TRANSACTION METHOD IN 3D VIRTUAL SPACE, PROGRAM PRODUCT AND SERVER SYSTEM

• US 20090138943A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kawanaka, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A method for carrying out a secure transaction in a 3D virtual space is desired from both an administrator side operating a facility and a user side. It is also desired to solve the problems such as the confidentiality of a transaction in the 3D virtual space and a phishing scam. In the present invention, a copy space of an original space of a facility in the 3D virtual space is created. Since only avatars permitted to enter the copy space can enter the copy space, a secure transaction can be carried out between the facility and a user avatar.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a transaction, in at least one server system connected to at least one client system through a computer network, between a first avatar associated with a user of said client system in a 3D virtual space provided by said server system and a facility provided by said server system, the method comprising the steps of:

allowing said server system to send said client system, in response to receiving a user request from said client system to permit said first avatar to enter said facility, object data and first avatar data for a space within the requested facility (hereinafter called the original space of the facility), and if necessary, second avatar data associated with said facility stored in a storage device of said server system;

allowing said server system to confirm, in response to receiving a user request from said client system to copy said original space of the facility in order to generate a copy space of said facility, whether said first avatar and said second avatar can enter said copy space according to an access right list for said copy space of said facility stored in said storage device; and

allowing, if they can enter, said server system to send said client system said object data, said first avatar data, and said second avatar data for said copy space of said facility stored in said storage device of said server system,

wherein said first avatar and said second avatar can conduct a transaction in said copy space of said facility.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving a user request from said client system to confirm if said facility or said server system providing said facility is authentic.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said access right list includes approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with said first avatar, and approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with said second avatar.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of allowing said server system to delete, from said storage device, said object data, said first avatar data, and said second avatar data for said copy space of said facility in response to the fact that said first avatar exits said facility in said copy space of said facility or in response to receiving a user request from said client system to return from said copy space to said original space.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said object data for said original space of said facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for said object, and avatar data for the original space of the facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for the avatar, and

said object data for said copy space of said facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for said object, and said avatar data for said copy space of said facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for said avatar.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of allowing said server system to confirm, in response to receiving a second user request from another client system to permit a third avatar associated with the first avatar to enter said copy space of said facility, whether said third avatar can enter said copy space of said facility according to an access right list for said copy space stored in said storage device; and

a step of allowing said server system to send the other client system, if said third avatar can enter said copy space of said facility, said object data, said first avatar data, said second avatar data, and said third avatar data for said copy space of said facility stored in said storage device of said server system, and further send said one client system third avatar data for said copy space of the facility.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said copy space of said facility is displayed on a display device connected to said client system together with said original space of said facility, and the display of said copy space of said facility or the display of said original space of said facility displayed on said display device can be selected to enable switching of a focused space.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second avatar is displayed both in said copy space of said facility and in said original space of said facility displayed on said display device connected to said client system so that said second avatar can communicate with the first avatar in the focused space by switching said focused space.

16. A program product for causing at least one server system connected to at least one client system through a computer network to conduct a transaction between a first avatar associated with a user of the client system in a 3D virtual space provided by the server system and a facility provided by the server system, the program product allowing the server system to execute the steps according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

9. A server system including of at least one server system connected to at least one client system through a computer network to carry out a transaction between a first avatar associated with a user of the client system and a facility provided by the server system in a 3D virtual space provided by the server system, the server system comprising:

means for sending said client system, in response to receiving a user request from said client system to permit said first avatar to enter said facility, object data and first avatar data for a space within the requested facility (hereinafter called the original space of the facility), and if necessary, second avatar data associated with said facility;

means for confirming, in response to receiving a user request from said client system to copy said original space of the facility in order to generate a copy space, whether said first avatar and said second avatar can enter said copy space according to an access right list for the copy space of the facility;

means for sending said client system, if they can enter, said object data, said first avatar data, and said second avatar data for said copy space of the facility; and

a storage device for storing said object data, said first avatar data, and said second avatar data for said original space of the facility, said object data, said first avatar data, and said second avatar data for said copy space of the facility, and said access right list for said copy space of the facility,

wherein said first avatar and said second avatar can conduct a transaction in said copy space of the facility.

10. The server system according to claim 9, further comprising means for receiving a user request from said client system to confirm if said facility or said server system providing said facility is authentic.

11. The server system according to claim 9, wherein said access right list includes approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with said first avatar, and approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with said second avatar.

12. The server system according to claim 9, further comprising means for deleting, from said storage device, said object data, said first avatar data, and said second avatar data for said copy space of said facility.

13. The server system according to claim 9, wherein

said object data for the original space of the facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for said object, and avatar data for said original space of the facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for said avatar, and

said object data for said copy space of the facility includes an object number associated with each object and position and direction data for said object, and avatar data for said copy space of the facility includes an avatar number associated with each avatar and position and direction data for said avatar.

14. The server system according to claim 9, wherein said storage device further stores third avatar data associated with said first avatar for said original space of the facility and third avatar data for said copy space of the facility, and said access right list further includes approved operation items and disapproved operation items associated with said third avatar.

15. The server system according to claim 14, further comprising means for displaying, if said third avatar can enter said copy space of said facility created by said first avatar according to said access right list, said third avatar in said copy space of the facility on the display device connected to said client system.