TRACKING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD

• US 20100299640A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Titus, Tobin
• Application Number:
  US12/469,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299640A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

A status update of a real world entity is received. A previous status of a virtual world entity is transformed into a current status of the virtual world entity based on the status update of the real world entity. The virtual world entity may be part of a virtual world and may correspond to the real world entity in a real world. Further, the virtual world entity and the virtual world may be generated by a computer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing tracking in a virtual world, the method comprising computer-implemented operations for:

receiving a status update of a real world entity; and

transforming a previous status of a virtual world entity into a current status of the virtual world entity based on the status update of the real world entity, the virtual world entity being part of a virtual world and corresponding to the real world entity in a real world, the virtual world entity and the virtual world being generated by a computer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status update of a real world entity comprises receiving the status update of the real world entity from another computer or device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status update of a real world entity comprises receiving a real location of the real world entity from a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status update of a real world entity comprises receiving a scanned image of a package from an image scanning device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the real world entity comprises a real participant, a real item, or a real process in the real world;

and wherein the virtual world entity comprises a virtual participant, a virtual item, or a virtual process in the virtual world;

the virtual participant corresponding to the real participant, the virtual item corresponding to the real item, and the virtual process corresponding to the real process.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the status update of the real world entity comprises a current real location of the real word entity;

and wherein transforming a previous status of a virtual world entity into a current status of the virtual world entity based on the status update of the real world entity comprises transforming a previous virtual location of a virtual world entity into a current virtual location of the virtual world entity, the current virtual location corresponding to and mimicking the current real location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the status update of the real world entity comprises a current real condition of a real package;

and wherein transforming a previous status of a virtual world entity into a current status of the virtual world entity based on the status update of the real world entity comprises transforming a previous virtual condition of a virtual package into a current virtual condition of the virtual package, the current virtual condition of the virtual package corresponding to and mimicking the current real condition of the real package.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the status update of the real world entity comprises a current real state of a real process;

and wherein transforming a previous status of a virtual world entity into a current status of the virtual world entity based on the current state of the real process comprises transforming a previous virtual state of a virtual process into a current virtual state of the virtual process, the current virtual state of the virtual process corresponding to and mimicking the current real state of the real process.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status update of a real world entity comprises receiving the status update of the real world entity in real-time or near real-time.

10. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and

a program module (i) which executes in the processor from the memory and (ii) which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer system to provide tracking in a virtual world by

receiving a status update of a virtual world entity, and

dictating a real process by transforming a previous process flow of the real process into a current process flow of the real process in accordance with the status update of the virtual world entity, the virtual world entity being part of a virtual world and corresponding to the real world entity in a real world.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein receiving a status update of a virtual world entity comprises receiving the status update of the virtual world from a virtual world server module, the virtual world server module operative to provide the virtual world across a network.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein receiving a status update of a virtual world entity comprises receiving an indication that an avatar in the virtual world has moved from an original virtual destination to an alternate virtual destination, the avatar being controlled by a participant in the real world, the original virtual destination corresponding to and mimicking an original real destination in the real world, the alternate virtual destination corresponding to and mimicking an alternate real destination in the real world.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the real process comprises a package delivery process, the package delivery process comprising a first delivery route for delivering a package to the original real destination.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein dictating a real process by transforming a previous process flow of the real process into a current process flow of the real process in accordance with the status update of the virtual world entity comprises dictating the package delivery process by transforming the first delivery route for delivering the package to the original real destination into a second delivery route for delivering the package to the alternate real destination.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein dictating a real process by transforming a previous process flow of the real process into a current process flow of the real process in accordance with the status update of the virtual world entity comprises delaying the package delivery process until the participant returns to the original real destination from the alternate real destination.

16. The computer system of claim 10, wherein receiving a status update of a virtual world entity comprises receiving the status update of the virtual world entity in real-time or near real-time.

17. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the real world entity comprises a real participant, a real item, or a real process in the real world;

and wherein the virtual world entity comprises a virtual participant, a virtual item, or a virtual process in the virtual world;

the virtual participant corresponding to the real participant, the virtual item corresponding to the real item, and the virtual process corresponding to the real process.

18. A computer-storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, through a real world status module, a status update of a real world entity from another computer or device;

communicate the status update from the real world status module to a virtual world status module;

transform, through the virtual world status module, a previous status of a virtual world entity into a current status of the virtual world entity based on the status update of the real world entity, the virtual world entity being part of a virtual world and corresponding to the real world entity in a real world; and

communicate the transformed current status of the virtual world entity from the virtual world status module to a virtual world server module, the virtual world server module operative to render the virtual world.

19. The computer-storage medium of claim 18 having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, through the virtual world status module, a second status update of a virtual world entity;

communicate the second status update from the virtual world status module to a process module; and

dictate, through the process module, a real process by transforming a previous process flow of the real process into a current process flow of the real process in accordance with the second status update of the virtual world entity.

20. The computer-storage medium of claim 18, wherein the real world entity comprises a real participant, a real item, or a real process in the real world;

and wherein the virtual world entity comprises a virtual participant, a virtual item, or a virtual process in the virtual world;

the virtual participant corresponding to the real participant, the virtual item corresponding to the real item, and the virtual process corresponding to the real process.