CROSS-INTERFACE COMMUNICATION

• US 20100229107A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trion World ABC LLC
• Original Assignee: Trion World Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Turner, Erin E., Huang, Peter Chi-Hao
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,585 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Cross-interface communication is described, including generating data associated with a synthetic environment, the synthetic environment comprising one or more communication protocols, converting the data using one of the one or more communication protocols to generate converted data, wherein the converted data is interpreted using another of the one or more communication protocols, and transmitting the data over a communication path between two or more endpoints using one or more communication interfaces, wherein the data, after being interpreted by the another of the one or more communication protocols, is used to present information associated with the synthetic environment on at least one of the two or more endpoints.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving from an account a message in a format associated with a synthetic environment;

configuring the message to be transferred from the account to another account using a communication interface implemented with the synthetic environment, the communication interface being configured to transfer data between the synthetic environment and an application using a protocol that is substantially different from another protocol used with another communication interface;

transforming the message and the data using the protocol to generate the message in another format; and

sending the message in the another format from the synthetic environment to the another account associated with the synthetic environment using the communication interface and the protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is associated with an activity performed substantially within the synthetic environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is associated with an activity performed substantially outside of the synthetic environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is associated with an event occurring substantially within a persistent virtual world.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic environment is a persistent virtual world.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the account is logged into the synthetic environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol is a data transmission protocol associated with an instant messaging application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol is a data transmission protocol associated with an electronic messaging application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the another account is not logged into the synthetic environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication interface further comprises an application programming interface.

11. A method, comprising:

generating data associated with a synthetic environment, the synthetic environment comprising one or more communication protocols;

converting the data using one of the one or more communication protocols to generate converted data, wherein the converted data is interpreted using another of the one or more communication protocols; and

transmitting the data over a communication path between two or more endpoints using one or more communication interfaces, wherein the data, after being interpreted by the another of the one or more communication protocols, is used to present information associated with the synthetic environment on at least one of the two or more endpoints.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data is associated with an activity occurring substantially inside the synthetic environment.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data is associated with an activity occurring substantially outside the synthetic environment.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the synthetic environment is a persistent virtual world.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more communication protocols comprises SMTP.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more communication protocols comprises TCP/IP.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more communications protocols is used by the one or more communication interfaces to send the data associated with an event occurring in the synthetic environment to at least one of the one or more clients that is not logged into the synthetic environment.

18. A system, comprising:

a memory configured to store data associated with a synthetic environment; and

a processor configured to receive from an account a message in a format associated with a synthetic environment, to configure the message to be transferred from the account to another account using a communication interface implemented with the synthetic environment, the communication interface being configured to transfer the data between the synthetic environment and an application using a protocol that is substantially different from another protocol used with another communication interface, to transform the message and the data using the protocol to generate the message in another format, and to send the message in the another format from the synthetic environment to the another account associated with the synthetic environment using the communication interface and the protocol.

19. A system, comprising:

a storage module configured to store data associated with a synthetic environment; and

a logic module configured to generate data associated with a synthetic environment, the synthetic environment comprising one or more communication protocols, to convert the data using one of the one or more communication protocols to generate converted data, wherein the converted data is interpreted using another of the one or more communication protocols, and to transmit the data over a communication path between two or more endpoints using one or more communication interfaces, wherein the data, after being interpreted by the another of the one or more communication protocols, is used to present information associated with the synthetic environment on at least one of the two or more endpoints.

20. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving from an account a message in a format associated with a synthetic environment;

configuring the message to be transferred from the account to another account using a communication interface implemented with the synthetic environment, the communication interface being configured to transfer data between the synthetic environment and an application using a protocol that is substantially different from another protocol used with another communication interface;

transforming the message and the data using the protocol to generate the message in another format; and

sending the message in the another format from the synthetic environment to the another account associated with the synthetic environment using the communication interface and the protocol.

21. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

generating data associated with a synthetic environment, the synthetic environment comprising one or more communication protocols;

converting the data using one of the one or more communication protocols to generate converted data, wherein the converted data is interpreted using another of the one or more communication protocols; and

transmitting the data over a communication path between two or more endpoints using one or more communication interfaces, wherein the data, after being interpreted by the another of the one or more communication protocols, is used to present information associated with the synthetic environment on at least one of the two or more endpoints.