ADVERTISING REVENUE SHARING

• US 20090167766A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Esposito, Mario, Bannister, Vincent Edward, Porter, Erik, Booth, Ernest A., Titus, Tobin R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for sharing advertisement revenue. An advertiser-generated avatar is provided to a first participant. The advertiser-generated avatar may be associated with an advertisement. Further, the first participant may be associated with a current avatar. The current avatar is replaced with the advertiser-generated avatar. While the first participant is associated with the advertiser-generated avatar, a level of interaction between the first participant and other participants is monitored. An amount of compensation to provide the first participant is determined based on the level of interaction between the first participant and the other participants. The compensation is provided to the first participant.

Claims

1. A method for providing advertising through an avatar, the method comprising:

providing an advertiser-generated avatar to a first participant, the advertiser-generated avatar associated with an advertisement, the first participant associated with a current avatar;

replacing the current avatar with the advertiser-generated avatar;

while the first participant is associated with the advertiser-generated avatar, monitoring a level of interaction between the first participant and other participants;

determining an amount of compensation to provide the first participant based on the level of interaction between the first participant and the other participants; and

providing the compensation to the first participant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon providing the compensation to the first participant, replacing the advertiser-generated avatar with the current avatar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertiser-generated avatar comprises an image of a character associated with the advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a level of interaction between the first participant and other participants comprises monitoring a number of participants with whom the first participant interacts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a level of interaction between the first participant and other participants comprises monitoring an amount of time in which the first participant interacts with the other participants.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a level of interaction between the first participant and other participants comprises monitoring an effectiveness of the interaction between the first participant and the other participants.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation comprises one of real world currency, virtual world currency, real world objects, virtual world objects, or points.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation comprises virtual pet food for a virtual pet associated with the first participant.

9. A method for providing an interactive advertisement, the method comprising:

receiving, by way of an avatar, a request to interact with an advertisement;

upon receiving the request to interact with the advertisement, providing a question via the advertisement;

receiving an answer to the provided question;

determining whether the answer is correct; and

upon determining that the answer is correct, providing compensation to a participant controlling the avatar.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing a question via the advertisement comprises providing the question via the advertisement within a virtual world.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the question is related to a business associated with the advertisement.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the question is related to a product or service associated with the advertisement.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein prior to providing the question via the advertisement,

retrieving a profile associated with the participant;

and

selecting the question from a plurality of questions based on the profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the profile comprises one or more of demographic information associated with the participant, a purchase preference associated with the participant, or a purchase history associated with the participant.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein prior to providing the question via the advertisement, retrieving the question randomly from a plurality of questions.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the question includes an option to request more information related to the advertisement.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the compensation comprises one or more of real world currency, virtual world currency, real world objects, virtual world objects, or points.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the compensation comprises an improvement of the avatar.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising upon determining that the answer is correct, further providing another question via the advertisement.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

providing an advertiser-generated avatar to a first participant of a virtual world, the advertiser-generated avatar associated with an advertisement, the first participant controlling a current avatar;

replacing the current avatar with the advertiser-generated avatar such that the first participant controls the advertiser-generated avatar instead of the current avatar;

receiving a request from a second avatar controlled by a second participant of the virtual world to interact with the advertiser-generated avatar;

upon receiving the request from the second avatar to interact with the advertiser-generated avatar, providing a question related to the advertisement to the second avatar, and providing a first compensation to the first participant;

receiving from the second avatar an answer to the provided question;

determining whether the answer is correct; and

upon determining that the answer is correct, providing a second compensation to the second participant.