Systems and methods for the use of virtual emblems

• US 9,062,583 B1
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maslow Six Entertainment, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maslow Six Entertainment, Inc.
• Inventors: Harp, Derek R., Gregory-Brown, Bengt L., Marfice, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US13/367,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/20 specially adapted for catalytic conversion F01N3/22 takes precedence; Methods of operation or control of catalytic converters
• 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

Abstract

A virtual space is provided to users. In views of the virtual space, avatars represent users, including a first avatar representing a first user, engaging in the virtual space. Individual avatars are visually associated with an emblem in views of the virtual space. Systems and methods to enable the use of emblems present an emblem visually associated with a second avatar in a view of the first avatar to indicate a relationship between the first user and the second user.

Claims

1. A system configured to enable the use of emblems by users in a virtual space, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules comprising;

a virtual space module configured to determine view information for transmissions to client computing platforms associated with users that facilitate presentation of views of a virtual space to the users on the client computing platforms, wherein the individual users are represented in the virtual space by avatars, wherein the users include a first user represented by a first avatar and a second user represented by a second avatar, wherein individual ones of the avatars are visually associated with emblems in views of the virtual space such that the emblems are entirely spatially distinct from the avatars;

a relationship module configured to establish relationships between entities, wherein the entities comprise the users such that individual ones of the relationships involve at least one user of the virtual space;

an emblem presentation module configured to present, for the first avatar, emblems including a first emblem and a second emblem, such that presentation of the first emblem corresponds to a first relationship between the first user and a first entity, wherein the first emblem is visually associated with the first avatar, and such that presentation of the second emblem corresponds to a second relationship between the first user and a second entity, wherein the second emblem is visually associated with the first avatar, wherein the presentation of the first emblem includes status information pertaining to the first entity, wherein the first entity is the second user; and

an interface module configured to receive inputs from users that affect presentation of one or more emblems, such that one or more received inputs from the first user affect the presentation of one or both of the first emblem and the second emblem and such that one or more received inputs from the second user affect the presentation of the first emblem.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the relationship module is configured to establish individual ones of the relationships between entities based on one or more relationship requests and one or more acceptances.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the relationships are mutually revocable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the relationships comprise one or more relationship types.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more visually distinguishable characteristics of the presentation of the particular emblem corresponding to a particular relationship are based on a relationship type of the particular relationship.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the entities comprise one or more of a group of users, a virtual organization within the virtual space, a non-player-character, or a related user external to the virtual space.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the emblem presentation module, responsive to one or more inputs from the first user being received by the interface module, selectively hides or exposes the presentation of the first emblem.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the emblem presentation module, responsive to one or more inputs from the first user being received by the interface module, affects the presentation of the first emblem based on a relationship type of the first relationship.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein operation of the emblem presentation module is based on a predetermined threshold of proximity between the location of the first avatar within the virtual space and the location of one or more entities within the virtual space.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein interaction within the virtual space between the first user and one or more entities during game play is affected based on which emblems are presented for the first avatar in views of the virtual space.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein individual ones of the emblems are visually distinct from a set of emblems by at least a predetermined number of design differences.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual space is common among the users.

13. A computer-implemented method for enabling the use of emblems by users in a virtual space, the method being implemented in a computer system comprising one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:

determining view information for transmission to client computing platforms associated with users that facilitate presentation of views of a virtual space to the users on the client computing platforms, wherein the individual users are represented in the virtual space by avatars, wherein the users include a first user represented by a first avatar and a second user represented by a second avatar, wherein individual ones of the avatars are visually associated with emblems in views of the virtual space such that the emblems are entirely spatially distinct from the avatars;

establishing relationships between entities, wherein the entities comprise the users such that individual ones of the relationships involve at least one user of the virtual space;

presenting, for the first avatar, emblems including a first emblem and a second emblem, such that presentation of the first emblem corresponds to a first relationship between the first user and a first entity, wherein the first emblem is visually associated with the first avatar, and such that presentation of the second emblem corresponds to a second relationship between the first user and a second entity, wherein the second emblem is visually associated with the first avatar, wherein the presentation of the first emblem includes status information pertaining to the first entity, wherein the first entity is the second user; and

generating an interface for presentation to individual users, wherein the interface is configured to receive inputs from users that affect presentation of one or more emblems, such that one or more received inputs from the first user affect the presentation of one or both of the first emblem and the second emblem and such that one or more received inputs from the second user affect the presentation of the first emblem.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein establishing individual ones of the relationships between entities is based on one or more relationship requests and one or more acceptances.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein individual ones of the relationships are mutually revocable.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein individual ones of the relationships comprise one or more relationship types.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more visually distinguishable characteristics of the presentation of the particular emblem corresponding to a particular relationship are based on a relationship type of the particular relationship.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the entities comprise one or more of a group of users, a virtual organization within the virtual space, a non-player-character, or a related user external to the virtual space.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the presentation of the first emblem comprises selectively hiding or exposing the presentation of the first emblem based on one or more received inputs from the first user.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the presentation of the first emblem is affected by one or more received inputs from the first user based on a relationship type of the first relationship.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein presentation of the first emblem is based on a predetermined threshold of proximity between the location of the first avatar within the virtual space and the location of one or more entities within the virtual space.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein interaction within the virtual space between the first user and one or more entities during game play is affected based on which emblems are presented for the first avatar in views of the virtual space.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein individual ones of the emblems are visually distinct from a set of emblems by at least a predetermined number of design differences.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual space is common among the users.

25. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions configured to caused one or more processors to execute a method for enabling the use of emblems by users in a virtual space, the method comprising:

determining view information for transmission to client computing platforms associated with users that facilitate presentation of views of a virtual space to the users on the client computing platforms, wherein the individual users are represented in the virtual space by avatars, wherein the users include a first user represented by a first avatar and a second user represented by a second avatar, wherein individual ones of the avatars are visually associated with emblems in views of the virtual space such that the emblems are entirely spatially distinct from the avatars;

establishing relationships between entities, wherein the entities comprise the users such that individual ones of the relationships involve at least one user of the virtual space;

presenting, for the first avatar, emblems including a first emblem and a second emblem, such that presentation of the first emblem corresponds to a first relationship between the first user and a first entity, wherein the first emblem is visually associated with the first avatar, and such that presentation of the second emblem corresponds to a second relationship between the first user and a second entity, wherein the second emblem is visually associated with the first avatar, wherein the presentation of the first emblem includes status information pertaining to the first entity, wherein the first entity is the second user; and

generating an interface for presentation to individual users, wherein the interface is configured to receive inputs from users that affect presentation of one or more emblems, such that one or more received inputs from the first user affect the presentation of one or both of the first emblem and the second emblem and such that one or more received inputs from the second user affect the presentation of the first emblem.