System and method for enhancing socialization in virtual worlds

• US 8,881,030 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Jones, Allan, Parkis, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/583,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 709/203, 709/206
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• 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: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for inducing a reply from a first client connected to a virtual world to facilitate a social interaction using a second client connected to the virtual world. There is provided a method for inducing a reply from a first client connected to a virtual world to facilitate a social interaction using a second client connected to the virtual world, the method comprising locating, in the virtual world, an avatar of the second client in a proximity of an avatar of the first client, executing a social action using the avatar of the second client such that the social action is observable by the first client but not observable by the second client, receiving the reply from the first client in response to the social action, and rendering the reply from first client using the avatar of the first client.

Claims

1. A method for inducing a reply from a first client connected to a virtual world to facilitate a social interaction using a second client connected to the virtual world, the method comprising:

locating, in the virtual world, an avatar of the second client in a proximity of an avatar of the first client;

executing, in response to the locating, a social action using the avatar of the second client such that the social action is observable by the first client, wherein the social action is neither observable nor initiated by the second client while the avatar of the second client is being controlled by the second client and is observable by the second client;

receiving the reply from the first client in response to the social action;

rendering the reply from the first client using the avatar of the first client;

receiving a response from the second client in response to the reply; and

rendering the response from the second client using the avatar of the second client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar of the second client is located in the proximity of the avatar of the first client when the avatar of the second client is visible on a display of the first client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the social action is observable by the first client using a display of the first client showing the virtual world.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the social action includes communication by text or voice.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication is regarding an event occurring in the virtual world.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication is personalized for the first client.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication includes a greeting that may be repeated in response to the communication, and wherein the reply includes the greeting.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the greeting is hello.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the social action includes a movement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the movement comprises a gesture.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the movement comprises changing orientation.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising prior to the locating:

determining that the social action is acceptable using one or more factors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more factors include a behavioral history of the second client.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more factors include a behavioral history of the first client.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising prior to the receiving:

locating, in the virtual world, an avatar of a third client in a proximity of an avatar of the first client; and

executing the social action using the avatar of the third client such that the social action is observable by the first client but not observable by the third client.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein executing the social action using the avatar of the second client is not observable by the third client, and wherein executing the social action using the avatar of the third client is not observable by the second client.

17. A server for inducing a from a first client connected to a virtual world to facilitate a social interaction using a second client connected to the virtual world, the server comprising a processor configured to:

locate, in the virtual world, an avatar of the second client in a proximity of an avatar of the first client;

execute, in response to the locating, a social action using the avatar of the second client such that the social action is observable by the first client, wherein the social action is neither observable nor initiated by the second client while the avatar of the second client is being controlled by the second client and is observable by the second client;

receive the reply from the first client in response to the social action; and

render the reply from the first client using the avatar of the first client;

receive a response from the second client in response to the reply; and

render the response from the second client using the avatar of the second client.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the social action includes communication by text or voice.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the communication includes a greeting that may be repeated in response to the communication, and wherein the reply includes the greeting.

20. The server of claim 17, wherein prior to receiving the reply the processor is configured to:

locate, in the virtual world, an avatar of a third client in a proximity of an avatar of the first client; and

execute the social action using the avatar of the third client such that the social action is observable by the first client but not observable by the third client.