DYNAMIC PLAYER ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT RESPONSE

• US 20150040036A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Crocker, John, Heatherly, Christopher, Makosky, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,766,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• 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 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• 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 2300/60 Methods for processing data by generating or executing the game program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products to provide responses to emergent group activities in an interactive environment, by monitoring actions of one or more avatars in the interactive environment, the one or more avatars being controlled by a respective user, detecting a first action matching a first action property in a first group activity template for a first group activity, of a plurality of group activity templates, determining that the first group activity is occurring in the interactive environment, and issuing to one or more components of the interactive environment, an indication to perform a respective predefined operation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to provide responses to emergent group activities in an interactive environment having a plurality of avatars, comprising:

monitoring actions of one or more avatars in the interactive environment, the one or more avatars being controlled by a respective user;

detecting a first action matching a first action property in a first group activity template for a first group activity, of a plurality of group activity templates; and

responsive to determining that the first activity is occurring, issuing to one or more components of the interactive environment by operation of one or more computer processors, an indication to perform a respective predefined operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first group activity is occurring comprises, in respective instances, each of:

(i) detecting a subsequent set of actions that match a threshold number of action properties specified in the first group activity template, and (ii) determining that a computed score for the first action exceeds an activity threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first component of the interactive environment comprises a notification component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises notifying one or more users that the first group activity is occurring in the interactive environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a second component of the interactive environment comprises an object generation component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises generating an object at a first location in the interactive environment to be used by the one or more avatars during the first group activity, wherein the first group activity is occurring at the first location in the interactive environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a third component of the interactive environment comprises a map component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises providing a marker at a first location on a map of the interactive environment indicating that the group activity is occurring at the first location in the interactive environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a second action property in the first group activity template comprises a time threshold specifying a maximum amount of time that can elapse after detecting the first action before determining that the first group activity is occurring in the interactive environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of group activity templates are created by one of:

(i) user input, and (ii) machine learning used to detect new group activities.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the actions are monitored by an activity manager of the interactive environment configured to subscribe to an activity feed which communicates all actions occurring in the interactive environment, the method further comprising:

deactivating the first group activity upon determining that one or more termination criteria specified in the first group activity template are met.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory containing a program, which when executed by the one or more computer processors, performs an operation to provide responses to emergent group activities in an interactive environment having a plurality of avatars, the operation comprising;

monitoring actions of one or more avatars in the interactive environment, the one or more avatars being controlled by a respective user;

detecting a first action matching a first action property in a first group activity template for a first group activity, of a plurality of group activity templates; and

responsive to determining that the first activity is occurring, issuing to one or more components of the interactive environment, an indication to perform a respective predefined operation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein determining that the first group activity is occurring comprises, in respective instances, each of:

(i) detecting a subsequent set of actions that match a threshold number of action properties specified in the first group activity template, and (ii) determining that a computed score for the first action exceeds an activity threshold.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a first component of the interactive environment comprises a notification component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises notifying one or more users that the first group activity is occurring in the interactive environment.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein a second component of the interactive environment comprises an object generation component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises generating an object at a first location in the interactive environment to be used by the one or more avatars during the first group activity, wherein the first group activity is occurring at the first location in the interactive environment.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a third component of the interactive environment comprises a map component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises providing a marker at a first location on a map of the interactive environment indicating that the group activity is occurring at the first location in the interactive environment.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein a second action property in the first group activity template comprises a time threshold specifying a maximum amount of time that can elapse after detecting the first action before determining that the first group activity is occurring in the interactive environment.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of group activity templates are created by one of:

(i) user input, and (ii) machine learning used to detect new group activities.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the actions are monitored by an activity manager of the interactive environment configured to subscribe to an activity feed which communicates all actions occurring in the interactive environment, the operation further comprising:

deactivating the first group activity upon determining that one or more termination criteria specified in the first group activity template are met.

17. A computer program product to provide responses to emergent group activities in an interactive environment having a plurality of avatars, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising;

computer-readable program code configured to monitor actions of one or more avatars in the interactive environment, the one or more avatars being controlled by a respective user;

computer-readable program code configured to detect a first action matching a first action property in a first group activity template for a first group activity, of a plurality of group activity templates; and

computer-readable program code configured to, responsive to determining that the first activity is occurring, issue to one or more components of the interactive environment, an indication to perform a respective predefined operation.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein determining that the first group activity is occurring comprises, in respective instances, each of:

(i) detecting a subsequent set of actions that match a threshold number of action properties specified in the first group activity template, and (ii) determining that a computed score for the first action exceeds an activity threshold.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein a first component of the interactive environment comprises a notification component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises notifying one or more users that the first group activity is occurring in the interactive environment.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein a second component of the interactive environment comprises an object generation component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises generating an object at a first location in the interactive environment to be used by the one or more avatars during the first group activity, wherein the first group activity is occurring at the first location in the interactive environment.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein a third component of the interactive environment comprises a map component, wherein the respective predefined operation comprises providing a marker at a first location on a map of the interactive environment indicating that the group activity is occurring at the first location in the interactive environment.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein a second action property in the first group activity template comprises a time threshold specifying a maximum amount of time that can elapse after detecting the first action before determining that the first group activity is occurring in the interactive environment.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of group activity templates are created by one of:

(i) user input, and (ii) machine learning used to detect new group activities.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the actions are monitored by an activity manager of the interactive environment configured to subscribe to an activity feed which communicates all actions occurring in the interactive environment, the computer-readable program code further comprising:

computer-readable program code configured to deactivate the first group activity upon determining that one or more termination criteria specified in the first group activity template are met.