SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING A PERSISTENT VIRTUAL AVATAR WITH MIGRATIONAL ABILITY

• US 20080120558A1
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Botanic Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Botanic Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Meadows, Mark Stephen, Leibert, Florian Thomas, Nathan, Paco Xander, Mallis, Jan Susan, Cox, Cathi Joann
• Application Number:
  US11/560,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20080120558A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/51 Server architecture
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing a virtual avatar with migrational ability, and brokering information, are provided. The persistent avatar exists in a plurality of virtual environments and includes attributes generated by an attribute generator, an enabler for enabling virtual environments to access the stored attribute data, and a migrator for allowing the avatar to migrate from one virtual environment to another while the attributes of the persistent avatar remain substantially constant. The enabler utilizes at least one client based on protocol suite. Stored attribute data is modifiable by experiences in any virtual environment. User of the persistent avatar is notified when events occur in any virtual environment, or within real life, by monitoring for events with a monitor, assessing importance of the event with an assessor, and notifying the owner with an informer of the event if it exceeds a threshold of importance.

Claims

1. A persistent avatar management system, useful in conjunction with a persistent avatar and a first virtual environment having a first user interface, wherein the persistent avatar includes at least one attribute, the persistent avatar management system comprising:

a first enabler configured to transpose the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar to be compatible with the first interface of the first virtual environment thereby enabling the first virtual environment to utilize the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar.

2. The persistent avatar management system, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second enabler configured to transpose the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar to be compatible with a second interface of a second virtual environment thereby enabling the second virtual environment to utilize the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar.

3. The persistent avatar management system, as recited in claim 2, further comprising a migrator configured to migrate the persistent avatar from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment, wherein the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar remains substantially consistent from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment.

4. The persistent avatar management system, as recited in claim 1, wherein the first enabler includes at least one client module, and wherein the at least one client module is based on a protocol suite.

5. The persistent avatar management system, as recited in claim 1, wherein the persistent avatar management system is hosted within a network operation center.

6. The persistent avatar management system, as recited in claim 1, wherein the persistent avatar is associated with a user and wherein the persistent avatar management system is hosted by the user.

7. The persistent avatar management system, as recited in claim 1, further comprising an attribute generator configured to generate the at least one attribute of persistent avatar.

8. The persistent avatar management system as recited in claim 7, wherein the attribute generator generates the at least one attribute from a plurality of pre-selectable attributes.

9. A method for managing a persistent avatar, useful in association with a first virtual environment having a first user interface, wherein the persistent avatar includes at least one attribute, the method comprising:

transposing the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar to be compatible with the first interface of the first virtual environment thereby enabling the first virtual environment to utilize the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar.

10. The method, as recited in claim 9, further comprising transposing the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar to be compatible with a second interface of a second virtual environment thereby enabling the second virtual environment to utilize the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar.

11. The method, as recited in claim 10, further comprising migrating the persistent avatar from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment, wherein the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar remains substantially consistent from the first virtual environment to the second virtual environment.

12. The method, as recited in claim 9, wherein the persistent avatar includes at least one of a character, a non-player character, a quasi-player character, an agent, a personal assistant, a personality, a guide, an educator and a representation.

13. The method, as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the first and the second of virtual environments includes at least one of an online game, a social network, a web community, a shared simulation based on user-created content, a virtual overlay on physical world data, and a telecommunication device.

14. The method, as recited in claim 12, wherein the persistent avatar is editable.

15. The method, as recited in claim 14, wherein the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar includes at least one of an appearance, a memory, a personality, an emotional attribute, an intelligence attribute, a physical attribute, a social attribute, and an avatar statistic.

16. The method, as recited in claim 14, further comprising modifying the at least one attribute of the persistent avatar, wherein the modifying is triggered by an experience in one of the first and the second virtual environments.

17. The method, as recited in claim 9, wherein the persistent avatar represents a plurality of persistent avatars.

18. A notification system, useful in association with a user and at least one virtual environment, the notice system comprising:

a monitor configured to monitor the at least one virtual environment for an event;

an assessor configured to assess an importance of the event and to generate a value for the event corresponding to the importance; and

a notifier configured to notify the user of the event if the value generated for the event exceeds a threshold value.

19. A method for notifying a user, wherein the user is associated with at least one virtual environment, the method comprising:

monitoring the at least one virtual environment for an event;

assessing an importance of the event;

generating a value for the event corresponding to the importance; and

notifying the user of the event if the value generated for the event exceeds a threshold value.

20. The method, as recited in claim 19, wherein the monitoring further comprising monitoring a real-world for an occurrence of the event.

21. The method, as recited in claim 20, wherein assessing the importance of the event includes querying at least one of a user preference, a degree of impact on the user, a scope of the event, a duration of the event, and a degree of impact on a social network associated with the user.