Third party control over virtual world characters

• US 20090100354A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Jung, Edward K.Y
• Application Number:
  US12/286,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

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 an oversight procedure that enables a supervisory entity to exercise direct or indirect control over certain virtual world aspects of a participant or player. In some implementations the oversight procedure is at least partially based on an attribute related to the participant or player.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

6-10. -10. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

21-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A computer program product comprising:

(a) program instructions configured to perform a process that associates information in a computer system, the process including

providing a virtual world environment that is accessible to a player or participant,

establishing a supplemental oversight procedure that is applicable to a particular virtual character of the player or participant, which supplemental oversight procedure has been authorized by or on behalf of a supervisory entity,

implementing auxiliary control over one or more virtual world aspects including virtual world parameters and participation topics for the particular virtual character'"'"'s participation in a setting or event or activity in the virtual world environment, which auxiliary control is authorized in accordance with the supplemental oversight procedure; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing media bearing the program instructions.

5. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the process further includes:

enabling one or more designated real world persons to have authority for the auxiliary control over the one or more aspects.

11. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the process further includes:

implementing the supplemental oversight procedure that provides a virtual world consequence that is at least partially based on a real-world and/or virtual world attribute related to the participant or player.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said implementing the supplemental oversight procedure includes:

implementing the supplemental oversight procedure that automatically provides a predictable virtual world consequence, which predictable virtual world consequence is at least partially based on updated information regarding the real-world and/or virtual world attribute.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said implementing the supplemental oversight procedure includes:

providing the virtual world consequence without giving real-time advance notice to the supervisory entity.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said implementing the supplemental oversight procedure includes:

allowing the supervisory entity to choose the virtual world consequence from among one or more virtual world options.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said implementing the supplemental oversight procedure includes:

allowing the participant or player to choose the virtual world consequence from among one or more virtual world options.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein said implementing the supplemental oversight procedure includes:

allowing the supervisory entity to customize a virtual world consequence related to a criterion or occurrence involving the participant or player.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein said allowing the supervisory entity to customize the virtual world consequence includes:

enabling the supervisory entity to have an option of selecting one or more of the following actions regarding the virtual world consequence;

waiver of consequence, additional consequence, warning notification of possible consequence, proceed with a predetermined consequence, modified consequence, increased penalty, enhanced benefit, decreased penalty, decreased benefit, new penalty, and new benefit.

18. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein said establishing the supplemental oversight procedure includes:

enabling the supervisory entity to have an option of real-time monitoring of virtual world activities involving the participant or player.

20. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein said implementing auxiliary control over one or more of the virtual world aspects includes:

changing one or more of the following virtual world aspects;

real-world money expenditure limit in virtual world;

time of day limit;

day of week limit;

maximum time limit;

minimum time requirement;

companion limit;

available hyperlink access;

required pre-requisite;

completion requirement;

“

no limitation”

activity;

satisfactory test result;

“

off limits”

activity;

“

permission required”

activity;

avatar chaperone requirement;

available bonus;

quest;

goal;

available level of achievement;

attribute level;

prize;

available item ability;

available item limitation;

access token;

access key;

credential;

player introduction; and

third party introduction.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing media includes a storage medium.

41. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing media includes a communication medium.

42. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the process further includes:

providing informational status feedback to the particular player or participant regarding the supplemental oversight procedure.

43. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the process further includes:

providing informational status feedback to the supervisory entity regarding the supplemental oversight procedure.

44. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the process further includes:

establishing confirmation of a real-world criterion or occurrence related to the real-world participant or player; and

responsive to the confirmation, modifying an aspect related to virtual world participation of the particular player or participant in accordance with the supplemental oversight procedure.

45. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the process further includes:

establishing confirmation of a virtual world criterion or occurrence related to the real-world participant or player; and

responsive to the confirmation, modifying an aspect related to virtual world participation of the particular player or participant in accordance with the supplemental oversight procedure.

46-49. -49. (canceled)