APPARATUS, METHOD AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DYNAMICALLY CHANGING ADVERTISING ON AN AVATAR AS VIEWED BY A VIEWING USER

• US 20090144105A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blatchley, Robert D., Zimmermann, Stephen E., Taylor, Donald P. III, Deputat, Jurij M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

A method, system and program product for brokering advertising of products and services in a virtual world. The method includes accepting subscriptions from advertisers willing to pay for advertising products and services on a persona associated with a virtual space belonging to a virtual world user, creating a user profile based on specified likes/dislikes and establishing whether a user is willing to display advertising on their persona in the virtual world in exchange for receiving a benefit. Further, the method includes displaying advertisements on the persona, such that, the one or more advertisements displayed on the persona dynamically changes based on a viewing user viewing the persona of the advertising user, the one or more advertisements displayed to the viewing user being based on a viewing user profile, such that, the advertisements displayed on the persona varies simultaneously in real time mode from one viewing user to another.

Claims

1. A method for brokering advertising of products and services in a virtual world, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting, by a provider of a virtual world, subscriptions from one or more advertisers of a plurality of advertisers willing to pay said provider for brokering advertising of respective products and services offered by said one or more advertisers on a respective persona associated with a respective virtual space belonging to a respective user in a virtual world provided by said provider;

creating a profile for each user of one or more users accessing said virtual world, said profile created for said each user being based on likes and dislikes specified by said each user;

establishing whether a user of said one or more users is interested in becoming an advertising user willing to display advertising of said plurality of advertisers in a virtual space belonging to said user in exchange for receiving a benefit; and

displaying one or more advertisements on a persona associated with a virtual space belonging to said advertising user, wherein said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user dynamically changes based on a viewing user of said one or more users viewing said persona of said advertising user, said one or more advertisements displayed to said viewing user being based on a profile created for said viewing user, and wherein said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona of said advertising user varies from one viewing user to another viewing user viewing said persona of said advertising user simultaneously in a real time mode.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

tracking exposure of said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user in said virtual world, wherein said persona comprises at least one of;

an avatar, a pet and property, wherein said tracking exposure comprises at least one of;

tracking time per viewing user of an advertisement displayed on a respective persona of a respective advertising user in said virtual world;

tracking number of video output frames for which an advertisement is displayed on a respective persona of a respective advertising user in said virtual world;

tracking time based on mileage of a respective persona of a respective advertising user in said virtual world; and

tracking time based on square area covered by a respective persona of a respective advertising user in said virtual world.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

updating one or more profiles maintained for said one or more users of said virtual world for determining types of advertisements to be displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to a respective advertising user based on said one or more profiles updated for one or more viewing users viewing said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said respective advertising user.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

paying a fee, by said one or more advertisers of said plurality of advertisers, to said provider for brokering advertising of said respective goods and services offered by said one or more advertisers on said respective persona associated with a respective virtual space belonging to respective user of said virtual world.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of:

disbursing said benefit to said advertising user based on said exposure tracked for said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said establishing step further comprises the step of:

selecting, by said advertising user, one or more products and services of said one or more advertisers that said advertising user is interested in advertising in said virtual space belonging to said advertising user.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said displaying step further comprises the step of:

dynamically altering said one or more advertisements displayed on a respective persona associated with a respective virtual space belonging to a respective advertising user when a newly joined viewing user is viewing said persona.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said displaying step further comprises the step of:

clicking, by a respective viewing user, a logo corresponding to an advertisement displayed on said respective persona associated with said respective virtual space, wherein said respective viewing user is transported to a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) address that provides additional information or additional advertising associated with said logo corresponding to said advertisement displayed on said persona.

9. A system for dynamically altering an advertisement seen on a persona associated with a user in a virtual world, comprising:

a network communications channel;

at least one server connected to said network communications channel and being configured to host an online virtual world application hosted by a provider of a virtual world, said at least one server comprising a processor configured to execute processing functions and to coordinate a plurality of activities and events for hosting said online virtual world application;

one or more clients connected to said network communications channel, each of said one or more clients having a user interface for allowing a user of one or more users access to said virtual world created by said online virtual world application;

a tool deployed on said at least one server, said tool being configured to broker advertising of advertisements between one or more advertisers and one or more users of said online virtual world application, said tool further comprising;

an advertiser module for receiving input pertaining to one or more advertisers willing to advertise in said virtual world;

a subscription module for receiving subscription input corresponding to an advertiser of said one or more advertisers interested in advertising products and services on a respective persona associated with a respective virtual space belonging to a respective user in said virtual world;

an account user module for creating an account for a respective user seeking access to said virtual world;

a user profile module for creating a profile for said respective user, said profile containing likes and dislikes with respect to products and services offered by said one or more advertisers;

an advertising user module for identifying an advertising user of said one or more users willing to display an advertisement on a persona associated with said advertising user in said virtual world; and

an advertising profile module for displaying an advertisement on said respective persona associated with said advertising user based on a profile created for a respective viewing user, said advertisement displayed on said respective persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user corresponding to a profile created for said respective viewing user, wherein a different viewing user sees, in real time, a different advertisement on said respective persona associated with said advertising user.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said tool further comprises:

an advertisement selection module for receiving input selection from said advertising user as to one or more products and services of said one or more advertisers that said advertising user is interested in advertising on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said tool further comprises:

a tracking module for tracking exposure of said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user as viewed by other viewing users in said virtual world, wherein said persona comprises at least one of;

an avatar, a pet and property.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said tool further comprises:

an update module for updating one or more profiles maintained for said one or more users of said virtual world for determining types of advertisements to be displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to a respective advertising user based on said one or more profiles updated for one or more viewing users viewing said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said respective advertising user.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said tool further comprises:

a fee calculation module for calculating a fee to be paid by said one or more advertisers of said plurality of advertisers to said provider of said virtual world for brokering advertising of said respective goods and services offered by said one or more advertisers on said respective persona associated with a respective virtual space belonging to respective user of said virtual world.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said tool further comprises:

a disbursement module for disbursing said benefit to said advertising user based on said exposure tracked for said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user.

15. A computer system for dynamically altering an advertisement seen on a persona associated with a user in a virtual world, said computer system comprising:

a central processing unit;

first program instructions to accept input of one or more subscriptions from one or more advertisers of a plurality of advertisers willing to pay for brokering advertising of respective products and services offered by said one or more advertisers on a respective persona associated with a respective user in a virtual world;

second program instructions to create a profile for each user of one or more users participating in said virtual world, said profile created for said each user being based on likes and dislikes specified by said each user, said second program instructions including instructions to establish whether a current user of said one or more users accessing said virtual world is interested in becoming an advertising user who is willing to display advertising of said plurality of advertisers in a virtual space belonging to said current user in exchange for receiving a benefit;

third program instructions to dynamically display one or more advertisements on a persona associated with a virtual space belonging to said advertising user, wherein said one or more advertisements dynamically displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user is altered in real time mode based on a viewing user of said one or more users viewing said persona of said advertising user, said one or more advertisements displayed being based on a profile created for said viewing user, and wherein said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona of said advertising user varies from one viewing user to another viewing user viewing said persona of said advertising user simultaneously in a real time mode, and wherein said first, second and third program instructions are stored in said computer system for execution by said central processing unit.

16. The computer system according to claim 15, further comprising:

fourth program instructions to track exposure of said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user as viewed by other viewing users in said virtual world, wherein said persona comprises at least one of;

an avatar, a pet and property, and wherein said fourth program instructions are stored on said computer system for execution by said central processing unit.

17. The computer system according to claim 16, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to update one or more profiles created for said one or more users of said virtual world for determining types of advertisements to be displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to a respective advertising user based on said one or more profiles updated for one or more viewing users viewing said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said respective advertising user.

18. The computer system according to claim 17, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to receive a fee, from said one or more advertisers of said plurality of advertisers, for brokering advertising of said respective goods and services offered by said one or more advertisers on said respective persona associated with a respective virtual space belonging to respective advertising user of said virtual world.

19. The computer system according to claim 18, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to disburse said benefit to said advertising user based on said exposure tracked for said one or more advertisements displayed on said persona associated with said virtual space belonging to said advertising user.

20. The computer system according to claim 19, wherein said third program instructions include instructions to select, by said advertising user, one or more products and services of said one or more advertisers that said advertising user is interested in advertising in said virtual space belonging to said advertising user.