Systems, Methods, and Media for Managing Shared Inventory in a Virtual Universe

• US 20090204514A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sand, Anne R., Pickover, Clifford Alan, Bhogal, Kulvir S., Hamilton, Rick Allen II
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for managing shared inventory in a virtual universe are disclosed. Embodiments of the method may include receiving notification of a user session being established between a user and a virtual universe simulator. The method may also include accessing a list of shared inventory items for the user where the list of shared inventory items includes one or more shared inventory items each having an inventory source associated with it. Embodiments may also include retrieving at least one shared inventory item from its associated inventory source and passing the retrieved shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator. Further embodiments may include retrieving an updated listing for the shared inventory items from their associated inventory sources and passing the updated shared inventory item list to the virtual universe simulator. Further embodiments may include passing metadata for shared inventory items to the virtual universe simulator.

Claims

1. A method for managing shared inventory in a virtual universe, the method comprising:

receiving notification of a user session being established between a user and a virtual universe simulator;

accessing a list of shared inventory items for the user, the list of shared inventory items including one or more shared inventory items each having an inventory source associated with it;

retrieving at least one shared, inventory item from its associated inventory source; and

passing the retrieved at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving an updated listing for the shared inventory items from the associated inventory source of each shared inventory item; and

passing the updated shared inventory item list to a virtual universe simulator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein retrieving the updated listing for the shared inventory items from the associated inventory source of each shared inventory item comprises establishing a connection with each of the shared associated inventory sources.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

receiving notification of use of a shared inventory item by the user; and

storing an indication of the use of the shared inventory item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator comprises passing metadata for the at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator, the metadata including information relating to sharing of the at least one shared inventory item with users other than the owner of the at least one shared inventory item.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the metadata includes an indication of a sharing scheduling policy that provides for use of a particular shared inventory item by a first user during a first time period and for use by a second user during a second, different time period.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the metadata includes an access control list specifying which users other than the owner may access the sharing status of a particular shared inventory item.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the metadata includes an indication of expiration of borrow terms for a particular shared inventory item.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the metadata includes an indication of one or more of a shared inventory item being available for auction, an indication of a shared inventory item being available for barter, and an indication of a rating for a shared inventory item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator comprises first receiving a request from the virtual universe simulator for the at least one shared inventory item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator comprises automatically passing all shared inventory items from the shared inventory item list.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator comprises passing a subset of shared inventory items from the shared inventory item list.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a series of operations for:

receiving notification of a user session being established between a user and a virtual universe simulator;

accessing a list of shared inventory items for the user, the list of shared inventory items including one or more shared inventory items each having an inventory source associated with it;

retrieving at least one shared inventory item from its associated inventory source; and

passing the retrieved at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising;

retrieving an updated listing for the shared inventory items from the associated inventory source of each shared inventory item; and

passing the updated shared inventory item list to a virtual universe simulator.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving notification of use of a shared inventory item by the user; and

storing an indication of the use of the shared inventory item.

16. A data processing system, having a machine-accessible medium storing a plurality of program modules, the system comprising:

a virtual universe simulator interface module to facilitate communication to and from a virtual universe simulator and to receive notification of a user session to the virtual universe simulator being established; and

a shared inventory enabler module to manage shared inventory items in a virtual universe, the shared inventory enabler module comprising;

an inventory list module to access a list of shared inventory items for the user that includes one or more shared inventory items each having an inventory source associated with it; and

an inventory software module to retrieve at least one shared inventory item from its associated inventory source for passing to the virtual universe simulator.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the inventory first module retrieves an updated listing for the at least one shared inventory items from its associated inventory source and passes the updated shared inventory item list to the virtual universe simulator.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the shared inventory enabler module further comprises a metadata manager module to pass metadata for the at least one shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator, wherein the metadata includes information relating to sharing of the at least one shared inventory item with users other than the owner of the at least one shared inventory item.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the metadata includes an indication of a sharing scheduling policy that provides for use of a particular shared inventory item, by a first user during a first time period and for use by a second user during a second, different time period.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the metadata includes an access control list specifying which users other than the owner may access the sharing status of a particular shared inventory item.