System and method for the designation of items in a virtual universe

• US 9,251,318 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Kendzierski, Michael D., O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sangwoo
• Application Number:
  US12/553,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• 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: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

The present invention enables items in a Virtual Universe to be tagged as available for pickup by one or more designated users. The present invention permits a designated user to be alerted that there is an item designated for that user/avatar and available for pick-up at a location in the Virtual Universe. A user may designate another user (or user'"'"'s avatar), for example, a minor for whom the designating user has responsibility, as an “item” to be tracked. For privacy and other reasons, this and other features may be implemented on an opt-in basis.

Claims

1. A method of designating items for transfer between avatars in a virtual universe without a requirement of concurrent presence of said avatars at a location, said method comprising the steps of:

using a computer hosting a virtual universe used by a plurality of users to permit a designating avatar to drop and leave an item at said location;

using said computer to assign a metadata identifier designating said item that is dropped and left by said designating avatar as tagged for permitted interaction by one or more designated avatars with said item to pick-up and add said item by one or more designated users to an inventory of one of said one or more designated avatars;

using a database accessible by said computer to store said metadata identifier;

using said computer upon or after said storing of said metadata identifier to send output to a user interface to inform said one or more designated users that the item has been tagged and specified for said permitted interaction to pick-up and add said item by said one or more designated users to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars; and

using said computer to allow only said one or more designated avatars, when said one or more designated avatars is at said location and when said item is not already picked-up, to perform said permitted interaction to pick-up and add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars,

wherein said designating avatar is different from said one or more designated avatars.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said database is formed by configuring storage for metadata of the item to include additional fields.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said additional fields contain permissions and notifications specific to individual avatars or groups of avatars.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, including the further step of filtering avatar commands against said permissions and preventing performance of avatar commands which are not permitted under said metadata identifier.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, including the further step of tracking an item through said stored metadata identifier.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, including the further step of removing said metadata identifier from storage.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said metadata identifier is removed from storage upon a specified expiration time or duration.

8. A virtual universe system comprising:

a designation memory containing a metadata identifier for an item that is dropped and left at a location in the virtual universe by a designating avatar, said metadata identifier comprising a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), an owner, a location, and at least one permission for one or more designated avatars to pick-up and add said item that is dropped and left by said designating avatar to an inventory of one of said one or more designated avatars,

means for comparing an avatar command by said one or more designated avatars to add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars with said at least one permission in said designation memory and providing a comparison result, and

means for causing performance of said avatar command by said one or more designated avatars to add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars based on said comparison result, said means for causing performance of said avatar command allowing only said one or more designated avatars, when said one or more designated avatars is at said location and when said item is not already picked-up, to pick-up and add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars,

wherein said designating avatar is different from said one or more designated avatars.

9. The virtual universe system as recited in claim 8, wherein said designation memory comprises additional metadata fields in metadata storage for said item in said virtual universe.

10. The virtual universe system as recited in claim 8, wherein said metadata identifier further includes notification metadata specific to an avatar.

11. The virtual universe system as recited in claim 8, further including:

an interface for specifying information for fields of said metadata identifier.

12. The virtual universe system as recited in claim 8, further including

means for comparing an identification of an avatar to at least one of a subscriber list and an allowed list/blocked list for granting or denying access to said designation memory for storage of said metadata identifier.

13. The virtual universe system as recited in claim 8, wherein said metadata identifier includes an expiration time or duration for said metadata identifier.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions for a data processing apparatus, said program instructions, when run on said data processing apparatus, causing said data processing apparatus to perform steps of:

permitting a designating avatar to drop and leave an item at a location in a virtual universe used by a plurality of users;

storing a metadata identifier corresponding to said item in a designation memory, said metadata identifier including at least one permission for one or more designated avatars to pick-up and add said item that is dropped and left by said designating avatar to an inventory of one of said one or more designated avatars;

generating a notification for said one or more designated users upon or after storing said metadata identifier corresponding to said item in said designation memory, said notification informing said one or more designated users of said at least one permission to pick-up and add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars; and

causing performance of an avatar command by said one or more designated avatars to add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars based on a comparison of said avatar command with said at least one permission of said metadata identifier in said designation memory, said causing step including allowing only said one or more designated avatars, when said one or more designated avatars is at said location and when said item is not already picked-up, to pick-up and add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars,

wherein said designating avatar is different from said one or more designated avatars.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein said program signals cause said data processing apparatus to further perform:

granting or denying authorization to perform said storing a metadata identifier based on comparison of an avatar identification with at least one of a subscriber list or an allowed list/blocked list.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein said program signals cause said data processing apparatus to further perform:

generation of an interface for specifying content of fields of said metadata identifier.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein said program signals cause said data processing apparatus to further perform

comparison of notification specifications in said metadata identifier with user preferences for notification.

18. A method of operating a virtual universe including

configuring a data processing apparatus to include:

a designation memory containing a metadata identifier for an item that is dropped and left at a location in the virtual universe by a designating avatar, said metadata identifier comprising a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), an owner, a location, and at least one permission for one or more designated avatars to pick-up and add said item that is dropped and left by said designating avatar to an inventory of one of said one or more designated avatars; and

a notification generator for notifying one or more users/residents of said virtual universe and corresponding to said one or more designated avatars upon or after storage of said at least one permission of said metadata identifier in said designation memory, said notification informing said one or more users/residents of said at least one permission to pick-up and add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars,

wherein said at least one permission allows only said one or more designated avatars, when said one or more designated avatars is at said location and when said item is not already picked-up, to pick-up and add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars, and

wherein said designating avatar is different from said one or more designated avatars.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said method further configures said data processing apparatus to include

an interface for specifying fields of said metadata identifier for storage in said designation memory.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said method further configures said data processing apparatus to include:

additional fields in metadata storage corresponding to said item for storing said metadata identifier.

21. A method of operating a virtual universe system on a plurality of networked data processors, said method comprising a step of:

configuring at least one data processor of said plurality of data processors to provide;

a designation memory containing a metadata identifier for an item that is dropped and left at a location in the virtual universe by a designating avatar, said metadata identifier comprising a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), an owner, a location, and at least one permission for one or more designated avatars to pick-up and add said item that is dropped and left by said designating avatar to an inventory of one of said one or more designated avatars,

means for comparing an avatar command by said one or more designated avatars to add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars with said at least one permission in said metadata identifier and providing a comparison result, and

means for causing performance of said avatar command by said one or more designated avatars to add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars based on said comparison result, said means for causing performance of said avatar command allowing only said one or more designated avatars, when said one or more designated avatars is at said location and when said item is not already picked-up, to pick-up and add said item to said inventory of said one of said one or more designated avatars,

wherein said designating avatar is different from said one or more designated avatars.