Management of virtual universe item returns

• US 8,099,338 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Betzler, Boas, Bhogal, Kulvir S., Hamilton, II, Rick A., Li, Jenny S., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US12/135,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 463/1
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The present invention relates to relates to the management of virtual universe item returns. A method for in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: initiating a return of a item by a user in a virtual universe; granting control of the return of the item to a return agency, the return agency submitting a return request on behalf of the user to a vendor associated with the item; upon approval of the return request by the vendor, sending instructions to the user to destroy the item; and upon confirmation of the destruction of the item by the user, crediting the user for the return.

Claims

1. A method for managing a non-depleting virtual item return in a virtual universe performed using at least one computing device, the method comprising:

initiating a return of the virtual item by a user in the virtual universe using the at least one computing device, granting control of the return of the virtual item to a return agency using the at least one computing device, the return agency validating a condition of the virtual item and submitting a return request on behalf of the user to a vendor in the virtual universe associated with the virtual item, the validating of the condition includes determining whether the virtual item has been duplicated or altered, and the return request includes an indication of the condition of the virtual item;

upon approval of the return request by the vendor in the virtual universe, sending instructions to the user to destroy disable the virtual item using the at least one computing device, the approval of the return request is based on the condition of the virtual item being within vendor defined requirements; and

upon confirmation of the destruction disabling of the virtual item by the user, crediting the user for the return using the at least one computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the return agency is affiliated with a plurality of different vendors in the virtual universe.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the virtual item includes activating programming code which restricts the virtual item from being at least one of, used in the virtual universe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the return of the item further comprises:

verifying an identity of the virtual item,

wherein verifying the identity of the virtual item includes comparing a virtual item transaction ID to an original vendor transaction ID;

and

verifying user ownership of the virtual item,

wherein verifying user ownership of the virtual item includes prompting a response to a security question.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual item includes a virtual item ID which is embedded within the virtual item as metadata.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual item includes either or both of a tag or a special attribute which is activated whenever a virtual item is duplicated or altered.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein crediting the user for the return further comprises:

charging the user a processing fee.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the return agency performs at least one of the following:

identifying the vendor of the item to be returned;

identifying a return policy of the vendor for the item to be returned;

ensuring that the item is being returned within a period of time allotted by the vendor;

applying any processing fees that the vendor has associated with the item;

ensuring that the item is deemed returnable by the vendor;

applying partial credit for the item if the item is not in its full capacity;

refusing to return the item if the item is regarded as damaged, as defined by the vendor; and

keeping a return record of each item in a database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein granting control of the return of the item to the return agency further comprises:

providing the user an option to use the return agency;

granting access control to the return agency for accessing the item from an inventory of the user during a duration of the return process;

and

generating a virtual item identifier for the item.

10. A system for managing a non-depleting virtual item return in a virtual universe, comprising:

a system for initiating a return of the virtual item by a user in the virtual universe;

a system for granting control of the return of the virtual item to a return agency, the return agency validating a condition of the virtual item and submitting a return request on behalf of the user to a vendor in the virtual universe associated with the virtual item, wherein the validating of the condition includes determining whether the virtual item has been duplicated or altered, and the return request includes an indication of the condition of the virtual item;

a system for sending instructions to the user to disable the virtual item, upon approval of the return request by the vendor in the virtual universe, wherein approval of the return request is based on the condition of the virtual item meeting vendor defined requirements; and

a system for crediting the user for the return, upon confirmation of the disabling of the virtual item by the user.

11. A program product stored on a computer readable medium, which when executed, manages a non-depleting virtual item return in a virtual universe, the computer readable medium comprising program code for:

initiating a return of the virtual item by a user in the virtual universe;

granting control of the return of the virtual item to a return agency, the return agency validating a condition of the virtual item and submitting a return request on behalf of the user to a vendor in the virtual universe associated with the virtual item, wherein the validating of the condition includes determining whether the virtual item has been duplicated or altered, and the return request includes an indication of the condition of the virtual item;

sending instructions to the user to disable the virtual item, upon approval of the return request by the vendor in the virtual universe,

wherein approval of the return request is based on the condition of the virtual item meeting vendor defined requirements; and

crediting the user for the return, upon confirmation of the disabling of the virtual item by the user.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein the return agency is affiliated with a plurality of different vendors in the virtual universe.

13. The program product of claim 11, wherein disabling the virtual item includes activating programming code which restricts the virtual item from being either of used or displayed in the virtual universe.

14. The program product of claim 11, wherein initiating the return of the item further comprises:

verifying an identity of the virtual item,

wherein verifying the identity of the virtual item includes comparing a virtual item transaction ID to an original vendor transaction ID;

and

verifying user ownership of the virtual item, wherein verifying user ownership of the virtual item includes prompting a response to a security question.

15. The program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual item includes a virtual item ID which is embedded within the virtual item as metadata.

16. The program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual item includes either or both of a tag or a special attribute which is activated whenever a virtual item is duplicated or altered.

17. The program product of claim 11, wherein crediting the user for the return further comprises:

charging the user a processing fee.

18. The program product of claim 11, wherein the return agency performs at least one of the following:

identifying the vendor of the item to be returned;

identifying a return policy of the vendor for the item to be returned;

ensuring that the item is being returned within a period of time allotted by the vendor;

applying any processing fees that the vendor has associated with the item;

ensuring that the item is deemed returnable by the vendor;

applying partial credit for the item if the item is not in its full capacity;

refusing to return the item if the item is regarded as damaged, as defined by the vendor; and

keeping a return record of each item in a database.

19. The program product of claim 11, wherein granting control of the return of the item to the return agency further comprises:

providing the user an option to use the return agency;

granting access control to the return agency for accessing the item from an inventory of the user during a duration of the return process;

and

generating a virtual item identifier for the item.

20. A method for deploying an application for managing a virtual item return in a virtual universe, the method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

initiate a return of the virtual item by a user in the virtual universe;

grant control of the return of the virtual item to a return agency, the return agency validating a condition of the virtual item and submitting a return request on behalf of the user to a vendor in the virtual universe associated with the virtual item, wherein the validating of the condition includes determining whether the virtual item has been duplicated or altered, and the return request includes an indication of the condition of the virtual item;

send instructions to the user to disable the virtual item, upon approval of the return request by the vendor in the virtual universe, wherein approval of the return request is based on the condition of the virtual item meeting vendor defined requirements; and

credit the user for the return, upon confirmation of the disabling of the virtual item by the user.