Probability adjustment of a virtual world loss event

• US 20090132297A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• 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., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US12/290,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132297A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented system includes a virtual world in which a participant may participate and that includes a loss event having a likelihood of occurrence. The computer-implemented system also includes a record of a protected loss corresponding to the loss event, the protected loss described in an agreement that includes an obligation to provide a benefit to the participant upon an occurrence of the protected loss suffered in the virtual world by the participant. The computer-implemented system further includes a loss event regulator module operable to change the likelihood of occurrence of the loss event in response to the protected loss.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A computer-implemented method comprising:

managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world;

selecting a protected loss corresponding to the at least one loss event, the protected loss described in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant of at least one participant upon an occurrence of the selected protected loss in the virtual world; and

modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least two loss events each respectively having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable temporal rate of occurrence in the virtual world.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable circumstance of occurrence in the virtual world.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence of occurrence in the virtual world.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the protected loss described in an agreement includes:

a protected loss described in a first risk management agreement and in a second risk management agreement.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss includes:

modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss and in response to a projected result of modifying the incidence of the loss event.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss includes:

modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss and in response to a goal corresponding to the protected loss.

51. A computer-implemented system comprising:

means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world;

means for selecting a protected loss corresponding to the at least one loss event, the protected loss described in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant of at least one participant upon an occurrence of the selected protected loss in the virtual world; and

means for modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least two loss events each respectively having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world.

53. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable temporal rate of occurrence in the virtual world.

54. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable circumstance of occurrence in the virtual world.

55. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world further includes:

means for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence of occurrence in the virtual world.

56. The system of claim 51, wherein the protected loss described in an agreement includes:

a protected loss described in a first risk management agreement and in a second risk management agreement.

57. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss includes:

means for modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss and in response to a projected result of modifying the incidence of the loss event.

58. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss includes:

means for modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss and in response to a goal corresponding to the protected loss.

59. A system comprising:

circuitry for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world;

circuitry for selecting a protected loss corresponding to the at least one loss event, the protected loss described in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant of at least one participant upon an occurrence of the selected protected loss in the virtual world; and

circuitry for modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss.

60. A system comprising:

a signal bearing medium bearing;

one or more instructions for managing a virtual world operable to interact with at least one participant over a network and that includes at least one loss event having a modifiable incidence in the virtual world;

one or more instructions for selecting a protected loss corresponding to the at least one loss event, the protected loss described in an agreement that includes an obligation of a protection entity to provide a benefit to a participant of at least one participant upon an occurrence of the selected protected loss in the virtual world; and

one or more instructions for modifying the incidence of the at least one loss event in response to the selected protected loss.