Initiate events through hidden interactions

• US 9,259,648 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Hoomani, Cyrus, Crocker, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsai, James T
• Application Number:
  US13/769,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/757
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

System, method, and computer program product to trigger events in a virtual environment, by monitoring a communication in the virtual environment between at least a first user represented by a first avatar and a second user represented by a second avatar, the communication having an explicit meaning to the first and second users, determining whether the communication is predefined as a trigger associated with a corresponding event based on the communication having a secondary meaning not discernible from the explicit meaning, and upon determining that the communication is predefined as the trigger, triggering the corresponding event in the virtual environment.

Claims

1. A method to trigger events in a virtual environment, comprising:

defining a plurality of associations between each of a plurality of triggers and a respective event, of a plurality of events, wherein the plurality of associations comprise;

(i) predefined associations, (ii) associations dynamically generated responsive to detecting a new trigger, and (iii) user-defined associations;

monitoring a gesture in the virtual environment between at least a first user represented by a first avatar and a second user represented by a second avatar, the gesture having an explicit meaning to the first and second users;

determining that the gesture has a predefined meaning by;

monitoring communications between the first and second users;

computing an interaction score based on the monitored communications; and

determining that the interaction score exceeds a relationship threshold;

determining that the gesture is defined as a first trigger, of the plurality of triggers, based on the gesture having a predefined meaning;

identifying a first association, of the plurality of associations, between the first trigger and a first event, of the plurality of events;

triggering the first event in the virtual environment based on the first association;

detecting the new trigger; and

dynamically defining a new association, of the plurality of associations, between the new trigger and at least one of the plurality of events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gesture comprises a gesture from one of the first avatar and the second avatar to the remaining one of the first avatar and the second avatar.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first event can only be invoked in the virtual environment by occurrence of the gesture, wherein the relationship threshold indicates a relationship between the first and second users.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first event is triggered by a virtual world application, wherein the virtual world application is configured to individually trigger each event selected from:

(i) a second event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined activity in which the first user and the second user participate;

(ii) a third event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined group activity in which the first user, the second user, and a third user participate, wherein the third user is invited responsive to user input from at least one of the first user and the second user;

(iii) a fourth event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined graphical effect; and

(iv) a fifth event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined audio effect.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first event is further triggered upon determining that the first avatar and the second avatar are in a predefined location in the virtual environment, wherein the predefined location is specific to the first event, wherein the predefined location is specified in the first association, wherein the second event is triggered upon determining the first avatar and the second avatar are in a second predefined location in the virtual environment, wherein the second predefined location is specified in a second association, of the plurality of associations, wherein the second event is different from the first event, wherein the second predefined location is different from the predefined location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the virtual world application is configured to determine that the gesture is defined as the first trigger based further on each of a plurality of gesture properties selected from:

(i) a first gesture property comprising a length of time of the gesture;

(ii) a second gesture property comprising a number of previous gestures between the first user and the second user;

(iii) a third gesture property comprising a user-specified condition indicating when to trigger the event; and

(iv) a fourth gesture property comprising a gesture type selected from a plurality of different gesture types.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual world application is configured to trigger events based individually on each of a plurality of event characteristics selected from:

(i) a first event characteristic comprising a user-defined event associated with the gesture;

(ii) a second event characteristic comprising a location of the first avatar and the second avatar in the virtual environment; and

(iii) a third event characteristic comprising a number of avatars participating in the gesture.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the virtual world application is configured to determine that the gesture is defined as the first trigger further based on each of a plurality of user characteristics stored in a user profile, the plurality of user characteristics comprising:

(i) a first user characteristic comprising an age of the user;

(ii) a second user characteristic comprising a gender of the user;

(iii) a third user characteristic comprising an affiliation of the user;

(iv) a fourth user characteristic comprising a hobby of the user;

(v) a fifth user characteristic comprising a skill level of the user;

(vi) a sixth user characteristic comprising an indication of time spent in the virtual environment;

(vii) a seventh user characteristic comprising a count of completed objectives in the virtual environment; and

(viii) an eighth user characteristic comprising a predefined friendship between the first user and the second user.

9. A computer program product to trigger events in a virtual environment, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code executable by a processor to perform an operation comprising;

defining a plurality of associations between each of a plurality of triggers and a respective event, of a plurality of events, wherein the plurality of associations comprise;

(i) predefined associations, (ii) associations dynamically generated responsive to detecting a new trigger, and (iii) user-defined associations;

monitoring a gesture in the virtual environment between at least a first user represented by a first avatar and a second user represented by a second avatar, the gesture having an explicit meaning to the first and second users;

determining that the gesture has a predefined meaning by;

monitoring communications between the first and second users;

computing an interaction score based on the monitored communications; and

determining that the interaction score exceeds a relationship threshold;

determining that the gesture is defined as a first trigger, of the plurality of triggers, based on the gesture having a predefined meaning;

identifying a first association, of the plurality of associations, between the first trigger and a first event, of the plurality of events;

triggering the first event in the virtual environment based on the first association;

detecting the new trigger; and

dynamically defining a new association, of the plurality of associations, between the new trigger and at least one of the plurality of events.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the gesture comprises a gesture from one of the first avatar and the second avatar to the remaining one of the first avatar and the second avatar.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first event can only be invoked in the virtual environment by occurrence of the gesture, wherein the

relationship threshold indicates a relationship between the first and second users.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first event is triggered by a virtual world application, wherein the virtual world application is configured to individually trigger each event selected from:

(i) a second event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined activity in which the first user and the second user participate;

(ii) a third event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined group activity in which the first user, the second user, and a third user participate, wherein the third user is invited responsive to user input from at least one of the first user and the second user;

(iii) a fourth event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined graphical effect; and

(iv) a fifth event of the plurality of events comprising a predefined audio effect.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the first event is further triggered upon determining that the first avatar and the second avatar are in a predefined location in the virtual environment, wherein the predefined location is specific to the first event, wherein the predefined location is specified in the first association, wherein the second event is triggered upon determining the first avatar and the second avatar are in a second predefined location in the virtual environment, wherein the second predefined location is specified in a second association, of the plurality of associations, wherein the second event is different from the first event, wherein the second predefined location is different from the predefined location.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the virtual world application is configured to determine that the gesture is defined as the first trigger based further on each of a plurality of gesture properties selected from:

(i) a first gesture property comprising a length of time of the gesture;

(ii) a second gesture property comprising a number of previous gestures between the first user and the second user;

(iii) a third gesture property comprising a user-specified condition indicating when to trigger the event; and

(iv) a fourth gesture property comprising a gesture type selected from a plurality of different gesture types.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the virtual world application is configured to trigger events based individually on each of a plurality of event characteristics selected from:

(i) a first event characteristic comprising a user-defined event associated with the gesture;

(ii) a second event characteristic comprising a location of the first avatar and the second avatar in the virtual environment; and

(iii) a third event characteristic comprising a number of avatars participating in the gesture.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the virtual world application is configured to determine that the gesture is defined as the first trigger further based on each of a plurality of user characteristics stored in a user profile, the plurality of user characteristics comprising:

(i) a first user characteristic comprising an age of the user;

(ii) a second user characteristic comprising a gender of the user;

(iii) a third user characteristic comprising an affiliation of the user;

(iv) a fourth user characteristic comprising a hobby of the user;

(v) a fifth user characteristic comprising a skill level of the user;

(vi) a sixth user characteristic comprising an indication of time spent in the virtual environment;

(vii) a seventh user characteristic comprising a count of completed objectives in the virtual environment; and

(viii) an eighth user characteristic comprising a predefined friendship between the first user and the second user.

17. A system, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory containing a program, which when executed by the one or more computer processors, performs an operation to trigger events in a virtual environment, the operation comprising;

defining a plurality of associations between each of a plurality of triggers and a respective event, of a plurality of events, wherein the plurality of associations comprise;

(i) predefined associations, (ii) associations dynamically generated responsive to detecting a new trigger, and (iii) user-defined associations;

monitoring a gesture in the virtual environment between at least a first user represented by a first avatar and a second user represented by a second avatar, the gesture having an explicit meaning to the first and second users;

determining that the gesture has a predefined meaning by;

monitoring communications between the first and second users;

computing an interaction score based on the monitored communications; and

determining that the interaction score exceeds a relationship threshold;

determining that the gesture is defined as a first trigger, of the plurality of triggers, based on the gesture having a predefined meaning;

identifying a first association, of the plurality of associations, between the first trigger and a first event, of the plurality of events;

triggering the first event in the virtual environment based on the first association;

detecting the new trigger; and

dynamically defining a new association, of the plurality of associations, between the new trigger and at least one of the plurality of events.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the gesture comprises a gesture from one of the first avatar and the second avatar to the remaining one of the first avatar and the second avatar.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first event can only be invoked in the virtual environment by occurrence of the gesture, wherein the relationship threshold indicates a relationship between the first and second users.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the virtual world application is configured to determine that the gesture is defined as the first trigger based further on each of a plurality of gesture properties selected from:

(i) a first gesture property comprising a length of time of the gesture;

(ii) a second gesture property comprising a number of previous gestures between the first user and the second user;

(iii) a third gesture property comprising a user-specified condition indicating when to trigger the event; and

(iv) a fourth gesture property comprising a gesture type selected from a plurality of different gesture types.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first event is further triggered upon determining that the first avatar and the second avatar are in a predefined location in the virtual environment, wherein the predefined location is specific to the first event, wherein the predefined location is specified in the first association, wherein the second event is triggered upon determining the first avatar and the second avatar are in a second predefined location in the virtual environment, wherein the second predefined location is specified in a second association, of the plurality of associations, wherein the second event is different from the first event, wherein the second predefined location is different from the predefined location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual world application is configured to determine that the gesture is defined as the first trigger based further on each of a plurality of gesture properties selected from:

(i) a first gesture property comprising a length of time of the gesture;

(ii) a second gesture property comprising a number of previous gestures between the first user and the second user;

(iii) a third gesture property comprising a user-specified condition indicating when to trigger the event; and

(iv) a fourth gesture property comprising a gesture type selected from a plurality of different gesture types.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the virtual world application is configured to trigger events based individually on each of a plurality of event characteristics selected from:

(i) a first event characteristic comprising a user-defined event associated with the gesture;

(ii) a second event characteristic comprising a location of the first avatar and the second avatar in the virtual environment; and

(iii) a third event characteristic comprising a number of avatars participating in the gesture.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the virtual world application is configured to determine that the gesture is defined as the first trigger further based on each of a plurality of user characteristics stored in a user profile, the plurality of user characteristics comprising:

(i) a first user characteristic comprising an age of the user;

(ii) a second user characteristic comprising a gender of the user;

(iii) a third user characteristic comprising an affiliation of the user;

(iv) a fourth user characteristic comprising a hobby of the user;

(v) a fifth user characteristic comprising a skill level of the user;

(vi) a sixth user characteristic comprising an indication of time spent in the virtual environment;

(vii) a seventh user characteristic comprising a count of completed objectives in the virtual environment; and

(viii) an eighth user characteristic comprising a predefined friendship between the first user and the second user.