Real-world profile data for making virtual world contacts

• US 20090055246A1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• 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 clientele of a real-world entity;

establishing a possible real-world benefit to be provided by or on behalf of the real-world entity wherein the real-world benefit is correlated with the profile data; 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 a 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 the clientele 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 the clientele within a program operating separately from the virtual world environment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving award confirmation data of an awarded real-world benefit via a communication interconnection medium accessible to the real-world entity.

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.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assenting to one or more virtual world pre-conditions as at least a partial basis for awarding the possible real-world benefit to the clientele or its associated virtual character.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said assenting to the one or more virtual world pre-conditions includes:

delegating authorization to a virtual world owner or operator or other third party to select the one or more virtual world pre-conditions for awarding the possible real-world benefit.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said assenting to the one or more virtual world pre-conditions includes:

establishing one or more virtual world pre-conditions selected by or on behalf of the real-world entity.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said assenting to the one or more virtual world pre-conditions includes:

approving a virtual world pre-condition that is related to the real-world benefit.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said assenting to the one or more virtual world pre-conditions includes:

approving a virtual world pre-condition that is not related to the real-world benefit.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein said assenting to the one or more virtual world pre-conditions includes:

approving a virtual world pre-condition that is related to the profile data.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said assenting to the one or more virtual world pre-conditions includes:

approving a virtual world pre-condition that is not related to the profile data.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

approving a pre-condition as at least a partial basis for awarding the possible real-world benefit to the clientele, which pre-condition includes requiring the clientele to give something of real-world value or virtual world value.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said approving the pre-condition includes:

approving the pre-condition wherein the clientele gives something of real-world or virtual world value to the real-world entity that provides the real-world benefit.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said approving the pre-condition includes:

approving the pre-condition wherein the clientele gives something of real-world or virtual world value to an owner or operator of the virtual world environment.

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

requiring no pre-condition for awarding the real-world benefit to the clientele.

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 the clientele to make a selection from among the two or more different real-world benefits.

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 the clientele to another real-world or virtual world party.

22-50. -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 current or prospective clientele of a real-world entity;

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

a program module that includes encoded instructions to implement a process for making the one or more possible real-world benefits available in connection with participation by the clientele in a selected 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 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 implementing a process that includes one or more virtual world pre-conditions as at least a partial basis for generating an award confirmation to the clientele or its associated virtual character.

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

program instructions implementing a process that includes one or more virtual world pre-conditions as at least a partial basis 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 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 one or more persons that are current or potential patrons of a real-world entity,

listing real-world profile data related to the one or more persons,

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 real-world benefits available in connection with participation by the one or more person in a 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:

implementing one or more virtual world pre-conditions as at least a partial basis for 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 or more persons.

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 or more persons.

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.