Transaction method in 3D virtual space

• US 8,332,955 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kawanaka, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Reza, Mohammad W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LESNIEWSKI, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US12/197,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 30, 715/706, 715/757
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A method for carrying out a secure transaction in a 3D virtual space is desired from both an administrator side operating a facility and a user side. It is also desired to solve the problems such as the confidentiality of a transaction in the 3D virtual space and a phishing scam. In the present invention, a copy space of an original space of a facility in the 3D virtual space is created. Since only avatars permitted to enter the copy space can enter the copy space, a secure transaction can be carried out between the facility and a user avatar.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a first transaction, in at least one server system connected to at least one client system through a computer network, between a first avatar associated with a user of the client system in a 3D virtual space provided by the server system and a facility provided by the server system, the method comprising:

allowing the server system to send the client system, in response to receiving a user request from the client system to permit the first avatar to enter the facility, object data, and first avatar data for a space within the requested facility (hereinafter called the original space of the facility), and second avatar data associated with the facility stored in a storage device of the server system;

generating a source space of the facility based on the object data and first avatar data of the original space of the facility,

wherein the object data and the first avatar data of the original space of the facility reflect a difference in position and direction from data for the source space;

allowing the server system to confirm, in response to receiving a user request from the client system to generate a copy space of the facility by copying the original space of the facility, whether the first avatar and the second avatar can enter the copy space according to an access right list for the copy space of the facility stored in the storage device; and

allowing, if they can enter, the server system to send the client system the object data, first avatar data, and second avatar data for entry into the copy space of the facility stored in the storage device of the server system, wherein the first avatar and the second avatar can conduct a second transaction in the copy space of the facility and the user can communicate directly with the first avatar and the second avatar through a chat space;

creating an avatar table for the source space using the data for the source space;

creating an avatar table for the copy space using position and direction data from avatar data of the source space; and

creating an avatar in the copy space using the data in the avatar table for the source space.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving a user request from the client system to confirm if the facility or the server system providing the facility is authentic.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the access right list includes approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with the first avatar, and approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with the second avatar.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of allowing the server system to delete, from the storage device, the object data, the first avatar data, and the second avatar data for the copy space of the facility in response to the fact that the first avatar exits the facility in the copy space of the facility or in response to receiving a user request from the client system to return from the copy space to the original space.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the object data for the original space of the facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for the object, and avatar data for the original space of the facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for the avatar, and

object data for the copy space of the facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for the object, and avatar data for the copy space of the facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for the avatar.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of allowing the server system to confirm, in response to receiving a second user request from another client system to permit a third avatar associated with the first avatar to enter the copy space of the facility, whether the third avatar can enter the copy space of the facility according to an access right list for the copy space stored in the storage device; and

a step of allowing the server system to send the other client system, if the third avatar can enter the copy space of the facility, object data, first avatar data, second avatar data, and third avatar data for the copy space of the facility stored in the storage device of the server system, and further send the one client system third avatar data for the copy space of the facility.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the copy space of the facility is displayed on a display device connected to the client system together with the original space of the facility, and the display of the copy space of the facility or the display of the original space of the facility displayed on the display device can be selected to enable switching of a focused space.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second avatar is displayed both in the copy space of the facility and in the original space of the facility displayed on the display device connected to the client system so that the second avatar can communicate with the first avatar in the focused space by switching the focused space.

9. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer usable storage medium configured to cause at least one server system connected to at least one client system through a computer network to conduct a transaction between a first avatar associated with a user of the client system in a 3D virtual space provided by the server system and a facility provided by the server system, the computer program product configured to allow the server system to execute the steps according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A server system including of at least one server system connected to at least one client system through a computer network to carry out a first transaction between a first avatar associated with a user of the client system and a facility provided by the server system in a 3D virtual space provided by the server system, the server system comprising:

a sending device configured to send the client system, in response to receiving a user request from the client system to permit the first avatar to enter the facility, object data, and first avatar data for a space within the requested facility (hereinafter called the original space of the facility), and second avatar data associated with the facility,

a confirming device configured to confirm, in response to receiving a user request from the client system to generate a copy space of the facility by copying the original space of the facility, whether the first avatar and the second avatar can enter the copy space according to an access right list for the copy space of the facility;

a generating device configured to generate a source space of the facility based on the object data and first avatar data of the original space of the facility, wherein the object data and the first avatar data of the original space of the facility reflect a difference in position and direction from data for the source space;

the sending device being configured to send the client system object data, first avatar data, and second avatar data for the copy space of the facility; and

a storage device configured to store the object data, the first avatar data, and the second avatar data for the original space of the facility, the object data, the first avatar data, and the second avatar data for the copy space of the facility, and the access right list for the copy space of the facility,

wherein the first avatar and the second avatar conduct a second transaction in the copy space of the facility;

the storage device further being configured to create an avatar table for the source space using the data for the source space and create an avatar table for the copy space using position and direction data from avatar data for the source space; and

a displaying device configured to display multiple copy spaces and a chat space of the facility.

11. The server system according to claim 10, further comprising a receiving device configured to receive a user request from the client system to confirm if the facility or the server system providing the facility is authentic.

12. The server system according to claim 10, wherein the access right list includes approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with the first avatar, and approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with the second avatar.

13. The server system according to claim 10, further comprising a deleting device configured to delete, from the storage device, the object data, the first avatar data, and the second avatar data for the copy space of the facility.

14. The server system according to claim 10, wherein

object data for the original space of the facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for the object, and avatar data for the original space of the facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for the avatar, and

object data for the copy space of the facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for the object, and avatar data for the copy space of the facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for the avatar.

15. The server system according to claim 10, wherein the storage device further stores third avatar data associated with the first avatar for the original space of the facility and third avatar data for the copy space of the facility, and the access right list further includes approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with the third avatar.

16. The server system according to claim 15, wherein the displaying device is configured to display the third avatar in the copy space of the facility on the display device connected to the client system if the third avatar can enter the copy space of the facility created by the first avatar according to the access right list.