DISCERNING AND DISPLAYING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AVATARS

• US 20100023879A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Katz, Neil A., Seaman, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

The invention relates generally to virtual universe environments and, more particularly, to discerning and displaying information regarding relationships between two or more avatars in a virtual universe environment. In one embodiment, the invention includes determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars in response to the first avatar initiating an interaction with the second avatar, and in the case that the first and second avatars have at least one relationship with at least one common avatar, displaying information regarding the relationship with the common avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar.

Claims

1. A method of discerning and displaying information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, the method comprising:

determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars in response to the first avatar initiating an interaction with the second avatar; and

in the case that the first and second avatars have at least one relationship with at least one common avatar, displaying information regarding the relationship with the common avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining includes calculating a degree to which a relationship is shared between the first and second avatar.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying the relationship degree to at least one of the first and second avatar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying includes displaying at least one of the following:

a name of a common avatar in the shared relationship, a representation of a common avatar in the shared relationship, and a description of the shared relationship.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the description of the shared relationship includes a rating by the common avatar of a relationship between the common avatar and at least one of the first and second avatar.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the rating includes a component capable of being displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an online availability of the common avatar.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

informing at least one of the first and second avatar of the online availability of the common avatar.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one of the first and second avatar querying the common avatar regarding the relationship between the common avatar and at least one of the first and second avatar.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting at least one of the first and second avatar to characterize their interaction.

11. A system for discerning and displaying information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, the method comprising:

a system for determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars; and

a system for displaying information regarding a relationship with a common avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a system for calculating a degree to which a relationship is shared between the first and second avatar.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a system for determining an online availability of the common avatar.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a system for querying the common avatar.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a system for characterizing an interaction between the first and second avatar.

16. A program product stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, discerns and displays information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, the program product comprising:

program code for determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars; and

program code for displaying information regarding a relationship with the common avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar.

17. The program product of claim 16, further comprising:

program code for calculating a degree to which a relationship is shared between the first and second avatar.

18. The program product of claim 16, further comprising:

program code for determining an online availability of the common avatar.

19. The program product of claim 16, further comprising:

program code for characterizing an interaction between the first and second avatar.

20. A method for deploying an application for discerning and displaying information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

determine whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars; and

display information regarding a relationship with a common avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar.