Mapping transactions between the real world and a virtual world

• US 9,373,137 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bokor, Brian Ronald, Smith, Andrew Bryan, Haggar, Peter Frederick, House, Daniel Edward, Nicol, William Bruce II
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilder, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US12/419,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/28, 705/27.2, 702/188, 707/102, 707/949, 345/568, 345/473, 718/1, 463/31, 715/706
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A method for mapping transactions between a real world and a virtual world may include receiving information associated with a real world item at a virtual business object (VBO) controller. Information associated with a user is received at the VBO controller. In response to receiving by the VBO controller a decision to buy the real world item, the VBO controller generates a VBO, which includes the information associated with the real world item. In response to receiving at the VBO controller a decision not to buy the real world item, the VBO controller generates a VBO light, which includes the information associated with the real world item. Either the generated VBO or the VBO light is transmitted to a VBO inventory database associated with the user based on the user'"'"'s information.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for mapping transactions between a real world and a virtual world, comprising:

receiving information associated with a first real world item and a second real world item at a virtual business object (VBO) controller on a computer system;

receiving information associated with a user at the VBO controller;

generating by the VBO controller a VBO comprising the information associated with the first real world item in response to receiving by the VBO controller a decision by the user to buy the first real world item, wherein the VBO is at least a virtual image of the first real world item;

generating by the VBO controller a VBO light comprising the information associated with the second real world item in response to receiving at the VBO controller a decision by the user not to buy the second real world item, wherein the VBO light is at least a virtual image of the second real world item;

transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to a VBO inventory database associated with the user based on the user'"'"'s information; and

displaying on a graphical user interface of a display the virtual world of an avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user, wherein the graphical user interface displays one of the VBO and the VBO light.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the VBO light is generated by the VBO controller further in response to receiving a decision at the VBO controller to store information associated with the second real world item for later access.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the first and second real world items at the VBO controller comprises receiving at the VBO controller the first and second real world items information from one of a virtual world store and a real world store sales, wherein the first and second real world item information comprises information about the first and second real world item needed to generate one of the VBO and the VBO light.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the user at the VBO controller comprises receiving at the VBO controller the user'"'"'s information from one of a communications device associated with the user and a real world store, wherein the user'"'"'s information comprises information about the user needed to transmit one of the VBO and VBO light to the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the user'"'"'s information comprises at least one of a name, an address, and an identification number.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein one of the VBO and the VBO light generated by the VBO controller comprises at least one of:

specifications of the first or second real world item;

features of the first or second real world item;

at least one manual associated with the first or second real world item;

a sales receipt including details of the purchase of the first or second real world item;

post-sale information of the first or second real world item;

warranty information of the first or second real world item; and

store information where the first or second real world item was purchased.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing access to information associated with one of the VBO and the VBO light in the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to the VBO inventory database associated with the user comprises transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to one of:

the virtual world of the avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user; and

a mobile inventory; and

a communications device of the user.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring product and service information related to the first and second real world items to determine if any new updates exist; and

updating in the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database one of the VBO and the VBO light based on any new updates.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the first and second real world items at the VBO controller comprises receiving an identification (ID) of the first or second real world item at the VBO controller.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein receiving the identification (ID) of the first or second real world item at the VBO controller comprises at least one of:

receiving the item ID captured through an image capturing device;

receiving the item ID through the Internet; and

receiving the item ID from a communication device of the user.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising determining the first or second real world items information based on the item ID.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising associating at least one store ID with the VBO light.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if a store which is associated with the item ID has any predefined settings for the user; and

retrieving the predefined settings from a database in response to determining that the store has predefined settings for the user, wherein transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to the VBO inventory database comprises transmitting one of the VBO and the VBO light to the VBO inventory database in accordance with any predefined settings.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to retrieve one of the VBO and the VBO light associated with the first and second real world items from the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database;

receiving information associated with the one of the VBO and the VBO light from the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database; and

presenting the information associated with the one of the VBO and the VBO light to the user.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating one of the VBO and the VBO light comprises:

receiving input data at the VBO controller;

receiving item properties and extension points at the VBO controller; and

generating one of a customized VBO, a customized VBO light, a VBO list, and an inventory VBO based on the input data at the VBO controller.

17. A system for mapping transactions between a real world and a virtual world, comprising:

a processor; and

a VBO controller operable on the processor, wherein the VBO controller comprises at least one module to;

receive information associated with a first real world item and a second real world item;

receive information associated with a user;

generate a VBO comprising the information associated with the first real world item in response to a decision by, the user to buy the first real world item, wherein the VBO is at least a virtual image of the first real world item;

generate a VBO light comprising the information associated with the second real world item in response to a decision by the user not to buy the second real world item, wherein the VBO light is at least a virtual image of the second real world item;

transmit one of the VBO and the VBO light to a VBO inventory database associated with the user based on the user'"'"'s information; and

display on a graphical user interface of a display the virtual world of an avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user, wherein the graphical user interface displays one of the VBO and the VBO light.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the VBO controller comprises a module to provide access to the information associated with one of the VBO and the VBO light in the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the VBO controller comprises at least one module to:

receive a request to retrieve one of the VBO and the VBO light associated with the first and second real world items from the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database;

receive information associated with the one of the VBO and the VBO light from the user'"'"'s VBO inventory database; and

present the information associated with the one of the VBO and the VBO light to the user.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the VBO and the VBO light generated by the VBO controller comprises at least one of:

specifications of the first or second real world item;

features of the first or second real world item;

at least one manual associated with the first or second real world item;

a sales receipt including details of the purchase of the first or second real world item;

post-sale information of the first or second real world item;

warranty information of the first or second real world item; and

store information where the first or second real world item was purchased.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith for mapping transactions between a real world and a virtual world, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive information associated with a first real world item and a second real world item at a virtual business object (VBO) controller on a computer system;

computer usable program code configured to receive information associated with a user at the VBO controller;

computer usable program code configured to generate a VBO comprising the information associated with the first real world item in response to a decision by the user to buy the first real world item, wherein the VBO is at least a virtual image of the first real world item;

computer usable program code configured to generate a VBO light comprising the information associated with second real world item in response to a decision by the user not to buy the second real world item, wherein the VBO light is at least a virtual image of the second real world item;

computer usable program code configured to transmit one of the VBO and the VBO light to an inventory associated with the user based on the user'"'"'s information; and

computer usable program code configured to display on a graphical user interface of a display the virtual world of an avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user, wherein the graphical user interface displays one of the VBO and the VBO light.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising computer usable program code configured to provide access to the information associated with one of the VBO and the VBO light in the user'"'"'s inventory.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer usable program code configured to transmit one of the VBO and the VBO light to an inventory associated with the user comprises computer usable program code configured to transmit one of the VBO and the VBO light to one of:

the virtual world of an avatar'"'"'s inventory associated with the user; and

a mobile inventory located on a communications device of the user.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

computer usable program code to receive a request to retrieve one of the VBO and the VBO light associated with the first or second real world item from the user'"'"'s inventory;

computer usable program code to receive information associated with the one of the VBO and the VBO light from the user'"'"'s inventory; and

computer usable program code to present the information associated with the one of the VBO and the VBO light to the user.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21,

wherein the computer usable program code configured to receive information associated with the first and second real world items comprises computer usable program code configured to receive the first or second real world item information from one of a virtual world store and real world store sales system at the VBO controller;

and

wherein the computer usable program code configured to receive information associated with the user comprises computer usable program code configured to receive the user'"'"'s information from one of a communications device associated with the user and real world store at the VBO controller.