ASYNCHRONOUS IMMERSIVE COMMUNICATIONS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE

• US 20100146406A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,476 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 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• 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 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

The present invention provides asynchronous immersive communication in a virtual universe. In one embodiment, there is a method for transmitting an asynchronous immersive communication in a virtual universe. The method includes receiving an asynchronous immersive communication created by a resident of a virtual universe, transmitting the asynchronous immersive communication to a recipient and enabling the recipient to access the asynchronous immersive communication.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting an asynchronous immersive communication in a virtual universe, comprising:

receiving an asynchronous immersive communication created by a resident of a virtual universe;

transmitting the asynchronous immersive communication to a recipient; and

enabling the recipient to access the asynchronous immersive communication.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises generating a teleport invitation to the recipient that will bring the recipient upon acceptance to a specified virtual region.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises placing the asynchronous immersive communication in a view port that is visually distinguished from a main graphical user interface used by the recipient to access the virtual universe.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises detaching at least one object from the asynchronous immersive communication in an inventory of the recipient that is associated with the virtual universe for access thereto.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises placing the entire asynchronous immersive communication in an inventory of the recipient that is associated with the virtual universe for access thereto.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the enabling comprises sending the asynchronous immersive communication to the recipient outside of the virtual universe for access thereto.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising designating restrictions on recipients that can access the asynchronous immersive communication.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the received asynchronous immersive communication.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising charging a service fee for transmitting the asynchronous immersive communication to the recipient.

10. A computer system that transmits an asynchronous immersive communication in a virtual universe, comprising:

at least one processing unit;

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

an asynchronous immersive communications tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the tool comprising;

a communications receiving component configured to receive an asynchronous immersive communication created by a resident of a virtual universe;

an access coordination component configured to ascertain an access permission designated by the resident for a recipient specified to receive the asynchronous immersive communication; and

a transmission component configured to transmit the asynchronous immersive communication to the recipient with the access permission ascertained by the access coordination component.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising an asynchronous immersive communication database configured to store asynchronous immersive communications.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmission component is configured to generate a teleport invitation to the recipient that will bring the recipient upon acceptance to a specified virtual region.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmission component is configured to place the asynchronous immersive communication in a view port that is visually distinguished from a main graphical user interface used by the recipient to access the virtual universe.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmission component is configured to detach at least one object from the asynchronous immersive communication in an inventory of the recipient that is associated with the virtual universe for access thereto.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmission component is configured to place the entire asynchronous immersive communication in an inventory of the recipient that is associated with the virtual universe for access thereto.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the transmission component is configured to send the asynchronous immersive communication to the recipient outside of the virtual universe for access thereto.

17. A computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, which when executed, enables a computer system to transmit an asynchronous immersive communication in a virtual universe, the computer instructions comprising:

receiving an asynchronous immersive communication created by a resident of a virtual universe;

transmitting the asynchronous immersive communication to a recipient; and

enabling the recipient to access the asynchronous immersive communication.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the enabling comprises instructions for generating a teleport invitation to the recipient that will bring the recipient upon acceptance to a specified virtual region.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the enabling comprises instructions for placing the asynchronous immersive communication in a view port that is visually distinguished from a main graphical user interface used by the recipient to access the virtual universe.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the enabling comprises instructions for detaching at least one object from the asynchronous immersive communication in an inventory of the recipient that is associated with the virtual universe for access thereto.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the enabling comprises instructions for placing the entire asynchronous immersive communication in an inventory of the recipient that is associated with the virtual universe for access thereto.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the enabling comprises instructions for sending the asynchronous immersive communication to the recipient outside of the virtual universe for access thereto.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for storing the received asynchronous immersive communication.

24. A method for deploying an asynchronous immersive communications tool for use in a computer system that transmits an asynchronous immersive communication, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

receive an asynchronous immersive communication created by a resident of a virtual universe;

transmit the asynchronous immersive communication to a recipient; and

enable the recipient to access the asynchronous immersive communication.