Browsing within a virtual environment to determine web content of interest based on interactions with virtual objects

• US 8,386,414 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bromenshenkel, Derek L, Garbow, Zachary A, Hiebert, Daniel L
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): SITIRICHE, LUIS A
• Application Number:
  US12/268,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for integrating web browsing with a three dimensional (3D) immersive environment. In one embodiment, characteristics describing a user'"'"'s web browsing history may be used to identify objects that are of interest to the user. The objects of interest may be matched to objects included in a virtual environment. The virtual objects may then be presented to the user within an interface to the virtual environment. In another embodiment, characteristics of user interactions with virtual objects may be used to determine related web content. The related web content may be presented to the user in a web browser.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

collecting data describing interactions between an avatar and a plurality of virtual objects in a virtual environment;

characterizing a level of interest of a user in the plurality of virtual objects using the collected data, wherein the user is controlling the avatar through a client application configured to access the virtual environment;

receiving, from the user, a command to view web content, which activates a web browser to view the web content, wherein the web content is from a web environment, wherein the web browser and the web content are different from and external to the virtual environment, wherein the avatar is not in the web environment;

identifying at least one virtual object, of the plurality of virtual objects, in which the user has a level of interest which exceeds a predetermined level of interest;

determining web content included in the web environment that corresponds to the at least one virtual object from the virtual environment identified as exceeding the predetermined level of interest, wherein determining the web content comprises matching a description of the web content to a description of the at least one virtual object; and

providing the determined web content for display to the user via a web browser in a browsing session accessing the web environment, responsive to the command received from the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data describing interactions between an avatar and virtual objects in a virtual environment comprises at least one of:

(i) a type of interaction, (ii) a degree of interaction, (iii) a time duration for the interaction, (iv) a location within the virtual environment for the interaction, and (v) the user'"'"'s other activities during the interaction.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the interactions comprise at least one of:

(i) the avatar viewing one of the virtual objects in a virtual environment, and (ii) the avatar manipulating one of the virtual objects in a virtual environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the web content comprises at least one of:

(i) a web site, (ii) a web page, (iii) a discussion board, (iv) a blog, and (v) a portal.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

presenting the plurality of virtual objects to the user based on at least one of;

(i) a web browsing history of the user, (ii) a search history of the user, (iii) a description of a web content previously visited by the user, (iv) a bookmark created by the user, and (v) a cookie stored by the web browser.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating a web profile of the user, wherein the web profile is configured to store;

(i) the web browsing history of the user, (ii) the search history of the user, (iii) the description of a web content previously visited by the user, (iv) the bookmark created by the user, and (v) the cookie stored by the web browser, wherein the plurality of virtual objects are presented based on an analysis of the web profile.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein the determined web content comprises a list of hyperlinks pointing to a respective web content.

5. A computer program product for determining web content of interest based on interactions with virtual objects the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising;

computer-readable program code configured to collect data describing interactions between an avatar and a plurality of virtual objects in a virtual environment;

computer-readable program code configured to characterize a level of interest of a user in the plurality of virtual objects using the collected data, wherein the user is controlling the avatar through a client application configured to access the virtual environment;

computer-readable program code configured to receive, from the user, a command to view web content, which activates a web browser to view the web content, wherein the web content is from a web environment, wherein the web browser and the web content are different from and external to the virtual environment, wherein the avatar is not in the web environment;

identifying at least one virtual object, of the plurality of virtual objects, in which the user has a level of interest which exceeds a predetermined level of interest;

computer-readable program code configured to determine web content included in the web environment that corresponds to the at least one virtual object from the virtual environment identified as exceeding the predetermined level of interest, wherein determining the web content comprises matching a description of the web content to a description of the at least one virtual object; and

computer-readable program code configured to provide the determined web content for display to the user via a web browser in a browsing session accessing the web environment, responsive to the command received from the user.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the data describing interactions between an avatar and virtual objects in a virtual environment comprises at least one of:

(i) a type of interaction, (ii) a degree of interaction, (iii) a time duration for the interaction, (iv) a location within the virtual environment for the interaction, and (v) the user'"'"'s other activities during the interaction.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the interactions comprise at least one of:

(i) the avatar viewing one of the virtual objects in a virtual environment, and (ii) the avatar manipulating one of the virtual objects in a virtual environment.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the web content comprises at least one of:

(i) a web site, (ii) a web page, (iii) a discussion board, (iv) a blog, and (v) a portal.

16. The computer program product of claim 8, the computer-readable program code further comprising:

presenting the plurality of virtual objects to the user based on at least one of;

(i) a web browsing history of the user, (ii) a search history of the user, (iii) a description of a web content previously visited by the user, (iv) a bookmark created by the user, and (v) a cookie stored by the web browser.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, the computer-readable program code further comprising:

generating a web profile of the user, wherein the web profile is configured to store;

(i) the web browsing history of the user, (ii) the search history of the user, (iii) the description of a web content previously visited by the user, (iv) the bookmark created by the user, and (v) the cookie stored by the web browser, wherein the plurality of virtual objects are presented based on an analysis of the web profile.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the determined web content comprises a list of hyperlinks pointing to a respective web content.

9. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which when executed by the processor is configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising;

collecting data describing interactions between an avatar and a plurality of virtual objects in a virtual environment;

characterizing a level of interest of a user in the plurality of virtual objects using the collected data, wherein the user is controlling the avatar through a client application configured to access the virtual environment;

receiving, from the user, a command to view web content, which activates a web browser to view the web content, wherein the web content is from a web environment, wherein the web browser and the web content are different from and external to the virtual environment, wherein the avatar is not in the web environment,

identifying at least one virtual object, of the plurality of virtual objects, in which the user has a level of interest which exceeds a predetermined level of interest;

determining web content included in the web environment that corresponds to the at least one virtual objects from the virtual environment identified as exceeding the predetermined level of interest, wherein determining the web content comprises matching a description of the web content to a description of the at least one virtual object; and

providing the determined web content for display to the user via a web browser in a browsing session accessing the web environment, responsive to the command received from the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the data describing interactions between an avatar and virtual objects in a virtual environment comprises at least one of:

(i) a type of interaction, (ii) a degree of interaction, (iii) a time duration for the interaction, (iv) a location within the virtual environment for the interaction, and (v) the user'"'"'s other activities during the interaction.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the interactions comprise at least one of:

(i) the avatar viewing one of the virtual objects in a virtual environment, and (ii) the avatar manipulating one of the virtual objects in a virtual environment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the web content comprises at least one of:

(i) a web site, (ii) a web page, (iii) a discussion board, (iv) a blog, and (v) a portal.

13. The system of claim 12, the operation further comprising:

presenting the plurality of virtual objects to the user based on at least one of;

(i) a web browsing history of the user, (ii) a search history of the user, (iii) a description of a web content previously visited by the user, (iv) a bookmark created by the user, and (v) a cookie stored by the web browser.

14. The system of claim 13, the operation further comprising:

generating a web profile of the user, wherein the web profile is configured to store;

(i) the web browsing history of the user, (ii) the search history of the user, (iii) the description of a web content previously visited by the user, (iv) the bookmark created by the user, and (v) the cookie stored by the web browser, wherein the plurality of virtual objects are presented based on an analysis of the web profile.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the determined web content comprises a list of hyperlinks pointing to a respective web content.