Reporting a participant loss in a virtual world

• US 20060190284A1
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/234,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, the system includes a covered-loss detection module operable to identify an occurrence of a defined loss in a virtual world suffered by a participant of at least two participants (hereafter referred to as “the participant”) that participate in the virtual world. The defined loss is described in a risk management agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world. The system also includes a claims module operable to send a signal indicative of the occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a covered-loss detection module operable to identify an occurrence of a defined loss in a virtual world suffered by a participant of at least two participants (hereafter referred to as “

the participant”

) that participate in the virtual world, the defined loss being described in a risk management agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world; and

a claims module operable to send a signal indicative of the occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the covered-loss detection module further includes an event-tracking module operable to monitor the virtual world for an occurrence of a loss in the virtual world suffered by the participant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the claims module includes a claims module operable to receive a benefit claim corresponding to the occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the claims module includes a claims module operable to approve a benefit claim corresponding to the occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

5. A system comprising:

a computing system couplable to a network;

an overseer module operable to monitor a virtual world for an occurrence of a loss defined in an agreement, the virtual world including a virtual world configured to interact with at least two participants via a network, and the agreement including an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant of the at least two participants (hereafter referred to as “

the participant”

) upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world; and

a reporting module operable to transmit via the network a signal indicative of a monitored occurrence of a loss defined in the agreement.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a claims module operable to respond to an inquiry corresponding to the monitored occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

7. A method comprising:

monitoring a virtual world operable to interact with a participant over a network; and

transmitting a reporting signal indicative of an identified occurrence of a protected loss in the virtual world suffered by the participant.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the protected loss includes a protected loss described in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to the participant upon the participant suffering an occurrence of the protected loss in the virtual world.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring the virtual world for the occurrence of a protected loss.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

responding to a benefit claim corresponding to a purported occurrence of a protected loss suffered by the participant in the virtual world based at least in part on the identified occurrence of a protected loss in the virtual world.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

(a) program instructions operable to perform a process in a computer system, the process comprising

monitoring a virtual world configured to interact with at least two participants over a network for an occurrence of a loss defined in an agreement, the agreement including an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant of the at least two participants (hereafter referred to as “

the participant”

) upon an occurrence of the defined loss in the virtual world, and

transmitting a signal indicative of a monitored occurrence of a loss defined in the agreement; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the program instructions.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process of the program instructions further comprises:

operating the virtual world.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process of the program instructions further comprises:

operating the protection entity.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process of the program instructions further comprises:

responding to an inquiry corresponding to a monitored occurrence of a defined loss in the virtual world.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a communication medium.

17. An article comprising:

a computer-readable signal-bearing medium; and

a signal borne by the computer-readable signal-bearing medium, indicative of a detected occurrence of a defined loss described in an agreement, and generated in response to

monitoring a virtual world for an occurrence of the defined loss, the virtual world including a virtual world operable to interact with a plurality of participants over a network, and the agreement including an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant upon an occurrence of the defined loss by the participant in the virtual world in exchange for a consideration.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes at least a portion of a digital network physical transmission medium.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes at least a portion of a digital network wireless transmission medium.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer-readable signal-bearing medium.