Variant rating plans for virtual world environment
First Claim
1. A method of providing a rating plan for implementation in a virtual world environment, comprising:
- identifying a designated aspect of the virtual world environment;
adopting a particular rating plan that provides a rating category associated with the designated aspect of the virtual world environment; and
making the particular rating plan available in the virtual world environment for implementation with respect to one or more designated virtual world patrons.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system provides arrangements creating a relationship between a real-world entity and a virtual world environment. A participant or player can participate in various virtual world experiences including activities, settings, events, purchases, sales and diverse transactions to acquire virtual products, virtual services, and/or virtual items of value. Feedback may be provided and records kept regarding the virtual world participation. In some circumstances, multiple persons can participate as a group or participate as individuals in the virtual world environment. Some embodiments provide virtual world oversight protection related to one or more selected aspects of a virtual world environment. In some implementations different types of virtual world rating plans are available that provide various rating categories attributed to different portions of a virtual world environment, as well as aspects and characteristics thereof.
125 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method of providing a rating plan for implementation in a virtual world environment, comprising:
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identifying a designated aspect of the virtual world environment; adopting a particular rating plan that provides a rating category associated with the designated aspect of the virtual world environment; and making the particular rating plan available in the virtual world environment for implementation with respect to one or more designated virtual world patrons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21-34. -34. (canceled)
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35. A system of providing variant rating plans for virtual world patrons, comprising:
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computer apparatus for creating a virtual world environment accessible to a virtual world patron; an application module that implements a virtual world rating plan including a rating category associated with a portion of the virtual world environment; and a communication control module operably coupled with the computer apparatus and with the application module to communicate an applicable rating category to the virtual world patron that is automatically or optionally available during a time period in which the virtual world patron is logged on to the virtual world environment. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A computer program product comprising carrier media having encoded program instructions configured to perform a process that associates information in a computer system, wherein the process comprises:
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establishing a rating plan in a virtual world environment, which rating plan includes one or more rating categories associated with an aspect or characteristic of the virtual world environment; maintaining a record of the one or more rating categories and their associated virtual world aspect or characteristic; and communicating an applicable rating category to a virtual world patron and/or its associated virtual world character that is automatically or optionally available during a period while the virtual world patron is logged on to the virtual world environment. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification