SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCT TRIALS IN A SIMULATED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100138305A1
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brignull, Michele P., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Sand, Anne R., Seaman, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.660
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method to enable product trials and, in particular, to dynamically collect information relating to the product trials. The system includes a tagging engine configured to tag one or more products, which are part of a product trial in a virtual universe. The system also includes a tracking engine configured to track information on the one or more products via a tag and a storage unit configured to collect the tracked information for marketing and/or advertising purposes.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a tagging engine configured to provide a tag to one or more products, which are part of a product trial in a virtual universe;

a tracking engine configured to track information on the one or more products using the tag; and

a storage unit configured to collect the tracked information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking engine is further configured to track user information on one or more users participating in the product trial and the storage unit is further configured to collect the tracked user information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more products are configured to be modified during the product trial.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the modification includes at least one of upgrading the one or more products, downgrading the one or more products, or changing at least one attribute of the one or more products.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the modification is performed automatically based on one or more preset rules.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tagging engine tags at least one of a user status, a user identifier, a product trial start time, a product trial end time, and product features used during the product trial.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tagging engine and the tracking engine are provided on software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracked information is available on a fee and subscription basis.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag is configured to dynamically collect product usage data and trend data of the one or more products.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag includes at least one of a name value, a product trial start time, a product trial expiration time, modification data, and status data.

11. A computer implemented method for tracking product trials in a virtual universe, comprising:

allowing a product in a virtual universe to be taken on a product trial;

tagging the product with at least one tag;

tracking usage of the product during the product trial via the at least one tag; and

collecting product trial data based on the tracking.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the product trial data includes product information and user information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the product trial data is configured to be used for advertising and/or marketing purposes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tracking occurs throughout multiple virtual universes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of claim 11 are implemented on a combination of software, hardware, or software and hardware.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of claim 11 are offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of claim 11 are at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider as a computer infrastructure.

18. The method of claim 11, comprising the step of:

determining whether the product in the virtual universe is available for the product trial;

creating the product trial by allowing a user to select the product trial or by assigning the product trial to the user;

tagging the product with the at least one tag, which comprises at least one of a user status, a user identifier, a product trial start time, a product trial end time, and product features used during the product trial;

tracking the usage of the product during the product trial via the at least one tag, wherein the tracking includes tracking one or more modifications made to the product during the product trial; and

collecting product trial data based on the tracking, wherein the product trial data is configured to be used for commercial purposes.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

tag a product in a virtual universe using one or more tags, wherein at least one of the one or more tags is indicative of whether the product is part of a product trial;

track usage of the product as part of the product trial via the one or more tags; and

collect data about the product trial and a user taking the product on the product trial, wherein the data is configured to be used for at least one of advertising or marketing purposes.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the product in the product trial is configured to be modified by upgrading the product, downgrading the product, or changing at least one attribute of the product.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer program product is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the steps of claim 19 are offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, comprising at least one component operable to:

determine whether the product in the virtual universe is available for the product trial;

create the product trial by allowing the user to select the product trial or by assigning the product trial to the user;

tag the product with the one or more tags, which comprises at least one of a user status, a user identifier, a product trial start time, a product trial end time, and product features used during the product trial;

track the usage of the product during the product trial via the one or more tags, wherein the tracking includes tracking one or more modifications made to the product during the product trial; and

collect the data about the product trial and use the data for at least one of advertising or marketing purposes.

24. A method for deploying an application for tracking product trials in a virtual universe, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

determine whether to permit a product in a virtual universe to be taken on a product trial;

tag the product in the product trial with at least one tag;

track usage of the product during the product trial via the at least one tag; and

collect product trial data based on the tracked usage.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.