Method to invite users to a virtual world using instant messaging

• US 7,970,837 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lyle, Ruthie D., CANNON, ULYSSES LAMONT, Jones, Angela Richards, McVey, Susan Stanford
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/119,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/217, 709/206, 715/758
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for initiating a session in a virtual world. An instant messaging system (IMS) comprises a registry of IMS user identifiers cross-referenced to their corresponding virtual world user identifiers. A first IMS user implements a virtual world invitation module as a result of an IMS session to invite a second IMS user to participate in a virtual world session. The first IMS user selects the IMS user identifier of the second IMS user, followed by selection of a target virtual world and a virtual world identifier. Once completed, the invitation is sent the IMS user identifier of the second IMS user, who receives the invitation and signifies their acceptance or declination. If accepted, the cross-referenced virtual world user identifiers of the first and second IMS users are used to log them into the agreed-upon virtual world venue and initiate a virtual world session.

Claims

1. A computer-implementable method for initiating a session in a virtual world, the virtual world being graphically oriented to facilitate collaboration, comprising:

providing a registry for an instant messaging system (IMS), the registry comprising a plurality of IMS user identifiers and a plurality of virtual world user identifiers;

indexing the IMS user identifier of a user to a virtual world identifier of the user;

enabling generation of an invitation as a result of an IMS session to participate in a session in a virtual world, the invitation being generated by a first IMS user and comprising the IMS user identifier of the first user, the name of the virtual world, and the virtual world identifier of the first user;

delivering the invitation to a second IMS user for acceptance as a result of the IMS session;

enabling acceptance of the invitation, the acceptance logging the first and second IMS users into a virtual world session in the virtual world; and

wherein

each of the plurality of virtual world identifiers is associated with at least one virtual world and comprises login information for its associated at least one virtual world;

wherein the invitation comprises at least one of;

a default location for the session in the virtual world;

a location for the session in the virtual world selected by at least one of the first user and the second user; and

a location for the session in the virtual world determined by the network affiliation of the first and second user;

wherein the second IMS user responds with a suggestion for an alternate virtual world venue for the session, the response, which includes the virtual world user identifier for the second IMS user in the alternate virtual world venue is then sent to the first IMS user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein predetermined resources are transferred to the virtual world for use in the virtual world session, the predetermined resources comprising at least one of:

a transcript of the IMS session;

a data file;

a document file;

a presentation file;

a graphics file;

a video file; and

an object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the session in the virtual world is secured.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the virtual world identifiers of the first and second IMS users are operable to be represented in the virtual world session by an avatar; and

the avatar comprises a visual identifier operable to indicate that the user associated with the avatar is a participant in the virtual world session which originated from the IMS session.

5. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code for initiating a session in a virtual world, the virtual world being graphically oriented to facilitate collaboration, and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

providing a registry for an instant messaging system (IMS), the registry comprising a plurality of IMS user identifiers and a plurality of virtual world user identifiers;

indexing the IMS user identifier of a user to a virtual world identifier of the user;

enabling generation of an invitation as a result of an IMS session to participate in a session in a virtual world, the invitation being generated by a first IMS user and comprising the IMS user identifier of the first user, the name of the virtual world, and the virtual world identifier of the first user;

delivering the invitation to a second IMS user for acceptance during the IMS session;

wherein the invitation comprises at least one of;

a default location for the session in the virtual world;

a location for the session in the virtual world selected by at least one of the first user and the second user; and

a location for the session in the virtual world determined by the network affiliation of the first and second user;

wherein the second IMS user responds with a suggestion for an alternate virtual world venue for the session, the response, which includes the virtual world user identifier for the second IMS user in the alternate virtual world venue is then sent to the first IMS user; and

enabling acceptance of the invitation, the acceptance logging the first and second IMS users into a virtual world session in the virtual world; and

wherein each of the plurality of virtual world identifiers is associated with at least one virtual world and comprises login information for its associated at least one virtual world.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein predetermined resources are transferred to the virtual world for use in the virtual world session, the predetermined resources comprising at least one of:

a transcript of the IMS session;

a data file;

a document file;

a presentation file;

a graphics file;

a video file; and

an object.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the session in the virtual world is secured.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the virtual world identifiers of the first and second IMS users are operable to be represented in the virtual world session by an avatar; and

the avatar comprises a visual identifier operable to indicate that the user associated with the avatar is a participant in the virtual world session.

9. A tangible computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

providing a registry for an instant messaging system (IMS), the registry comprising a plurality of IMS user identifiers and a plurality of virtual world user identifiers;

indexing the IMS user identifier of a user to a virtual world identifier of the user;

enabling generation of an invitation as a result of an IMS session to participate in a session in a virtual world, the virtual world being graphically oriented to facilitate collaboration, the invitation being generated by a first IMS user and comprising the IMS user identifier of the first user, the name of the virtual world, and the virtual world identifier of the first user;

delivering the invitation to a second IMS user for acceptance during the IMS session;

wherein the invitation comprises;

a default location for the session in the virtual world;

a location for the session in the virtual word selected by at east one of the first user and the second user; and

a location for the session in the virtual world determined by the network affiliation of the first and second user; and

wherein the second IMS user responds with a suggestion for an alternate virtual world venue for the session, the response, which includes the virtual world user identifier for the second IMS user in the alternate virtual world venue is then sent to the first IMS user; and

enabling acceptance of the invitation, the acceptance logging the first and second IMS users into a virtual world session in the virtual world; and

wherein

each of the plurality of virtual world identifiers is associated with at least one virtual world and comprises login information for its associated at least one virtual world.

10. The computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein predetermined resources are transferred to the virtual world for use in the virtual world session, the predetermined resources comprising at least one of:

a transcript of the IMS session;

a data file;

a document file;

a presentation file;

a graphics file;

a video file; and

an object.

11. The computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein the session in the virtual world is secured.

12. The computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein:

the virtual world identifiers of the first and second IMS users are operable to be represented in the virtual world session by an avatar; and

the avatar comprises a visual identifier operable to indicate that the user associated with the avatar is a participant in the virtual world session.

13. The computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a server at a remote location.

14. The computer usable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.