Apparatuses, methods and systems for information querying and serving in a virtual world based on profiles

• US 20080201321A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Upland Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JagTag Incorporated (Upland Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Dudley, Snyder, Jason Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The disclosure details the implementation of apparatuses, methods, and systems for information querying and serving in a virtual world based on profiles. Such virtual worlds may include, for example, massively multiplayer online games like The Sims Online, Everquest, World of Warcraft, Second Life, and/or the like. Information and/or advertisement providers may use a code triggered information server to serve context, demographic, and behavior targeted information to users in a virtual world. Users, in turn, trigger the provision of information by scanning or observing codes or information, or by making decisions within a virtual world such as attempting a mission within a game. The triggers, together with virtual world geographic, temporal, and user-specific information, are obtained by the server that receives, processes, and records the message. Based on these messages and a user profile—which may include continuously updated user-specific behavior information, situational and ambient information, an accumulated history of triggers, and integration with outside database information—the server selects information to serve to the user in a virtual world from an information base. For example, a user in Second Life who likes modern clothing for his/her avatar may be presented with ads on virtual billboards from advertisers of virtual in-game clothing stores that are near his/her virtual position. In another example, an advertisement tailored to a user'"'"'s particular interests or behavioral patterns may be placed at a location within a virtual world that the user is known to routinely pass.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for serving information to users within a virtual world based on accumulated user information, comprising:

accumulating user activity interest information;

accumulating user situational information;

associating the user activity interest information and user situational information with a user profile;

updating the user profile with the associated information in a database;

analyzing accumulated information associated with the user profile;

querying an information database based on the analysis of the user profile;

selecting information based on the user profile to include in a message; and

serving the message in a virtual world.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the message sent to the user is selected based on a ranking.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a relevance rating of the message sent to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating an Ad profile based on the user activity interest information and user situational information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the message sent to the user is selected based on ambient conditions within the virtual world.

6. The method of claim 1, further, comprising:

determining information to include in a message based on the querying of the information database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user situational information includes geographic location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user situational information includes geographic location at a given time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user situational information includes location within a virtual world.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user situational information includes location within a virtual world at a given time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user activity interest information is comprised of a code scanned by a mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user activity interest information is comprised of an internet link chosen by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user activity interest information is comprised of a user decision within a virtual world.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the message sent to the user is sent to a mobile device.

15. A processor-implemented method for serving information in a virtual world based on accumulated user information, comprising:

receiving messages from a user comprised of user identification, a user decision within a virtual world, time of the decision, and user location within the virtual world at the time of the decision;

associating the user identification with a user profile in a database;

updating the user profile with the received messages;

analyzing the accumulated messages in the user profile;

determining proper information to serve to the user based on the received message and the user profile;

selecting the information to serve to the user from a database;

incorporating the selected information into a reply message; and

serving the reply message within the virtual world.

16. An apparatus for serving information to users within a virtual world based on accumulated user information, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of instructions stored in the memory, wherein the instructions are issuable to;

accumulate user activity interest information;

accumulate user situational information;

associate the user activity interest information and user situational information with a user profile;

update the user profile with the associated information in a database;

analyze accumulated information associated with the user profile;

query an information database based on the analysis of the user profile;

select information based on the user profile to include in a message; and

serve the message in a virtual world.

17. A system for serving information to users within a virtual world based on accumulated user information, comprising:

means to accumulate user activity interest information;

means to accumulate user situational information;

means to associate the user activity interest information and user situational information with a user profile;

means to update the user profile with the associated information in a database;

means to analyze accumulated information associated with the user profile;

means to query an information database based on the analysis of the user profile;

means to select information based on the user profile to include in a message; and

means to serve the message in a virtual world.

18. A processor-accessible medium for serving information to users within a virtual world based on accumulated user information, comprising:

processor readable instructions stored in the processor-accessible medium, wherein the processor readable instructions are issuable by the processor to;

accumulate user activity interest information;

accumulate user situational information;

associate the user activity interest information and user situational information with a user profile;

update the user profile with the associated information in a database;

analyze accumulated information associated with the user profile;

query an information database based on the analysis of the user profile;

select information based on the user profile to include in a message; and

serve the message in a virtual world.