Discerning and displaying relationships between avatars

• US 8,677,254 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Katz, Neil A., Seaman, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US12/179,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/752, 715/753, 715/756.757, 715/758, 715/759
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]

Abstract

The invention relates generally to virtual universe environments and, more particularly, to discerning and displaying information regarding relationships between two or more avatars in a virtual universe environment. In one embodiment, the invention includes determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars in response to the first avatar initiating an interaction with the second avatar, and in the case that the first and second avatars have at least one relationship with at least one common avatar, displaying information regarding the relationship with the common avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar.

Claims

1. A method of discerning and displaying information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, the method comprising:

determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars in response to an indication of the first avatar initiating an interaction within the virtual universe with the second avatar, wherein the at least one relationship comprises;

a common acquaintance comprising at least a third avatar distinct from the first avatar and the second avatar, and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar based on at least one prior interaction within the virtual world between the third avatar and one of the first or the second avatar, wherein the level of trust is set by the one of the first or the second avatar;

in the case that the first and second avatars have at least one relationship with at least the third avatar, displaying, within the virtual universe, information regarding the at least one relationship with the third avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar, the displaying including displaying, within the virtual universe, an indication of a third avatar and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar, wherein the indication of a level of trust includes an indicia affirming that the third avatar is not trusted or an indicia confirming that the third avatar is trusted; and

determining if the third avatar is currently online in the virtual universe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining includes calculating a degree to which a relationship is shared between the first and second avatar.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying the relationship degree to at least one of the first and second avatar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying includes displaying at least one of the following:

a name of the third avatar in the shared relationship, a representation of the third avatar in the shared relationship, and a description of the shared relationship.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the description of the shared relationship includes a rating by the third avatar of a relationship between the common avatar and at least one of the first and second avatar.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the rating includes a component capable of being displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

informing at least one of the first and second avatar of the online availability of the third avatar.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one of the first and second avatar querying the third avatar regarding the relationship between the third avatar and at least one of the first and second avatar.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting at least one of the first and second avatar to characterize their interaction.

10. A system for discerning and displaying information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, the system comprising:

at least one computer device for performing a method including;

determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars, wherein the at least one relationship comprises;

a common acquaintance comprising at least a third avatar distinct from the first avatar and the second avatar, and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar based on at least one prior interaction within the virtual world between the third avatar and one of the first or the second avatar, wherein the level of trust is set by the one of the first or the second avatar;

displaying, within the virtual universe, information regarding the at least one relationship with at least the third avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar, the displaying including displaying, within the virtual universe, an indication of a third avatar and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar, wherein the indication of a level of trust includes an indicia affirming that the third avatar is not trusted or an indicia confirming that the third avatar is trusted; and

determining if the third avatar is currently online in the virtual universe.

11. The system of claim 10, the method further comprising:

calculating a degree to which a relationship is shared between the first and second avatar.

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

querying the third avatar.

13. The system of claim 10, the method further comprising:

characterizing an interaction between the first and second avatar.

14. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which when executed, discerns and displays information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, by performing a method comprising:

determining whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars, wherein the at least one relationship comprises;

a common acquaintance comprising at least a third avatar distinct from the first avatar and the second avatar, and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar based on at least one prior interaction within the virtual world between the third avatar and one of the first or the second avatar, wherein the level of trust is set by the one of the first or the second avatar;

displaying, within the virtual universe, information regarding the at least one relationship with at least the third avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar, the displaying including displaying, within the virtual universe, an indication of a third avatar and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar, wherein the indication of a level of trust includes an indicia affirming that the third avatar is not trusted or an indicia confirming that the third avatar is trusted; and

determining if the third avatar is currently online in the virtual universe.

15. The program product of claim 14, the method further comprising:

calculating a degree to which a relationship is shared between the first and second avatar.

16. The program product of claim 14, the method further comprising:

characterizing an interaction between the first and second avatar.

17. A method for deploying an application for discerning and displaying information regarding a relationship between at least two avatars in a virtual universe environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

determine whether a first avatar and a second avatar have at least one relationship with one or more common avatars, wherein the at least one relationship comprises;

a common acquaintance comprising at least a third avatar distinct from the first avatar and the second avatar, and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar based on at least one prior interaction within the virtual world between the third avatar and one of the first or the second avatar, wherein the level of trust is set by the one of the first or the second avatar; and

display, within the virtual universe, information regarding the at least one relationship with at least third avatar to at least one of the first and second avatar, the displaying including displaying, within the virtual universe, an indication of a third avatar and a level of trust corresponding to the third avatar, wherein the indication of a level of trust includes an indicia affirming that the third avatar is not trusted or an indicia confirming that the third avatar is trusted; and

determining if the third avatar is currently online in the virtual universe.