Participating in risk mitigation in a virtual world

• US 20060190283A1
• 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:
  US11/191,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190283A1
• 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 system includes a computing device couplable to a virtual world via a public network, and instructions. The instructions when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to activate a virtual character that represents a participant in the virtual world, enable a participation by the virtual character in an arrangement with a protection entity and make a record of the arrangement.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

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

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

activate a virtual character in the virtual world,

enable a participation by the virtual character in an arrangement with a protection entity that includes the protection entity providing a compensation to the virtual character upon a future occurrence of a described loss in the virtual world in exchange for a consideration transferred to the protection entity, and

make a record of the arrangement.

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

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

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network includes at least one of a private computer network, a public computer network, and the Internet.

5. A method comprising:

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

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

saving data indicative of the arrangement in a computer-readable medium.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the accepting an input operating a virtual character in a virtual world includes accepting an input operating an avatar that represents a participant in a virtual world.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the accepting an input operating a virtual character in a virtual world includes accepting an input operating a virtual character that represents a real-world participant in a virtual world.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the participating in an arrangement with a protection entity includes receiving a communication related to at least one of offering, accepting, or negotiating an opportunity to form the arrangement.

9. The method of claim 8, 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 the arrangement.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving a communication related to an opportunity to form the arrangement includes receiving a communication originating from the protection entity and related to an opportunity to form the arrangement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the protection entity includes a participant protection entity.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the protection entity includes a non-participant protection entity.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the participating in an arrangement with a protection entity includes sending a communication related to at least one of offering, accepting, or negotiating an opportunity to form the arrangement.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the exchange for a consideration transferred to the protection entity includes an exchange for a consideration having a value in the virtual world.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the exchange for a consideration transferred to the protection entity includes an exchange for a consideration having a value in the real world.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the exchange for a consideration transferred includes an exchange for a consideration transferred by the participant.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein the exchange for a consideration transferred includes an exchange for a consideration transferred by a third-party.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the participating in an arrangement with a protection entity includes sending an authorization to transfer the consideration to the protection entity.

19. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

establishing a communication link via a network between the virtual world and the participant.

20. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a notification of an occurrence of the described loss.

21. A computer program product comprising:

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

sending an instruction to a virtual world related to a virtual character,

enabling a participation by the virtual character in an arrangement with a risk distribution entity that includes the risk distribution entity providing a compensation to the virtual character upon a future occurrence of a described loss in the virtual world in exchange for a consideration transferred to the risk distribution entity, and

saving data representative of the arrangement; and

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

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a communication medium.