Generating user and avatar specific content in a virtual world

• US 8,555,346 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bokor, Brian Ronald, Haggar, Peter Frederick, House, Daniel Edward, Nicol, William Bruce II, Smith, Andrew Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEHNI, GHAZAL B
• Application Number:
  US12/193,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20100050237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Generation of user and avatar specific content in a virtual world may include generating a local attribute object. The local attribute object may comprise attributes identifying at least one of the user'"'"'s real world location and the user'"'"'s avatar'"'"'s virtual world location. Access to the local attribute object by virtual world operators may be controlled by the user and/or user'"'"'s avatar. Specific content, based on the local attribute object, is presented to the user'"'"'s avatar.

Claims

1. A method of creating specific content in a virtual world for presentation to an avatar of a user, the method comprising:

generating, by a computer, a local attribute object comprising a set of attributes of at least one of the user and the avatar of the user and a set of geographic location attributes identifying at least one of a real world location of the user and a virtual world location of the avatar of the user;

allowing, by the computer, access to the local attribute object by a service provider in response to the avatar of the user entering a virtual world space of the service provider, wherein the service provider is a virtual retailer; and

presenting, by the computer, to the avatar of the user specific content based on the local attribute object, the specific content including at least one of products and services provided by the service provider for purchase by at least one of the user and the avatar of the user,

wherein presenting the specific content comprises determining by a local service component using the local attribute object the specific content to be presented to the avatar of the user, wherein the local service component creates, retrieves, updates, or any combination thereof, information in the local attribute object, and wherein the local service component comprises parameters that receive local attribute object information as input and correlate the input with particular types of specific content to present to the avatar of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing access to the local attribute object by the service provider comprises allowing access to the local attribute object by the local service component associated with the service provider in response to the user authorizing access by the service provider to the local attribute object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the local attribute object in response to a triggering event.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein updating the local attribute object comprises generating a query by the local attribute object to dynamically update attributes upon occurrence of the triggering event.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of the user logging into the virtual world, the user requesting to update the local attribute object, and the service provider requesting access to the local attribute object.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein updating the local attribute object comprises receiving information from at least one of the user'"'"'s internet protocol address, a global positioning system, a triangulation location unit of a wireless communications device, a weather station, a schedule of events, a calendar, and a clock.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to configure the local attribute object to include default location information.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

comparing the geographic location attributes to the default location information; and

notifying the user in response to a mismatch between the geographic location attributes and the default location information.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting a GUI to the user to authorize access to the local attribute object by defining types of virtual world operators that are allowed access to the local attribute object associated with the user.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising defining the types of virtual world operators by at least one of a service provider virtual world location, a service provider name, and a service provider type.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting a GUI to the service provider so that the service provider can define at least one attribute that triggers the specific content.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising allowing selection of the at least one attribute from the group including zip code, city, county, state, region, country, internet protocol location, global positioning system coordinates, and coordinates from a triangulation location unit of a wireless communications device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein presenting the specific content to the avatar of the user comprises presenting environmental characteristics of the service provider'"'"'s virtual world space.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein presenting the environmental characteristics comprises presenting at least one of currency, language, discount pricing, and a configuration of the virtual world space.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising dynamically adjusting the configuration of the virtual world space based on a set of predetermined parameters.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the set of predetermined parameters is based on a number of avatars present in the virtual world space.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein presenting the specific content to the avatar of the user comprises presenting an item that the avatar of the user can manipulate.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting the avatar of the user to perform an action relative to the specific content.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein permitting the avatar of the user to perform the action comprises permitting the avatar of the user to purchase a product associated with the specific content.

20. A system for creating specific content in a virtual world for presentation to an avatar of a user, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a module for generating a local attribute object operable on the computer processor comprising a set of attributes of at least one of the user and the avatar of the user and a set of geographic location attributes identifying at least one of a real world location of the user and a virtual world location of the avatar of the user, wherein the module allows access to the local attribute object by a service provider in response to the avatar of the user entering a virtual world space of the service provider, wherein the service provider is a virtual retailer,

wherein the module presents to the avatar of the user specific content based on the local attribute object, wherein the specific content comprises at least one of products and services provided by the service provider for purchase by at least one of the user and the avatar of the user, wherein presenting the specific content comprises determining by a local service component using the local attribute object the specific content to be presented to the avatar of the user, wherein the local service component creates, retrieves, updates, or any combination thereof, information in the local attribute object, and wherein the local service component comprises parameters that receive local attribute object information as input and correlate the input with particular types of specific content to present to the avatar of the user.

21. A computer program product for creating specific content in a virtual world for presentation to an avatar of a user, comprising:

a non-signal propagating computer usable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable storage medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to generate a local attribute object comprising a set of attributes of at least one of the user and the avatar of the user and a set of geographic location attributes identifying at least one of a real world location of the user and a virtual world location of the avatar of the user;

computer usable program code configured to allow access to the local attribute object by a service provider in response to the avatar of the user entering a virtual world space of the service provider, wherein the service provider is a virtual world retailer; and

computer usable program code configured to present to the avatar of the user specific content based on the local attribute object, wherein the specific content comprises at least one of products and services provided by the service provider for purchase by at least one of the user and the avatar of the user, wherein presenting the specific content comprises determining by a local service component using the local attribute object the specific content to be presented to the avatar of the user, wherein the local service component creates, retrieves, updates, or any combination thereof, information in the local attribute object, and wherein the local service component comprises parameters that receive local attribute object information as input and correlate the input with particular types of specific content to present to the avatar of the user.