Apparatus and method for dynamically creating a community space in a virtual space

• US 8,732,589 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Jin-He, Shin, Dae-Kyu, Heo, Dong-Kyu, Kwak, Byoung-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US12/456,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/753, 715/757, 715/758, 715/759, 715/760, 715/843, 715/706
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An apparatus and method for dynamically creating a community space in a virtual space. A request for a connection to a personal web space of another user to be visited by a user possessing a personal web space is made. When the connection request is identified, a new community space is generated by connecting the personal web spaces of the users to each other. Immediate interaction between the users is performed in the generated new community space.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically creating a community space in a virtual space, comprising:

receiving, by a first personal blog web space associated with a first user, a request for a connection to a personal blog web space associated with a second user to be visited;

generating, when the connection request is identified, a new community space by connecting the personal blog web spaces of a plurality of users accessing the personal blog web space of the first user; and

enabling immediate, real time interaction between the first and second users within the generated new community space, wherein the interaction comprises information input by the first user and information input by the second user,

wherein the first personal blog web space comprises a first rendering data and each of the personal blog web spaces of a plurality of users accessing the personal blog web space of the first user comprises corresponding rendering data,

wherein the generated new community space comprises the first rendering data and rendering data of the personal blog web spaces of a plurality of users accessing the personal blog web space of the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request for the connection to the personal blog web space of the other user includes:

receiving, from the first personal blog web space associated with the first user, at least one of an operation for inputting a uniform resource locator (URL), corresponding to an address of the personal blog web space of the other user to be visited, to an Internet browser and an operation for making a connection request by retrieving an address of a personal blog web space of a specific user through an Internet search.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the new community space includes:

acquiring personal blog web space information according to each of the first user and the second user; and

generating the new community space including the personal blog web space of each user using the acquired personal web space information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the new community space including the personal blog web space is dynamically determined according to at least one of a number of users connected to a personal web space and a web space to which the connected users move.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the immediate, real time interaction includes:

performing information acquisition and immediate interaction with a second avatar using a first avatar as an incarnation of each of the first and second users in a web space.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein when a connection between the first and second users is terminated, the generated new community space is dissolved.

7. An apparatus for dynamically creating a community space in a virtual space, comprising:

a map creation unit implemented in a server configured to generate the community space by acquiring information of a personal blog web space possessed by a first user and information of a personal blog web space possessed by a second user when a terminal associated with the first user and a terminal associated with the second user access the same uniform resource locator (URL); and

an interaction unit implemented in the server configured to provide a service required for immediate, real time interaction with a second avatar of a second user by controlling a first avatar as an incarnation of the first user within the virtual space, wherein the interaction comprises information input by the first user and information input by the second user,

wherein the personal blog web space possessed by a first user comprises a first rendering data and the personal blog web space possessed by a second user comprises a second rendering data,

wherein the generated community space comprises the first rendering data and the second rendering data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the map creation unit includes:

a blog acquisition module configured to acquire information of personal blog web spaces possessed by a plurality of users; and

a community creation module configured to generate one common community space using the information of personal blog web spaces corresponding to the plurality of users acquired by the blog acquisition module.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interaction unit includes:

a user input module configured to send an input to a corresponding server by determining whether information is input from a personal blog web space or the generated community space when the information is input through an input unit;

an avatar service module configured to express the information input from the user input module using the first avatar, control an operation of the first avatar, and provide a service for the operation; and

an interaction module configured to provide the service required for the immediate interaction with the second avatar of the second user.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a synchronization module configured to enable immediate, real time interaction between avatars within the generated community space by dynamically connecting personal blog web space information provided by the map creation unit to avatar information provided by the interaction.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to dissolve the community space in response to when a connection between the first and second users is terminated.

12. A network for providing a community space in virtual space, the network comprising:

a community creation system implemented in a server, the community creation system configured to dynamically create the community space, the community creation system comprising;

a map creation unit implemented in the server configured to generate the community space by acquiring information of a personal blog web space possessed by a first user and information of a second user when respective terminals of the first user and the second user access the same uniform resource locator (URL); and

an interaction unit implemented in the server configured to provide a service required for immediate, real time interaction with a second avatar of a second user by controlling a first avatar as an incarnation of the first user within the virtual space, wherein the interaction comprises information input by the first user and information input by the second user,

wherein the personal blog web space possessed by a first user comprises a first rendering data and a personal blog web space possessed by a second user comprises a second rendering data,

wherein the generated community space comprises the first rendering data and the second rendering data.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein the map creation unit includes:

a blog acquisition module configured to acquire information of personal blog web spaces possessed by a plurality of users.

14. The network of claim 12, wherein the map creation unit comprises:

a community creation module configured to generate one common community space using the information of personal blog web spaces corresponding to the plurality of users acquired by the blog acquisition module.

15. The network of claim 12, wherein the interaction unit comprises:

a user input module configured to send an input to a corresponding server by determining whether information is input from a personal blog web space or the generated community space when the information is input through an input unit.

16. The network of claim 12, wherein the interaction unit comprises:

an avatar service module configured to express the information input from the user input module using the first avatar, control an operation of the first avatar, and provide a service for the operation.

17. The network of claim 12, wherein the interaction unit comprises:

an interaction module configured to provide the service required for the immediate interaction with the second avatar of the second user.

18. The network of claim 12, further comprising:

a synchronization module configured to enable immediate, real time interaction between avatars in the generated community space by dynamically connecting personal web space information provided by the map creation unit to avatar information provided by the interaction unit.

19. The network of claim 12, wherein the community creation system is configured to dissolve the community space in response to when a connection between the first and second users is terminated.

20. The network of claim 12, wherein the community creation system is configured to maintain the community space when a plurality of users are connected and the first user terminates a connection to the community space.