Avatar protection within a virtual universe

• US 8,241,131 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Keller, Neal M., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Application Number:
  US12/238,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• 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 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Methods, program products, services and devices are provided for protecting a protected avatar from actions of a second avatar within a virtual universe. Protection is implemented for a protected avatar from a second avatar within a virtual universe, including identifying an activity of the second avatar and disqualifying the second avatar from engaging in the identified activity within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the identified activity to the protected avatar. A protective action is defined, associated with the identified activity and executable against the protected avatar or the second avatar. Activity of the protected avatar or the second avatar is monitored within the virtual universe for an occurrence of the identified activity, and the protective action is executed against the protected avatar or the second avatar in response to detecting the occurrence of the identified activity.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a protected avatar from actions of a second avatar within a virtual universe, comprising:

implementing by a processing unit protection for a protected avatar from a second avatar within a virtual universe; and

providing an agreement defining a duty of a user associated with the second avatar to a user associated with the protected avatar;

the implementing protection comprising;

identifying by the processing unit an activity of the second avatar as a function of a behavior term of the agreement;

disqualifying by the processing unit the second avatar from engaging in the identified activity within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the identified activity to the protected avatar and of interpreting the duty; and

defining by the processing unit a protective action associated with the identified activity and executable against the protected avatar or the second avatar;

monitoring by the processing unit activity of the protected avatar or the second avatar within the virtual universe for an occurrence of the identified activity; and

executing by the processing unit the protective action against at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar in response to the monitoring detecting the occurrence of the identified activity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified activity is otherwise permissible by a virtual universe provider normative rule.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting the occurrence of the identified activity is a function of a rating of a region occupied by at least one of:

the protected avatar and the second avatar.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting the occurrence of the identified activity is further a function of second avatar historical behavior data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the agreement is a restraining order issued by a court of law having jurisdiction over the protected avatar user and the second avatar user;

the implementing the restraining order comprising deriving a threshold graphical user interface avatar proximate distance as a function of a separation distance specified by the restraining order; and

the identified activity comprising the protected avatar and the second avatar locating within a graphical user interface display proximate to each other by less than the threshold avatar proximate distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the protected avatar is a protected group of avatars, each of the protected group of avatars having a common indicia determining an application of the defined duty to the each avatar of the protected group.

7. The method of claim 1, the implementing the protection further comprising identifying a banned virtual universe item;

and

the identified activity further comprising;

the second avatar adding the banned virtual universe item to an inventory of the second avatar;

or

the second avatar presenting the banned virtual universe item to the protected avatar.

8. A method for protecting a protected avatar from actions of a second avatar within a virtual universe, comprising:

implementing by a processing unit protection for a protected avatar from a second avatar within a virtual universe;

the implementing protection comprising;

identifying by the processing unit an activity of the second avatar;

disqualifying by the processing unit the second avatar from engaging in the identified activity within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the identified activity to the protected avatar;

defining by the processing unit a protective action associated with the identified activity and executable against the protected avatar or the second avatar;

monitoring by the processing unit activity of the protected avatar or the second avatar within the virtual universe for an occurrence of the identified activity; and

executing by the processing unit the protective action against at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar in response to the monitoring detecting the occurrence of the identified activity;

wherein executing the protective action comprises at least one of;

transporting the protected avatar or the second avatar to another region within the virtual universe;

providing a warning to the protected avatar of a location of the second avatar relative to the first avatar within the virtual universe; and

preventing a proximity of the protected avatar to the second avatar within a graphical user interface display less than a protective distance threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein taking the protective action further comprises:

offering the second avatar enrollment in a virtual universe provider enhanced monitoring program; and

suspending participation in the virtual universe by the second avatar if the second avatar fails to enroll in the offered enhanced monitoring program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the protective action further comprises at least one of:

teleporting the second avatar to a restricted-rights region; and

determining and charging a variable fee amount for enrollment in the offered enhanced monitoring program as a function of second avatar historical behavior data.

11. A method for providing protective services to a virtual universe resident, comprising:

a service provider offering protective services for a virtual universe client resident;

in response to an acceptance of the offered services, the service provider implementing protection for the virtual universe client resident from a second resident within a virtual universe; and

the service provider protection implementing comprising preventing the second resident from engaging in a proscribed activity as a function of an association of the proscribed activity with the client resident, by;

the service provider receiving an agreement defining a duty of the second resident with respect to the client resident;

the service provider identifying the proscribed activity by parsing the agreement and interpreting the duty;

the service provider monitoring activity of at least one of the client resident and the second resident within the virtual universe for indicia of the identified proscribed activity; and

the service provider executing a protective action against at least one of the client resident and the second resident in response to the monitoring detecting the indicia.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the client resident is a group of client residents, and wherein the service provider executing the protective action comprises protecting the group by teleporting the group to a region of the virtual universe unoccupied by the second resident.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the service provider executing the protective action comprises selecting at least one of:

requiring the second resident to enroll in an enhanced monitoring program; and

restraining activities of the second resident within the virtual universe;

wherein the selecting is a function of a rating of a region occupied by the client resident and second resident historical behavior data.

14. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage device having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processing unit, cause a computer system processing unit to;

specify a threshold graphical user interface avatar proximate distance;

distinguish an activity of the second avatar within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the distinguished activity to the protected avatar;

define a protective action associated with the distinguished activity and executable against the protected avatar or the second avatar;

monitor activity of at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar within the virtual universe for the distinguished activity; and

execute the protective action against at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar in response to the monitoring detecting the distinguished activity by preventing the protected avatar and the second avatar from co-locating within a graphical user interface display proximate to each other by less than the threshold avatar proximate distance.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system processing unit, causes the computer system processing unit to execute the protective action as a function of a rating of a region occupied by the protected avatar and second avatar historical behavior data.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system processing unit, causes the computer system processing unit to execute the protective action by:

transporting the protected avatar or the second avatar to another region within the virtual universe;

or

providing a warning to the protected avatar of a location of the second avatar relative to the first avatar within the virtual universe.

17. A programmable device comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory in communication with the processing unit;

a tangible computer-readable storage device in communication with the processing unit; and

a network interface in communication with the processing unit;

wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory;

detects an avatar activity hostile to a protected avatar within a virtual universe;

prevents a second avatar from engaging in the hostile activity within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the hostile activity to the protected avatar;

monitors activity of the protected avatar or the second avatar within the virtual universe for the hostile activity; and

causes a virtual universe computer application to take a protective action against at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar in response to the monitoring detecting the hostile activity by preventing the protected avatar and the second avatar from locating within a graphical user interface display proximate to each other by less than a threshold avatar proximate distance.

18. The programmable device of claim 17, wherein the processing unit further causes the virtual universe computer application to take the protective action by:

transporting the protected avatar or the second avatar to another region within the virtual universe;

or

providing a warning to the protected avatar of a location of the second avatar relative to the protected avatar within the virtual universe.