METHOD FOR SECURITY AND MARKET SURVEILLANCE OF A VIRTUAL WORLD ASSET THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH A REAL WORLD MONITORING CENTER

• US 20100269053A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Lingafelt, Charles S., Rowe, Michael, Martine, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/424,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20100269053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/70 Game security or game management aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for security and market surveillance of a virtual world asset through interactions with a real world monitoring center. The method monitors at least one virtual world object in a virtual world, including detecting at least one virtual world event associated with the virtual world object. A notification of the virtual world event is received by a real world operations center. In response to the receiving of the notification, the real world operations center automatically sends the real world response to an end user and/or the virtual world response to the virtual world. The real world response includes a telephone call, a text message, an email, an audible alert, and/or a silent alert.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring at least one virtual world object in a virtual world, comprising detecting at least one virtual world event associated with said virtual world object;

receiving a notification of said virtual world event by a real world operations center; and

in response to said receiving of said notification, automatically sending, by said real world operations center, at least one of a real world response to an end user and a virtual world response to said virtual world.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting malicious software.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting an interaction between said virtual world object and at least one third party, said third party comprising at least one of an avatar and an autonomous object.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said virtual world response comprises at least one of:

identifying said third party;

obtaining an image of said third party;

activating a virtual world security system, said virtual world security system comprising at least one of an alarm and security avatars;

reporting said virtual world event to a central authority in said virtual world;

closing down said virtual world object, comprising preventing interaction between said virtual world object and said third party and interaction between said virtual world object and additional third parties; and

freezing assets owned by said third party.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting at least one of:

the most visited virtual stores of a plurality of virtual stores; and

the virtual stores of said plurality of virtual stores comprising the highest sales volumes.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting at least one of:

the most visited areas within a single store of said plurality of virtual stores;

the number of times an avatar of a plurality of avatars visits said virtual store;

the number of times said virtual store has been visited by said plurality of avatars;

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on time of day; and

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on day of week.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving of said notification comprises receiving:

attribute information of said virtual world object, said attribute information comprising at least one of an identity, location, orientation, active/inactive status, and open/close status; and

a correlation value between said virtual world object and said virtual world event.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining, by said real world operations center, at least one of said real world response and said virtual world response based on said correlation value.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sending of said real world response comprises sending at least one of a telephone call, a text message, an email, an audible alert, and a silent alert.

10. A method, comprising:

monitoring at least one virtual world object in a virtual world, comprising detecting at least one virtual world event associated with said virtual world object;

receiving a notification of said virtual world event by a real world operations center, wherein said receiving of said notification comprises receiving;

attribute information of said virtual world object, said attribute information comprising at least one of an identity, location, orientation, active/inactive status, and open/close status; and

a correlation value between said virtual world object and said virtual world event;

determining, by said real world operations center, at least one of a real world response and a virtual world response based on said correlation value; and

in response to said receiving of said notification, automatically sending, by said real world operations center, at least one of said real world response to an end user and said virtual world response to said virtual world.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting malicious software.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting an interaction between said virtual world object and at least one third party, said third party comprising at least one of an avatar and an autonomous object, and wherein said virtual world response comprises at least one of:

identifying said third party;

obtaining an image of said third party;

activating a virtual world security system, said virtual world security system comprising at least one of an alarm and security avatars;

reporting said virtual world event to a central authority in said virtual world;

closing down said virtual world object, comprising preventing interaction between said virtual world object and said third party and interaction between said virtual world object and additional third parties; and

freezing assets owned by said third party.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting at least one of:

the most visited virtual stores of a plurality of virtual stores;

the virtual stores of said plurality of virtual stores comprising the highest sales volumes;

the most visited areas within a single store of said plurality of virtual stores;

the number of times an avatar of a plurality of avatars visits said virtual store;

the number of times said virtual store has been visited by said plurality of avatars;

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on time of day; and

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on day of week.

14. A system, comprising:

a monitor adapted to monitor at least one virtual world object in a virtual world and detect at least one virtual world event associated with said virtual world object; and

a real world operations center adapted to receive a notification of said virtual world event, and in response to said notification, automatically send at least one of a real world response to an end user and a virtual world response to said virtual world.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said virtual world event comprises a presence of malicious software.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said virtual world event comprises an interaction between said virtual world object and at least one third party, said third party comprising at least one of an avatar and an autonomous object.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said virtual world response comprises at least one of:

identifying said third party;

obtaining an image of said third party;

activating a virtual world security system, said virtual world security system comprising at least one of an alarm and security avatars;

reporting said virtual world event to a central authority in said virtual world;

closing down said virtual world object, comprising preventing interaction between said virtual world object and said third party and interaction between said virtual world object and additional third parties; and

freezing assets owned by said third party.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said virtual world event comprises at least one of:

the most visited virtual stores of a plurality of virtual stores; and

the virtual stores of said plurality of virtual stores comprising the highest sales volumes.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said virtual world event comprises at least one of:

the most visited areas within a single store of said plurality of virtual stores;

the number of times an avatar of a plurality of avatars visits said virtual store;

the number of times said virtual store has been visited by said plurality of avatars;

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on time of day; and

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on day of week.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein said notification comprises:

attribute information of said virtual world object, said attribute information comprising at least one of an identity, location, orientation, active/inactive status, and open/close status; and

a correlation value between said virtual world object and said virtual world event.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said real world operations center is adapted to determine at least one of said real world response and said virtual world response based on said correlation value.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein said real world response comprises at least one of a telephone call, a text message, an email, an audible alert, and a silent alert.

23. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code stored on computer readable storage medium embodied therein for performing a method comprising:

monitoring at least one virtual world object in a virtual world, comprising detecting at least one virtual world event associated with said virtual world object;

receiving a notification of said virtual world event by a real world operations center, wherein said receiving of said notification comprises receiving;

attribute information of said virtual world object, said attribute information comprising at least one of an identity, location, orientation, active/inactive status, and open/close status; and

a correlation value between said virtual world object and said virtual world event;

determining, by said real world operations center, at least one of a real world response to an end user and a virtual world response to said virtual world based on said correlation value; and

in response to said receiving of said notification, automatically sending, by said real world operations center, at least one of said real world response and said virtual world response.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting an interaction between said virtual world object and at least one third party, said third party comprising at least one of an avatar and an autonomous object, and wherein said virtual world response comprises at least one of:

identifying said third party;

obtaining an image of said third party;

activating a virtual world security system, said virtual world security system comprising at least one of an alarm and security avatars;

reporting said virtual world event to a central authority in said virtual world;

closing down said virtual world object, comprising preventing interaction between said virtual world object and said third party and interaction between said virtual world object and additional third parties; and

freezing assets owned by said third party.

25. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said detecting of said virtual world event comprises detecting at least one of:

the most visited virtual stores of a plurality of virtual stores;

the virtual stores of said plurality of virtual stores comprising the highest sales volumes;

the most visited areas within a single store of said plurality of virtual stores;

the number of times an avatar of a plurality of avatars visits said virtual store;

the number of times said virtual store has been visited by said plurality of avatars;

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on time of day; and

patterns of visits to said virtual store based on day of week.