Linking virtual worlds and collaboration platforms bi-directionally using a central identity management system

• US 8,484,288 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lakshmanan, Geetika T., Oberhofer, Martin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US12/576,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 705/1.1, 705/319, 715/700, 715/705, 715706-713
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles

Abstract

A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product link information associated with a virtual world with information associated with a social collaboration platform. A virtual world user identifier and a social collaboration platform user identifier are stored. The virtual world identifier is associated with a set of virtual world contacts for the respective user. The social collaboration platform user identifier is associated with a set of social collaboration contacts for the user. The virtual world user identifier is linked to the social collaboration platform user identifier. An association is determined between at least one of the set of social collaboration contacts and the virtual world identifier set of virtual world contacts and the social collaboration platform user identifier, respectively, for the respective user. An information set associated with at least one of the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration identifier is updated to include the association.

Claims

1. An information processing system for linking a virtual world information with a social collaboration platform information, the information processing system comprising:

a computer memory device capable of storing machine instructions; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the computer memory, the processor configured to access the computer memory and further configured to;

store, automatically and without user intervention, a virtual world user identifier that identifies a respective user of a plurality of users in at least one virtual world, the virtual world identifier being associated with a contact list comprising a set of one or more virtual world contacts of the respective user,

wherein each contact in the set of one or more virtual world contacts represents an avatar of another user of the at least one virtual world that is known by the respective user in the at least one virtual world, and

wherein a unique virtual world identifier associated with each contact in the set of one or more virtual world contacts is stored within a set of user information of the respective user at the virtual world;

store, automatically and without user intervention, a social collaboration platform user identifier that identifies the respective user in a social collaboration platform, the social collaboration platform user identifier being associated with a set of one or more social collaboration contacts for the respective user,

wherein each contact in the set of one or more social collaboration contacts represents a participant in the a social collaboration platform that is known by the respective user in the a social collaboration platform, and

wherein a unique social collaboration platform identifier associated with each contact in the set of one or more social collaboration contacts is stored within a set of user information of the respective user at the social collaboration platform;

obtain, automatically and without user intervention, at least one of the set of one or more virtual contacts from the set of user information of the respective user at the virtual world and the set of one or more social collaboration contacts from the set of user information of the respective user at the social collaboration platform, for the respective user;

link, automatically and without user intervention, in response to the virtual world and social collaboration platform identifiers being stored, the virtual world user identifier to the social collaboration platform user identifier,

wherein the linking comprises associating the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration platform user identifier to a unique identifier associated with the respective user in a data model,

wherein the unique identifier is separate and distinct from the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration platform user identifier;

determine, automatically and without user intervention, based on the linking, an association between at least one of

each social collaboration contact of the set of one or more social collaboration contacts that has been obtained and the virtual world identifier of the respective user, and

each virtual world contact of the set of one or more virtual world contacts that has been obtained and the social collaboration platform user identifier of the user;

identify, automatically and without user intervention, an information set associated with at least one of the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration identifier based on the unique identifier, the information set being at least one of the set of one or more social collaboration contacts and the set of one or more virtual world contacts; and

update, automatically and without user intervention based on in response the identifying, the information set to include the association that has been determined, wherein the information set enables the user to perform at least one of the following;

bi-directionally interact with the set of one or more social collaboration contacts from the at least one virtual world, or

bi-directionally interact with the set of one or more virtual world contacts from the social collaboration platform.

2. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the association by:

identifying a first set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers each associated with a user in a plurality of users;

identifying, in response to determining the first set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers, a second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers from within the first set, wherein each user identifier in the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers is associated with a virtual world user identifier for the virtual world and is also associated with the virtual world user identifier associated with a user; and

generating, in response to identifying the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers, the set of one or more social collaboration platform contacts for the respective user from the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers.

3. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to the updating and independent of the respective user'"'"'s location within the virtual world, that an associated user associated with a contact within at least one of the respective user'"'"'s social collaboration platform contacts and the virtual world contacts is online within at least one of the virtual world and the social collaboration platform, respectively; and

notify, in response to determining that the associated user is online, the respective user that the associated user is online within at least one of the social collaboration platform and the virtual world, respectively.

4. The information processing system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, in response to determining that the associated user is online, a respective location of the associated user within the virtual world; and

display, in response to determining the respective location, the location of the associated user to at least one of the respective user, the virtual world contacts of the respective contacts, other social network contacts of the respective user online in the virtual world.

5. The information processing system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

accept, in response to the displaying, a selection from the respective user of an identifier representing the associated user within the virtual world; and

relocate, in response to the accepting, an avatar associated with the respective user at the respective location within the virtual world of the associated user.

6. The information processing system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that a respective avatar of the associated user is located within the virtual world in proximity to an avatar associated with the respective user, and

wherein the processor is configured to notify by notifying, in response to the determining that a respective avatar of the associated user is located within the virtual world in proximity to an avatar, the respective user that an identity of the avatar associated with the associated user has been verified.

7. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a virtual world identifier verification request from the social collaboration platform in response to social collaboration platform detecting a social collaboration platform event associated with the user;

determine, in response to receiving the virtual world identifier verification request and based on the updating, that user is associated with the virtual world user identifier for virtual world; and

notify, in response to determining that the user is associated with virtual world user identifier, the social collaboration platform that the user is associated with the virtual world user identifier for the virtual world.

8. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a social collaboration platform identifier request from the at least one virtual world for the at least one user;

determine, in response to receiving the social collaboration platform identifier request, a set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers associated with the at least one user;

identify, for each social collaboration platform user identifier in the set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers, a social collaboration platform associated therewith; and

notify the at least one virtual world of each social collaboration platform that has been identified.

9. A method for linking virtual world information with social collaboration platform information, the method comprising:

executing by a processor residing on an information processing system, the following;

storing, automatically and without user intervention, a virtual world user identifier that identifies a respective user of a plurality of users in at least one virtual world, the virtual world identifier being associated with a first contact list comprising a set of one or more virtual world contacts of the respective user,

wherein each contact in the set of one or more virtual world contacts represents an avatar of other users of the at least one virtual world that is known by the respective user in the at least one virtual world, and

wherein a unique virtual world identifier associated with each contact in the set of one or more virtual world contacts is stored within a set of user information of the respective user at the virtual world;

storing, automatically and without user intervention, a social collaboration platform user identifier that identifies the respective user in a social collaboration platform, the social collaboration platform user identifier being associated with a second contact list comprising a set of one or more social collaboration contacts for the respective user,

wherein each contact in the set of one or more social collaboration contacts represents a participant in the a social collaboration platform that is known by the respective user in the a social collaboration platform, and

wherein a unique social collaboration platform identifier associated with each contact in the set of one or more social collaboration contacts is stored within a set of user information of the respective user at the social collaboration platform;

obtaining, automatically and without user intervention, at least one of the set of one or more virtual contacts from the set of user information of the respective user at the virtual world and the set of one or more social collaboration contacts from the set of user information of the respective user at the social collaboration platform, for the respective user;

linking, automatically and without user intervention, in response to the virtual world and social collaboration platform identifiers being stored, the virtual world user identifier to the social collaboration platform user identifier,

wherein the linking comprises associating the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration platform user identifier to a unique identifier associated with the respective user in a data model,

wherein the unique identifier is separate and distinct from the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration platform user identifier;

determining, automatically and without user intervention, based on the linking, an association between at least one of

each social collaboration contact of the set of one or more social collaboration contacts that has been obtained and the virtual world identifier of the respective user, and

each virtual world contact of the set of one or more virtual world contacts that has been obtained and the social collaboration platform user identifier of the user;

identifying, automatically and without user intervention, an information set associated with at least one of the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration identifier based on the unique identifier, the information set being at least one of the set of one or more social collaboration contacts and the set of one or more virtual world contacts; and

updating, automatically and without user intervention based on in response the identifying, the information set to include the association that has been determined, wherein the information set enables the user to perform at least one of the following;

bi-directionally interact with the set of one or more social collaboration contacts from the at least one virtual world, or

bi-directionally interact with the set of one or more virtual world contacts from the social collaboration platform.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the association further comprises:

identifying a first set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers each associated with a user in a plurality of users;

identifying, in response to determining the first set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers, a second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers from within the first set, wherein each user identifier in the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers is associated with a virtual world user identifier for the virtual world and is also associated with the virtual world user identifier associated with a user; and

generating, in response to identifying the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers, the set of one or more social collaboration platform contacts for the respective user from the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, in response to the updating, that an associated user associated with a contact within at least one of the user'"'"'s social collaboration platform contacts and the virtual world contacts is online within at least one of the virtual world and the social collaboration platform, respectively; and

notifying, in response to determining that the associated user is online, the respective user that the associated user is online within at least one of the social collaboration platform and the virtual world, respectively.

12. The method of claim of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, in response to determining that the associated user is online, a respective location of the associated user within the virtual world; and

displaying, in response to determining the respective location, the location of the associated user to at least one of the respective user, the virtual world contacts of the respective contacts, other social network contacts of the respective user online in the virtual world.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

accepting, in response to the displaying, a selection from the respective user of an identifier representing the associated user within the virtual world; and

relocating, in response to the accepting, an avatar associated with the respective user at the respective location within the virtual world of the associated user.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that a respective avatar of the associated user is located within the virtual world in proximity to an avatar associated with the respective user, and

wherein the notifying further comprises notifying, in response to the determining that a respective avatar of the associated user is located within the virtual world in proximity to an avatar, the respective user that an identity of the avatar associated with the associated user has been verified.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a virtual world identifier verification request from the social collaboration platform in response to social collaboration platform detecting a social collaboration platform event associated with the user;

determining, in response to receiving the virtual world identifier verification request and based on the updating, that user is associated with the virtual world user identifier for virtual world; and

notifying, in response to determining that the user is associated with virtual world user identifier, the social collaboration platform that the user is associated with the virtual world user identifier for the virtual world.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a social collaboration platform identifier request from the virtual world for the user;

determining, in response to receiving the social collaboration platform identifier request and based on the updating, a set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers associated with the user;

identifying, for each social collaboration platform user identifier in the set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers, a social collaboration platform associated therewith; and

notifying the virtual world of each social collaboration platform that has been identified.

17. A non-transitory computer program product tangibly embodying computer readable instructions which, when implemented cause a computer to carry out the steps of a method for linking a virtual world information with a social collaboration platform information, the method comprising:

storing, automatically and without user intervention, a virtual world user identifier that identifies a respective user of a plurality of users in at least one virtual world, the virtual world identifier being associated with a contact list comprising a set of one or more virtual world contacts of the respective user,

wherein each contact in the set of one or more virtual world contacts represents an avatar of other users of the at least one virtual world that is known by the respective user in the at least one virtual world, and

wherein a unique virtual world identifier associated with each contact in the set of one or more virtual world contacts is stored within a set of user information of the respective user at the virtual world;

storing, automatically and without user intervention, a social collaboration platform user identifier that identifies the respective user in a social collaboration platform, the social collaboration platform user identifier being associated with a set of one or more social collaboration contacts for the respective user,

wherein each contact in the set of one or more social collaboration contacts represents a participant in the a social collaboration platform that is known by the respective user in the a social collaboration platform, and

wherein a unique social collaboration platform identifier associated with each contact in the set of one or more social collaboration contacts is stored within a set of user information of the respective user at the social collaboration platform;

obtaining, automatically and without user intervention, at least one of the set of one or more virtual contacts from the set of user information of the respective user at the virtual world and the set of one or more social collaboration contacts from the set of user information of the respective user at the social collaboration platform, for the respective user;

linking, automatically and without user intervention, in response to the virtual world and social collaboration platform identifiers being stored, the virtual world user identifier to the social collaboration platform user identifier,

wherein the linking comprises associating the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration platform user identifier to a unique identifier associated with the respective user in a data model,

wherein the unique identifier is separate and distinct from the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration platform user identifier;

determining, automatically and without user intervention, based on the linking, an association between at least one of

each social collaboration contact of the set of one or more social collaboration contacts that has been obtained and the virtual world identifier of the respective user, and

each virtual world contact of the set of one or more virtual world contacts that has been obtained and the social collaboration platform user identifier of the user;

identifying, automatically and without user intervention, an information set associated with at least one of the virtual world user identifier and the social collaboration identifier based on the unique identifier, the information set being at least one of the set of one or more social collaboration contacts and the set of one or more virtual world contacts; and

updating, automatically and without user intervention based on in response the identifying, the information set to include the association that has been determined, wherein the information set enables the user to perform at least one of the following;

bi-directionally interact with the set of one or more social collaboration contacts from the at least one virtual world, or

bi-directionally interact with the set of one or more virtual world contacts from the social collaboration platform.

18. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to identify a first set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers each associated with a user in a plurality of users;

identifying, in response to the first set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers being identified, a second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers from within the first set, wherein each user identifier in the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers is associated with a virtual world user identifier for the one virtual world and is also associated with the virtual world user identifier associated with a user; and

generating, in response to the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers being identified, the set of one or more social collaboration platform contacts for the respective user from the second set of one or more social collaboration platform user identifiers.

19. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, in response to the information set being updated, that an associated user associated with a contact within at least one of the user'"'"'s social collaboration platform contacts and the virtual world contacts is online within at least one of the social collaboration platform and the virtual world, respectively,

wherein the determining comprises performing, for at least one of the virtual world and the social collaboration platform, an online contact determination process every n time units, wherein the online contact determination process comprises at least;

generating, for at least one of the virtual world and the social collaboration platform, at least one of a set of virtual world identifiers and a set of virtual world identifiers, respectively, wherein each identifier in the at least one of a set of virtual world identifiers and a set of virtual world identifiers is associated with a flag indicating that a user associated with the identifier is logged into the at least one of the virtual world and the social collaboration platform, respectively, and wherein each identifier in the at least one of a set of virtual world identifiers and a set of virtual world identifiers is also associated with a parameter indicating that the identifier is to be included in the online contact determination process; and

notifying, in response to the associated user being online, the respective user that the associated user is online within at least one of the virtual world and the social collaboration platform, respectively.

20. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, in response to that the associated user being online, a respective location of the associated user within the virtual world; and

displaying, in response to the respective location being determined, the location of the associated user to at least one of the respective user, the virtual world contacts of the respective contacts, other social network contacts of the respective user online in the virtual world.

21. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the location being displayed, a selection from the respective user of an identifier representing the associated user within the virtual world; and

relocating, in response to the selecting being accepted, an avatar associated with the respective user at the respective location within the virtual world of the associated user.

22. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a virtual world identifier verification request from the social collaboration platform in response to social collaboration platform detecting a social collaboration platform event associated with the user;

determining, in response to the virtual world identifier verification request being received and based on the information set being updated, that user is associated with the virtual world user identifier for virtual world; and

notifying, in response to the user being associated with virtual world user identifier, the social collaboration platform that the user is associated with the virtual world user identifier for the virtual world.

24. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a respective avatar of the associated user is located within the virtual world in proximity to an avatar associated with the respective user, and

wherein the notifying further comprises notifying, in response to the determining that a respective avatar of the associated user is located within the virtual world in proximity to an avatar, the respective user that an identity of the avatar associated with the associated user has been verified.

23. The non-transitory computer program product 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a social collaboration platform identifier request from the virtual world for the user;

determining, in response to the social collaboration platform identifier request being received and based on the information set being updated, a set of social collaboration platform user identifiers associated with the user;

identifying, for each social collaboration platform user identifier in the set of social collaboration platform user identifiers, a social collaboration platform associated therewith; and

notifying the virtual world of each social collaboration platform that has been identified.