Identifying a participant loss in a virtual world

• US 20060178899A1
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/234,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178899A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, system includes a computing system couplable to a virtual world via a network, and instructions. The instructions when executed by the computing system cause the computing system to generate a signal responsive to a received participant input and operable to affect a character in the virtual world. The instructions also cause the computing system to identify an occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character. The defined loss described in a risk management agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence in the virtual world of the defined loss.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computing system couplable to a virtual world via a network; and

instructions that when executed by the computing system cause the computing system to

generate a signal responsive to a received participant input and operable to affect a character in the virtual world, and

identify an occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character, the defined loss described in a risk management agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence in the virtual world of the defined loss.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions that cause the computing system to identify an occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character include instructions that cause the computing system to monitor the virtual world for an occurrence of the defined loss.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to

display an information corresponding to the identified occurrence of the defined loss.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to

display an information corresponding to the identified occurrence of the defined loss in response to a received input from the participant.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to

transmit a signal indicative of a claim for a benefit based at least in part upon the identified occurrence of the defined loss.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to

transmit a signal indicative of a claim for a benefit based at least in part upon the identified occurrence of the defined loss in response to a received input from the participant.

7. A method comprising:

sending a signal responsive to a received participant input and operable to affect a character in a virtual world;

identifying an occurrence in the virtual world of a loss defined in an agreement, the agreement including an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world suffered by the character in exchange for a consideration; and

sending a claim for a benefit corresponding to the identified occurrence of the defined loss.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending a signal that corresponds to a received participant input and affects a character in a virtual world includes sending a signal that corresponds to a received participant input and affects a representation of the participant in a virtual world.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending a signal that corresponds to a received participant input and affects a character in a virtual world includes sending a signal that corresponds to a received participant input and affects a character that represents a real-world participant in a virtual world.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending a claim for a benefit based at least in part upon the identified occurrence of the defined loss includes sending a claim for a benefit based at least in part upon the identified occurrence of the defined loss in response to a received participant input.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending a claim for a benefit corresponding to the identified occurrence of the defined loss includes sending a claim for a benefit corresponding to the identified occurrence of the defined loss to at least one of the virtual world or the protection entity.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a benefit information related to the identified occurrence of the defined loss.

13. A computer-program product comprising:

(a) program instructions operable to perform a process in a computing system, the process comprising

sending a signal that corresponds to a received participant input and affects a character in a virtual world,

identifying an occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character, the defined loss described in a risk management agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence in the virtual world of the defined loss, and

transmitting a signal indicative of a claim for a benefit based at least in part upon the identified occurrence of the defined loss; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the program instructions.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a communication medium.

16. A system comprising:

a computing system couplable to a virtual world via a network; and

instructions when executed by the computing system cause the computing system to

send a signal corresponding to a received participant input and acceptable by a virtual world to influence a character in the virtual world, and

send a signal indicative of a benefit claim corresponding to an occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character in the virtual world, the loss defined in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide the benefit to the character upon the character suffering an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to

receive a signal indicative of the character suffering the occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to

identify the occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character in the virtual world.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to

monitor the virtual world for the occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character in the virtual world.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing system to

display information related to the occurrence of the defined loss.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructions that cause the computing system to display information related to the occurrence of the defined loss includes instructions that cause the computing system to display at least one of visual, audible, and/or tactile information related to the occurrence of the defined loss.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructions that cause the computing system to display information related to the occurrence of the defined loss includes instructions that cause the computing system to display information related to the occurrence of the defined loss in a dialog box.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the network includes at least one of a private computer network, a public computer network, and the Internet.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions that cause the computing system to send a signal indicative of a benefit claim corresponding to an occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character in the virtual world include instructions that cause the computing system to send a signal indicative of a benefit claim corresponding to an occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character in the virtual world to at least one of the virtual world, and/or the protection entity.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

(a) program instructions operable to perform a process in a computer system, the process comprising

accepting a participant input operating a character in a virtual world;

receiving a signal indicative of a monitored occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character in the virtual world, the loss being described in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide the benefit to the character upon the character suffering an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world; and

displaying information related to the monitored occurrence of the defined loss; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the program instructions.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the process further comprises:

sending a signal indicative of a benefit claim corresponding to the monitored occurrence of a defined loss suffered by the character in the virtual world.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a communication medium.

29. A method comprising:

sending a claim for a benefit corresponding to a purported occurrence of a defined loss described in an agreement and suffered by a participant in a virtual world, the virtual world including an operability to interact with at least two participants over a network, and the agreement including an obligation of a protection entity to provide the benefit to the participant upon an occurrence of the defined loss suffered in the virtual world by the participant;

receiving a signal responsive to a correlation of the purported occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world and an identified occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world; and

displaying a participant information corresponding to the correlation of the purported occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world and an identified occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

facilitating the participant obtaining the benefit corresponding to the purported occurrence of a defined loss described in an agreement and suffered by a participant in a virtual world.