METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MODIFYING A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT BASED ON USER PROFILE INFORMATION

• US 20090299960A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: I.A. Studios, LLC
• Original Assignee: I.A. Studios, LLC
• Inventors: Lineberger, William B.
• Application Number:
  US11/962,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5526 Game data structure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for automatically modifying a virtual environment based on user profile information. According to one aspect, the method includes determining user profile information associated with a user and automatically modifying a virtual environment based on the determined user profile information, wherein automatically modifying the virtual environment includes automatically modifying at least one non-advertising element of the virtual environment.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a virtual environment based on user profile information, the method comprising:

determining user profile information associated with a user of a virtual environment; and

automatically modifying the virtual environment based on the determined user profile information, wherein automatically modifying the virtual environment includes automatically modifying at least one non-advertising element of the virtual environment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining user profile information includes determining profile information for one of a single user and a plurality of users.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining user profile information includes determining at least one of a behavior, musical preference, purchase history, age, gender, and geographic location associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining user profile information includes receiving one or more of a preference and a fact associated with the user and being input by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining user profile information includes gleaning user profile information based on a behavior of the user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein gleaning user profile information includes one of querying a remote database and searching a web cache associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining user profile information includes generating and monitoring a cookie associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically modifying a virtual environment includes modifying one of a sound, a light, a texture, and an object model in a virtual environment.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically modifying a light includes automatically modifying one of a lighting brightness, a lighting color, a number of lights, and a lighting location in a virtual environment.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically modifying a texture includes replacing a first texture with a second texture, wherein the second texture is different from the first texture.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first and second textures include one of a static image and a video and being mapped to a surface located within the virtual environment, the first and second textures being automatically modified based on the user profile information.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically modifying an object model includes changing one of the size, shape, and orientation of the object model.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically modifying the virtual environment includes providing a link to information external to the virtual environment, wherein the information includes one of commercial or non-commercial information.

14. A system for modifying a virtual environment based on user profile information, the system comprising:

a virtual environment for simulating a real or imaginary environment to a user; and

a virtual environment modification module for determining user profile information for a user of the virtual environment and for automatically modifying the virtual environment based on the user profile information, wherein automatically modifying the virtual environment includes automatically modifying at least one non-advertising element of the virtual environment.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to determine profile information for one of a single user and a plurality of users.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to determine at least one of a behavior, musical preference, purchase history, age, gender, and geographic location associated with the user.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to receive one or more of a preference and a fact associated with the user and being input by the user.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to glean user profile information based on a behavior of the user.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to one of query a remote database and search a web cache associated with the user.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to generate and monitor a cookie associated with the user.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to modify one of a sound, a light, a texture, and an object model in a virtual environment.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to modify one of a lighting brightness, a lighting color, a number of lights, and a lighting location in a virtual environment.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to replace a first texture with a second texture, wherein the second texture is different from the first texture.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the first and second textures include one of a static image and a video and being mapped to a surface located within the virtual environment, the first and second textures being automatically modified based on the user profile information.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to change one of the size, shape, and orientation of the object model.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the virtual environment modification module is configured to provide a link to information external to the virtual environment, wherein the information includes one of commercial or non-commercial information.

27. A computer readable medium containing a computer program, executable by a processor, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:

determining user profile information associated with a user of a virtual environment; and

automatically modifying the virtual environment based on the user profile information, wherein automatically modifying the virtual environment includes automatically modifying at least one non-advertising element of the virtual environment.