Creating a virtual universe data feed and distributing the data feed beyond the virtual universe
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- a computer system receiving data collected by a virtual universe server collecting data from a plurality of virtual universe objects collectively designated as a data source in the virtual universe for a data feed, wherein the plurality of virtual universe objects comprise a building in the virtual universe, and wherein the plurality of virtual universe objects comprise a first virtual universe object that contains one or more additional virtual universe objects;
the computer system aggregating the data collected by the virtual universe server into the data feed, wherein the data comprises data defining an interaction between the plurality of virtual universe objects and a plurality of avatars, wherein the interaction comprises at least one of a number of sales, a number of the plurality of avatars in the building, and demographics of the number of the plurality of avatars in the building; and
the computer system distributing the data feed to one or more feed readers external to the virtual universe at a defined time interval, and distributing the data feed as a continuous stream of updates to a subset of the one or more feed readers.
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Abstract
Business transactions are becoming more prevalent in virtual universes. Functionality can be implemented within a VU to allow syndication of data feeds to subscribers outside the VU. Feeds collect and serve data from one or more VU objects and locations based on changes made to the VU either by the VU itself, or by avatars in the VU. A location in a virtual universe can be an area defined by at least three coordinates, as an example. Data feeds from a VU can be used to create a VU application with and/or using the data feeds, to derive data from the data feeds, to monitor use of objects or space and billing for such use based on the data feeds, etc.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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a computer system receiving data collected by a virtual universe server collecting data from a plurality of virtual universe objects collectively designated as a data source in the virtual universe for a data feed, wherein the plurality of virtual universe objects comprise a building in the virtual universe, and wherein the plurality of virtual universe objects comprise a first virtual universe object that contains one or more additional virtual universe objects; the computer system aggregating the data collected by the virtual universe server into the data feed, wherein the data comprises data defining an interaction between the plurality of virtual universe objects and a plurality of avatars, wherein the interaction comprises at least one of a number of sales, a number of the plurality of avatars in the building, and demographics of the number of the plurality of avatars in the building; and the computer system distributing the data feed to one or more feed readers external to the virtual universe at a defined time interval, and distributing the data feed as a continuous stream of updates to a subset of the one or more feed readers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A computer program product for distributing a virtual universe data feed beyond a virtual universe, the computer program product comprising:
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one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive data collected over a span of time from a plurality of virtual universe objects collectively designated as a data source for a data feed within a virtual universe, wherein the plurality of virtual universe objects comprise a building in the virtual universe, wherein the data comprises data defining an interaction between the plurality of virtual universe objects and a plurality of avatars, and wherein the interaction comprises at least one of a number of sales, a number of the plurality of avatars in the building, and demographics of the number of the plurality of avatars in the building; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to derive statistical data from the data collected over the span of time; and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to distribute the statistical data to one or more feed readers external to the virtual universe at a defined time interval, and distributing the statistical data as a continuous stream of updates to a subset of the one or more feed readers. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A computer system for distributing a virtual universe data feed beyond a virtual universe, the computer system comprising:
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a set of one or more processing units; a network interface; one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive data collected from a plurality of virtual universe objects collectively designated as a data source in a virtual universe for a data feed, wherein the plurality of virtual universe objects comprise a building in the virtual universe; program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to aggregate the data collected from the plurality of virtual universe objects into the data feed, wherein the data collected from the plurality of virtual universe objects comprises data defining an interaction between the plurality of virtual universe objects and a plurality of avatars, and wherein the interaction comprises at least one of a number of sales, a number of the plurality of avatars in the building, and demographics of the number of the plurality of avatars in the building; and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to distribute the data feed to one or more feed readers external to the virtual universe at a defined time interval, and distributing the data feed as a continuous stream of updates to a subset of the one or more feed readers; wherein the program instructions to aggregate the data collected from the plurality of virtual universe objects into the data feed accumulate the data collected from the plurality of virtual universe objects over a span of time and derive statistical data from the data accumulated from the plurality of virtual universe objects. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification