Use of information channels to provide communications in a virtual environment

• US 9,083,654 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Osias, Michael J., Sledge, Brian W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US14/499,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

The invention generally relates to virtual environments, and more particularly to systems and methods for communicating in virtual environments. A method of providing communication in a virtual universe (VU) includes instantiating and assigning an information channel to a first client of the VU, associating at least one additional client of the VU to the information channel, and conveying data placed on the information channel to the first client and the at least one additional client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of enabling communication between virtual universe (VU) clients having certain characteristics on a pre-instantiated information channel, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

instantiating, by the computer system, an information channel for the VU, wherein the information channel comprises a data link over which data may be transferred to a client of the VU;

associating, by the computer system, a first client of the VU with the information channel based on a detection that the first client has a characteristic;

associating, by the computer system, a second client of the VU with the information channel based on a detection that the second client has the characteristic, wherein the information channel is instantiated before at least one of the first client or the second client is detected to have the characteristic; and

presenting, by the computer system, data that is placed on the information channel to the first client and the second client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises an area in the VU that is common to the first client and the second client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the detection that the first client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the first client is entering and/or is currently in the VU area, and wherein the detection that the second client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the second client is entering and/or is currently in the VU area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises a profile parameter that is common to the first client and the second client, wherein the detection that the first client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the first client is associated with the profile parameter, and wherein the detection that the second client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the second client is associated with the profile parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile parameter is related to at least one of age, gender, address, citizenship, occupation, hobby, or user interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises an inventory item that is common to the first client and the second client, wherein the detection that the first client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the first client has the inventory item, and wherein the detection that the second client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the second client has the inventory item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first client with the information channel comprises associating the first client with the information channel based on the detection that the first client has the characteristic and the detection that the second client has the characteristic.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the computer system, based on the detection that the first client has the characteristic, the first client with an option to accept or refuse association with the information channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first client with the information channel comprises associating, without user input specifying acceptance of association with the information channel, the first client with the information channel based on the detection that the first client has the characteristic.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein information channel comprises a public information channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein information channel comprises a private information channel.

12. A system for enabling communication between virtual universe (VU) clients having certain characteristics on a pre-instantiated information channel, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

instantiate an information channel for the VU, wherein the information channel comprises a data link over which data may be transferred to a client of the VU;

associate a first client of the VU with the information channel based on a detection that the first client has a characteristic;

associate a second client of the VU with the information channel based on a detection that the second client has the characteristic, wherein the information channel is instantiated before at least one of the first client or the second client is detected to have the characteristic; and

present data that is placed on the information channel to the first client and the second client.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the characteristic comprises an area in the VU that is common to the first client and the second client.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the detection that the first client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the first client is entering and/or is currently in the VU area, and wherein the detection that the second client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the second client is entering and/or is currently in the VU area.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the characteristic comprises a profile parameter that is common to the first client and the second client, wherein the detection that the first client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the first client is associated with the profile parameter, and wherein the detection that the second client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the second client is associated with the profile parameter.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the profile parameter is related to at least one of age, gender, address, citizenship, occupation, hobby, or user interest.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the characteristic comprises an inventory item that is common to the first client and the second client, wherein the detection that the first client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the first client has the inventory item, and wherein the detection that the second client has the characteristic comprises a detection that the second client has the inventory item.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein associating the first client with the information channel comprises associating the first client with the information channel based on the detection that the first client has the characteristic and the detection that the second client has the characteristic.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

present, based on the detection that the first client has the characteristic, the first client with an option to accept or refuse association with the information channel.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein associating the first client with the information channel comprises associating, without user input specifying acceptance of association with the information channel, the first client with the information channel based on the detection that the first client has the characteristic.