Real-world profile data for making virtual world contacts

• US 20090043682A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Malamud, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US12/221,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method and system provides arrangements creating a relationship between a real-world entity and a virtual world environment. A virtual world patron can participate in various virtual world activities and transactions. Feedback may be provided and records kept regarding the virtual world activities and transactions. The virtual world patron may be a possible recipient of a real-world consequence or benefit based on a virtual world occurrence. In some instances confirmation of an awarded real-world benefit may be provided via a communication interconnection. Real-world profile data may be used in connection with promotional activities in a virtual world environment.

Claims

1. A method of making a particular benefit available to a party, comprising:

obtaining profile data relating to one or more current or prospective patrons included in clientele of a real-world entity, wherein the profile data is obtained by the real-world entity or by a third party;

establishing a possible real-world benefit correlated with the profile data that includes individual profile data characteristics for one patron as well as common profile data characteristics for a group of patrons; and

making an arrangement for the possible real-world benefit to be made available to the clientele in connection with the clientele'"'"'s participation in an individual player and/or a multi-player virtual world environment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining profile data includes:

obtaining real-world profile data regarding a purchase by the clientele of a type of product or service from the real-world entity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining profile data includes;

obtaining real-world profile data regarding demographics of the clientele.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said making the arrangement includes:

making the arrangement with one or more of the following parties;

virtual world owner, virtual world operator, player, character, real-world third party, participant, group, entity with virtual world oversight, entity designated by clientele, parent of clientele, oversight authority, supervisory entity, certification entity, and entity with relationship to clientele.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said making the arrangement includes:

making the possible real-world benefit available to an individual patron and/or to a group of patrons within a program incorporated in the virtual world environment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said making the arrangement includes:

making the possible real-world benefit available to an individual patron and/or to a group of patrons within a program operating separately from the virtual world environment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving confirmation of an awarded real-world benefit via a communication interconnection operably coupled to the virtual world environment.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said receiving the award confirmation data includes:

receiving award confirmation data from the virtual world environment using one or more of the following communication interconnection techniques;

wireless transmission, cable, wired connection, telephonic transmission, email, virtual world storage media, virtual world database, virtual world website, mobile memory device, public database, shared database, hardcopy delivery, private storage medium, company storage medium, public storage medium, encoded message, deferred transmission, aggregated transmission, store-and-forward transmission, cached transmission, point-to-point transmission, direct transmission, broadcast, and business data interchange.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said making the arrangement includes:

making two or more different real-world benefits available to the clientele; and

allowing an individual patron or group of patrons to make a selection from among the two or more different real-world benefits in accordance with correlation guidelines.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing the real-world benefit includes:

establishing the real-world benefit that is capable of transfer from an original recipient to another real-world or virtual world party.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining the profile data includes:

obtaining one or more of the following type of real-world relevant factors applicable to the clientele;

membership, affiliation, subscription, affinity, similarity, demography, categorization, taxonomy, status, condition, health, mobility, communication interface, network linkage, skill, experience, aptitude, trait, personality, characteristics, interests, and relationships.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said establishing the possible real-world benefit includes:

correlating the possible real-world benefit based at least in part on establishing the patron'"'"'s nexus with one or more of the aforesaid type of real-world relevant factors.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said establishing the possible real-world benefit available includes:

correlating the possible real-world benefit based at least in part on establishing the patron'"'"'s non-involvement or void with respect to one or more of the aforesaid type of real-world relevant factors.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining profile data includes:

obtaining information regarding one or more of the following real-world profile data elements related to the one patron or the group of patrons;

account, calendar date, item, product, apparatus, service, vehicle, and communication device; and

wherein said making the arrangement includes correlating the possible real-world benefit based at least in part on determining an attribute or value of an aforesaid real-world profile data element.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said correlating the possible real-world benefit includes:

establishing a category or type or brand or source or location or specific identity of the one or more real-world aforesaid profile data elements.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining profile data includes:

obtaining information regarding one or more of the following real-world profile data elements related to the one patron or group of patrons;

account, calendar date, item, product, apparatus, service, vehicle, and communication device; and

wherein said making the arrangement includes correlating the possible real-world benefit based at least in part on determining an existence or non-existence of an aforesaid real-world profile data element.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said making the arrangement includes:

confirming a schedule for making the possible real-world benefit available in the virtual world environment, wherein the schedule is set or established by one or more of the following;

real-world entity, agent of real-world entity, third party, virtual world owner, and virtual world operator.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said confirming the schedule includes:

confirming the schedule for making a notification or an award of the possible real-world benefit to the one patron or group of patrons.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said confirming the schedule includes:

confirming a real-world time of day or real-world calendar schedule for making the possible real-world benefit available in the virtual world environment.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said confirming the schedule includes:

confirming a virtual world setting or activity or topic or event for making the possible real-world benefit available in the virtual world environment.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein said confirming the schedule includes:

confirming the schedule selected at least in part based on correlation with the profile data.

9-19. -19. (canceled)

33-50. -50. (canceled)

51. A system of making one or more real-world benefits available in a virtual world environment, comprising:

a data record of profile information for clientele that includes one or more current or prospective patrons of a real-world entity, wherein the profile information includes individual profile data characteristics for one patron as well as common profile data characteristics for a group of patrons;

a listing of one or more possible real-world benefits correlated with the profile information and authorized by the real-world entity to be provided to the clientele; and

a program module that includes encoded instructions to implement a process for making the one or more possible real-world benefits available to the clientele in connection with patron participation in a selected individual player and/or multi-player virtual world environment.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein said program module includes:

program instructions for implementing a technique of virtual world notification or award of the one or more real-world benefits to the one patron or group of patrons in the selected virtual world environment, wherein the technique involves a virtual world setting or activity or topic or event or schedule related to the profile information.

53. The system of claim 51 wherein said program module includes:

program instructions for generating an award confirmation to the patron or its associated virtual character.

54. The system of claim 51 wherein said program module includes:

program instructions for generating an award confirmation to the real-world entity that is a provider of the one or more real-world benefits

55. The system of claim 54 further comprising:

a communication interconnection from the selected virtual world environment, and configured to receive and process the award confirmation, wherein the communication interconnection incorporates one or more of the following techniques;

wireless transmission, cable, wired connection, telephonic transmission, email, virtual world storage media, virtual world database, virtual world website, mobile memory device, public database, shared database, hardcopy delivery, personal storage medium, public storage medium, encoded message, deferred transmission, aggregated transmission, store-and-forward transmission, cached transmission, point-to-point transmission, direct transmission, broadcast, and business data interchange.

56. A computer program product comprising:

a) program instructions configured to perform a process that associates information in a computer system, the process including

identifying a clientele of a real-world entity, including identifying one or more current or potential patrons of a real-world entity,

listing real-world profile data obtained by the real-world entity or by a third party, wherein the real-world profile data includes individual profile data characteristics for one patron as well as common profile data characteristics for a group of patrons,

listing one or more possible real-world benefits to be provided by the real-world entity, wherein the possible real-world benefits are correlated with the real-world profile data

making the one or more possible benefits available in connection with patron participation in an individual player and/or a multi-player virtual world environment; and

b) computer readable media for encoding the instructions, which computer readable media includes a storage medium or a transmission medium.

57. The computer program product of claim 56 wherein said process further includes:

providing a virtual world notification or a virtual world award of the one or more real-world benefits to a virtual character associated with the one patron or group of patrons, respectively.

58. The computer program product of claim 56 wherein said process further includes:

generating an award confirmation that is accessible to the real-world entity and/or accessible to the one patron or group of patrons.

59. The computer program product of claim 58 wherein said process feature of generating the award confirmation includes:

encoding the award confirmation on one or more of the following types of records;

flash memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, optical/magnetic memory, disk, card, mobile device, database, volatile memory, permanent memory, local memory, remote memory, in-game inventory, character profile, in-game inventory, character profile, and patron profile.