SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A VIRTUAL SPACE WITH INDIVIDUALIZED MAPS

• US 20120290948A1
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Idle Games
• Original Assignee: Idle Games
• Inventors: ELENZIL, Orion, Hyman, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US13/103,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290948A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• 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

Abstract

A virtual space may be provided to users in which places in the virtual space are associated with individual users. Individual ones of such places may be locations or spaces within the virtual space that the individual users control, tend, decorate, own, and/or are associated with in other ways. The spatial arrangement of the places in the virtual space, represented by a map of the virtual space, may be customized for individual users to instigate and/or facilitate interactions and/or engagement of the users with and in the virtual space. As such, individual spatial arrangements of the places, or maps of the virtual space, may be created for individual ones of the users.

Claims

1. A system configured to host a virtual space to client computing devices for interaction by users of the client computing devices, wherein the users comprise a first user and a second user, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a place module configured to instance separate spatial places within the virtual space, wherein the separate spatial places are associated with individual users, and wherein the spatial places include a first place associated with the first user and a second place associated with the second user, the place module being further configured to implement the instances of the places to determine views of the virtual space for presentation to users on the client computing devices, and to enable users to interact with the virtual space and each other in the virtual space by performing actions in the places based on input of the users received from the client computing platforms;

an interaction module configured to monitor interactions of users with the virtual space and/or each other within the virtual space; and

a map module configured to determine different maps of the virtual space for the individual users, wherein the maps include a first map for the first user and a second map for the second user, wherein the arrangement of the places of the virtual space in the first map is different than the arrangement of the places of the virtual space in the second map, and wherein the differences in the arrangements of the places of the virtual space between the first map and the second map are a function of differences in the interactions of the first user with the virtual space and/or other users and interactions of the second user with the virtual space and/or other users.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the map module is further configured such that in the first map other places are arranged with respect to the first place based on interactions of the first user with the users associated with the other places, and the map module is further configured such that in the second map other places are arranged with respect to the second place based on interactions of the second user with users associated with the other places.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer program modules further comprise a distance module configured to determine distances between places which are implemented by the map module in generating the maps, wherein the distance module is configured to determine the distances between the first place and the other places for the first map based on interactions of the first user with the users associated with the other places, and to determine the distances between the second place and the other places for the second map based on interactions of the second user with the other users associated with the other places.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules further comprise a relationship module configured to establish relationships between users based on communication and/or interaction between the users within the virtual space, wherein the map module is further configured such that in the first map the other places are arranged with respect to the first place based on relationships between the first user and one or more of the users associated with the other places, and wherein the map module is further configured such that in the second map other places are arranged with respect to the second place based on relationships between the second user and one or more of the users associated with the other places.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules further comprise a user matching module configured to determine likelihoods that specific sets of two or more users will enjoy participating together in interactions in the virtual space, and wherein the map module is further configured such that in the first map the other places are arranged with respect to the first place based on likelihoods that the first user will enjoy participating together with the other users in interactions, and wherein the map module is further configured such that in the second map the other places are arranged with respect to the second place based on likelihoods that the second user will enjoy participating together with the other users in interactions in the virtual space.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the user matching module is configured to determine likelihoods that specific sets of two or more users will enjoy participating together in interactions in the virtual space based on one or more of relationships between users and/or usage patterns of the users.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the map module is further configured such that the maps evolve over time based on the interactions of the users with the virtual space and/or each other.

8. A method of hosting a virtual space to client computing devices for interaction by users of the client computing devices, wherein the users comprise a first user and a second user, and wherein the method is implemented by one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the method comprising:

executing instances of separate spatial places within the virtual space, wherein the separate spatial places are associated with individual users, and wherein the spatial places include a first place associated with the first user and a second place associated with the second user;

implementing the instances of the places to determine views of the virtual space for presentation to users on the client computing devices, and to enable users to interact with the virtual space and each other in the virtual space by performing actions in the places based on input of the users received from the client computing platforms;

monitoring interactions of users with the virtual space and/or each other within the virtual space; and

determining different maps of the virtual space for the individual users, wherein the maps include a first map for the first user and a second map for the second user, wherein the arrangement of the places of the virtual space in the first map is different than the arrangement of the places of the virtual space in the second map, and wherein the differences in the arrangements of the places of the virtual space between the first map and the second map are a function of differences in the interactions of the first user with the virtual space and/or other users and interactions of the second user with the virtual space and/or other users.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the first map comprises arranging places with respect to the first place based on interactions of the first user with the users associated with the other places, and wherein determining the second map comprises arranging other places with respect to the second place based on interactions of the second user with users associated with the other places.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining distances between places which are implemented in determining the maps, wherein determining the distances between the first place and the other places for the first map is performed based on interactions of the first user with the users associated with the other places, and wherein determining the distances between the second place and the other places for the second map is performed based on interactions of the second user with the other users associated with the other places.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising establishing relationships between users based on relationship requests and acceptances received from the users, wherein determining the first map includes arranging the other places with respect to the first place based on relationships between the first user and one or more of the users associated with the other places, and wherein determining the second map includes arranging other places with respect to the second place based on relationships between the second user and one or more of the users associated with the other places.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining likelihoods that specific sets of two or more users will enjoy participating in interactions within the virtual space together with each other, wherein determining the first map includes arranging the other places with respect to the first place based on determined likelihoods that the first user will enjoy participating together in interactions with the other users, and wherein determining the second map includes arranging the other places with respect to the second place based on determined likelihoods that the second user will enjoy participating together in interactions with the other users in the virtual space.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein likelihoods that specific sets of two or more users will enjoy participating in interactions together in the virtual space are determined based on one or more of relationships between users and/or usage patterns of the users.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the maps comprises re-determining the maps over time such that the maps evolve over time based on the interactions of the users with the virtual space and/or each other.

15. Non-transient, electronic storage media that stores individualized maps of a virtual space associated with individual users of a system that provides the virtual space to the users, wherein the users interact with the virtual space and each other in the virtual space, the individualized maps comprising:

separate spatial places within the virtual space, wherein the separate spatial places are associated with the individual users, and wherein the spatial places include a first place associated with a first user and a second place associated with a second user;

wherein the maps include a first map individualized for the first user and a second map individualized for a second user, and

wherein the different maps of the virtual space are individualized for the individual users based on the interactions of the individual users with the virtual space and/or with each other in the virtual space such that (i) the arrangement of the places of the virtual space in the first map is different than the arrangement of the places of the virtual space in the second map, and (ii) the differences in the arrangements of the places of the virtual space between the first map and the second map are a function of differences in the interactions of the first user with the virtual space and/or other users and interactions of the second user with the virtual space and/or other users.

16. The storage media of claim 15, wherein the first map comprises an arrangement of other places with respect to the first place reflecting interactions of the first user with the users associated with the other places, and wherein the second map comprises arrangement of other places with respect to the second place reflecting interactions of the second user with users associated with the other places.

17. The storage media of claim 16, wherein the distances between the first place and the other places for the first map reflect interactions of the first user with the users associated with the other places, and wherein the distances between the second place and the other places for the second map reflect interactions of the second user with the other users associated with the other places.

18. The storage media of claim 16, wherein other places are arranged with respect to the first place in the first map to reflect relationships between the first user and one or more of the users associated with the other places, and wherein the other places are arranged in the second map with respect to the second place to reflect relationships in the virtual space between the second user and one or more of the users associated with the other places.

19. The storage media of claim 16, wherein other places are arranged with respect to the first place in the first map to reflect determined likelihoods that the first user participating in interactions in the virtual space with the other users associated with the other places, and wherein other places are arranged with respect to the second place in the second map to reflect determined likelihoods that the second user will enjoy participating in interactions in the virtual space with the other users associated with the other places.

20. The storage media of claim 19, wherein likelihoods that the first and/or second users will enjoy participating in interactions with the other users in the virtual space are determined based on one or more of relationships between users in the virtual space and/or usage patterns of the users in the virtual space.