Tracking a participant loss in a virtual world

• US 20060178965A1
• 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:
  US11/234,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178965A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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, a system includes a virtual world in which a participant may participate. The system also includes a covered-loss detection module operable to identify an occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world suffered by the participant. The defined loss is described in an 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 virtual world in which a participant may participate; and

a covered-loss detection module operable to identify an occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world suffered by the participant, the defined loss described in an 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 defined loss includes a determinable contingency.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined loss includes an indeterminable contingency.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined loss in the virtual world suffered by the participant includes at least one of an injury, a loss, a theft, a damage, a harm, a casualty, a disability, a loss of use, loss of income, a loss of life, a consequential loss, and/or an imposed punitive obligation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined loss includes a loss relative to a subject matter in which the participant has an interest.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined loss includes a loss relative to a subject matter in which the participant has a virtual world economic interest.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection entity includes a participant protection entity.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection entity includes a non-participant protection entity.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit includes a compensation for the defined loss.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit includes a replacement of the defined loss.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit to the participant includes a compensation to the participant.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit to the participant includes a virtual-world benefit to the participant.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit to the participant includes a real-world benefit to the participant.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit to the participant includes an agreed upon benefit to the participant.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit to the participant includes a predetermined benefit to the participant.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the benefit to the participant includes a replacement to the participant.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the covered-loss detection module further includes an event-tracking module operable to monitor the virtual world for an occurrence of the defined loss.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the covered-loss detection module further includes an operability to track the virtual world for an occurrence of the defined loss suffered by the participant.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a query module operable to respond to an inquiry corresponding to a claimed occurrence of a defined loss.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the query module includes a query module operable to confirm the occurrence of the claimed occurrence of a defined loss.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the query module includes a query module operable to deny the occurrence of the claimed occurrence of a defined loss.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the query module includes a query module operable to facilitate a provision of the benefit to the participant for the participant claimed occurrence of the defined loss.

31. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reporting module operable to transmit a signal indicative of an occurrence of a defined loss.

5. (cancelled)

6. (cancelled)

7. (cancelled)

12. (cancelled)

20. (cancelled)

21. (cancelled)

23. (cancelled)

28. (cancelled)

32. (cancelled)

33. A system comprising:

a computing system couplable to a network and operable to interact with at least two participants via the network;

a program module operable to manage a virtual world; and

a query module operable to respond to a benefit inquiry corresponding to a claimed occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world by a participant of the at least two participants (hereafter referred to as “

the participant”

).

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the defined loss in the virtual world includes a defined loss described in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the query module includes a query module operable to confirm the occurrence of a participant-claimed occurrence of a defined loss.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the query module includes a query module operable to facilitate a provision of the benefit to the participant for a claimed occurrence of the defined loss.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the query module includes a query module operable to report a confirmation decision related to the occurrence of the participant claimed occurrence of a defined loss.

40. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

a tracking module operable to monitor the virtual world for an occurrence of the defined loss.

35. (cancelled)

37. (cancelled)

41. A method comprising:

identifying an occurrence in a virtual world of a loss defined in an agreement, the virtual world including a virtual world operable to interact with a plurality of participants over a network, and the agreement including an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant of at least two participants (hereafter referred to as “

the participant”

) upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world; and

responding to a benefit claim corresponding to a purported occurrence of a loss suffered by the participant in the virtual world based at least in part on the identified occurrence in the virtual world of a loss defined in the agreement.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

monitoring the virtual world for the occurrence of a loss defined in the agreement.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

managing the virtual world.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

accepting a participant input operating a character in the virtual world.

45. A computer program product, comprising:

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

receiving a claim for a benefit based upon a purported occurrence in a virtual world of a defined loss described in an agreement and suffered by a participant of at least two participants (hereafter referred to as “

the participant”

), the virtual world being operable to interact with at the least two participants over a network, and the agreement including an obligation of a protection entity to provide the benefit to the participant a upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world;

verifying the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world; and

responding to the claim for a benefit based upon the verifying the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world; and

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

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the responding to the claim for the benefit based upon the verifying the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world includes responding that the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world is verified.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the responding to the claim for the benefit based upon the verifying the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world includes responding that the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world is not verified.

49. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the verifying the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world includes correlating the purported occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world and a computing machine identified occurrence of the defined loss experienced by the participant in the virtual world.

51. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

52. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a communication medium.

47. (cancelled)

50. (cancelled)