Shared inventory item donation in a virtual universe

• US 8,145,676 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pickover, Clifford Alan, SAND, ANNE R., Bhogal, Kulvir S., Hamilton, II, Rick Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tim T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Shiow-Jy
• Application Number:
  US12/029,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.102, 707/102, 707/E17.044, 707/802, 705/28, 463/25, 463/29, 463/43
• US Class Current: 707/802
• 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 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for managing donations of shared inventory items in a virtual universe are disclosed. Embodiments of the method may include receiving a request to make available for donation a shared inventory item list that can be borrowed simultaneously by a plurality of users of a virtual universe where the request includes an indication of donation conditions for the donated shared inventory item. Embodiments may also include generating and storing metadata associated with the donated shared inventory item and receiving a request from a plurality of users to borrow the item. Embodiments may include lending the donated shared inventory item to the plurality of borrowing users such that multiple users are borrowing the item simultaneously. Embodiments may also include tracking usage of the donated shared inventory item by the plurality of borrowing users and optionally determining a donation amount resulting from the tracked usage.

Claims

1. A method for managing donations of shared inventory in a virtual universe, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer system receiving a request to make a shared inventory item available for donation, wherein the request to make the shared inventory item available for donation comprises a condition for borrowing the shared inventory item;

the computer system, in response to the step of receiving the request to make the shared inventory item available for donation, marking the shared inventory item as available for donation, wherein the step of marking the shared inventory item as available for donation comprises generating and storing metadata associated with the shared inventory item;

the computer system, after the step of marking the shared inventory item as available for donation;

presenting a list identifying inventory items to a user, wherein the list identifies donated shared inventory items and inventory items owned by the user;

receiving a request from a first user to borrow the shared inventory item; and

receiving a request from a second user to borrow the shared inventory item;

the computer system, in response to the step of receiving the request from the first user;

creating one of a copy of a file from an inventory source or a reference to the shared inventory item; and

presenting an indication of the condition for the borrowing the shared inventory item to the first user;

the computer system, in response to the step of presenting the indication of the condition, receiving an acceptance of the condition from the first user;

the computer system, in response to the step of receiving the acceptance of the condition from the first user, lending the shared inventory item to the first user;

the computer system, after the step of receiving the request from the second user, lending the shared inventory item to the second user so that the first user and the second user are simultaneously borrowing the shared inventory item; and

the computer system tracking usage of the shared inventory item by the first and second users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying users of the virtual universe that the shared inventory item is available for donation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a donation amount resulting from the step of tracking usage of the shared inventory item by the first and second users.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting an indication of the donation amount to a donee organization associated with the shared inventory item.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting an indication of the donation amount to the first and second users.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating and transmitting a report based on the donation amount.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared inventory item is an open source shared inventory item.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer system, in response to receiving a user request, querying an identity of a particular user for a particular inventory item; and

the computer system rendering an answer to the user request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer system transferring the shared inventory item from the second user to a third user.

10. A computer program product for managing donations of shared inventory in a virtual universe, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for a computer system to receive a request to make a shared inventory item available for donation, wherein the request to make the shared inventory item available for donation comprises a condition for borrowing the shared inventory item;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive the request to make the shared inventory item available for donation, to mark the shared inventory item as available for donation, wherein the program instructions to mark the shared inventory item as available for donation generate and store metadata associated with the shared inventory item;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system, after performing the program instructions to mark the shared inventory item as available for donation, to;

present a list identifying inventory items to a user, wherein the list identifies donated shared inventory items and inventory items owned by the user;

receive a request from a first user to borrow the shared inventory item; and

receive a request from a second user to borrow the shared inventory item;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive the request from the first user, to;

create one of a copy of a file from an inventory source or a reference to the shared inventory item; and

present an indication of the condition for the borrowing the shared inventory item to the first user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to present the indication of the condition, to receive an acceptance of the condition from the first user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive the acceptance of the condition from the first user, to lend the shared inventory item to the first user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system, after performing the program instructions to receive the request from the second user, to lend the shared inventory item to the second user so that the first user and the second user are simultaneously borrowing the shared inventory item; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system to track usage of the shared inventory item by the first and second users.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to notify users of the virtual universe that the shared inventory item is available for donation.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine a donation amount resulting from performing the program instructions to track usage of the shared inventory item by the first and second users.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to transmit an indication of the donation amount to a donee organization associated with the shared inventory item.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to transmit an indication of the donation amount to the first and second users.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to generate and transmit a report based on the donation amount.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive a user request, to query an identity of a particular user for a particular inventory item; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, for the computer system to render an answer to the user request.

17. A computer system for managing donations of shared inventory in a virtual universe, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system to receive a request to make a shared inventory item available for donation, wherein the request to make the shared inventory item available for donation comprises a condition for borrowing the shared inventory item;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive the request to make the shared inventory item available for donation, to mark the shared inventory item as available for donation, wherein the program instructions to mark the shared inventory item as available for donation generate and store metadata associated with the shared inventory item;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system, after performing the program instructions to mark the shared inventory item as available for donation, to;

present a list identifying inventory items to a user, wherein the list identifies donated shared inventory items and inventory items owned by the user;

receive a request from a first user to borrow the shared inventory item; and

receive a request from a second user to borrow the shared inventory item;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive the request from the first user, to;

create one of a copy of a file from an inventory source or a reference to the shared inventory item; and

present an indication of the condition for the borrowing the shared inventory item to the first user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to present the indication of the condition, to receive an acceptance of the condition from the first user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive the acceptance of the condition from the first user, to lend the shared inventory item to the first user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system, after performing the program instructions to receive the request from the second user, to lend the shared inventory item to the second user so that the first user and the second user are simultaneously borrowing the shared inventory item; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system to track usage of the shared inventory item by the first and second users.

18. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to notify users of the virtual universe that the shared inventory item is available for donation.

19. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine a donation amount resulting from performing the program instructions to track usage of the shared inventory item by the first and second users.

20. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to transmit an indication of the donation amount to a donee organization associated with the shared inventory item.

21. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system, in response to performing the program instructions to receive a user request, to query an identity of a particular user for a particular inventory item; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, for the computer system to render an answer to the user request.