US5999944A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for implementing dynamic VRML
Assignee: Oracle International Corp
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Filing: 1998-02-27
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Granted: 1999-12-07
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Expires: 2018-02-27
Abstract
Abstract Mechanisms and methods for storing, dynamically reconstructing, and navigating a three-dimensional virtual world using a database are disclosed. A virtual world is described in a source text according to the grammar of a modeling language. The source text is read, parsed, and decomposed into a database schema in which characteristics of the world are represented in database tables. In an embodiment, nodes and fields of the world are associated with database queries. When the world is to be displayed, values in the database schema are recomposed into a source text. The database queries are executed against a database, yielding values, in real time based on the current state of the data in the database, for the nodes associated with the queries. Thus, a large virtual world are efficiently displayed and easily modified, and the size, shape, or other aspects of elements of the virtual world can change as data in the database changes.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel Lipkin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 12:59
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/26; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945; Y10S707/99948
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world, the method comprising the steps of: (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value from the database; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world, the method comprising the steps of: (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value from the database; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method recited in claim 1, wherein step (B) includes the step of: storing, in association with the field value, a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement configured to carry out the database operation on the database.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method recited in claim 1, wherein step (B) further comprises the steps of: storing a PL/SQL procedure in a server with which the client interacts; and storing a PL/SQL function call in association with the field.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method recited in claim 1, wherein step (B) includes the steps of: declaring a variable; and storing the variable in association with the statement.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method recited in claim 4, wherein step (D) includes the step of: providing a value of the variable to the statement when the virtual world is displayed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method recited in claim 4, wherein step (D) includes the step of: providing a value of the variable to the statement when the statement is executed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: selecting the field value of the virtual world; defining the statement to generate a custom node associated with the field value when the statement is executed; and storing the statement in association with the field value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method recited in claim 7, wherein the step of storing a statement includes the step of: defining a PL/SQL procedure configured to generate the custom node; and wherein the step of storing the statement includes the step of storing a PL/SQL function call corresponding to the PL/SQL procedure in association with the field value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: selecting the field value; storing information that identifies a second virtual world in association with the field value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method recited in claim 9, further comprising the steps of: reading a second node from the second virtual world; and storing a second node description of the second node in association with the field value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method recited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of: reading a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) definition of the second node from a source code file; and converting the VRML definition into the second node description.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method recited in claim 1, wherein the step of storing a statement comprises the steps of: selecting the node, the field value, and an element of the field value; defining the statement to yield the data value for the field value when the statement is executed; and storing the statement in association with the element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of: defining a variable parameter in association with the statement; and at the client, supplying a variable value to the variable parameter when the second source definition is delivered to the client.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
158 words
A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of one or more instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of: (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value from the database; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
158 words
A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world wherein the execution of the one or more sequences of one or more instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of: (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value from the database; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, wherein step (B) includes the step of: storing, in association with the field value, a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement configured to carry out the database operation on the database.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, wherein step (B) further comprises the steps of: storing a PL/SQL procedure in a server with which the client interacts; and storing a PL/SQL function call in association with the field.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, wherein step (B) includes the steps of: declaring a variable; and storing the variable in association with the statement.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, wherein step (D) includes the step of: providing a value of the variable to the statement when the virtual world is displayed.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, wherein step (D) includes the step of: providing a value of the variable to the statement when the statement is executed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of: selecting the field value of the virtual world; defining the statement to generate a custom node associated with the field value when the statement is executed; and storing the statement in association with the field value.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 20, wherein the step of storing a statement includes the step of: defining a PL/SQL procedure configured to generate the custom node; and wherein the step of storing the statement includes the step of storing a PL/SQL function call corresponding to the PL/SQL procedure in association with the field value.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of: selecting the field value; storing information that identifies a second virtual world in association with the field value.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 22, further comprising the steps of: reading a second node from the second virtual world; and storing a second node description of the second node in association with the field value.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
39 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 23, further comprising the steps of: reading a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) definition of the second node from a source code file; and converting the VRML definition into the second node description.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
57 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 14, wherein the step of storing a statement comprises the steps of: selecting the node, the field value, and an element of the field value; defining the statement to yield the data value for the field value when the statement is executed; and storing the statement in association with the element.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
43 words
The computer-readable medium recited in claim 25, further comprising the steps of: defining a variable parameter in association with the statement; and at the client, supplying a variable value to the variable parameter when the second source definition is delivered to the client.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
167 words
A computer apparatus for generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world, the computer apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor; the memory having the first source definition stored therein; and sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the display of the virtual world by causing the processor to perform the steps of: (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
167 words
A computer apparatus for generating a display of a virtual world from a first source definition of the virtual world, the computer apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor; the memory having the first source definition stored therein; and sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the display of the virtual world by causing the processor to perform the steps of: (A) storing in a database a description of a node that is defined in the first source definition; (B) storing in the database, in association with a field value of the node in the description, a statement that describes a database operation; (C) executing the statement using the database to generate a data value; (D) delivering a second source definition of the virtual world to a client that is configured to generate the display using the second source definition, in which the second source definition uses the data value for the field of the node.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 27, wherein step (B) includes the step of: storing, in association with the field value, a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement configured to carry out the database operation on the database.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 27, wherein step (B) further comprises the steps of: storing a PL/SQL procedure in a server with which the client interacts; and storing a PL/SQL function call in association with the field.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 27, wherein step (B) includes the steps of: declaring a variable; and storing the variable in association with the statement.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 30, wherein step (D) includes the step of: providing a value of the variable to the statement when the virtual world is displayed.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 30, wherein step (D) includes the step of: providing a value of the variable to the statement when the statement is executed.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
59 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 27, in which the memory further comprises instructions that cause the processor to execute the steps of: selecting the field value of the virtual world; defining the statement to generate a custom node associated with the field value when the statement is executed; and storing the statement in association with the field value.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
56 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 33, wherein the step of storing a statement includes the step of: defining a PL/SQL procedure configured to generate the custom node; and wherein the step of storing the statement includes the step of storing a PL/SQL function call corresponding to the PL/SQL procedure in association with the field value.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 27, in which the memory further comprises instructions that cause the processor to execute the steps of: selecting the field value; storing information that identifies a second virtual world in association with the field value.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 27, in which the memory further comprises instructions that cause the processor to execute the steps of: reading a second node from the second virtual world; and storing a second node description of the second node in association with the field value.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
50 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 36, in which the memory further comprises instructions that cause the processor to execute the steps of: reading a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) definition of the second node from a source code file; and converting the VRML definition into the second node description.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
57 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 27, wherein the step of storing a statement comprises the steps of: selecting the node, the field value, and an element of the field value; defining the statement to yield the data value for the field value when the statement is executed; and storing the statement in association with the element.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
54 words
The computer apparatus recited in claim 38, in which the memory further comprises instructions that cause the processor to execute the steps of: defining a variable parameter in association with the statement; and at the client, supplying a variable value to the variable parameter when the second source definition is delivered to the client.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-06 | 2003-06-07 | 2003-12-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-06 | 2007-06-07 | 2007-12-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-06 | 2011-06-07 | 2011-12-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |