Virtual world identity management

• US 8,326,853 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Richard, Dettinger D., Frederick, Kulack A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien
• Assistant Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US12/356,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention improve the ability for users of an immersive virtual environment to manage and change their avatars or avatar profiles, including their behavior, during their virtual experience. In one embodiment, a user associates each avatar or avatar profile they control or own with a task from a predetermined set of tasks or purposes. A virtual world identity manager (VWIM) may collect and evaluate data about the virtual experience of the user, including virtual environment, virtual behavior, and virtual interaction with other users. Using this information, the VWIM may assist the user with identity management, including notifying the user of an identity or behavioral mismatch, and dynamically prompting the user to change identity or behavior, and recommending appropriate identities or behaviors for the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of assisting users in the management of avatars in a virtual environment, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of avatar profiles, each profile defining attributes for a respective avatar;

collecting information about a virtual experience of a user controlling an avatar in the virtual environment, wherein the avatar has a first profile among the plurality of profiles applied thereto;

creating associations between the first profile and the collected information to define profile management criteria, wherein the profile management criteria reflect one or more statistically most commonly used avatar attributes by avatars of other users at a given location in the virtual environment and further reflect a statistically most commonly used profile among the plurality of profiles at the given location, and wherein the profile management criteria are defined to promote a context-appropriate manifestation of the avatar, as expressed by a selected profile among the plurality of avatar profiles, according to statistical conclusions derived from the collected information;

while monitoring the avatar interacting with the virtual environment, determining when one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied based on a current state of the avatar relative to the virtual environment; and

upon determining that one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied, dynamically selecting a second profile among the plurality of profiles to be applied to the avatar to replace the first profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to confirm application of the selected second profile to the avatar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating associations between the first profile and the collected information includes associating virtual locations to the first profile, based on the collected information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile management criteria reflect that the second profile is statistically most commonly used by the user at the given location, and wherein determining when one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied comprises determining that the first profile is being applied while the avatar is at the given location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input configured to cause a user-requested behavioral response by the avatar; and

upon determining that one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied, dynamically selecting a modified behavioral response for the avatar to replace the user-requested behavioral response.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation comprising:

storing a plurality of avatar profiles, each profile defining attributes for a respective avatar;

collecting information about a virtual experience of a user controlling an avatar in the virtual environment, wherein the avatar has a first profile among the plurality of profiles applied thereto;

creating associations between the first profile and the collected information to define profile management criteria, wherein the profile management criteria reflect one or more statistically most commonly used avatar attributes by avatars of other users at a given location in the virtual environment and further reflect a statistically most commonly used profile among the plurality of profiles at the given location, and wherein the profile management criteria are defined to promote a context-appropriate manifestation of the avatar, as expressed by a selected profile among the plurality of avatar profiles, according to statistical conclusions derived from the collected information;

while monitoring the avatar interacting with the virtual environment, determining when one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied based on a current state of the avatar relative to the virtual environment; and

upon determining that one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied, dynamically selecting a second profile among the plurality of profiles to be applied to the avatar to replace the first profile.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising prompting the user to confirm application of the selected second profile to the avatar.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein creating associations between the first profile and the collected information includes associating virtual locations to the first profile, based on the collected information.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the profile management criteria reflect that the second profile is statistically most commonly used by the user at the given location, and wherein determining when one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied comprises determining that the first profile is being applied while the avatar is at the given location.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving user input configured to cause a user-requested behavioral response by the avatar; and

upon determining that one or more of the profile management criteria are satisfied, dynamically selecting a modified behavioral response for the avatar to replace the user-requested behavioral response.

11. A computer-implemented method of assisting users in the management of avatars in a virtual environment, the method comprising:

providing a first virtual manifestation of a user in the virtual environment;

collecting information about a virtual experience of the user controlling an avatar in the virtual environment, wherein the avatar has the first virtual manifestation applied thereto;

creating associations between the first virtual manifestation and the collected information to define one or more identity management criterions, wherein the one or more identity management criterions reflect one or more statistically most commonly used attributes by virtual manifestations of other users at a given location in the virtual environment, and wherein the one or more identity management criterions are defined to promote a context-appropriate manifestation of the avatar according to statistical conclusions derived from the collected information;

while monitoring the avatar interacting with the virtual environment, determining when at least one of the one or more identity management criterions are satisfied based on a current state of the avatar relative to the virtual environment; and

upon determining that at least one of the one or more identity management criterions is satisfied, dynamically selecting second virtual manifestation to be applied to the avatar to replace the first virtual manifestation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first virtual manifestation is a first avatar profile, and wherein the second virtual manifestation is a second avatar profile.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more identity management criterions include the first virtual manifestation selecting or approaching a given virtual location in the virtual environment.