Dynamic serving of multidimensional content

Abstract

Systems and methods of virtual world interaction, operation, implementation, instantiation, creation, and other functions related to virtual worlds (note that where the term “virtual world” is used herein, it is to be understood as referring to virtual world systems, virtual environments reflecting real, simulated, fantasy, or other structures, and includes information systems that utilize interaction within a 3D environment). Various embodiments facilitate interoperation between and within virtual worlds, and may provide consistent structures for operating virtual worlds. The disclosed embodiments may further enable individuals to build new virtual worlds within a framework, and allow third party users to better interact with those worlds.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of representing a three-dimensional space via a computer network, the method comprising:
 as implemented by one or more computer systems comprising computer hardware and memory, the one or more computer systems configured with specific executable instructions configured to operate a three-dimensional virtual world;   receiving a request for access to the three-dimensional virtual world;   determining whether the request should be served with one of:
 a three-dimensional virtual world data; or 
 a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world data, the determination being based on content of the request for access; 
 in response to determining, based at least on availability of one or more of the computer systems to provide the three-dimensional virtual world data, that the request should be served with three-dimensional virtual world data, transmitting the three dimensional virtual world data; and 
 in response to determining, based at least on availability of one or more of the computer systems to provide the three-dimensional virtual world data, that the request should be served with the two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world data:
 generating the two-dimensional representation based on an existing state of the three-dimensional virtual world; and 
 transmitting user interface data including the two-dimensional representation. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the request should be served with three-dimensional virtual world data or the two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world data comprises determining a protocol associated with the request. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the request should be served with three-dimensional virtual world data or the two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world data comprises determining a user agent associated with the request. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the two-dimensional representation comprises identifying a vantage point within the three-dimensional virtual world and transmitting a two-dimensional rendering of the virtual world based on the identified vantage point. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the vantage point is identified based on an identifier in the request. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the executable code is configured to present a chat interface enabling the user to send and receive messages within the three-dimensional virtual world. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising inserting an avatar representation into the three-dimensional virtual world in response to determining that the request should be served with a two-dimensional representation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the avatar representation is configured to visually indicate that the user associated with the avatar is accessing the two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface data is configured to be indexable by a search engine. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional representation comprises textual content describing activities in the virtual world. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the textual content is automatically generated by the one or more computer systems based on at least analysis of metadata associated with the virtual world. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the protocol associated with the request comprise a portion of a resource locator included in the request. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional virtual world data includes at least one interaction function usable by users viewing the three dimensional virtual world data, and
 wherein the two-dimensional representation does not include the at least one interaction function that is usable by users viewing the three-dimensional virtual world data.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising, in response to determining, based at least on availability of one or more of the computer systems to provide the three-dimensional virtual world data, that the request should be served with the two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world data, transmitting executable code configured to enable a user to interact with objects in the three-dimensional virtual world,
 wherein the executable code transmitted enables the at least one interaction function to users viewing the two-dimensional representation.   
     
     
         15 . A computer system configured to represent a three-dimensional space via a computer network, the computer system comprising:
 one or more hardware computer processors configured to execute the plurality of modules;   computer-readable storage having stored thereon a plurality of modules implemented at least partially by the one or more hardware computer processors;   a request processing module configured to receive a request for access to the three-dimensional virtual world;   a three-dimensional content module configured to transmit three dimensional virtual world data in response to determining, based at least on availability of one or more of the computer systems to provide the three-dimensional virtual world data, that the request should be served with three-dimensional virtual world data; and   a two-dimensional content module configured to transmit a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world data in response to determining, based at least on availability of one or more of the computer systems to provide the three-dimensional virtual world data, that the request should be served with the two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional virtual world data, by:
 generating the two-dimensional representation based on an existing state of the three-dimensional virtual world; and 
 transmitting user interface data including the two-dimensional representation.