SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC MULTI-CONTENT CARDS

• US 20140195932A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: HAMILTON, Rick A. II, O'CONNELL, Brian M., PICKOVER, Clifford A., SEAMAN, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,828,575 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method and system is provided for creation and distribution of dynamic multi-content cards in a virtual universe. More specifically, the method creates a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and distribute the card in the VU. Additionally, the system includes a card selection tool configured to create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and distribute the card to another resident in the VU.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating, by at least one computing device, a card in a virtual universe (VU) which includes a visual indicator and an immersive VU feature permitting a user to enter a VU environment within the card, wherein the VU environment within the card is different from the VU in which the card is distributed; and

distributing, by the at least one computing device, the card in the universe to a receiving avatar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual content indicator shows a total size of content stored in the card.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the total size of the content is shown as size of memory that is displayed to the receiving avatar.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the total size of the content indicates to the receiving avatar that the total size of the content exceeds the receiving avatar'"'"'s threshold size for receiving the content, wherein the receiving avatar declines to download the content.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the total size of the content indicates to the receiving avatar that the total size of the content does not exceed the receiving avatar'"'"'s threshold size for receiving the content, wherein the receiving avatar downloads the content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the card includes a card selection tool.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the card selection tool provides a modification menu with selections that include at least one of:

offer the content, add the content, and delete the content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selection for offering the content offers the content as extracted from a database in an unaltered state.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the selection for adding the content adds new content prior to distributing the card to the receiving avatar.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the card selection tool is used to remove the visual content indicator from the card.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the card includes sending the card to a server, wherein the server distributes the card in the universe.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer storage device having readable program code embodied in the storage device, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

create a card in a virtual universe (VU) which includes an accessibility feature and an immersive VU feature permitting a user to enter a VU environment within the card, wherein the VU environment within the card is different from the VU in which the card is distributed; and

distribute the card in the VU to a receiving avatar.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer program product is further operable to:

initiate an inter-card communication between the card and another card associated with the receiving avatar.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the accessibility feature provides at least one of larger text and audio content based on selection of the accessibility feature.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the accessibility feature provides the least one of the larger text and the audio content based on the user'"'"'s level of accessibility.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the inter-card communication provides an exchange of items between the card and the another card.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the card is a static card whose contents do not change over time and content in the card given at a point of transfer cannot be updated by a giving avatar subsequent to the transfer.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the accessibility feature is accessed by using an accessibility tag.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein residents of the VU select the card while traversing, inhabiting, and interacting in the VU.

20. A system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and which includes an immersive VU feature which permits a user of the card to enter a VU environment within the card, wherein the immersive VU feature includes a card selection tool, an accessibility tool, and a visual content indicator, and wherein the VU environment within the card is different from the VU in which the card is distributed;

second program instructions to select the card selection tool that provides a modification menu to change content within the card;

third program instructions to select the accessibility tool that provides assistance to the user based on the user'"'"'s level of accessibility;

fourth program instructions to select the visual content indicator that displays memory size of the content; and

fifth program instructions to distribute the card to a receiving avatar, wherein the receiving avatar has another card that can use inter-card communication to exchange at least one of items and information between the card and the another card; and

the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.