INFORMING USERS OF A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE OF REAL WORLD EVENTS

• US 20110131508A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Katz, Neil A., Seaman, James W., Gershfang, Igor Y., Snopek, Adam R., Young, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,248,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention provides various approaches for disseminating emergency broadcasting messages or other messages of importance (hereinafter “alerts”) within virtual world environments such that interested virtual world residents can be made aware of matters of importance based on their physical world locations (e.g., without respect to the locale of their current virtual world presence).

Claims

1. A method for informing users of a virtual universe (VU) of real world events, comprising:

receiving an alert in the VU, the alert pertaining to a real world event;

identifying a set of VU users to which the alert pertains based on a real world location of the set of VU users; and

informing the set of VU users of the alert using the VU.

2. The method of claim 1, the identifying comprising determining a set of VU users having a real world location within a predetermined distance from a geographic area to which the alert pertains.

3. The method of claim 1, the set of VU users being identified based on demographic information.

4. The method of claim 1, the real world event being an emergency.

5. The method of claim 1, the informing comprising sending a message to the set of VU users using a messaging system.

6. The method of claim 5, the messaging system being a messaging system associated with the VU.

7. The method of claim 1, the informing comprising displaying the alert for set of VU users in the VU.

8. The method of claim 1, the informing comprising generating an audible alert using a set of client computers operated by the set of VU users.

9. A computer system for informing users of a virtual universe (VU) of real world events, comprising:

at least one processing unit;

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

a utility stored in the memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the utility comprising;

a module for receiving an alert in the VU, the alert pertaining to a real world event;

a module for identifying a set of VU users to which the alert pertains based on a real world location of the set of VU users; and

a module for informing the set of VU users of the alert using the VU.

10. The computer system of claim 9, the module for identifying being configured to determine a set of VU users having a real world location within a predetermined distance from a geographic area to which the alert pertains.

11. The computer system of claim 9, the set of VU users being identified based on demographic information.

12. The computer system of claim 9, the real world event being an emergency.

13. The computer system of claim 9, the module for informing being configured to send a message to the set of VU users using a messaging system.

14. The computer system of claim 13, the messaging system being a messaging system associated with the VU.

15. The computer system of claim 9, the module for informing being configured to inform comprising displaying the alert for set of VU users in the VU.

16. The computer system of claim 9, the informing comprising generating an audible alert using a set of client computers operated by the set of VU users.

17. A computer readable medium containing a program product for informing users of a virtual universe (VU) of real world events, the computer readable medium comprising program code for causing a computer to:

receive an alert in the VU, the alert pertaining to a real world event;

identify a set of VU users to which the alert pertains based on a real world location of the set of VU users; and

inform the set of VU users of the alert using the VU.

18. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the computer to determine a set of VU users having a real world location within a predetermined distance from a geographic area to which the alert pertains.

19. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the set of VU users being identified based on demographic information.

20. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the real world event being an emergency.

21. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the computer to send a message to the set of VU users using a messaging system.

22. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 21, the messaging system being a messaging system associated with the VU.

23. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the computer to display the alert for set of VU users in the VU.

24. The computer readable medium containing the program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the computer to generate an audible alert using a set of client computers operated by the set of VU users.

25. A method for deploying a system for informing users of a virtual universe (VU) of real world events, comprising:

deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive an alert in the VU, the alert pertaining to a real world event;

identify a set of VU users to which the alert pertains based on a real world location of the set of VU users; and

inform the set of VU users of the alert using the VU.