Disposition of component virtual property rights

• US 7,937,314 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kyle, Charles R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEIS, SAMUEL
• Application Number:
  US11/256,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and system provides transactions and arrangements in virtual world environments. A user can participate in transactions to acquire virtual property and related virtual rights. In some implementations, real-world and virtual parties can be involved in possible transfers of various types of virtual property and virtual property rights.

Claims

1. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and having encoded instructions for executing a process, wherein the process comprises:

providing a virtual world environment where a virtual world character of a virtual world patron is enabled to acquire a virtual property right in an individual virtual object or virtual object composite element or attribute or characteristic;

facilitating an arrangement to implement a future transfer of the virtual property right from the virtual world character to a designated successor party in the virtual world environment pursuant to an authorization from the virtual world patron, which authorization is effective upon a real-world death of the virtual world patron, and which transfer is contingent upon establishing confirmation of the real-world death of the virtual world patron; and

making a record of the arrangement.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage carrier medium for encoding the instructions.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said facilitating an arrangement to implement a future transfer of the virtual property right includes:

allowing a transfer of the virtual property right to a virtual world recipient.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said facilitating an arrangement to implement a future transfer of the virtual property right includes:

allowing a transfer of the virtual property right to a real-world recipient.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said making a record of the arrangement includes:

making a record of one or more of the following types of informational data;

authorization for transferring, date of authorization, identity of designated successor party, identity of virtual property right to be transferred, secondary beneficiary, transfer requirements, transfer fee, and required third party approval.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said process is encoded on at least one of:

storage transmission media accessible to multiple virtual world patrons having logon capabilities at different location accessible to multiple virtual world patrons having logon capabilities at different locations.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said process is encoded on storage capable of functional operation on localized computer apparatus accessible to an individual virtual world patron.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said process includes:

implementing a permanent transfer based on confirmation of the real-world death of the virtual world patron.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said process includes:

implementing a permanent or temporary transfer based on a confirmation of a virtual world death or demise or disability or other applicable disqualification of a virtual character associated with the virtual world patron.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein said process includes:

sending a notification of a preliminary requirement prior to implementing a transfer of the virtual world property right to a recipient.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein said sending a notification of a preliminary requirement prior to implementing a transfer of the virtual world property right to a recipient includes:

sending a notification to at least one of;

a virtual world patron representative, the recipient, or a recipient representative, which notification includes one or more of the following types of real-world or virtual world preliminary requirements;

verification of identity of recipient;

verification of recipient'"'"'s age, consent by recipient virtual world participation agreement, consent by recipient to retain the virtual world property right for given period of time;

consent by recipient to pay transfer fee;

payment of fee;

consent by real-world third party;

consent by virtual world third party;

consent by real-world group;

consent by virtual world group;

recipient'"'"'s trait;

recipient'"'"'s characteristic, recipient'"'"'s capability;

possessions of recipient;

correlated items of recipient;

recipient'"'"'s relinquishment of non-compatible object;

recipient acquisition of compatible object;

context of transfer;

stated intention of the virtual world patron prior statement of recipient;

recipient'"'"'s stated belief;

recipient'"'"'s stated intention;

recipient'"'"'s past real-world behavior;

recipient'"'"'s past virtual world behavior;

recipient'"'"'s real-world citizenship;

recipient'"'"'s virtual world citizenship;

recipient'"'"'s real-world financial status;

recipient'"'"'s virtual world financial status;

recipient'"'"'s compliance with real-world law;

recipient being subject to real-world statute;

future real-world conduct of recipient;

future virtual world conduct of recipient;

restricted future use of property right;

third party oversight of property right; and

resolution of adverse claim.