminal and the shared server terminal.

Claim 16

An information transmission medium for use in a system for sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space, said information transmission medium transmitting a computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users and connecting a plurality of client terminals for displaying a three-dimensional virtual reality space to a shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals; and, if the state of said update object in said three-dimensional virtual reality space is updated by any of said plurality of client terminals, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network and notifying the other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals of said update data about the update from said shared server terminal via said global communication network; wherein said computer program is receivable and executable by at least one of the shared server terminal and the client terminal and transmitted to at least one of the shared server terminal and the client terminal.

Claim 17

An information transmission method for use in a system for sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space, said information transmission method transmitting a computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users and connecting a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for displaying a three-dimensional virtual reality space to a shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals; and, if the state of said update object in said three-dimensional virtual reality space is updated by any of said plurality of client terminals, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network and notifying the other client terminals of said plurality of client terminals of said update data about the update from said shared server terminal via said global communication network; wherein said computer program is receivable and executable by at least one of the shared server terminal (14) and the client terminal and transmitted to at least one of the shared server terminal and the client terminal.

Claim 18

An information processing method for a plurality of client terminals in a system for sharing a three-dimensional virtual reality space, said plurality of client terminals being provided in a system for sharing said three-dimensional virtual reality space to acquire three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space and being connected to a shared server terminal (14) for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information processing method comprising the steps of: acquiring said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object; drawing the three-dimensional virtual reality space having space coordinates specified by a user based on the acquired three-dimensional graphics data and displaying the drawn three-dimensional virtual reality space on a display device; acquiring said update data from said shared server terminal (14) via said global communication network (15); updating the state of the update object to be displayed on said display device based on the acquired update data; and if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of the user, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network.

Claim 19

A client terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system, said client terminal being one of a plurality of client terminals (11, 12, 13) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space and being connected to a shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals, said client terminal (10, 11, 12) comprising: an acquiring graphics data means for acquiring said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object; a drawing means for drawing the three-dimensional virtual reality space having space coordinates specified by a user based on the acquired three-dimensional graphics data and displaying the drawn three-dimensional virtual reality space on a display device; an acquiring update data means for acquiring said update data from said shared server terminal via said global communication network; an updating means for updating the state of the update object to be displayed on said display device based on the acquired update data; and if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of the user, a notifying update data means for notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network (15).

Claim 20

An information recording medium for use in a client terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system, said client terminal being one of a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space and being connected to a shared server terminal (14) for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information recording medium recording a computer program in a state readable and executable by the client terminal, said computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object; drawing the three-dimensional virtual reality space having space coordinates specified by a user based on the acquired three-dimensional graphics data and displaying the drawn three-dimensional virtual reality space on a display device; acquiring said update data from said shared server terminal (14) via said global communication network (15); updating the state of the update object to be displayed on said display device based on the acquired update data; and if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of the user, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network.

Claim 21

An information recording method for use in a client terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system, said client terminal being one of a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space and being connected to a shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information recording method recording a computer program in an information recording medium in a state readable and executable by the client terminal, said computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object; drawing the three-dimensional virtual reality space having space coordinates specified by a user based on the acquired three-dimensional graphics data and displaying the drawn three-dimensional virtual reality space on a display device; acquiring said update data from said shared server terminal (14) via said global communication network (15); updating the state of the update object to be displayed on said display device based on the acquired update data; and if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of the user, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network.

Claim 22

An information transmission medium for use in a client terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system, said client terminal being one of a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space and being connected to a shared server terminal (14) for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information transmission medium transmits a computer program to the client terminal in a state receivable and executable by the same, said computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object; drawing the three-dimensional virtual reality space having space coordinates specified by a user based on the acquired three-dimensional graphics data and displaying the drawn three-dimensional virtual reality space on a display device; acquiring said update data from said shared server terminal via said global communication network; updating the state of the update object to be displayed on said display device based on the acquired update data; and if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of the user, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network.

Claim 23

An information transmission method for use in a client terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system, said client terminal being one of a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space and being connected to a shared server terminal (14) for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information transmission method transmitting a computer program to the client terminal in a state receivable and executable by the same, said computer program comprising the steps of: acquiring said three-dimensional graphics data associated with said basic object and said update object; drawing the three-dimensional virtual reality space having space coordinates specified by a user based on the acquired three-dimensional graphics data and displaying the drawn three-dimensional virtual reality space on a display device; acquiring said update data from said shared server terminal via said global communication network; updating the state of the update object to be displayed on said display device based on the acquired update data; and if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of the user, notifying said shared server terminal of update data associated with the update via said global communication network (15).

Claim 24

An information processing method for a shared server terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system wherein a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space are connected to the shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information processing method comprising the steps of: if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of a user of any of said plurality of client terminals, acquiring update data associated with the update from the client terminal via said global communication network; and notifying the other client terminals of the acquired update data via said global communication network (15).

Claim 25

A shared server terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system wherein a plurality of client terminals for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space are connected to the shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals, said shared server terminal comprising: if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of a user of any of said plurality of client terminals, an acquiring update data means for acquiring update data associated with the update from the client terminal via said global communication network; and a notifying update data means for notifying the other client terminals of the acquired update data via said global communication network.

Claim 26

An information recording medium for use in a shared server terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system wherein a plurality of client terminals for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space are connected to the shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information recording medium recording a computer program in a state readable and executable by said shared server terminal (14), said computer program comprising the steps of: if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of a user of any of said plurality of client terminals, acquiring update data associated with the update from the client terminal via said global communication network (15); and notifying the other client terminals (10, 11, 12) of the acquired update data via said global communication network.

Claim 27

An information recording method for use in a shared server terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system wherein a plurality of client terminals for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space are connected to the shared server terminal (14) for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information recording method recording a computer program in an information recording medium in a state readable and executable by said shared server terminal, said computer program comprising the steps of: if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of a user of any of said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12), acquiring update data associated with the update from the client terminal via said global communication network; and notifying the other client terminals of the acquired update data via said global communication network.

Claim 28

An information transmission medium for use in a shared server terminal in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system wherein a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space are connected to the shared server terminal (14) for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) via a global communication network (15) interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information transmission medium transmitting a computer program in a state readable and executable by said shared server terminal to the same, said computer program comprising the steps of: if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of a user of any of said plurality of client terminals, acquiring update data associated with the update from the client terminal via said global communication network; and notifying the other client terminals of the acquired update data via said global communication network.

Claim 29

An information transmission method for use in a shared server terminal (14) in a three-dimensional virtual reality space sharing system wherein a plurality of client terminals (10, 11, 12) for acquiring three-dimensional graphics data associated with a basic object to be used by a plurality of users in a shared manner and an update object of which state is updated according to an operation performed by each of said plurality of users to display said three-dimensional virtual reality space are connected to the shared server terminal for controlling update data associated with update of the state of said update object notified from each of said plurality of client terminals via a global communication network interconnected with unspecified terminals, said information transmission method transmitting a computer program to said shared server terminal in a state readable and executable by the same, said computer program comprising the steps of: if the state of said update object has been updated according to the operation of a user of any of said plurality of client terminals, acquiring update data associated with the update from the client terminal via said global communication network (15); and notifying the other client terminals of the acquired update data via said global communication network (15).