VIRTUAL UNIVERSE AVATAR ACTIVITIES REVIEW

• US 20100082798A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Pickover, Clifford A., Bhogal, Kulvir S., Seaman, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods, services, program products and devices are provided for tracking avatar activities within a virtual universe domain. A proximity threshold of an avatar is defined with respect to proximity to an artifact located within a virtual universe domain. Activity by the avatar within the virtual universe domain is tracked, with activity data generated from the tracking. The activity data is analyzed to determine proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold, and a report is generated from the analyzing, the report noting a determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold. In one aspect, the report is provided to a supervisory entity.

Claims

1. A method for tracking avatar activities within a virtual universe domain, comprising:

defining a proximity threshold of an avatar with respect to a proximity of the avatar to an artifact located within a virtual universe domain;

tracking activity by the avatar within the virtual universe domain;

generating activity data from the tracking;

analyzing the activity data to determine a proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold;

generating a report from the analyzing, the report noting the determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold; and

providing the report to a supervisory entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity threshold is a displacement distance threshold, and wherein the generating activity data comprises recording tracked geographic positioning of the avatar within the virtual universe domain as a function of movement proximate to the artifact within the displacement distance threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein generating the report comprises aggregating a list of at least one of a name of a region visited by the avatar within the virtual universe domain and a name of another avatar determined proximate to the avatar within the proximity threshold;

and

the reporting further comprising noting an association of the artifact with each of the at least one listed region name and the listed another avatar name.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reporting comprises generating a map showing traversals of the avatar associated with the determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the artifact is an item, further comprising:

defining the proximity threshold as a location of the item within an inventory of the avatar; and

the analyzing the activity data to determine the proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold comprising determining an adding of the item to the inventory.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying the item as the artifact by analyzing metatag data associated with the item.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering a media access control address of the artifact with the supervisory entity;

and

wherein providing the report to the supervisory entity comprises sending tracking data comprising activities of the avatar associated with the artifact media access control address to the supervisory entity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein registering the media access control address comprises providing a referential link in a database.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a virtual universe domain provider and the supervisory entity modifying a virtual universe client of the avatar to restrict the avatar from engaging in an activity associated with the determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the virtual universe client of the avatar comprises preventing a co-location of the avatar with the artifact within a screen display area of a computer client application of the virtual universe domain.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising defining the proximity threshold as a virtual universe spatial perception threshold distance beyond which a user of the avatar cannot perceive the artifact pursuant to a graphic resolution of a user virtual universe client application display.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining the artifact as a text item;

defining the proximity threshold as a reception of the text item within a text message by the avatar; and

analyzing the activity data by at least one of parsing and filtering text communications engaged in by the avatar.

13. A service for providing tracking of avatar activities within a virtual universe domain, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure in communication with a virtual universe domain, the computer infrastructure configured to;

define a proximity threshold of an avatar with respect to a proximity of the avatar to an artifact located within the virtual universe domain;

track activity by the avatar within the virtual universe domain;

generate activity data from the tracking;

analyze the activity data to determine a proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold;

generate a report from the analyzing, the report noting the determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold; and

provide the report to a client of activity tracking services with respect to the avatar.

14. The service of claim 13, wherein the computer infrastructure is further configured to generate the report by aggregating a list of at least one of a name of a region visited by the avatar within the virtual universe domain and a name of another avatar determined proximate to the avatar within the proximity threshold;

and

wherein the report further notes an association of the artifact with each of the at least one listed region name and the listed another avatar name.

15. The service for providing tracking of claim 13, the computer infrastructure further configured to identify the item as the artifact by analyzing metatag data associated with the item.

16. The service of claim 13, the computer infrastructure further configured to modify a virtual universe client of a user of the avatar to prevent a co-location of the avatar with the artifact within a screen display area of a computer client application of the user.

17. The service of claim 13, further comprising:

offering the client a choice of a plurality of updating entities for updating at least one of artifact data and proximity threshold data; and

in response to the customer choosing at least one of the plurality of updating entities, dynamically updating the at least one artifact data and the proximity threshold data with update data received from the chosen at least one updating entity.

18. A method for tracking avatar activities within a virtual universe domain, comprising:

producing computer executable program code;

storing the code on a computer readable medium;

providing the program code to be deployed and executed on a computer system engaging a virtual universe domain, the program code causing the computer system to;

define a proximity threshold of an avatar with respect to a proximity of the avatar to an artifact located within the virtual universe domain;

track activity by the avatar within the virtual universe domain;

generate activity data from the tracking;

analyze the activity data to determine a proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold; and

generate a report from the analyzing, the report noting the determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to identify the item as the artifact by analyzing metatag data associated with the item.

20. The method of claim 18, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to:

define the artifact as a text item;

define the proximity threshold as a reception of the text item within a text message by the avatar; and

analyze the activity data by at least one of parsing and filtering text communications engaged in by the avatar.

21. A programmable device comprising:

a processing means;

a memory in communication with the processing means; and

a network interface in communication with the processing means, the memory and a virtual universe domain;

wherein the processing means is configured to;

define a proximity threshold of an avatar with respect to a proximity of the avatar to an artifact located within the virtual universe domain;

track activity by the avatar within the virtual universe domain;

generate activity data from the tracking;

analyze the activity data to determine a proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold; and

generate a report from the analyzing, the report noting the determined proximity of the avatar to the artifact within the proximity threshold.

22. The programmable device of claim 21, wherein the processing means is further configured to determine to identify the item as the artifact by analyzing metatag data associated with the item.

23. The programmable device of claim 21, wherein the artifact is defined as a text item, and the proximity threshold is defined as a reception of the text item within a text message by the avatar;

and

wherein the processing means is further configured to analyze the activity data by at least one of parsing and filtering text communications engaged in by the avatar.