SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPENSATING PARTICIPANTS OF VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20090098939A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Seaman, James W., McGinley, Robert C., Hood, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,128,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for compensating participants of events or activities of virtual environments, such as on-line games, digital or virtual worlds, and virtual universes are disclosed. One or more embodiments may comprise conducting an event, measuring event participation by the participant, and compensating the participant based upon the measured participation. Various embodiments may compensate the participant based upon the amount of time the participant spends at the event, while other embodiments may compensate the participant based upon amounts or types of activity of the participant while attending the event. Some embodiments may compensate the participant based upon such activity as chat activity, keyboard activity, and mouse activity. Some embodiments may compensate the participant based upon one or more referrals that the participant makes other participants.

Claims

1. A method of compensating a participant of a virtual environment, the method comprising:

conducting an event via the virtual environment;

measuring participation of the participant of the event; and

compensating the participant based upon the measured participation, wherein the compensation varies based upon on the measured participation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the amount of the compensation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein compensating the participant based upon the measured participation comprises compensating the participant based upon an amount of time the participant spends at the event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein compensating the participant based upon the measured participation comprises compensating the participant based upon activity of the participant while attending the event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein compensating the participant based upon activity comprises compensating the participant based upon one of chat activity, keyboard activity, and mouse activity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein compensating the participant based upon the measured participation comprises compensating the participant based upon a referral by the participant to another participant.

7. A system for compensating participants of an event, the system comprising:

an environment module to conduct the event for a virtual environment;

a participation module to measure participation for the event by the participants; and

a compensation module to calculate compensation amounts for the participants, wherein the compensation amounts depend on the measured participation of each of the participants.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the system comprises a server having a processor, memory, and a display, wherein the server hosts the event via a communication network with a plurality of client computing apparatuses.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the event comprises one of a party of a virtual nightclub, a virtual fashion show, a virtual game, a meeting of avatars, a shopping activity of a virtual mall, and viewing of a virtual movie.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the environment module is configured to end the event based on at least one of:

an amount of virtual money designated by a creator of the event, an amount of time designated for the event, and a combination of the amount of virtual money and the amount of time designated.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the participation module measures participation by measuring at least one of:

a range of a participant to the event, an amount of time the participant spends for the event, an amount of time that the participant spends away from a keyboard during the event, a number of referrals of the participant, a number of teleports attributed to the participant, an amount of chat activity of the participant.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the participation module calculates part of the compensation amount for one of the participants based upon a manual designation by creator of the event.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the compensation module calculates the compensation amount of one participant by multiplying an amount of time the participants spends attending the event by a base earning rate, wherein the base earning rate is in units of virtual money per unit of time.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for compensating participants of an event, the computer program product including;

computer usable program code for conducting the event via a virtual environment;

computer usable program code for measuring participation by a participant of the event; and

computer usable program code for calculating an amount of compensation for the participant, wherein the amount of compensation is based upon the measured participation.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer usable program code for creating the event, wherein the creating comprises specifying that the event will conclude upon at least one of an expiration of an amount of time and a depletion of a quantity of funds.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer usable program code for transferring virtual funds from a creator account to a participant account.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable program code for conducting the event via a virtual environment comprises computer usable program code for conducting the event for a region of a virtual world.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer usable program code for calculating the amount of compensation comprises calculating a virtual distance of the participant from the event via coordinates of a virtual map for the region.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable program code for measuring participation by a participant comprises computer usable program code for determining at least one of:

an amount of time the participant spends at the event, activity of the participant while attending the event, that the participant refers another to the event, and that a teleport of another participant to the event occurs due to an action of the participant.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable program code for calculating an amount of compensation for the participant comprises computer usable program code for adding a manual award to the amount of compensation.