System and method to communicate information to a user

• US 9,037,968 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Monahan, Jay, Pringle, William, Hanley, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Application Number:
  US13/435,869
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 715/273, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 463/1
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game

Abstract

A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for communicating information in a virtual environment are presented. A graphical user interface is provided to a user, where the graphical user interface displays a virtual environment that includes one or more virtual objects. A virtual object may be linked to a section of a digital document. Selection of the virtual objects in the virtual environment by the user is monitored. Information regarding the section of the digital document is communicated to the user based on receiving an indication that a virtual object is selected.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

generating a virtual environment with a plurality of virtual objects, each virtual object having an association with a section of a digital document, wherein the virtual environment comprises a virtual city environment rendered to concurrently display each virtual object, wherein the plurality of virtual objects includes a first virtual object of a first type of city structure and a second virtual object of a second type of city structure, the first type of city structure different than the second type of city structure;

monitoring user interactions with the virtual environment; and

in response to detecting a selection of one of the virtual objects, providing a display of information relating to the section of the digital document associated with the selected virtual object.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing the display of information includes displaying text relating to the section in the virtual environment.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing the display of the information includes displaying the actual text of the section in the virtual environment.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing the display of the information includes displaying the information in a pop-up window and monitoring closing of the pop-up window by the user.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user with an indication that identifies which virtual objects have been selected by the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing prompts to a user to identify virtual objects that are selectable for a first time.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing an indication that the information relating to the section of the digital document has been displayed.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the storing of the indication is performed by sending a message to a server computer system.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising awarding a virtual reward to a user account in response to the detection of the selection of the virtual object, wherein the virtual reward is awarded to the user based on the user selecting all of the virtual objects having associations with the digital document.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selected virtual object represents a physical structure depicted in the virtual environment.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the physical structure is related to a content of the section of the digital document.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a label proximate to an associated virtual structure, the label describing content of the section associated with the virtual structure.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising sending an indication of the virtual environment to a social network, the indication allowing other users access the virtual environment.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual environment represents a city, a town, a settlement, a farm, a garden, an estate, a territory, a geographic region, a room, a worksite, or a building.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the digital document is at least one of a privacy agreement or statement, a user manual, educational material, training material, or a tutorial.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the section is obtained by accessing a section descriptor linked to the section, the section descriptor having attributes associated with the section.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual city environment comprises a virtual online game city environment.

18. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

a document association module implemented by the at least one processor and configured to generate a virtual environment with a plurality of virtual objects, each virtual object having an association with a section of a digital document, wherein the virtual environment comprises a virtual city environment rendered to concurrently display each virtual object, wherein the plurality of virtual objects includes a first virtual object of a first type of city structure and a second virtual object of a second type of city structure, the first type of city structure different than the second type of city structure;

a monitor module implemented by the at least one processor and configured to monitoring user interactions with the virtual environment; and

a generation module implemented by the at least one processor and configured to, responsive to detecting a selection of one of the virtual objects, provide a display of information relating to the section of the digital document associated with the selected virtual object.

19. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising a feedback module implemented by the at least one process and configured to store an indication that the information relating to the section of the digital document has been displayed.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the feedback module sends a message to a server computer system.

21. The computer system of claim 18, further comprising a feedback module implemented by the at least one process and configured to award a virtual reward to a user account in response to the detection of the selection of the virtual object.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the virtual reward is awarded to the user based on the user selecting all of the virtual objects associated with the virtual objects.

23. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the selected virtual object represents a physical structure depicted in the virtual environment.

24. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the virtual environment represents a city, a town, a settlement, a farm, a garden, an estate, a territory, a geographic region, a room, a worksite, or a building.

25. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the digital document is at least one of a privacy agreement or statement, a user manual, educational material, training material, or a tutorial.

26. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the information relating to the section is obtained by accessing a section descriptor linked to the section, the section descriptor having attributes associated with the section.

27. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing a processor to implement operations, the operations comprising:

generating a virtual environment with a plurality of virtual objects, each virtual object having an association with a section of a digital document, wherein the virtual environment comprises a virtual city environment rendered to concurrently display each virtual object, wherein the plurality of virtual objects includes a first virtual object of a first type of city structure and a second virtual object of a second type of city structure, the first type of city structure different than the second type of city structure;

monitoring user interactions with the virtual environment; and

in response to detecting a selection of data relating to a virtual object of the plurality of virtual objects, providing a display of information relating to the section of the digital document associated with the virtual object.

28. A computer implemented method comprising:

monitoring user interactions with information related to a digital document, the information related to the digital document being displayed in response to detecting one or more user selections of virtual objects of a virtual environment, wherein the virtual environment comprises a virtual city environment rendered to concurrently display each virtual object, wherein the plurality of virtual objects includes a first virtual object of a first type of city structure and a second virtual object of a second type of city structure, the first type of city structure different than the second type of city structure; and

in response to detecting a user interaction with the information related to the digital document, awarding a virtual reward to a user account associated with a game system.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 28, wherein the user interaction being at least one of accessing information related to a section of the digital document for a first time, accessing information related to all sections of the digital document, or answering one or more questions related to the digital document.

30. The computer implemented method of claim 28, further comprising, in response to detecting that a user has posted an indication of the virtual environment to a social network, awarding an additional virtual reward to the user account associated with the game system.