TRIGGER EVENT BASED DATA FEED OF VIRTUAL UNIVERSE DATA

• US 20090288001A1
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Kozloski, James R., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Business owners in a virtual universe may want to create a data source that transmits a data feed when certain parameters are met. Functionality can be implemented within a virtual universe to create a data feed when a trigger event occurs. The data feed may include data about the trigger event itself and/or about an avatar that caused the trigger. Triggered data feeds can be used to derive statistics, monitor use of objects and space and bill for such use, etc. In such cases, the user may be notified, such as via email, of the new data feed, as well as instructions on how to subscribe to it in their RSS reader or other client. Alternatively, users may be given individual feeds wherein additional feeds are distributed as separate categories of the user'"'"'s feed as opposed to creating a separate feed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a trigger event occurs in a virtual universe, wherein the trigger event is associated with one or more virtual universe objects;

capturing data associated with an avatar that causes that causes the trigger event in the virtual universe; and

generating an update for a data feed utilizing the captured data associated with the avatar, wherein the trigger event is associated with the data feed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said trigger event comprises one or more conditions associated with the one or more objects.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the avatar that caused the trigger event.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising collecting data about the trigger event for the data feed, wherein said generating the update for the data feed utilizing the capture data associated with the avatar comprises also utilizing the collected data about the trigger event.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring use of the one or more objects and/or spaces by the avatar and charging a user of the avatar for said use, wherein said monitoring is responsive to the trigger event occurring.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing data associated with a plurality of other avatars in the virtual universe that cause the trigger event to occur; and

deriving statistical data from at least the captured data associated with the avatar and the plurality of other avatars,

wherein said generating the update for the data feed utilizing the captured data associated with the avatar further comprises also utilizing the captured data associated with the plurality of other avatars to indicate the derived statistical data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising aggregating a second data feed with the data feed to generate a third data feed.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising distributing the data feed to one or more data feed readers outside of the virtual universe.

9. A method comprising:

associating one or more conditions that involve one or more virtual universe objects in a virtual universe with an indication of a data feed source;

collecting data from the data feed source in response to the one or more conditions being satisfied; and

updating a data feed to indicate the collected data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a first of the one or more conditions that involve the one or more objects comprises an action by an avatar.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said collecting the data from the data feed source in response to the first condition being satisfied comprises capturing data about the avatar.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said collecting the data from the data feed source in response to the first condition being satisfied comprises collecting data about the one or more virtual universe objects.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

deriving second data from the collected data, wherein said updating the data feed to indicate the collected data comprises updating the data feed with the second data.

14. One or more machine-readable media having stored therein a program product, which when executed by a set of one or more processor units causes the set of one or more processor units to perform operations that comprise:

associating one or more objects in a virtual universe with a trigger event;

indicating the trigger event for a data feed;

capturing data associated with an avatar in the virtual universe that causes the trigger event; and

updating the data feed to indicate the captured data.

15. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein said trigger event comprises one or more conditions associated with the one or more objects.

16. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise identifying the avatar that caused the trigger event.

17. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise collecting data about the trigger event for the data feed and updating the data feed to indicate the collected data about the trigger event.

18. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring use of objects and/or spaces by the avatar and charging a user of the avatar for said use.

19. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

capturing data about a plurality of other avatars in the virtual universe that cause the trigger event to occur; and

deriving statistical data from at least the data captured about the avatar and the plurality of other avatars,

wherein said updating the data feed to indicate the captured data comprises updating the data feed to indicate the derived statistical data.

20. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise aggregating a second data feed with the data feed to generate a third data feed.

21. The machine-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise distributing the data feed to one or more data feed readers outside the virtual universe.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a set of one or more processing units;

a network interface; and

a virtual universe data feed syndication unit operable to,

associate one or more objects in a virtual universe with a trigger event;

indicate the trigger event for a data feed;

capture data associated with an avatar in the virtual universe that causes the trigger event; and

update the data feed to indicate the captured data.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the virtual universe data feed syndication unit is further operable to,

capture data about a plurality of other avatars in the virtual universe that cause the trigger event to occur;

and

derive statistical data from at least the data captured about the avatar and the plurality of other avatars,

wherein the data feed indicates the derived statistical data.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the virtual universe data feed syndication unit comprises one or more machine-readable media.