Control of interactions within virtual environmetns

Abstract

A virtual object for use in an object oriented environment; the virtual object comprising at least a user-sensible aspect and further comprising at least a functional aspect; the said user-sensible aspect being encapsulated as a user-sensible encapsulation, separately from the functional aspect, which is encapsulated as a functional encapsulation.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
   
   
       8 . A server adapted to communicate with a remote client, said server implementing a virtual computing environment, said virtual computing environment comprising:
 a plurality of virtual objects, each virtual object configured to interact by providing an action in response when presented with a predefined initiating condition by another object, the environment further comprising an interaction stopper for avoiding undesirable looping behavior by preventing a consequential interaction between a first one of said virtual objects with a later one of said virtual objects when a number of interacting objects involved in said consequential interaction reaches a predefined maximum, wherein said interacting objects include said later virtual object, and any virtual object intermediating between said first virtual object and said later virtual object, said preventing comprising configuring said following object not to provide an action in response to said initiating condition, thereby arresting undesirable continuation of said loop.   
   
   
       9 . A server as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said consequential interaction is direct. 
   
   
       10 . A server as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said consequential interaction is an indirect interaction, being an interaction involving at least one mediating interaction with at least one intermediate object. 
   
   
       11 . A server as claimed in  claim 10 , said relationship with at least said second virtual object being defined by an order number, said order number being equal to the number of consequentially interacting objects. 
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A server as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said predetermined interaction limit is specific to at least one of an interaction order and an interaction type, and said interaction stopper is operable to stop interactions within said specificity. 
   
   
       14 . A server as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said consequential interaction with said at least second object comprises a change in at least one of location, movement, shape, size, status, internal parameters, color and texture of said second object. 
   
   
       15 - 33 . (canceled) 
   
   
       34 . A dedicated control element for controlling the functionality of virtual objects belonging to a set of virtual objects within a virtual reality environment, said dedicated control element being associated with said virtual reality environment, and comprising:
 identification functionality for determining whether a first virtual object within said virtual reality environment is a member of said set, and   control functionality for processing events received from said first virtual object, said control functionality further comprising an interaction stopper to avoid undesirable loops by preventing a consequential interaction between said first one of said virtual objects and a later one of said virtual objects when the number of interacting objects involved in said consequential interaction reaches a predefined maximum, wherein said interacting objects include said second virtual object, and any virtual object intermediating between said first virtual object and second virtual object, said preventing comprising configuring said later object not to provide a response to an initiating condition from a preceding object when said maximum is reached which response is configured in said later object for said initiating condition otherwise.   
   
   
       35 - 46 . (canceled)