Compensating participants of virtual environments

• US 8,128,487 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James W., Hamilton, II, Rick A., Hood, Robert A., McGinley, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/872,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20090098939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 23, 463 25- 30, 463 39- 43, 463/45, 463/47, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/141.A, 273454-456, 273/460, 705/14.12, 705/17, 705/39, 705/44, 709203-207, 713/1, 713/100, 713/150, 713/182, 713/187, 713189-190
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for compensating participants of events or activities of virtual environments, such as on-line games, digital or virtual worlds, and virtual universes are disclosed. One or more embodiments may comprise conducting an event, measuring event participation by the participant, and compensating the participant based upon the measured participation. Various embodiments may compensate the participant based upon the amount of time the participant spends at the event, while other embodiments may compensate the participant based upon amounts or types of activity of the participant while attending the event. Some embodiments may compensate the participant based upon such activity as chat activity, keyboard activity, and mouse activity. Some embodiments may compensate the participant based upon one or more referrals that the participant makes other participants.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

a computer conducting a plurality of virtual games within a virtual environment;

the computer measuring at least one factor of a plurality of factors of participation in a virtual game of the plurality of virtual games by a participant of the virtual environment controlling a virtual game player avatar graphically displayed in a human form in the virtual environment, the plurality of factors including a virtual distance that the virtual game player avatar is to a location of the virtual game in the virtual environment, an amount of time that the virtual game player avatar spends at the virtual game, an amount of time that the participant spends away from a keyboard of the participant during the virtual game, a number of referrals made by the participant that result in another participant of the virtual environment participating in the virtual game, a number of acceptances of offers made by the participant to teleport a virtual game player avatar controlled by another participant of the virtual environment to the virtual game, and an amount of time spent in chat activity by the participant during the virtual game; and

the computer calculating an amount of virtual money to transfer from a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to a creator of the virtual game to a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to the participant based upon said measured at least one factor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

the computer transferring the calculated amount of virtual money from the virtual account belonging to the creator of the virtual game to the virtual account belonging to the participant.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

the computer interacting with a computer that maintains information of a real bank account of the participant; and

the computer converting the transferred amount of virtual money into an amount of an amount of real money.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one factor includes the amount of time that the participant spends away from the keyboard of the participant during the virtual game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one factor includes the amount of time spent in chat activity by the participant during the virtual game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one factor includes the number of referrals made by the participant that result in another participant of the virtual environment participating in the virtual game.

7. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer-readable memory, and a computer-readable tangible storage device;

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer-readable memory, to conduct a plurality of virtual games within a virtual environment;

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer-readable memory, to measure at least one factor of a plurality of factors of participation in a virtual game of the plurality of virtual games by a participant of the virtual environment controlling a virtual game player avatar graphically displayed in human form in the virtual environment, the plurality of factors including a virtual distance that the virtual game player avatar is to a location of the virtual game in the virtual environment, an amount of time that the virtual game player avatar spends at the virtual game, an amount of time that the participant spends away from a keyboard of the participant during the virtual game, a number of referrals made by the participant that result in another participant of the virtual environment participating in the virtual game, a number of acceptances of offers made by the participant to teleport a virtual game player avatar controlled by another participant of the virtual environment to the virtual game, and an amount of time spent in chat activity by the participant during the virtual game; and

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer-readable memory, to calculate an amount of virtual money to transfer from a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to a creator of the virtual game to a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to the participant based upon said measured at least one factor.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the computer system hosts the plurality of virtual games on a server in communication with a plurality of client computing devices via a communication network.

9. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer-readable memory, to transfer the calculated amount of virtual money from the virtual account belonging to the creator of the virtual game to the virtual account belonging to the participant.

10. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer-readable memory, to interact with a computer that maintains information of a real bank account of the participant; and

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer-readable memory, to convert the transferred amount of virtual money into an amount of real money.

11. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer-readable memory, to end said virtual game based on at least one of:

an amount of virtual money designated by the creator of the virtual game, an amount of time designated for the virtual game, and a combination of the amount of virtual money designated by the creator and the amount of time designated for the virtual game.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to calculate the amount of virtual money to transfer from the virtual account belonging to the creator of the virtual game to the virtual account belonging to the participant calculate part of the amount of virtual money based upon a manual designation by the creator of said virtual game.

13. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to calculate the amount of virtual money to transfer from the virtual account belonging to the creator of the virtual game to the virtual account belonging to the participant calculate the amount of virtual money by multiplying an amount of time the participant spends attending said virtual game by a base earning rate, wherein the base earning rate is in units of virtual money per unit of time.

14. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable tangible storage device;

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device, to conduct a plurality of virtual games within a virtual environment;

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device, to measure at least one factor of a plurality of factors of participation in a virtual game of the plurality of virtual games by a participant of the virtual environment controlling a virtual game player avatar graphically displayed in human form in the virtual environment, the plurality of factors including a virtual distance that the virtual game player avatar is to a location of the virtual game in the virtual environment, an amount of time that the virtual game player avatar spends at the virtual game, an amount of time that the participant spends away from a keyboard of the participant during the virtual game, a number of referrals made by the participant that result in another participant of the virtual environment participating in the virtual game, a number of acceptances of offers made by the participant to teleport a virtual game player avatar controlled by another participant of the virtual environment to the virtual game, and an amount of time spent in chat activity by the participant during the virtual game; and

program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device, to calculate an amount of virtual money to transfer from a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to a creator of the virtual game to a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to the participant based upon the measured at least one factor.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device, to create the virtual game, wherein the program instructions to create the virtual game create the virtual game such that the virtual game will conclude upon at least one of an expiration of an amount of time and a depletion of a quantity of funds.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device, to transfer the calculated amount of virtual money from the virtual account belonging to the creator of the virtual game to the virtual account belonging to the participant.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program instructions comprise to conduct the plurality of virtual games conduct the virtual game in a region of a virtual world.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device, to calculate the virtual distance that the virtual game player avatar is to the location of the virtual game in the virtual environment via coordinates of a virtual map for the region.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the at least one factor includes the amount of time that the virtual game player avatar spends at the virtual game.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device, to add a manual award to the calculated amount of virtual money.