Mapping transactions between the real world and a virtual world

• US 10,176,450 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bokor, Brian R., Haggar, Peter F., House, Daniel E., Nicol, II, William B., Smith, Andrew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilder, A Hunter
• Application Number:
  US15/165,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A method for mapping transactions between a real world and a virtual world may include receiving information associated with a real world item at a virtual business object (VBO) controller. Information associated with a user is received at the VBO controller. In response to receiving by the VBO controller a decision to buy the real world item, the VBO controller generates a VBO, which includes the information associated with the real world item. In response to receiving at the VBO controller a decision not to buy the real world item, the VBO controller generates a VBO light, which includes the information associated with the real world item. Either the generated VBO or the VBO light is transmitted to a VBO inventory database associated with the user based on the user'"'"'s information.

Claims

1. A system for mapping transactions between a real world and a virtual world, comprising:

a processor; and

a VBO controller operable on the processor, wherein the VBO controller comprises at least one module configured to perform a set of functions comprising;

receiving information associated with a first real world item and a second real world item;

receiving information associated with a user;

generating a VBO comprising the information associated with the first real world item in response to a decision by the user to buy first the real world item, wherein the VBO is at least a virtual image of the first real world item;

generating a VBO light comprising the information associated with the second real world item in response to a decision by the user not to buy the second real world item and further in response to receiving a decision at the VBO controller to store information associated with the second real world item, wherein the VBO light is at least a virtual image of the second real world item;

transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to a VBO inventory database associated with the user based on the user'"'"'s information; and

displaying on a graphical user interface of a display the virtual world of an avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user, wherein the graphical user interface displays one of the VBO and the VBO light.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the first and second real world items at the VBO controller comprises receiving at the VBO controller the first and second real world items information from one of a virtual world store and a real world store sales, wherein the first and second real world item information comprises information about the first and second real world item needed to generate one of the VBO and the VBO light.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the user at the VBO controller comprises receiving at the VBO controller the user'"'"'s information from one of a communications device associated with the user and a real world store, wherein the user'"'"'s information comprises information about the user needed to transmit one of the VBO and VBO light to the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user'"'"'s information comprises at least one of a name, an address, and an identification number.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of functions further comprises providing access to information associated with one of the VBO and the VBO light in the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to the VBO inventory database associated with the user comprises transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to one of:

the virtual world of the avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user;

a mobile inventory; and

a communications device of the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of functions further comprises:

monitoring product and service information related to the first and second real world items to determine if any new updates exist; and

updating in the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database of one of the VBO and the VBO light based on any new updates.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the first and second real world items at the VBO controller comprises receiving an identification (ID) of the first or second real world item at the VBO controller.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein receiving the identification (ID) of the first or second real world item at the VBO controller comprises at least one of:

receiving the item ID captured through an image capturing device;

receiving the item ID through the Internet; and

receiving the item ID from a communication device of the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of functions further comprises determining the first or second real world item information based on the item ID.

2. A computer program product for mapping transactions between a real world and a virtual world, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code being executable by a device to cause the device to perform a method comprising;

receiving information associated with a first real world item and a second real world item at a virtual business object (VBO) controller on a computer system;

receiving information associated with a user at the VBO controller;

generating a VBO comprising the information associated with the first real world item in response to a decision by the user to buy the first real world item, wherein the VBO is at least a virtual image of the first real world item;

generating a VBO light comprising the information associated with the second real world item in response to a decision by the user not to buy the second real world item and further in response to receiving a decision at the VBO controller to store information associated with the second real world item, wherein the VBO light is at least a virtual image of the second real world item;

transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to an inventory associated with the user based on the user'"'"'s information; and

displaying on a graphical user interface of a display the virtual world of an avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user, wherein the graphical user interface displays one of the VBO and the VBO light.

12. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein receiving information associated with the first and second real world items at the VBO controller comprises receiving at the VBO controller the first and second real world items information from one of a virtual world store and a real world store sales, wherein the first and second real world item information comprises information about the first and second real world item needed to generate one of the VBO and the VBO light.

13. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein receiving information associated with the user at the VBO controller comprises receiving at the VBO controller the user'"'"'s information from one of a communications device associated with the user and a real world store, wherein the user'"'"'s information comprises information about the user needed to transmit one of the VBO and VBO light to the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the user'"'"'s information comprises at least one of a name, an address, and an identification number.

15. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the set of functions further comprises providing access to information associated with one of the VBO and the VBO light in the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database.

16. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to the VBO inventory database associated with the user comprises transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to one of:

the virtual world of the avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user;

a mobile inventory; and

a communications device of the user.

17. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the set of functions further comprises:

monitoring product and service information related to the first and second real world items to determine if any new updates exist; and

updating in the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database of one of the VBO and the VBO light based on any new updates.

18. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein receiving information associated with the first and second real world items at the VBO controller comprises receiving an identification (ID) of the first or second real world item at the VBO controller.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein receiving the identification (ID) of the first or second real world item at the VBO controller comprises at least one of:

receiving the item ID captured through an image capturing device;

receiving the item ID through the Internet; and

receiving the item ID from a communication device of the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the set of functions further comprises determining the first or second real world item information based on the item ID.