CONTROLLING AND USING VIRTUAL UNIVERSE WISH LISTS

• US 20110010270A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Connell, Brian M., Kozloski, James R., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Pickover, Clifford A., Seaman, James W., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.63
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Described herein are processes and devices that control and use virtual universe wish lists. One of the devices described is a virtual wish list device. The virtual wish list device determines an item in a virtual universe that is a desired by an avatar. The virtual wish list device designates the item as a desired item in a wish list. The wish list may be stored in the avatar'"'"'s virtual universe inventory. The wish list device determines details about the desired item, such as whether the item is desired in the virtual universe or in the real world. The wish list device stores the details about the desired item in the wish list. The virtual wish list device may use the details to conduct transactions related to the desired item.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a selection of virtual object in a virtual universe by a first avatar in response to a user input, wherein the first avatar is controlled by a user of the virtual universe, wherein the virtual universe comprises a three-dimensional computer simulated environment where the first avatar represents the user as an inhabitant of the virtual universe, said computer simulated environment controlled by one or more processors, and wherein the selection indicates a desire by the user for the virtual object;

designating the virtual object in a wish list for the first avatar in response to the detecting the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar;

determining that a second avatar in the virtual universe possesses an instance of the virtual object;

notifying the second avatar in the virtual universe of the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar;

detecting a request by the second avatar to gift the instance of the virtual object to the first avatar; and

transferring the instance of the virtual object from the second avatar to the first avatar in response to detecting the request by the second avatar to provide the instance of the virtual object to the first avatar.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining information about the virtual object; and

storing the information about the virtual object in the wish list.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising analyzing the details from the wish list to generate market research.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using the information for one or more of the determining that the second avatar possesses the instance of the virtual object, the notifying the second avatar of the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar, the detecting the request by the second avatar to gift the instance of the virtual object to the first avatar, and the transferring the instance of the virtual object from the second avatar to the first avatar.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the information about the virtual object comprises determining one or more of a universally unique identifier of the virtual object, a database identification number associated with the virtual object, a manufacturer name that created the virtual object, a date that the virtual object is designated in the wish list, a characteristic of the virtual object, coordinates of a virtual merchant that sells a copy of the virtual object, a name of the user, an image of the first avatar, a mailing address for the first user, demographic information for the first user, identifying features of the virtual object, and notations made by the user regarding the virtual object.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the first avatar is a customer of the second avatar, wherein the second avatar is a virtual universe vendor within the virtual universe, and wherein said notifying the second avatar in the virtual universe of the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar is in response to determining that the first avatar is a customer of the second avatar.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an electronic message to a retail vendor contact outside of the virtual universe;

detecting an additional request by the retail vendor contact to provide a voucher for a real-world version of the virtual world object to the user; and

providing the retail vendor contact with a mailing address for the user so that the retail vendor contact can send the voucher to the mailing address.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a virtual wish list device configured to via the one or more processors,

determine an indication, via user input, of a service associated with a virtual object in a virtual universe, wherein the user input is associated with a user of the virtual universe, wherein the virtual universe comprises a three-dimensional computer simulated environment where an avatar represents the user as an inhabitant of the virtual universe, said computer simulated environment controlled by the one or more processors, and wherein the indication of the service associated with the virtual object indicates a desire by the user to receive the service associated with the virtual object, and

store the indication of the service in a virtual wish list, wherein the virtual wish list is stored in an inventory for the first avatar.

9. The system of claim 8, said virtual wish list device further configured to,

present the virtual wish list to an additional avatar of the virtual universe,

detect a request by the additional avatar, via an additional user input, to purchase the service,

transact a purchase by the additional avatar for the service,

generate a voucher for the service, and

provide the voucher to the first avatar.

10. The system of claim 9, said virtual wish list device being configured to transact a purchase by the additional avatar for the service being further configured to,

teleport the additional avatar to a location associated with a virtual vendor in the virtual universe that sells the service in response to the request by the additional avatar to purchase the service.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the service is redeemable by the first avatar at the location of the virtual vendor.

12. A computer program product for teleporting within a virtual universe to obtain versions of a virtual objects associated with a wish list in the virtual universe, the computer program product comprising:

one or more machine-readable media including a mechanism for storing information readable by a computer comprising one or more processors

first program instructions to determine a selection of a virtual object in a virtual universe by a first avatar in response to a user input, wherein the first avatar is controlled by a user of the virtual universe, wherein the virtual universe comprises a three-dimensional computer simulated environment where the first avatar represents the user as an inhabitant of the virtual universe, said computer simulated environment controlled by the one or more processors, and wherein the selection indicates a desire by the user for a version of the virtual object;

second program instructions to designate the virtual object in a wish list for the first avatar in response to the detecting the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar;

third program instructions to notify a second avatar in the virtual universe of the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar;

fourth program instructions to detect a request by the second avatar to purchase a version of the virtual object on behalf of the first avatar; and

fifth program instructions to teleport the second avatar to a location in the virtual universe to purchase the version of the virtual object, wherein said teleporting is in response to detecting the request by the second avatar to purchase the version of the virtual object; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions are stored on the one or more machine readable media.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

sixth program instructions to detect a third avatar in the virtual universe that sells the version of the virtual object, wherein the third avatar is at the location in the virtual universe; and

wherein

the sixth program instructions are stored on the one or more machine readable media.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

seventh program instructions to detect a purchase by the second avatar from the third avatar of the version of the virtual object, wherein the version of the virtual object is a copy of the virtual object usable by the first avatar; and

eighth program instructions to transfer the copy of the virtual object to an inventory for the first avatar; and

wherein

the seventh and eighth program instructions are stored on the one or more machine readable media.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

sixth program instructions to detect a third avatar in the virtual universe that sells the version of the virtual world object as a real-world product similar to the virtual object, wherein the third avatar is at the location in the virtual universe;

seventh program instructions to detect a purchase by the second avatar from the third avatar of the real-world product; and

eighth program instructions to initiate transfer of the real-world product to a physical address associated with the user of the virtual universe; and

wherein

the sixth, seventh, and eighth program instructions are stored on the one or more machine readable media.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

sixth program instructions to determine information about the virtual object, said information comprising one or more of identifying features of the virtual object and notations made by the first user regarding the virtual object; and

seventh program instructions to store the information in the wish list; and

wherein

the sixth and seventh program instructions are stored on the one or more machine readable media.

19. A method comprising:

determining a selection of a virtual object in a virtual universe by a first avatar in response to a user input, wherein the first avatar is controlled by a user of the virtual universe, wherein the virtual universe comprises a three-dimensional computer simulated environment where the first avatar represents the user as an inhabitant of the virtual universe, said computer simulated environment controlled by one or more processors in the virtual universe computer network, and wherein the selection indicates a desire by the user for the virtual object;

designating the virtual object in a wish list for the first avatar in response to the detecting the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar;

determining a second avatar in the virtual universe that possesses an instance of the virtual object; and

generating an advertisement to obtain the instance of the virtual object from the second avatar on behalf of the first avatar.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining that the first avatar is a customer of the second avatar, wherein the second avatar is a virtual universe vendor within the virtual universe, and wherein said generating the advertisement to obtain the instance of the virtual object from the second avatar on behalf of the first avatar includes indicating on the advertisement that the second avatar will provide the instance of the virtual object as a gift.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

detecting access to the virtual wish list by a third avatar in the virtual universe; and

providing the advertisement to the third avatar to purchase the instance of the virtual object from the second avatar on behalf of the first avatar.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

teleporting the third avatar to a location in the virtual universe where the second avatar sells the instance of the virtual object.