DYNAMIC VIRTUAL DASHBOARD

• US 20100211890A1
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: CRAGUN, BRIAN J., PETRI, JOHN E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for helping users of virtual worlds and social networking applications to control personal identity data that other users have access to and to determine the type of identity data that users know about each other. Generally, identity awareness records may be used to store the personal identity data that a user has revealed to other users. When the user sends information to another user, personal identity data is mapped to appropriate aliases, depending upon which user is receiving the information. When the user is in the presence of other users, a visual dashboard indicates the types of personal identity information that the user knows about each other user, as well as the types of personal identity information that each other user knows about the user. The visual dashboard may also indicate the types of personal identity information that the other users know about each other.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting identity data to users interacting with one another in a virtual environment, comprising:

receiving a request from a first user to display;

(i) identifying information associated with a second user, and

(ii) identifying information associated with a first user;

determining what elements of a first set of identity data, associated with the first user, that has been previously revealed to the second user;

determining what elements of a second set of identity data, associated with the second user, that has been previously revealed to the first user; and

presenting, to the first user, a visual display of the determined elements from the first set of identity data and the determined elements from the second set of identity data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the first set of identity data that the first user does not know about the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the second set of identity data that the second user does not know about the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first user has initiated a communication disclosing an element from the first set of identity data, in the presence of a third user, wherein the third user does not know the element from the first set of identity data;

intercepting the communication; and

replacing the given element in the communication with an alias of the given element.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication comprises a text-based chat message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a third set of identity data, associated with a third user interacting with at least one of the first and second users in the virtual environment, that has been previously revealed to the first user and the second user;

wherein the visual display further includes a display of elements the determined elements from the third set of identity data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity data reflects a name of the first or second user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity data reflects contact information associated with the first or second user.

9. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for presenting identity data to a first user, comprising:

receiving a request from a first user to display;

(i) identifying information associated with a second user, and

(ii) identifying information associated with a first user;

determining what elements of a first set of identity data, associated with the first user, that has been previously revealed to the second user;

determining what elements of a second set of identity data, associated with the second user, that has been previously revealed to the first user; and

presenting, to the first user, a visual display of the determined elements from the first set of identity data and the determined elements from the second set of identity data.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the first set of identity data that the first user does not know about the second user.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the second set of identity data that the second user does not know about the first user.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises:

determining that the first user has initiated a communication disclosing an element from the first set of identity data, in the presence of a third user, wherein the third user does not know the element from the first set of identity data;

intercepting the communication; and

replacing the given element in the communication with an alias of the given element.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the communication comprises a text-based chat message.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprises:

determining a third set of identity data, associated with a third user interacting with at least one of the first and second users in the virtual environment, that has been previously revealed to the first user and the second user;

wherein the visual display further includes a display of elements the determined elements from the third set of identity data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the identity data reflects a name of the first or second user.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the identity data reflects contact information associated with the first or second user.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which, when executed by the processor, performs an operation for presenting identity data to users interacting with one another in a virtual environment, comprising;

receiving a request from a first user to display;

(i) identifying information associated with a second user, and

(ii) identifying information associated with a first user;

determining what elements of a first set of identity data, associated with the first user, that has been previously revealed to the second user;

determining what elements of a second set of identity data, associated with the second user, that has been previously revealed to the first user; and

presenting, to the first user, a visual display of the determined elements from the first set of identity data and the determined elements from the second set of identity data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the first set of identity data that the first user does not know about the second user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the visual display further includes a display of element types from the second set of identity data that the second user does not know about the first user.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the first user has initiated a communication disclosing an element from the first set of identity data, in the presence of a third user, wherein the third user does not know the element from the first set of identity data;

intercepting the communication; and

replacing the given element in the communication with an alias of the given element.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the communication comprises a text-based chat message.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a third set of identity data, associated with a third user interacting with at least one of the first and second users in the virtual environment, that has been previously revealed to the first user and the second user;

wherein the visual display further includes a display of elements the determined elements from the third set of identity data.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the identity data reflects a name of the first or second user.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the identity data reflects contact information associated with the first or second user.