Dynamically Displaying Personalized Content in an Immersive Environment

• US 20090115776A1
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bimbra, Surinder S., Bromenshenkel, Derek Lee, Hiebert, Daniel Leonard, Garbow, Zachary Adam
• Granted Patent: US 9,381,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/45452 applied to an object-based stream, e.g. MPEG-4 streams

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method of managing content filters within a three dimensional (3D) immersive environment without compromising the visual and interactive integrity of the environment itself. In one embodiment, content may be selectively filtered by dynamically categorizing content within the immersive environment by tracking baseline avatar patterns. Once a pattern is identified between a given content element (i.e., some element of the environment which an avatar may interact with) and avatar interactions (or lack of interactions) with that content element, a filter may be defined and applied to that content element.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically filtering and displaying personalized content in an immersive virtual environment, comprising:

generating the immersive virtual environment, wherein the immersive virtual environment defines a virtual space configured to allow a plurality of avatars to interact with content elements included in the immersive virtual environment and with one another, and wherein a user profile associated with a first avatar specifies an active tag used to selectively filter at least one of the content elements form the virtual space provided by the immersive virtual environment;

determining a collection of content elements of the immersive virtual environment that are potentially viewable by the first avatar;

for each content element in the collection of content elements, determining whether a given content element should be modified, based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar;

upon determining that the given content element should be modified, modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar; and

displaying the collection of viewable content elements to the first avatar, including displaying any content elements modified based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of content elements are selectively filtered based on actions of avatars either interacting, or not interacting, with one of the collection of content elements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile of the first avatar further specifies a sensitivity threshold used to adjust how aggressively content elements are selectively filtered, based on actions of avatars either interacting, or not interacting with, one of the collection of content elements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises replacing an original content of the content element with an alternate content for the content element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises, removing the given content element from the immersive virtual environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the given content element is an advertisement, and wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises selecting content for the advertisement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the active tag specifies a content rating indicating an age-appropriate viewing level for the first avatar, and wherein one or more content elements of the immersive virtual environment includes a content rating indicating an age-appropriate viewing level for the one or more content elements.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether a given content element should be modified is further based on the content rating associated with the first avatar and content rating associated with the one or more content elements.

9. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for dynamically filtering and displaying personalized content in an immersive virtual environment, the operation comprising:

generating the immersive virtual environment, wherein the immersive virtual environment defines a virtual space configured to allow a plurality of avatars to interact with content elements included in the immersive virtual environment and with one another, and wherein a user profile associated with a first avatar specifies an active tag used to selectively filter at least one of the content elements form the virtual space provided by the immersive virtual environment;

determining a collection of content elements of the immersive virtual environment that are potentially viewable by the first avatar;

for each content element in the collection of content elements, determining whether a given content element should be modified, based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar;

upon determining that the given content element should be modified, modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar; and

displaying the collection of viewable content elements to the first avatar, including displaying any content elements modified based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the collection of content elements are selectively filtered based on actions of avatars either interacting, or not interacting, with one of the collection of content elements.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the user profile of the first avatar further specifies a sensitivity threshold used to adjust how aggressively content elements are selectively filtered, based on actions of avatars either interacting, or not interacting with, one of the collection of content elements.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises replacing an original content of the content element with an alternate content for the content element.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises, removing the given content element from the immersive virtual environment.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the given content element is an advertisement, and wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises selecting content for the advertisement.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the active tag specifies a content rating indicating an age-appropriate viewing level for the first avatar, and wherein one or more content elements of the immersive virtual environment includes a content rating indicating an age-appropriate viewing level for the one or more content elements.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining whether a given content element should be modified is further based on the content rating associated with the first avatar and content rating associated with the one or more content elements.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program configured to provide an immersive virtual environment, which when executed on the processor is configured to;

generate the immersive virtual environment, wherein the immersive virtual environment defines a virtual space configured to allow a plurality of avatars to interact with content elements included in the immersive virtual environment and with one another, and wherein a user profile associated with a first avatar specifies an active tag used to selectively filter at least one of the content elements form the virtual space provided by the immersive virtual environment;

determine a collection of content elements of the immersive virtual environment that are potentially viewable by the first avatar;

for each content element in the collection of content elements, determine whether a given content element should be modified, based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar;

upon determining that the given content element should be modified, modify the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar; and

display the collection of viewable content elements to the first avatar, including displaying any content elements modified based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the collection of content elements are selectively filtered based on actions of avatars either interacting, or not interacting, with one of the collection of content elements.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user profile of the first avatar further specifies a sensitivity threshold used to adjust how aggressively content elements are selectively filtered, based on actions of avatars either interacting, or not interacting with, one of the collection of content elements.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises replacing an original content of the content element with an alternate content for the content element.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises, removing the given content element from the immersive virtual environment.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the given content element is an advertisement, and wherein modifying the given content element based on the active tag specified in the user profile of the first avatar comprises selecting content for the advertisement.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the active tag specifies a content rating indicating an age-appropriate viewing level for the first avatar, and wherein one or more content elements of the immersive virtual environment includes a content rating indicating an age-appropriate viewing level for the one or more content elements.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein determining whether a given content element should be modified is further based on the content rating associated with the first avatar and content rating associated with the one or more content elements.