Interactions Between Users in a Virtual Space

摘要

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for establishing interaction between users simultaneously viewing a virtual representation of a physical object on computers connected to a network. A view of a portion of the physical object is displayed to a user. The view is based on a set of coordinates that identifies a current position of the user. One or more figurines representing other users are displayed within the view. The other users are simultaneously looking at a similar portion of the physical object. Each figurine is shown at a coordinate position corresponding to a current position of a respective other user. A request user to interact with one or more of the other users is received from the user. The request is transmitted to the other users. Based on responses received to the request, interactions between the requesting user and the other users are established.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
displaying, with two or more computing devices, to two or more users a respective views of a portion of virtual representations of Earth, each view being based on a set of real world coordinates that identifies a current virtual position of the user that corresponds to an actual geographical portion of the Earth represented by the virtual representation associated with such view, wherein each virtual representations includes a plurality of different displayable portions of the Earth from different points of view corresponding to different virtual positions; displaying, with at least one of the two or more computing devices, within a current view, one or more figurines representing other users that are looking at a similar portion of the virtual representation of the Earth as that of the current view, wherein each figurine is shown in the current view at a real world coordinate position corresponding to a current virtual position of a respective other user that corresponds to an actual geographical portion of the Earth represented by the virtual representation associated with such view; receiving, with the two or more computing devices, a request from the user to interact with one or more of the other users whose figurines are displayed within the current view; transmitting, with the two or more computing devices, the request to the one or more other users; and establishing, with the two or more computing devices, interactions between the requesting user and the one or more other users based on responses received from the one or more other users to the request.