Proximity-based broadcast virtual universe system

• US 10,096,032 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, II, Rick A., Moskowitz, Paul A., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Rutao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elchanti, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US12/103,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,829 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141, 1 1, 715706, 715741, 715751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

In various embodiments, the proximity of an avatar with respect to a designated focal point object within a virtual universe is determined, and information associated with the designated focal point object is identified. A first of a plurality of representations of the information is selected based, at least in part, on the determined proximity of the avatar with respect to the designated focal point object. The first representation of the information is then transmitted to the avatar. Proximity-based transmission of information can disseminate relevant information to avatars, and can be used by virtual universe businesses to encourage avatars to move near the designated focal point object within the virtual universe so that the avatars can be exposed to products and advertisements.

Claims

1. A computer system for implementing proximity-based transmission of information in a virtual universe, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine that a proximity of a virtual universe avatar with respect to a designated focal point object of the virtual universe is within a first proximity range of the designated focal point object, wherein the designated focal point object is associated with information, and in response, to;

select a first of a plurality of representations of the information based, at least in part, on determining that the proximity of the virtual universe avatar with respect to the designated focal point object is within the first proximity range of the designated focal point object; and

transmit the first representation of the information to the virtual universe avatar;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine that the proximity of the virtual universe avatar with respect to the designated focal point object is within a second proximity range of the designated focal point object, and in response, to;

select a second of the plurality of representations of the information; and

transmit—

the second representation of the information to the virtual universe avatar;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine whether a loading condition of a hardware device of the server system has been exceeded, wherein the hardware device comprises at least one of a memory, a processor, and a power component; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to the loading condition of the hardware device of the server system being exceeded, create an auxiliary focal point object in the virtual universe having a location that is different from a location of the designated focal point object.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to detect that the virtual universe avatar comprises a virtual universe receiver object, wherein the program instructions to transmit the first representation of the information to the virtual universe avatar transmit the first representation of the information to the virtual universe avatar based, at least in part, on detecting that the virtual universe avatar comprises the virtual universe receiver object.