System, method, and computer program for determining whether object is genuine or fake in metaverse

• US 8,230,045 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kawachiya, Kiyokuni, Tatsubori, Michiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US12/399,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/233, 709/219, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 709/219
• 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 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

A server computer connected to a plurality of client computers through a network and controls objects in a Metaverse accessed by the client computers. The server computer includes: a storage unit for storing an object ID specifying a Metaverse object and authenticity information; a communication unit for communicating with each of the client computers; and an enquiry unit for causing the communication unit to transmit the authenticity information of the object ID to the communication unit. A method of controlling objects in a Metaverse accessed by client computers is also provided.

Claims

1. A server computer which is connected to a plurality of client computers through a network, and which controls objects in a Metaverse accessed by the client computers, the server computer comprising:

a storage device for storing, as object information for a certain Metaverse object, an object ID specifying the object and, in association with the object ID, authenticity information indicating that the object is genuine, wherein the object includes an accessory for an avatar in the Metaverse, and the object information includes (i) time period information indicating an expiration time of the authenticity information, and (ii) history information indicating a history of at least any one of creation, copying, modification and giving of the object;

a communication unit for communicating with each of the client computers to access the Metaverse; and

an enquiry unit for, upon receipt of an enquiry request including an object ID to enquire about the object of the object ID from a certain client computer;

(i) causing the communication unit to transmit authenticity information corresponding to the object ID to the client computer, on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is stored in the storage device and is still valid since its expiration time has not come yet,

(ii) causing the communication unit to transmit a notification that authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored in the storage device to the client computer, on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored in the storage device, and

(iii) identifying an original user of the object according to the history information, thereby causing the communication unit to transmit another notification that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored, to a client computer of the original user,

wherein the authenticity information includes manager information specifying a manager of the brand of the accessory object in the Metaverse, a brand name indicating the name of the brand, and logo data indicating the logo of the brand.

2. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein:

first and second users access the Metaverse, as first and second avatars, through first and second client computers, respectively;

the object is owned by the first avatar; and

the enquiry unit receives the enquiry request in response to an enquiry made by the second avatar for the object in the Metaverse, and causes the communication unit to transmit authenticity information corresponding to the object ID to the second client computer, on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is stored in the storage device.

3. The server computer according to claim 2, wherein the authenticity information is transmitted in a form recognizable by the second user in the Metaverse.

4. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein:

the enquiry unit includes means, responsive to receipt of an enquiry request including an object ID to enquire about the accessory object of the object ID from a certain client computer, to cause the communication unit to transmit to the client computer at least one of the manager information, the brand name and the logo data corresponding to the object ID, on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is stored in the storage device.

5. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein:

said accessory is an employee badge object of an avatar in the Metaverse;

the authenticity information further includes owner information specifying an owner of the employee badge object, a company name indicating the name of the company, and logo data indicating the logo of the company; and

the enquiry unit includes means responsive to receipt of an enquiry request for the employee badge object including a corresponding object ID from a certain client computer, to cause the communication unit to transmit to the client computer at least one of the owner information, the company name and the logo data corresponding to the object ID, on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is stored in the storage device.

6. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein the accessory is a ticket having the expiration time in the Metaverse.

7. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein the object information separately includes owner information specifying the owner of the object and manager information specifying the manager of the object.

8. The server computer according to claim 1, further comprising an update unit which copies an object upon receipt of a copying request including an object ID to copy the object of the object ID from a certain client computer, and which does not store authenticity information of the copied object in the storage device.

9. The server computer according to claim 1, further comprising an update unit which modifies an object upon receipt of a modification request including an object ID to modify the object of the object ID from a certain client computer, and which does not store authenticity information of the modified object in the storage device.

10. The server computer according to claim 1, further comprising an update unit which creates an object upon receipt of a new object creation request from a certain client computer, and which does not store authenticity information of the created object in the storage device.

11. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein:

the object information further includes owner information specifying the owner of the object; and

the server computer further comprises an update unit which changes the owner information from a first user to a second user, upon receipt of a giving request including an object ID to give the object of the object ID from the first user to the second user, and which does not change the authenticity information.

12. The server computer according to claim 11, wherein the object is given from a first avatar to a second avatar in the Metaverse which the first and second users log in as the first and second avatars through the first and second client computers, respectively.

13. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein:

the server computer further comprises;

a registration unit for, upon receipt of a brand registration request to register a certain user as a manager of a brand from a certain client computer, registering the user as the manager of the brand and the brand name as the name of the brand in the storage device, on condition that the same brand name is not already registered with another user assigned as the manager.

14. The server computer according to claim 13, wherein, upon receipt of an accessory object registration request to register a certain accessory object as a genuine object from a certain client computer, the registration unit registers a corresponding object ID and authenticity information in association with each other as object information in the storage device, on condition that the user of the client computer is registered as the manager of the brand.

15. The server computer according to claim 1, wherein:

the accessory is an employee badge object of an avatar in the Metaverse, and

the authenticity information further includes owner information specifying an owner of the employee badge object and a company name indicating the name of the company, and

the server computer further comprises;

a registration unit for, upon receipt of an employee badge registration request to register a certain user as an owner of a certain employee badge object from a certain client computer, registering in authenticity information the user as the owner of the employee badge object and the company name as the name of the company, on condition that the same company name is not already registered with another user assigned as the owner.

16. The server computer according to claim 15, wherein, upon receipt of an employee badge object registration request to register a certain employee badge object as a genuine object from a certain client computer, the registration unit registers a corresponding object ID and authenticity information in association with each other as object information, on condition that the user of the client computer is registered as the owner of the employee badge object.

17. A method applied to a server computer which is connected to a plurality of client computers through a network, and which controls objects in a Metaverse accessed by the client computers, the method comprising the steps of:

storing, as object information for a certain Metaverse object, an object ID specifying the object and authenticity information, associated with the object ID, indicating that the object is genuine, wherein the object includes (i) an accessory for an avatar in the Metaverse, and the object information includes time period information indicating an expiration time of the authenticity information, and (ii) history information indicating a history of at least any one of creation, copying, modification and giving of the object;

receiving an enquiry request including an object ID to enquire about the object of the object ID from a certain client computer having access to the Metaverse; and

transmitting authenticity information corresponding to the object ID to the client computer on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is stored and is still valid since its expiration time has not come yet;

transmitting a notification that authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored, on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored; and

identifying an original user of the object according to the history information, and thereafter transmitting another notification that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored,

wherein the authenticity information includes manager information specifying a manager of the brand of the accessory object in the Metaverse, a brand name indicating the name of the brand, and logo data indicating the logo of the brand.

18. A non-transitory computer storage medium tangibly embodying computer-executable program instructions which, when executed by a server computer connected to a plurality of client computers through a network, and which controls objects in a Metaverse accessed by the client computers, causes the server computer to execute the steps of:

storing, as object information for a certain Metaverse object, an object ID specifying the object and authenticity information associated with the object ID indicating that the object is genuine, wherein the object includes (i) an accessory for an avatar in the Metaverse, and the object information includes time period information indicating an expiration time of the authenticity information, and (ii) information indicating a history of at least any one of creation, copying, modification and giving of the object;

receiving an enquiry request including an object ID to enquire about the object of the object ID from a certain client computer having access to the Metaverse; and

transmitting authenticity information corresponding to the object ID to the client computer on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is stored and is still valid since its expiration time has not come yet;

transmitting a notification that authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored, on condition that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored; and

identifying an original user of the object according to the history information, and thereafter transmitting another notification that the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID is not stored,

wherein the authenticity information includes manager information specifying a manager of the brand of the accessory object in the Metaverse, a brand name indicating the name of the brand, and logo data indicating the logo of the brand.