ARRANGEMENTS FOR INTERACTIVITY BETWEEN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB

• US 20090089364A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R., Hamilton II, Rick A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for interaction between a web browser and virtual environment applications is disclosed. The method can include creating an attribute file or a cookie file in a virtual universe application and in browser applications, then sharing such files between these applications to enhance a user experience. Both the browser applications and the virtual universe applications can search for the attribute files in numerous locations including local memory, web based memory and even a third party service provider via the Internet.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing a first client application where a user receives a first type of interactive service from the first client application via a network;

creating an attribute file in response to activities of the user;

storing the attribute file;

executing a second client application where the user receives a second type of interactive service from the second client application via the network, where the first type of interactive service is different than the second type of interactive service;

accessing the attribute file by the second client application; and

using the attribute file by the second client application to modify the content provided by the second interactive service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client application is a browser application and the second client application is virtual universe application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client application is a virtual universe application and the second client application is a browser application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing comprises searching for the attribute file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein searching comprises one of searching a predetermined location, searching a system registry to detect a browsers, searching for a predetermined file name, searching a remote server, or searching a local drive.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the attribute file with one of a universal unique identifier (UUID), an avatar, a region or an object in the virtual universe.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the attribute file to a remote Web based server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a network based application stores the attribute file.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a browser application and searching for the attribute file based on the identity of the browser application.

10. A system comprising:

a first type of client application to provide a first type of client interactive service that facilitates at least one user interaction; and

a search and retrieval engine to retrieve at least one attribute file created by a second type of client interactive service, the second type client interactive service providing a different type or service than the first type of client interactive service where the first type of client application to utilize the at least one attribute file to customize features processed by the first type of client application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first type of client application is a browser.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first type of client application is a virtual universe client application.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the search and retrieval engine to retrieve the at least one attribute file from a remote server.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising a linking module to link attributes to one of avatars, places, objects or actions related to the user.

15. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions to operate a processing system which, when the instructions are executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising:

executing a first client application providing a first type of interactive service where a user accesses content with a first client application via a network;

creating an attribute file in response to activities of the user;

storing the attribute file;

executing a second client application that provides a different type of interactive service than the first client application;

accessing the attribute file by the second client application; and

using the attribute file by the second client application to customize content provided by the second client application.

16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, which when executed causes the first client application to operate as a virtual universe client to create or modify the attribute file based on a user interaction with the virtual universe client.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, which when executed causes a virtual universe client to utilize the attribute file to customize content displayed to a user.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, which when executed causes the first client application to search for the attribute file.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, which when executed causes the first application to search one of a predetermined location, a system registry to detect a browser, for a predetermined file name, a remote server, or search a local storage media.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, which when executed causes the first client application to associate the attribute file with one of a universal unique identifier (UUID), an avatar, a region or an object in the virtual universe.