Tracking of Shared Inventory in a Virtual Universe

• US 20090210324A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Pickover, Clifford A., Bhogal, Kulvir S., Sand, Anne R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,754,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for tracking shared inventory in a virtual universe are disclosed. Embodiments of the method may include receiving indications that a plurality of users of a virtual universe have borrowed one or more shared inventory items, each shared inventory item having an associated item owner. Embodiments may also include determining and storing metadata associated with borrowing of the shared inventory items and tracking usage of the borrowed shared inventory items by the plurality of the users. Embodiments may also include receiving a query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items and performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items. In further embodiments, performing the requested action may include recalling the borrowed shared inventory item and returning it to an item owner associated with the borrowed shared inventory item.

Claims

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

receiving indications that a plurality of users of a virtual universe have borrowed one or more shared inventory items, each shared inventory item having an associated item owner;

determining and storing metadata associated with borrowing of the shared inventory items;

tracking usage of the borrowed shared inventory items by the plurality of users;

receiving a query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items; and

performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying metadata for a particular borrowed shared inventory item based on tracked usage of the particular borrowed shared inventory item.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein receiving the query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items comprises receiving a request to recall a borrowed shared inventory item; and

wherein performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items comprises recalling the borrowed shared inventory item and returning it to the item owner associated with the borrowed shared inventory item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein receiving the query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items comprises receiving a request from a virtual universe user to search shared inventory items; and

wherein performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items comprises performing a search of shared inventory items based on the request and transmitting search results to the querying user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request to search shared inventory items comprises a request to search for available shared inventory items that meet specified criteria.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein receiving the query requesting performance of ah action relating to one or more shared inventory items comprises receiving a request from an item owner associated with a particular shared inventory item for status of the particular shared inventory item; and

wherein performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items comprises accessing metadata for the particular shared inventory item to determine status and transmitting an indication of status to the associated item owner.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the status of the particular shared inventory item comprises an indication of a current borrower of the particular shared inventory item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items comprises performing the requested action in response to a condition of action being satisfied.

9. 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 indications that a plurality of users of a virtual universe have borrowed one or more shared inventory items, each shared inventory item having an associated item owner;

determining, and storing metadata associated with borrowing of the shared, inventory items;

tracking usage of the borrowed shared inventory items by the plurality of users;

receiving a query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items; and

performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising modifying metadata for a particular borrowed shared inventory item based on tracked usage of the particular borrowed shared inventory item.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein receiving the query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items comprises receiving a request to recall a borrowed shared inventory item; and

wherein performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items comprises recalling the borrowed shared inventory item and returning it to the item owner associated with the borrowed shared inventory item.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein receiving the query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items comprises receiving a request from a virtual universe user to search shared inventory items; and

wherein performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items comprises performing a search of shared inventory items based on the request and transmitting search results to the querying user.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the request to search shared inventory items comprises a request to search for available shared inventory items that meet specified criteria.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein receiving the query requesting performance of an action relating to one or more shared inventory items comprises receiving a request from an item owner associated with a particular shared inventory item for status of the particular shared inventory item; and

wherein performing the requested action relating to the one or more shared inventory items comprises accessing metadata for the particular shared inventory item to determine status and transmitting an indication of status to the associated item owner.

15. 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 indications that users have borrowed shared inventory items and indications of usage of borrowed shared inventory items by users;

a user interface module to facilitate communication to and from a client computer system of a user and to receive queries requesting performance of actions relating to shared inventory items; and

a shared inventory monitor to track borrowed shared inventory items in a virtual universe, the shared inventory monitor comprising;

an inventory tracking module to track usage of borrowed shared inventory items by borrowing users;

a metadata update module to determine and store metadata associated with borrowing of shared inventory items; and

a query handler module to receive and process queries requesting performance of actions relating to shared inventory items and to perform requested actions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the shared inventory monitor further comprises an inventory retrieval module to recall a borrowed shared inventory item and return it to an item owner associated with the borrowed shared inventory item.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the metadata update module modifies metadata for a particular shared inventory item based on tracked usage of the particular borrowed shared inventory item.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein a received query requesting performance of an action relating to shared inventory items comprises a query request to recall a borrowed shared inventory item.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a received query requesting performance of an action relating to shared inventory items comprises a query request from a virtual universe user to search shared inventory items.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a received query requesting performance of an action relating to shared inventory items comprises a query request from an associated item owner for a status update of a particular shared inventory item.