SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC MULTI-CONTENT CARDS

• US 20100138740A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Seaman, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method and system is provided for creation and distribution of dynamic multi-content cards in a virtual universe. More specifically, the method creates a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and distribute the card in the VU. Additionally, the system includes a card selection tool configured to create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU) and distribute the card to another resident in the VU.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium being operable to:

create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU); and

distribute the card in the VU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating the card comprises creating a custom card including custom content, wherein the custom content comprises at least one of:

a publication;

a document;

a picture;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

an identification of a social network;

an identification of avatars in the social network;

a link to the custom content; and

a VU teleportation link.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising saving the custom card in a database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating the card comprises providing one of a base card and a saved card.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the providing the saved card comprises providing a list of saved cards stored in a memory storage.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising creating an edited card by at least one of adding content to the base card or the saved card and deleting the content from the base card or the saved card.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the content comprises at least one of:

a publication;

a document;

a picture;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

an identification of a social network;

an identification of avatars in the social network;

a link to the custom content; and

a VU teleportation link.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising saving the edited card in a memory storage.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding at least one of features and controls to the card.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one of features and controls comprise:

an accessibility feature;

a visual content indicator;

an embedded distribution control;

a connected-card control;

a disconnected-card control;

an intra-card communication control; and

an immersive VU feature.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising suggesting the card based on at least one of a giving avatar'"'"'s context and a receiving avatar'"'"'s context.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of compressing the card and uploading the card to a VU server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of:

a document;

a picture;

a publication;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

business contact information;

personal contact information;

a logo;

an organization name;

a user'"'"'s image; and

the user'"'"'s avatar'"'"'s image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

16. A system, comprising:

a card selection tool configured to;

create a card containing contact information for viewing in a virtual universe (VU); and

distribute the card to another resident in the VU.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a card suggestion tool configured to:

detect at least one of a giving avatar'"'"'s context and a receiving avatar'"'"'s context; and

suggest the card based on the at least one of the giving avatar'"'"'s context and the receiving avatar'"'"'s context.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a compression tool configured to compress the card for viewing in the VU.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising an accessibility detection tool configured to:

detect an accessibility need of a receiving avatar; and

configure the card to aid the receiving avatar with the accessibility need.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is operable on software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

22. 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:

create a card for distributing in a virtual universe (VU); and

distribute the card in the VU,

wherein the at least one component operable to create the card comprises at least one of;

the at least one component operable to provide for a selection of one of a base card and a saved card; and

the at least one component operable to build a custom card including custom content, wherein the custom content comprises at least one of;

a publication;

a document;

a picture;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

an identification of a social network;

an identification of avatars in the social network;

a link to the custom content; and

a VU teleportation link.

23. A method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

create a card containing contact information for distributing in a virtual universe (VU); and

distribute the card in the VU, wherein the contact information comprises at least one of;

a document;

a picture;

a publication;

a caricature;

an animation;

audio content;

video content;

a phone number;

an address;

an avatar name;

a user name;

business contact information;

personal contact information;

a logo;

an organization name;

a user'"'"'s image; and

the user'"'"'s avatar'"'"'s image.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein steps of claim 23 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.