U.S. Pat. No. 9,205,330

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for temporally ranking locations in a virtual world. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a number of virtual visitors visiting different locations in a virtual world can be recorded along with a duration of time spent visiting each different location. Thereafter, the duration of time spent for each visitor for each different location can be combined with other recorded durations of time for different virtual visitors for the same location in order to generate a temporal score for the location. Finally, the temporal scores for different locations in the virtual world can be compared to identify more popular locations in the virtual world.

In further illustration,FIG. 1pictorially illustrates a process for temporally ranking locations in a virtual world. As shown inFIG. 1, a virtual world110can be provided to include multiple different locations120such as stores, houses, restaurants, parks, theaters, social clubs, office buildings, offices, rooms and the like. The virtual world110further can be provided to permit interactions between virtual visitors130and the locations120. In this regard, as it is well-known in the art, the virtual visitors130can be visually and logically represented in the virtual world110as avatars granted the freedom of spatial movement throughout the virtual world110.

Notably, a temporal ranking processor300can be coupled to the virtual world110and communicatively coupled to the different locations120. The temporal ranking processor300can include a monitor150configured to detect when individual ones of the virtual visitors130visit individual ones of the locations120. The temporal ranking processor300further can include a timer140configured to time a duration in which each of the virtual visitors130visits with the different ones of the locations120. In consequence, the temporal ranking processor300can produce a temporal ranking160of the different locations120in accordance with a number of visits by the virtual visitors130to the different locations120and also a duration in which the virtual visitors130visit with the different locations120.

The process described herein can be embodied within a virtual world data processing system. In illustration,FIG. 2schematically depicts a virtual world data processing system configured for temporally ranking locations in a virtual world. The system can include a host server210communicatively coupled to different computing clients220over computer communications network240. The host server210can support the operation of a virtual world server250configured to generate a virtual world and provide access thereto over the computer communications network240to end users interacting with the virtual world by way of a content browser230. Each of the end users can be represented in the virtual world with a respective avatar.

Notably, temporal ranking logic270can be coupled to the virtual world server250by way of the host server210. The temporal ranking logic270can include program code enabled to track virtual visitors to different locations in the virtual world provided by the virtual world server. The program code of the temporal ranking logic270further can be enabled to time a duration of each visit to a location by a virtual visitor in the virtual world. Consequently, the program code of the temporal ranking logic270can produce a set of rankings260for the different locations. The rankings can range from a list of most popular locations, to a detailed listing of durations of visits, to a listing of an average duration of visits. Of course, the rankings can be filtered by time of day, day of week or month of year, and period comparisons can be provided comparing rankings from one period to the next.

In further illustration of the operation of the temporal ranking logic270,FIG. 3is a flow chart illustrating a process for temporally ranking locations in a virtual world. Beginning in block310, a virtual world can be launched for interaction with different end users and in block320, different locations can be loaded within the virtual world, such as different stores, houses, restaurants, parks, theaters, social clubs, office buildings, offices, rooms and the like. In block330, a visit can be detected by an end user in a location in the virtual world. In consequence, in block340the visitor to the location can be identified either directly (e.g., by name), or indirectly in terms of demographics (e.g. male, female, age, etc.). In the latter circumstance, the privacy of the visitor to the location can be protected at the discretion of the visitor according to preferences of a security policy for the visitor.

In block350, a timer can start for the visit and the visit can be stored in connection with the visitor, the time and the location. With the stored information, real-time information pertaining to a most popular location can be readily determined. In decision block360, so long as the visitor has not left the location, the timer can continue to run. In decision block360, if it is determined that the visitor has left the location, in block370the timer can stop and the departure from the location can be stored in connection with the visitor, the time and the location. Thereafter, in block380the duration of the visit to the location can be computed for subsequent reporting, for instance, a list of the “stickiest” locations or most popular locations in the virtual world according to a sum of visit durations for each location, or an average duration of a visit for each location. The process then can repeat through block330for a next visit by a visitor to a location in the virtual world.

Embodiments of the invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is implemented in software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, and the like. Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system.

For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W) and DVD.

A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution. Input/output or I/O devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening I/O controllers. Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modem and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters.