Shared Inventory Item Donation in a Virtual Universe

• US 20090204628A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pickover, Clifford Alan, Bhogal, Kulvir S., Sand, Anne R., Hamilton, Rick Allen II
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for managing donations of shared inventory items in a virtual universe are disclosed. Embodiments of the method may include receiving a request to make available for donation a shared inventory item list that can be borrowed simultaneously by a plurality of users of a virtual universe where the request includes an indication of donation conditions for the donated shared inventory item. Embodiments may also include generating and storing metadata associated with the donated shared inventory item and receiving a request from a plurality of users to borrow the item. Embodiments may include lending the donated shared inventory item to the plurality of borrowing users such that multiple users are borrowing the item simultaneously. Embodiments may also include tracking usage of the donated shared inventory item by the plurality of borrowing users and optionally determining a donation amount resulting from the tracked usage.

Claims

1. A method for managing donations of shared inventory in a virtual universe, the method comprising:

receiving a request to make available for donation a shared inventory item that can be borrowed simultaneously by a plurality of users of a virtual universe, the request including an indication of donation conditions for the donated shared inventory item;

generating and storing metadata associated with the donated shared inventory item;

receiving a request from a plurality of users to borrow the donated shared inventory item;

lending the donated shared inventory item to the plurality of borrowing users such that multiple users are borrowing the donated shared inventory item simultaneously; and

tracking usage of the donated shared inventory item by the plurality of borrowing users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying users of the virtual universe that the donated shared inventory item is available.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a donation amount resulting from the tracked usage of the donated shared inventory item.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting an indication of the determined donation amount to a donee organization associated with the donated shared inventory item.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting:

an indication of the determined donation amount to users who borrowed the donated shared inventory item.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating and transmitting a report based on the determined donation amount.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user for a list of available donated shared inventory items; and

generating a list of donated shared inventory items available to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising before lending the donated shared inventory item to a user, receiving an acceptance of borrowing terms and conditions for the donated shared inventory item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the donated shared inventory item is an open source shared inventory item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein lending the donated shared inventory item comprises permanently lending the donated shared inventory item to at least one of the plurality of borrowing users.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer-useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a series of operations for:

receiving a request to make available for donation a shared inventory item that can be borrowed simultaneously by a plurality of users of a virtual universe, the request including an indication of donation conditions for the donated shared inventory item;

generating and storing metadata associated with the donated shared inventory item;

receiving a request from a plurality of users to borrow the donated shared inventory item;

lending the donated shared inventory item to the plurality of borrowing users such that multiple users are borrowing the donated shared inventory item simultaneously;

tracking usage of the donated shared inventory item by the plurality of borrowing users.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising notifying users of the virtual universe that the donated shared inventory item is available.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising determining a donation amount resulting from the tracked usage of the donated shared inventory item.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising transmitting an indication of the determined donation amount to a donee organization associated with the donated shared inventory item.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising transmitting an indication of the determined donation amount to users who borrowed the donated shared inventory item.

16. A data processing system having a machine-accessible medium storing a plurality of program modules, the system comprising:

a content provider interface module to receive requests to make available for donation one or more shared inventory items that can each be borrowed simultaneously by a plurality of users of a virtual universe, the request including an indication of donation conditions for each donated shared inventory item;

a donor module having a content tagging module to generate and store metadata associated with donated shared inventory items;

a user interface module to receive requests from users to borrow donated shared inventory items;

a user module to lend donated shared inventory items to borrowing users who request particular donated shared inventory items; and

the user module further comprising a tracking module to track usage of the donated shared inventory items by borrowing users and to determine a donation amount resulting from tracked usage of donated shared inventory items.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the user module further determines a donation amount resulting from tracked usage of donated shared inventory items.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the donor module further comprises a donee communication module to transmit indications of determined donation amounts to associated donee organizations.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the donor module further comprises a reporting module to generate and transmit reports based on determined donation amounts.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the user module further comprises a conditions module to determine whether a borrowing user has accepted borrowing terms and conditions for a donated shared inventory item before lending the donated shared inventory item to the user.