SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ITEM INQUIRY AND INFORMATION PRESENTATION VIA STANDARD COMMUNICATION PATHS

• US 20100146419A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Castelli, Vittorio, Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A method and system is provided for item inquiry and information presentation via standard communication paths. More particularly, the method and system detects an item associated with an avatar of a virtual universe (VU) user in a VU and determine information associated with the item. Additionally, the method and system are operable to display the information in the VU in a high-resolution component of the VU.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

detecting an item associated with an avatar of a virtual universe (VU) user in a VU;

determining information associated with the item; and

displaying the information in the VU in a high-resolution component of the VU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the high-resolution component of the VU comprises at least one of:

a chat window;

a bubble window;

a graphical user interface (GUI) status bar;

a GUI title bar;

a map window; and

an audio output device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is promotional information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an availability of the high-resolution component of the VU based on a VU user'"'"'s end device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the avatar is currently using the item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the item associated with an avatar comprises an item contained in the VU user'"'"'s inventory.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising conducting a conflict resolution to select the information for the displaying.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining remuneration to at least one of a VU operator, a VU service provider and the VU user.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the promotional information comprises at least one of:

a company logo;

a company name;

a company slogan;

a company jingle;

product information;

clothing information;

avatar feature information; and

a web link.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is stored in a database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is automatically accessed from a database and automatically displayed in the high-resolution component of the VU.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is displayed on an end device of at least a second user'"'"'s avatar in response to at least one of:

the second user'"'"'s avatar coming into a proximity of the avatar; and

the second user'"'"'s avatar communicating with the avatar.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is displayed on an end device of at least a second user'"'"'s avatar in response to the second user'"'"'s avatar requesting further information via an input device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

16. A system, comprising:

a virtual universe (VU) monitoring tool configured to detect an item associated with an avatar of a VU user in a VU and determine promotional information associated with the item; and

a display tool configured to display the promotional information in the VU in a high-resolution component of the VU.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the VU monitoring tool is further configured to;

determine if the avatar is currently using the item; and

determine an availability of the high-resolution component of the VU based on a second VU user'"'"'s end device; and

the display tool is further configured to conduct a conflict resolution.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a remuneration tool configured to determine remuneration to at least one of a VU operator, a VU service provider and the VU user.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the promotional information comprises at least one of:

a company logo;

a company name;

a company slogan;

a company jingle;

product information;

clothing information;

avatar feature information; and

a web link.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the high-resolution component of the VU comprises at least one of:

a chat window;

a bubble window;

a graphical user interface (GUI) status bar;

a GUI title bar;

a map window; and

an audio output device.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

detect an item associated with an avatar of a virtual universe (VU) user in a VU;

determine if the avatar is currently using the item;

determine information associated with the item; and

display the information in the VU in a high-resolution component of the VU, wherein the item associated with an avatar is an item contained in the user'"'"'s inventory.

23. A method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

detect an item associated with an avatar of a virtual universe (VU) user in a VU;

determine information associated with the item; and

display the information in the VU in a high-resolution component of the VU, wherein the high-resolution component of the VU comprises at least one of;

a chat window;

a bubble window;

a graphical user interface (GUI) status bar;

a GUI title bar;

a map window; and

an audio output device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein steps of claim 23 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.