Enabling an IM user to navigate a virtual world

• US 8,726,195 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bill, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEFFINGTON, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US11/850,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,442 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/739, 715/742, 715/744, 715/745, 715/753, 715/758, 715/775, 715/789, 715/826, 715/836, 715/837, 715/848, 715/850, 715/852, 715/854, 715/855, 715/861, 715/737, 715/748, 715/757, 715/759, 715/802, 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A user is enabled to interact with a virtual world environment using an instant messenger application by enabling a user to enter the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface, generating and managing an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment, monitoring a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment, determining descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring, and providing the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface.

Claims

1. A method, implemented with at least one processor, for enabling a user of an instant messenger application to interact with a virtual world environment, the method comprising:

enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to navigate the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface;

generating, using the at least one processor, an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment;

enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment;

monitoring, using the at least one processor, a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment;

determining, using the at least one processor, descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring;

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface;

translating, using the at least one processor, a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator configured to enable non-verbal communications between avatars in the virtual world environment into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator configured to enable the text-based communications; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user of the instant messenger application with the second set of data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of at least one of an environment associated with the sub-portion of the virtual world environment, proximity of other users to the user, and activities being performed by other users currently located in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with a description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment in accordance with the preference information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein enabling the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user comprises:

enabling the user to provide preference information related to at least one of a volume of descriptions to be provided to the user, a type of descriptions to be provided to the user, and a list of other users about whom descriptions are to be provided to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, using the at least one processor, a collection of descriptions determined to be relevant to the user;

relating, using the at least one processor, the collection of description to a threshold number of descriptions with a number of descriptions determined based on the monitoring; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on relating the collection of description to the threshold number of descriptions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, using the at least one processor, that the collection of descriptions exceeds the threshold number of descriptions,

determining, using the at least one processor, an interest rating for each of the descriptions in the collection of descriptions; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest ratings.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest rating comprises:

accessing, using the at least one processor, user interest preferences;

comparing, using the at least one processor, the interest ratings with the user interest preferences; and

identifying, using the at least one processor, descriptions to be included in the sub-set of the descriptions based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the IM interface, a detailed information request from the user regarding a particular description provided to the user;

identifying, using the at least one processor, detailed information related to the particular description; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with detailed information related to the particular description.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface comprises:

enabling the user to control at least one of a motion and an emotional expression of the avatar from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment.

10. A computer-readable medium, tangibly embodied in a storage device, having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed on a computer system having at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

enable a user of an instant messenger application to navigate a virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface;

generate an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment;

enable the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment;

monitor a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment;

determine descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring;

provide the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface;

translate a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator configured to enable non-verbal communications between avatars in the virtual world environment into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator configured to enable the text-based communications; and

provide the user of the instant messenger application with the second set of data.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of at least one of an environment associated with the sub-portion of the virtual world environment, proximity of other users to the user, and activities being performed by other users currently located in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

enabling the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user; and

providing the user with a description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment in accordance with the preference information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein enabling the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user comprises:

enabling the user to provide preference information related to at least one of a volume of descriptions to be provided to the user, a type of descriptions to be provided to the user, and a list of other users about whom descriptions are to be provided to the user.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

accessing a collection of descriptions determined to be relevant to the user;

relating the collection of descriptions to a threshold number of descriptions with a number of descriptions determined based on the monitoring; and

providing the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on relating the collection of description to the threshold number of descriptions.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

determining that the collection of descriptions exceeds the threshold number of descriptions;

determining an interest rating for each of the descriptions in the collection of descriptions; and

providing the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest ratings.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein providing the user with the sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest rating comprises:

accessing user interest preferences;

comparing the interest ratings with the user interest preferences; and

identifying descriptions to be included in the sub-set of the descriptions based on the comparison.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

receiving a detailed information request from the user regarding a particular description provided to the user;

identifying detailed information related to the particular description; and

providing the user with detailed information related to the particular description.

19. A system that enables a user of an instant messenger application to interact with a virtual world environment, the system comprising:

means for enabling the user to navigate the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface;

means for generating an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment;

means for enabling the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment;

means for monitoring a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment;

means for determining descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring;

means for providing the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface;

means for translating a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator configured to enable non-verbal communications between avatars in the virtual world environment into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator configured to enable the text-based communications; and

means for providing the user of the instant messenger application with the second set of data.