Providing risk mitigation in a virtual world

• US 20060190282A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• 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:
  US11/191,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190282A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• 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 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• 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 method includes operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world configured to interact with a participant via a network, participating in a risk management arrangement with the participant, and saving a record of the arrangement.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world configured to interact with a participant via a network;

participating in an arrangement with the participant that includes the protection entity providing a compensation to the participant upon a future occurrence of a described loss in the virtual world in exchange for rceiving a consideration; and

saving a record of the arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world configured to interact with a participant via a network includes operating a protection entity that is associated with a virtual world and configured to interact with a participant via a network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world configured to interact with a participant via a network includes operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world that is configured to interact with a participant via a network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world includes operating a protection entity in communication with a virtual world.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity includes operating a protection entity involved in a business of entering into risk mitigation agreements in at least one of the virtual world, the real world, or both the virtual world and the real world.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity includes operating a virtual world participant protection entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity includes operating a virtual world non-participant protection entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity includes operating a protection entity authorized by the virtual world to participate in the arrangement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world configured to interact with a participant via a network includes operating a protection entity associated with a virtual world configured to interact with at least one of a program agent, a proxy, or a representative of the participant via a network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the participating in an arrangement with a participant includes receiving a communication related to at least one of offering, accepting, or negotiating an opportunity to form an arrangement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a communication related to an opportunity to form the arrangement includes receiving a communication originating from the virtual world and related to an opportunity to form an arrangement.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a communication related to an opportunity to form the arrangement includes receiving a communication originating from the participant and related to an opportunity to form an arrangement.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wherein the participating in an arrangement with a participant includes sending a communication related to at least one of offering, accepting, or negotiating an opportunity to form an arrangement.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the a consideration includes a consideration having a value in the virtual world.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the a consideration includes a consideration having a value in the real world.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the a consideration includes a consideration transferred by the participant.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the a consideration includes a consideration transferred by a third-party.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an occurrence of the described loss in the virtual world; and

providing the compensation to the participant.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the providing the compensation to the participant includes providing a virtual-world compensation to the participant.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the providing the compensation to the participant includes providing a real-world compensation to the participant.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an evidence of a transfer of the compensation.

22. A system comprising:

a computing system that includes a computing device which is configured to communicate with a virtual world via a network, the virtual world including an operability to interact with a participant via the network; and

instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing system to;

operate a protection entity having an association with the virtual world;

participate in an arrangement with the participant that includes the protection entity providing a compensation to the participant upon a future occurrence of a described loss in the virtual world in exchange for receiving a consideration; and

save data indicative of the arrangement.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the operate a protection entity having an association with the virtual world includes operate a protection entity having a presence within the virtual world.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the operate a protection entity having an association with the virtual world includes operate a protection entity having a presence within the virtual world and under a control of the virtual world.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the operate a protection entity having an association with the virtual world includes operate a protection entity having a presence within the real world and an operability to interact with the virtual world via the network.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the operate a protection entity having an association with the virtual world includes operate a protection entity involved in a business of a risk mitigation in the real world and having an operability to interact with the virtual world via the network.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the operate a protection entity having an association with the virtual world includes operate a protection entity having a presence in the real world and having an operability to interact with the participant via the network in response to a referral from the virtual world.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the protection entity includes a participant protection entity.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the participant protection entity includes at least one of a real-world entity, a real-world entity engaged in a business of entering into contracts similar to the arrangement, a person, an individual, a virtual-world entity, a virtual-world entity engaged in a business of entering into contracts similar to the arrangement, a fictional protection entity, or an avatar of the virtual world.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the protection entity includes a non-participant protection entity.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the non-participant protection entity includes at least one of a provider of the virtual world, an operator of the virtual world, or a person associated with the virtual world.

32. A computer program product comprising:

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

operate a protection entity having an association with the virtual world that includes an operability to interact with a participant via a network;

participate in an arrangement with the participant that includes the protection entity providing a compensation to the participant upon a future occurrence of a described loss in the virtual world in exchange for a consideration; and

save data indicative of the arrangement; and

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

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

34. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a communication medium.