Computer-implemented method and apparatus to allocate revenue from a derived avatar component

• US 7,912,793 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMVU Incorporated (IMVU)
• Original Assignee: IMVU Incorporated (IMVU)
• Inventors: Danzig, Matt, Gosling, Marcus, Harvey, William David, Guymon, Vernon Melvin III, Ries, Eric Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, FREDA ANN
• Application Number:
  US11/035,926
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/400, 705/14, 705/26, 705/35, 705/37, 705/1.1, 705/59, 705/80, 705/14.1, 705/14.35, 463/42, 707/102, 369/30.6
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A computer-implemented hierarchical revenue model includes providing a first revenue value associated with a first avatar component, providing a second revenue value associated with a second avatar component, and combining the first revenue value with a second revenue value to produce a third revenue value associated with a third avatar component, the third avatar component being a derived avatar component that inherits characteristics of the first and the second avatar components, the third avatar component inheriting the first revenue value from the first avatar component, the third avatar component inheriting the second revenue value from the second avatar component.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a processor;

storing, in a data storage device in data communication with the processor, a plurality of digital components, each digital component of the plurality of digital components having associated characteristics and being configured for modeling in a three dimensional (3D) virtual environment, the plurality of digital components comprising avatar components, the avatar components including derived avatar components that inherit characteristics from ancestor avatar components, at least one of the inherited characteristics being revenue values corresponding to each ancestor avatar component;

allocating a first revenue value associated with a first avatar component, the first avatar component being related to a first party;

allocating a second revenue value associated with a second avatar component, the second avatar component being related to a second party, the second party being different from the first party;

receiving user input data via a user interface;

modifying, by use of the processor and the user input data, the first avatar component to include at least a portion of the second avatar component, thereby producing a third avatar component, the first, second, and third avatar components being configured for modeling in the 3D virtual environment, the second avatar component being configured for integration and operation with the first avatar component for modeling in the 3D virtual environment, the third avatar component being a derived avatar component that inherits characteristics of the first and the second avatar components, the third avatar component inheriting the first revenue value from the first avatar component, the third avatar component inheriting the second revenue value from the second avatar component;

combining the inherited first revenue value with the inherited second revenue value to produce a third revenue value associated with the third avatar component;

offering the third avatar component to consumers at a price corresponding to the third revenue value;

allocating a first portion of the third revenue value to the first party, the value of the first portion corresponding to the inherited first revenue value; and

allocating a second portion of the third revenue value to the second party, the value of the second portion corresponding to the inherited second revenue value.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second avatar component is derived from the first avatar component.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first avatar component is a parent of the second avatar component.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first revenue value is reduced by a pre-determined percentage.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second revenue value is reduced by a pre-determined percentage.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third revenue value is reduced by a pre-determined percentage.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further including:

providing a fourth revenue value associated with the third avatar component, the fourth revenue value being a retail price associated with the third avatar component, the retail price being the third revenue value multiplied by a profit multiplier.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 further including:

providing a fourth revenue value associated with the third avatar component, the fourth revenue value being a retail price, wherein the fourth revenue value is computed based on the third revenue value.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein an identity of a parent of the second avatar component is specified via a user interface.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second avatar component has a plurality of parents.

11. A computer-implemented apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a data storage device in data communication with the processor, the data storage device for storing a plurality of digital components, each digital component of the plurality of digital components having associated characteristics and being configured for modeling in a three dimensional (3D) virtual environment, the plurality of digital components comprising avatar components, the avatar components including derived avatar components that inherit characteristics from ancestor avatar components, at least one of the inherited characteristics being revenue values corresponding to each ancestor avatar component;

a first processing module, executable by the processor to allocate a first revenue value associated with a first avatar component, the first avatar component being related to a first party;

a second processing module, executable by the processor, to allocate a second revenue value associated with a second avatar component, the second avatar component being related to a second party, the second party being different from the first party;

a user interface for receiving user input; and

a third processing module, executable by the processor, to provide the user interface to modify, by use of the processor and the user input, the first avatar component to include at least a portion of the second avatar component, thereby producing a third avatar component, the first, second, and third avatar components being configured for modeling in the 3D virtual environment, the second avatar component being configured for integration and operation with the first avatar component for modeling in the 3D virtual environment, the third avatar component being a derived avatar component that inherits characteristics of the first and the second avatar components, the third avatar component inheriting the first revenue value from the first avatar component, the third avatar component inheriting the second revenue value from the second avatar component;

the third processing module further to combine the inherited first revenue value with the inherited second revenue value to produce a third revenue value associated with the third avatar component, to offer the third avatar component to consumers at a price corresponding to the third revenue value, to allocate a first portion of the third revenue value, to the first party, the value of the first portion corresponding to the inherited first revenue value and to allocate a second portion of the third revenue value to the second party, the value of the second portion corresponding to the inherited second revenue value.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the second avatar component is derived from the first avatar component.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first avatar component is a parent of the second avatar component.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first revenue value is reduced by a pre-determined percentage.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the second revenue value is reduced by a pre-determined percentage.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the third revenue value is reduced by a pre-determined percentage.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further including:

a fourth processing module to provide a fourth revenue value associated with the third avatar component, the fourth revenue value being a retail price associated with the third avatar component, the retail price being the third revenue value multiplied by a profit multiplier.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further including:

a fourth processing module to provide a fourth revenue value associated with the third avatar component, the fourth revenue value being a retail price, wherein the fourth revenue value is computed based on the third revenue value.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein an identity of a parent of the second avatar component is specified via a user interface.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the second avatar component has a plurality of parents.