APPLICATION OF USER CONTEXT TO SEARCHES IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE

• US 20090299988A1
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Keller, Neal M., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3332 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification

Abstract

An approach that applies user context to searches in a virtual universe is described. In one embodiment, there is an enhanced virtual universe search tool that includes a receiving component configured to receive a query from an avatar that is online in the virtual universe. A scanning component is configured to scan a collection of avatar data describing attributes that are relevant to behavioral, search and informational needs of the avatar. A resource search component is configured to return search results for the query that are in accordance with the scanned collection of avatar data.

Claims

1. A method for performing a search for a resource in a virtual universe using user context, comprising:

receiving a query from an avatar that is online in the virtual universe;

scanning a collection of avatar data describing attributes that are relevant to behavioral, search and informational needs of the avatar; and

performing a resource search for the query in accordance with the scanned collection of avatar data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying a user context from the scanned collection of avatar data.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the performing of the resource search comprises reformulating the query to take into account the user context identified for the avatar.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scanning of a collection of avatar data comprises scanning at least one of inventory items belonging to the avatar, teleportation history of the avatar, motion history of the avatar or social tagging behavior exhibited by the user of the avatar in the real world.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a user context for the avatar from at least one of past behavior in the virtual universe or past behavior exhibited by the user of the avatar in the real world.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising modifying the determined user context based on additional queries submitted by the avatar.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the determining of a user context for the avatar comprises using machine learning techniques.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the machine learning techniques comprise unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the unsupervised machine learning technique clusters avatar data according to a distance metric to determine user contexts, associated attributes and values for the attributes and updates the user contexts, associated attributes and values as more avatar data becomes available.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the supervised machine learning technique uses avatar selections in response to a presentation of query search results as training data to identify further user contexts, associated attributes and values for use in future queries made from an avatar.

11. A computer system for automatically performing a search for a resource in a virtual universe using user context, comprising:

at least one processing unit;

memory operably associated with the at least one processing unit; and

an enhanced virtual universe search tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the tool comprising;

a receiving component configured to receive a query from an avatar that is online in the virtual universe;

a scanning component configured to scan a collection of avatar data describing attributes that are relevant to behavioral, search and informational needs of the avatar; and

a resource search component configured to return search results for the query that are in accordance with the scanned collection of avatar data.

12. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the enhanced virtual universe search tool further comprises a user context identifying component configured to identify a user context from the collection of avatar data scanned by the scanning component.

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the resource search component of the enhanced virtual universe search tool is configured to reformulate the query to take into account the user context identified for the avatar by the user context identifying component.

14. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the scanning component of the enhanced virtual universe search tool comprises at least one of an inventory biased search component configured to search inventory items belonging to the avatar, a teleport biased search component configured to search teleportation history of the avatar, an avatar motion biased search component configured to search motion history of the avatar or a real life social tagging biased search component configured to search social tagging behavior exhibited by the user of the avatar in the real world.

15. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein the enhanced virtual universe search tool further comprises a machine learning component configured to determine a user context for the avatar from at least one of past behavior in the virtual universe or past behavior exhibited by the user of the avatar in the real world.

16. The computer system according to claim 15, wherein the machine learning component of the enhanced virtual universe search tool is configured to modify the determined user context based on additional queries submitted by the avatar.

17. A computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, which when executed, enables a computer system to perform a search for a resource in a virtual universe using user context, the computer instructions comprising:

receiving a query from an avatar that is online in the virtual universe;

scanning a collection of avatar data describing attributes that are relevant to behavioral, search and informational needs of the avatar; and

performing a resource search for the query in accordance with the scanned collection of avatar data.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for identifying a user context from the scanned collection of avatar data.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the performing of the resource search comprises instructions for reformulating the query to take into account the user context identified for the avatar.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the scanning of a collection of avatar data comprises instructions for scanning at least one of inventory items belonging to the avatar, teleportation history of the avatar, motion history of the avatar or social tagging behavior exhibited by the user of the avatar in the real world.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for using machine learning techniques to determine a user context for the avatar from at least one of past behavior in the virtual universe or past behavior exhibited by the user of the avatar in the real world.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising instructions for modifying the determined user context based on additional queries submitted by the avatar.

23. A method for providing an enhanced virtual universe search tool as a service within a virtual universe for facilitating user context type searches for resources within the virtual universe, comprising:

deploying the enhanced virtual universe search tool in a computer system as a service that is in communication with the virtual universe, wherein the enhanced virtual universe search tool is operable to;

receive a query from an avatar that is online in the virtual universe;

scan a collection of avatar data describing attributes that are relevant to behavioral, search and informational needs of the avatar; and

perform a resource search for the query in accordance with the scanned collection of avatar data as a service.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the enhanced virtual universe search tool is further operable to charge a search fee to a virtual universe service provider of the virtual universe or to the avatar making the query.

25. A method for deploying an enhanced virtual universe search tool for use in a computer system that automatically performs a search for a resource in a virtual universe using user context, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

receive a query from an avatar that is online in the virtual universe;

scan a collection of avatar data describing attributes that are relevant to behavioral, search and informational needs of the avatar; and

perform a resource search for the query in accordance with the scanned collection of avatar data.