System and method for dynamic multi-content cards

• US 8,751,927 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Seaman, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURKE, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US12/326,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 715/255
• US Class Current: 715/255
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method and system is provided for creation and distribution of dynamic multi-content cards in a virtual universe. More specifically, the method creates a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and distribute the card in the VU. Additionally, the system includes a card selection tool configured to create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and distribute the card to another resident in the VU.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium being operable to:

create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and which includes an immersive VU feature which permits a user of the card to enter a VU environment within the card, the immersive VU feature includes a card selection tool that embeds pointers to custom-designed regions of the VU environment within the card, wherein the VU environment within the card is different from the VU in which the card is distributed;

select the card for distribution in the VU from a giving avatar to a receiving avatar;

distribute the selected card in the VU to the receiving avatar,

wherein residents of the VU view, select, and distribute the card while traversing, inhabiting, and interacting through the use of the giving and receiving avatars in the VU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating the card comprises creating a custom card including custom content, wherein the custom content comprises at least one of:

a publication;

a document;

a picture;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

an identification of a social network;

an identification of avatars in the social network;

a link to the custom content; and

a VU teleportation link.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising saving the custom card in a database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating the card comprises providing one of a base card and a saved card.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the providing the saved card comprises providing a list of saved cards stored in a memory storage.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising creating an edited card by at least one of adding content to the base card or the saved card and deleting the content from the base card or the saved card.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the content comprises at least one of:

a publication;

a document;

a picture;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

an identification of a social network;

an identification of avatars in the social network;

a link to the custom content; and

a VU teleportation link.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising saving the edited card in a memory storage.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding at least one of features and controls to the card.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of features and controls comprise:

an accessibility feature;

a visual content indicator;

an embedded distribution control;

a connected-card control;

a disconnected-card control;

an intra-card communication control; and

an immersive VU feature.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising suggesting the card to be distributed based on at least one of context of the giving avatar and context of the receiving avatar.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of compressing the card and uploading the card to a VU server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of:

a document;

a picture;

a publication;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

business contact information;

personal contact information;

a logo;

an organization name;

a user'"'"'s image; and

the user'"'"'s avatar'"'"'s image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the VU comprises a computer-based, three-dimensional environment, where the residents of the VU interact with one another and move through the environment using the giving and receiving avatars;

each of the one or more residents have an account upon which the each of the one or more residents can build the giving or receiving avatar, and the account is tied to an inventory of assets for the corresponding giving or receiving avatar; and

the distribute the card in the VU comprises the giving avatar of a first resident giving a copy of the card to the receiving avatar of a second resident in the three-dimensional environment such that a copy of the card is placed in the inventory of assets associated with the receiving avatar.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

adding features and controls to the card, wherein the features and controls comprise a visual content indicator that the first resident places on the card; and

suggesting a type of card to be distributed to the second resident from the first resident based on a context of the receiving avatar,

wherein;

the visual content indicator is a visual indicator on the card that provides the second resident with information comprising a total memory size of the card; and

the context comprises a type of avatar being used by the second resident.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising informing the first resident when the card is copied or given from the receiving avatar to another resident'"'"'s avatar,

wherein:

the card is a connected card with dynamic or fluid content such that when the first resident updates the card, the copy of the card placed in the inventory of assets associated with the receiving avatar and the card copied or given to the another resident'"'"'s avatar is also updated; and

the card can be viewed in real time.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein

the receiving is teleported to and traverses within the VU environment of the card.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and which includes an immersive VU feature which permits a user of the card to enter a VU environment within the card, the immersive VU feature includes a card selection tool that embeds pointers to custom-designed regions of the VU environment within the card, wherein the VU environment within the card is different from the VU in which the card is distributed;

second program instructions to select the card for distribution in the VU from a giving avatar to a receiving avatar; and

third program instructions to distribute the selected card to the receiving avatar in the VU,

wherein residents of the VU view, select, and distribute the card while traversing, inhabiting, and interacting through the use of the giving and receiving avatars in the VU; and

the first, second, and third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising program instructions to:

detect at least one of a context of the giving avatar and a context of the receiving avatar; and

suggest the card based on the at least one of the giving avatar'"'"'s context and the receiving avatar'"'"'s context.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising program instructions to compress the card for viewing in the VU.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising program instructions to:

detect an accessibility need of the receiving avatar; and

configure the card to aid the receiving avatar with the accessibility need.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the system.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is operable on software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer storage device comprising a memory embodying readable program code, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

create a card for distributing in a virtual universe (VU) and which includes an immersive VU feature which permits a user of the card to enter a VU environment within the card, the immersive VU feature includes a card selection tool that embeds pointers to custom-designed regions of within the VU environment of the card, wherein;

the VU environment within the card is different from the VU in which the card is distributed;

the card is a static card whose contents do not change over time and content in the card given at a point of transfer cannot be updated by a giving avatar subsequent to the transfer;

the card selection tool embeds controls in the card such that after transferring the card to another avatar, the card can be given to other avatars, the card is copy-protected, and an original giving avatar is informed when the card is copied or given away to the other avatars;

select the card for distribution in the VU from the giving avatar to a receiving avatar, wherein the card is selected from the group consisting of a base card, a custom card, an edited card, and a saved card;

distribute the selected card in the VU to the receiving avatar;

wherein the at least one component is further operable to;

build the custom card including custom content, wherein the custom content comprises at least one of;

a publication;

a document;

a picture;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

an identification of a social network;

an identification of avatars in the social network;

a link to the custom content; and

a VU teleportation link; and

residents of the VU select and distribute the card while traversing, inhabiting, and interacting through the use of giving and receiving avatars in the VU; and

initiate inter-card communication between the card and another card associated with a different avatar, wherein the card and the another card exchange information and items stored in the card and the another card.

23. A method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

create a card containing contact information for distributing in a virtual universe (VU) and which includes an immersive VU feature which permits a user of the card to enter a VU environment within the card, the immersive VU feature includes a card selection tool that embeds pointers to custom-designed regions within the VU environment of the card, wherein;

the VU environment within the card is different from the VU in which the card is distributed;

the card selection tool embeds controls in the card such that after transferring the card to another avatar, the card can be given to other avatars, the card is copy-protected, and an original giving avatar is informed when the card is copied or given away to the other avatars;

select the card for distribution in the VU from the giving avatar to a receiving avatar, wherein the card is selected from the group consisting of a base card, a custom card, an edited card, and a saved card;

distribute the selected card in the VU, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of;

a document;

a picture;

a publication;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

business contact information;

personal contact information;

a logo;

an organization name;

a user'"'"'s image; and

the user'"'"'s avatar'"'"'s image,

wherein residents of the VU select and distribute the card while traversing, inhabiting, and interacting through the use of giving and receiving avatars in the VU; and

initiate an accessibility feature that uses an accessibility tag associated with a particular user that enlarges font on the card and increases sound for audio features of the card.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein steps of claim 23 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.