Managing a virtual object

• US 10,114,683 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Pamela, Chen, Rebecca L J, Yen, Jacqueline, Yu, Cecelia Y C
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, James A
• Application Number:
  US13/418,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,423 Days
• Field of Search: 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Managing a virtual object in a server device includes storing the virtual object in a database accessible to the server device and, in response to a non-subscriber user performing a first action on the virtual object, sending a message from the server device to at least one user that subscribes to the virtual object.

Claims

1. A method of managing a virtual object, said method comprising:

storing said virtual object in a database accessible to a server device, said database comprising a number of avatars and a number of virtual objects distinct from said avatars; and

in response to a non-subscriber user performing, with one of said avatars, a first action on said virtual object, sending a message from said server device to at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object;

wherein said at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object comprises at least one user subscribing to said virtual object that is not a member of a community to which said non-subscriber user belongs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-subscribing user and said at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object are each associated with at least one client computing device communicatively coupled to said server device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising making said non-subscriber user a subscriber to said virtual object with said server device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object comprises any user subscribing to said virtual object that has performed an action on said virtual object that is the same as said first action performed by said non-subscriber user on said virtual object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object comprises all users subscribing to said virtual object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a database of users with said server device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating a profile associated with said at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object in response to said non-subscriber user taking said first action on said virtual object.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising creating a profile for said non-subscriber user in said user database and sending said profile for said non-subscriber user to said at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object in response to said non-subscriber user taking said first action on said virtual object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting, to at least one of said users that subscribe to said virtual object, an identification of a community that the non-subscriber user joins, said report occurring after the non-subscriber user performs said first action on said virtual object.

10. A method of managing a virtual object, said method comprising:

rendering said virtual object in a virtual environment implemented by at least one server device, said virtual environment including both a number of avatars and a number of virtual objects distinct from said avatars, said rendered virtual object being one of the virtual objects distinct from said avatars and being accessible to a plurality of users of said virtual environment;

maintaining in said at least one server device a database of said users that subscribe to said virtual object so as to distinguish between users that subscribe to said virtual object and users that have not subscribed to said virtual object; and

in response to a non-subscriber user that has not subscribed to said virtual object directly performing a first action on said virtual object in said virtual environment, sending a message from said at least one server device to at least one of said users that subscribe to said virtual object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one user that subscribes to said virtual object comprises at least one user subscribing to said virtual object that is not a member of a community to which said non-subscriber user belongs.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each of said users interacts with said virtual environment through a computer-implemented avatar.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said non-subscriber user performs said first action on said virtual object by instructing said avatar associated with said non-subscriber user to perform an action on said virtual object in said virtual environment.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising making said non-subscriber user into a subscriber user by adding said non-subscriber user with said server device to said database of said users that subscribe to said virtual object.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one of said users that subscribe to said virtual object comprises all users subscribing to said virtual object.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one of said users that subscribes to said virtual object comprises at least one user subscribing to said virtual object that is not a member of a community to which said non-subscriber user belongs.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising creating a profile for said non-subscriber user in said user database and sending said profile for said non-subscriber user to said at least one of said users that subscribes to said virtual object in response to said non-subscriber user taking said first action on said virtual object.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating a profile associated with at least one of said users that subscribe to said virtual object in response to said non-subscriber user performing said first action on said virtual object.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising reporting, to at least one of said users that subscribe to said virtual object, an identification of a community that the non-subscriber user joins, said report occurring after the non-subscriber user performs said first action on said virtual object.