Guest management in an online multi-player virtual reality game

Abstract

A guest management method and system for an online multi-player virtual reality environment or social networking site. A network interface receives guest access requests from guest clients and input data from a plurality of remotely-located clients. The input data is operative to control avatars associated with the clients in a modeled virtual reality environment. A memory holds program instructions for determining whether the guest access is associated with a member client. If the guest access request is associated with the member client, then the guest client is allowed to access the virtual reality environment via a guest avatar. The guest avatar's movements in the virtual reality environment are restricted based on a location of a member avatar controlled by the associated member client. For example, the guest avatar may only be permitted to move within an area that is bounded by a perimeter about the member avatar.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 moving a first avatar in a three-dimensional environment based on user input received from a first user; and   moving a second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on user input received from a second user, wherein movement of the second avatar is limited by a current location of the first avatar in the three-dimensional environment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the movement of the second avatar is limited to stay within an area defined by a perimeter about the current location of the first avatar. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the movement of the second avatar is limited to stay within an area defined by an angular relationship with respect to a direct path between the location of the second avatar and the location of the first avatar. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein moving the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on the user input received from the second user includes:
 moving the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on a first user input received from the second user based on the current location of the first avatar; and   forgoing movement of the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on a second user input received from the second user based on the current location of the first avatar.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second user, a request for guest access to the three-dimensional environment; and   in response to granting the request, moving the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on the user input received from the second user.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the request is granted in response to determining that the first avatar has a current location in the three-dimensional environment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the request is granted in response to determining that the first user has an available guest permit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the request is granted in response to determining that the request includes a password associated with guests of the first user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rendering the second avatar with a visual indication of a guest status and rendering the first avatar without the visual indication. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rendering a visual indication associating the second avatar with the first avatar. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the visual indication includes a visual link between the current location of the first avatar and a current location of the second avatar. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 a non-transitory memory; and   one or more processors to:
 move a first avatar in a three-dimensional environment based on user input received from a first user; and 
 move a second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on user input received from a second user, wherein 
   movement of the second avatar is limited by a current location of the first avatar in the three-dimensional environment.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the movement of the second avatar is limited to stay within an area defined by a perimeter about the current location of the first avatar. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the movement of the second avatar is limited to stay within an area defined by an angular relationship with respect to a direct path between the location of the second avatar and the location of the first avatar. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are to move the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on the user input received from the second user by:
 moving the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on a first user input received from the second user based on the current location of the first avatar; and   forgoing movement of the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on a second user input received from the second user based on the current location of the first avatar.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further to:
 receive, from the second user, a request for guest access to the three-dimensional environment; and   in response to granting the request, move the second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on the user input received from the second user.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further to render the second avatar with a visual indication of a guest status and render the first avatar without the visual indication. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising displaying a visual indication associating the second avatar with the first avatar. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the visual indication includes a visual link between the current location of the first avatar and a current location of the second avatar. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by a device including one or more processors, cause the device to:
 move a first avatar in a three-dimensional environment based on user input received from a first user; and   move a second avatar in the three-dimensional environment based on user input received from a second user, wherein movement of the second avatar is limited by a current location of the first avatar in the three-dimensional environment.