System and method for bridging communication services between virtual worlds and the real world

• US 8,560,955 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jana, Rittwik, Gibbon, David C., Basso, Andrea, Renger, Bernard S., Di Fabbrizio, Giuseppe, Wei, Bin, Chen, Yih-Farn
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/274,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/848, 715/850
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system includes a gateway operative to couple the system to a user. The system further includes a first infolet coupled to the gateway, and operative to couple the system to a first virtual world application, a second infolet coupled to the gateway and to the first infolet, and operative to couple the system to a real world application. The system is operable to obtain first information requested by the user from the second infolet and send the first information to the virtual world application through the first infolet.

Claims

1. A communication bridging system comprising:

a gateway server that couples the communication bridging system to a user device; and

a bridge interface server including;

a first infolet coupled to the gateway server, wherein the first infolet couples the communication bridging system to a first virtual world application; and

a second infolet coupled to the gateway server and to the first infolet, wherein the second infolet couples the communication bridging system to a first real world application;

wherein the communication bridging system performs operations comprising;

receiving from the first infolet first information related to a first activity of a first avatar within the virtual world application, wherein the first avatar is associated with the user device;

locating the user device;

obtaining second information from the second infolet based on the first activity and the location of the user device; and

sending the second information to the user device through the gateway server.

2. The communication bridging system of claim 1 wherein the second infolet includes a content archive for providing the user device with search results on archived content, wherein the content archive includes content from the virtual world application.

3. The communication bridging system of claim 2 wherein the operations of the communication bridging system further comprise:

obtaining third information requested by the user device from the content archive; and

sending the third information to the user device.

4. The communication bridging system of claim 3 wherein:

the virtual world application locates the first avatar and a second avatar in the virtual world application; and

wherein the operations of the communication bridging system further comprise;

requesting third information from the second infolet based upon the location of the second avatar in the virtual world;

sending the third information to the user device; and

sending fourth information to the user device, wherein the third information comprises the location of the second avatar.

5. The communication bridging system of claim 1 wherein the operations of the communication bridging system further comprise:

requesting third information from the second infolet based upon the location of the user device, wherein the third information comprises content from the virtual world application; and

sending the third information to the first avatar through the first infolet.

6. The communication bridging system of claim 5 wherein the operations of the communication bridging system further comprise:

requesting fourth information from the first infolet, wherein the fourth information comprises information regarding trade conducted by the user device in the virtual world application, and wherein further the trade in the virtual world application is conducted in a virtual currency that is exchangeable for real currency; and

billing an account associated with the user device, wherein the billing is conducted in the real currency, and the amount of the billing is based upon the amount of trade in the virtual world application conducted by the user device.

7. The communication bridging system of claim 1 wherein the gateway server couples the communication bridging system to the user device through a plurality of data protocols.

8. The communication bridging system of claim 1 further comprising:

a third infolet coupled to the gateway server, wherein the third infolet couples the communication bridging system to a second virtual world application; and

wherein the operations of the communication bridging system further comprise;

obtaining third information requested by the user device from the third infolet; and

sending the third information to the second virtual world application through the third infolet.

9. The communication bridging system of claim 8 further comprising:

a fourth infolet coupled to the gateway server, to the first infolet, the second infolet, and the third infolet, wherein the fourth infolet couples the communication bridging system to a second real world application; and

wherein the operations of the communication bridging system further comprise;

obtaining fourth information requested by the user device from the fourth infolet; and

sending the fourth information;

to the first virtual world application through the first infolet; and

to the second virtual world application through the third infolet.

10. The communication bridging system of claim 1 wherein the second infolet comprises a content search infolet, a publisher infolet, an aggregator infolet, and a social networking site infolet.

11. The communication bridging system of claim 1 wherein locating the user device is based upon a global positioning system.

12. A method of bridging between a virtual world and a real world, comprising:

receiving first information related to an action of a first avatar in a virtual world application, the first avatar being associated with a user;

in response to receiving the first information, determining a virtual world preference for a user associated with the avatar, wherein the virtual world preference is determined by utilizing instructions from a memory that are executed by a processor;

determining a location of a user device, wherein the user device is associated with the user;

in response to determining the virtual world preference and the location of the user device, searching a content archive containing content items from the real world for a first particular content item that relates to the preference and to the location of the user device; and

sending second information to the user device indicating that the real world contains the particular content item.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first information comprises information regarding the location of the first avatar and a second avatar in the virtual world application.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving second information related to a second action of the avatar in the virtual world application;

in response to receiving the second information, determining a second virtual world preference for the user;

in response to determining the first and second preferences, searching the content archive for a second particular content item that relates to the first and second preferences; and

sending a third information to the user device indicating that the real world contains the particular content.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the content archive comprises content from one of a content library, a blog library, a rich site summary feed, a social networking site, a location service, and a combination thereof.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first information comprises information regarding the location of the avatar in the virtual world application.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving second information related to a second action of the avatar in the virtual world application;

determining a second virtual world preference for the user in response to receiving the second information;

searching the content archive for a second particular content item that relates to the first and second preferences in response to determining the first and second preferences; and

sending a third information to the user device indicating that the real world contains the particular content.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the content archive comprises content selected from a group comprising a content library, a blog library, a rich site summary feed, a social networking site, and a location service.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the location of the user device is based upon a global positioning system.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions, which when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving first information related to an action of an avatar in a virtual world application, the first avatar being associated with a user;

determining a virtual world preference for a user associated with the avatar in response to receiving the first information;

determining a location of a user device, wherein the user device is associated with the user;

searching a content archive containing content items from the real world for a first particular content item that relates to the preference in response to determining the virtual world preference and the location of the user device; and

sending second information to the user device indicating that the real world contains the particular content item.