Dynamic virtual dashboard

• US 8,407,607 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cragun, Brian J., Petri, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): PACK, CONRAD R
• Application Number:
  US12/388,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/753, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for helping users of virtual worlds and social networking applications to control personal identity data that other users have access to and to determine the type of identity data that users know about each other. Generally, identity awareness records may be used to store the personal identity data that a user has revealed to other users. When the user sends information to another user, personal identity data is mapped to appropriate aliases, depending upon which user is receiving the information. When the user is in the presence of other users, a visual dashboard indicates the types of personal identity information that the user knows about each other user, as well as the types of personal identity information that each other user knows about the user. The visual dashboard may also indicate the types of personal identity information that the other users know about each other.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting identity data to users interacting with one another in a virtual environment, comprising:

storing personal identity information associated with a first user, a second user, and a third user, respectively, the personal identity information comprising for each user, a plurality of personal identity information elements;

monitoring communications between the first user, the second user, and the third user to determine what personal identity information is revealed between the first user, the second user, and the third user based on communications therebetween;

determining that the first user has initiated a communication to the second user accessible by the third user, wherein the communication is determined to be accessible by the third user based on a determination that the third user is in the presence of the first user in the virtual environment, and that the communication discloses a personal identity information element of the plurality of personal identity information elements associated with the second user;

if the personal identity information element has not been previously revealed to the third user by the second user, programmatically replacing, by operation of one or more computer processors, the personal identity information element with an alias associated with the personal identity information element and outputting the alias, to prevent the first user from disclosing the personal identity information element to the third user, and if the personal identity information element has been previously revealed to the third user by the second user, outputting the personal identity information element to the third user without programmatically replacing the personal identity information element with an alias associated with the second information element;

determining, based on the monitored communications between the users, which personal identity information elements associated with the first and second users have been previously revealed between the first and second users and which personal identity information elements associated with the first and third users have been previously revealed between the first and third users; and

presenting, to the first user, a visual display of said determined previously revealed personal identity information elements in response to a request from the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the personal identity information elements associated with the second user, that the first user does not know about the second user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the personal identity information elements associated with the first user, that the second user does not know about the first user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication comprises a text-based chat message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining personal identity information elements associated with the third user, that have been previously revealed to the first user and the second user by the third user;

wherein the visual display further includes a display of the determined personal identity information elements associated with the third user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the personal identity information includes a name of the first or second user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the personal identity information further includes contact information associated with the first or second user.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for presenting identity data to a first user, comprising:

storing personal identity information associated with a first user, a second user, and a third user, respectively, the personal identity information comprising, for each user, a plurality of personal identity information elements;

monitoring communications between the first user, the second user, and the third user to determine what personal identity information is revealed between the first user, the second user, and the third user based on communications therebetween;

determining that the first user has initiated a communication to the second user accessible by the third user, wherein the communication is determined to be accessible by the third user based on a determination that the third user is in the presence of the first user in the virtual environment, and that the communication discloses a personal identity information element of the plurality of personal identity information elements associated with the second user;

if the personal identity information element has not been previously revealed to the third user by the second user, programmatically replacing, by operation of one or more computer processors when executing the program, the personal identity information element with an alias associated with the personal identity information element and outputting the alias, to prevent the first user from disclosing the personal identity information element to the third user, and if the personal identity information element has been previously revealed to the third user by the second user, outputting the personal identity information element to the third user without programmatically replacing the personal identity information element with an alias associated with the second information element;

determining, based on the monitored communications between the users, which personal identity information elements associated with the first and second users have been previously revealed between the first and second users and which personal identity information elements associated with the first and third users have been previously revealed between the first and third users; and

presenting, to the first user, a visual display of said determined previously revealed personal identity information elements in response to a request from the first user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the personal identity information elements associated with the second user, that the first user does not know about the second user.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the personal identity information elements associated with the first user, that the second user does not know about the first user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the communication comprises a text-based chat message.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operation further comprises:

determining personal identity information elements associated with the third user, that have been previously revealed to the first user and the second user by the third user;

wherein the visual display further includes a display of the determined personal identity information elements associated with the third user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the personal identity information includes a name of the first or second user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the personal identity information further includes contact information associated with the first or second user.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which, when executed by the processor, performs an operation for presenting identity data to users interacting with one another in a virtual environment, the operation comprising;

storing personal identity information associated with a first user, a second user, and a third user, respectively, the personal identity information comprising, for each user, a plurality of personal identity information elements;

monitoring communications between the first user, the second user, and the third user to determine what personal identity information is revealed between the first user, the second user, and the third user based on communications therebetween;

determining that the first user has initiated a communication to the second user accessible by the third user, wherein the communication is determined to be accessible by the third user based on a determination that the third user is in the presence of the first user in the virtual environment, and that the communication discloses a personal identity information element of the plurality of personal identity information elements associated with the second user;

if the personal identity information element has not been previously revealed to the third user by the second user, programmatically replacing the personal identity information element with an alias associated with the personal identity information element and outputting the alias, to prevent the first user from disclosing the personal identity information element to the third user, and if the personal identity information element has been previously revealed to the third user by the second user, outputting the personal identity information element to the third user without programmatically replacing the personal identity information element with an alias associated with the second information element;

determining, based on the monitored communications between the users, which personal identity information elements associated with the first and second users have been previously revealed between the first and second users and which personal identity information elements associated with the first and third users have been previously revealed between the first and third users; and

presenting, to the first user, a visual display of said determined previously revealed personal identity information elements in response to a request from the first user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the personal identity information elements associated with the second user, that the first user does not know about the second user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the personal identity information elements associated with the first user, that the second user does not know about the first user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communication comprises a text-based chat message.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the operation further comprises:

determining personal identity information elements associated with the third user, that have been previously revealed to the first user and the second user by the third user;

wherein the visual display further includes a display of the determined personal identity information elements associated with the third user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the personal identity information includes a name of the first or second user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the personal identity information further includes contact information associated with the first or second user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each personal identity information element in the plurality of personal identity information elements associated with each user is accessible by other users via communications from the respective user, and wherein the visual display is presented to the first user to indicate, to the first user, which personal identity information elements the second user and third user have previously revealed to each other, to guide the first user in interactions with the second user and the third user.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the operation further comprises:

upon determining that the first user has initiated a second communication accessible by a third user, the second communication disclosing a second personal identity information element associated with the second user, wherein the second personal identity information element has been previously revealed to the third user by the second user, outputting the second personal identity information element to the third user without programmatically replacing the second personal identity information element with any alias associated with the second personal identity information element.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the visual display of the determined personal identity information elements further includes the alias, and wherein the visual display is presented to the first user to further indicate, to the first user, which personal identity information elements are programmatically replaced, wherein the virtual environment is provided by a virtual world application, wherein the virtual world application is configured to:

store the personal identity information in the form of one or more identity data records storing a plurality of identity fields; and

log revealed personal identity information in the form of one or more identity awareness records different from the one or more identity data records, wherein one or more identity awareness records store a plurality of awareness flags corresponding to the plurality of identity fields, each awareness flag indicating whether the corresponding identity field has been revealed to a specified user;

and wherein the operation further comprises;

generating an alert upon determining that the first user has not previously disclosed a predetermined personal identity information element to at least one of the second user and the third user, wherein the alert is output for display to the first user.