- Number
- 10147146
- Published
- 2018-12-04
- Filed
- 2012-03-14
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Merrifield; Lane; Priebe; Lancelot Darren
- CPC
- G06Q10/42; A61B5/1118; A61B5/1124; A61B5/16; A63F13/67; A63F13/798; G06F3/04815; G06F11/3409; G06F11/3438; G06T13/40; H04L65/4015; H04L67/131
- Verdict
- Medium Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Biometric-driven virtual environment personalization.
Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for providing a social platform for a user. In one embodiment, activity of the user is monitored in a virtual environment. A profile is generated for the user, based on the monitored activity. A social element of the virtual environment is modified for the user, based on the generated profile.
Background
BACKGROUNDField(1) Embodiments presented in this disclosure generally relate to virtual environments and, more particularly, to providing a social platform in a virtual environment.Description of the Related Art(2) A virtual world is a simulated environment in which users may interact with virtual objects and locations of the virtual world. Each user may control a respective avatar through which the user may interact with other users' avatars in the virtual world. An avatar generally provides a graphical representation of an individual within the virtual world environment. Avatars are usually presented to other users as two or three-dimensional graphical representations that resembles a human individual. Frequently, virtual worlds allow multiple users to enter the virtual environment and interact with one another. Virtual worlds are said to provide an immersive environment, as they typically appear similar to the real world and objects tend to follow rules related to gravity, topography, locomotion, physics and kinematics. Of course, virtual worlds can suspend or alter these rules as well as provide other imaginative or fanciful environments. Users typically communicate with one another through their avatars using text messages sent between avatars, real-time voice communication, gestures displayed by avatars, symbols visible in the virtual world, and the like.(3) Some virtual worlds are described as being persistent. A persistent world provides an immersive environment (e.g.
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method of programmatically tailoring social elements of a virtual environment to users, the computer-implemented method comprising: monitoring activity of a user in the virtual environment, wherein the monitored activity comprises input from the user in response to a stimulus in the virtual environment, wherein the input is provided using an input device for controlling an avatar associated with the user in the virtual environment, wherein the monitored activity is at least one of: (i) anonymized and (ii) aggregated based on a predetermined user privacy setting; generating, based on analyzing the monitored activity, an activity profile, a developmental profile, and a geographical profile, wherein the activity profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a first profile type; (iii) an activity genre preferred by the user; (iv) an activity mode preferred by the user; (v) an activity duration preferred by the user; and (vi) a device type preferred by the user, wherein the development profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a second profile type; (iii) a development criteria against which to measure the user; and (iv) a level of development of the user and according to the development criteria, wherein the geographical profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a third profile type; (iii) a network address associated with the user, wherein the network address comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address; and (iv) a geographical location of the user, determined based on the network address using a predefined geolocation technique, and wherein the first, second, and third profile types are distinct profile types; evaluating motor abilities of the user based on a quickness and an accuracy of the input during the monitored activity; determining that the user belongs to a subset of a plurality of users of the virtual environment identified as being developmentally young, based on the evaluated motor abilities of the user and irrespective of an actual age of the user, wherein determining that the user belongs to the subset of the plurality of users identified as being developmentally young is based on determining that the user has a developmental disorder; by operation of one or more computer processors and based on the determination that the user belongs to the subset of users identified as being developmentally young, modifying, specifically for the user, a social element between the user and at least one other user of the virtual environment, without receiving, from the user, any request to modify the social element, wherein at least one other user of the plurality of users does not have any social element so modified, and wherein modifying the social element comprises placing the avatar associated with the user in a location in the virtual environment that is within a predefined distance of a plurality of other users who were also determined to belong to the subset of users identified as being developmentally young, wherein modifying the social element further comprises: receiving, from the user, either (i) an indication to enter the virtual environment or (ii) an indication to re-spawn the avatar; identifying, for the user, a spawn point in the virtual environment, wherein the spawn point is proximate to a threshold count of other users having at least one of a similar activity profile and a similar developmental profile as the user; and positioning the avatar for the user at the identified spawn point; subsequent to modifying the social element, measuring an extent to which the user is interacting with avatars in the virtual environment; and further modifying the social element in the virtual environment, based on the measured extent and further based on at least one of the activity profile and the developmental profile.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation to programmatically tailor social elements of a virtual environment to users, the operation comprising: monitoring activity of a user in the virtual environment, wherein the monitored activity comprises input from the user in response to a stimulus in the virtual environment, wherein the input is provided using an input device for controlling an avatar associated with the user in the virtual environment, wherein the monitored activity is at least one of: (i) anonymized and (ii) aggregated based on a predetermined user privacy setting; generating, based on analyzing the monitored activity, an activity profile, a developmental profile, and a geographical profile, wherein the activity profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a first profile type; (iii) an activity genre preferred by the user; (iv) an activity mode preferred by the user; (v) an activity duration preferred by the user; and (vi) a device type preferred by the user, wherein the development profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a second profile type; (iii) a development criteria against which to measure the user; and (iv) a level of development of the user and according to the development criteria, wherein the geographical profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a third profile type; (iii) a network address associated with the user, wherein the network address comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address; and (iv) a geographical location of the user, determined based on the network address using a predefined geolocation technique, and wherein the first, second, and third profile types are distinct profile types; evaluating motor abilities of the user based on a quickness and an accuracy of the input during the monitored activity; determining that the user belongs to a subset of a plurality of users of the virtual environment identified as being developmentally young, based on the evaluated motor abilities of the user and irrespective of an actual age of the user, wherein determining that the user belongs to the subset of the plurality of users identified as being developmentally young is based on determining that the user has a developmental disorder; by operation of one or more computer processors and based on the determination that the user belongs to the subset of users identified as being developmentally young, modifying, specifically for the user, a social element between the user and at least one other user of the virtual environment, without receiving, from the user, any request to modify the social element, wherein at least one other user of the plurality of users does not have any social element so modified, and wherein modifying the social element comprises placing the avatar associated with the user in a location in the virtual environment that is within a predefined distance of a plurality of other users who were also determined to belong to the subset of users identified as being developmentally young, wherein modifying the social element further comprises: receiving, from the user, either (i) an indication to enter the virtual environment or (ii) an indication to re-spawn the avatar; identifying, for the user, a spawn point in the virtual environment, wherein the spawn point is proximate to a threshold count of other users having at least one of a similar activity profile and a similar developmental profile as the user; and positioning the avatar for the user at the identified spawn point; subsequent to modifying the social element, measuring an extent to which the user is interacting with avatars in the virtual environment; and further modifying the social element in the virtual environment, based on the measured extent and further based on at least one of the activity profile and the developmental profile.
11. A system to programmatically tailor social elements of a virtual environment to users, the system comprising: one or more computer processors; and a memory containing a program which, when executed by the one or more computer processors, is configured to perform an operation comprising: monitoring activity of a user in the virtual environment, wherein the monitored activity comprises input from the user in response to a stimulus in the virtual environment, wherein the input is provided using an input device for controlling an avatar associated with the user in the virtual environment, wherein the monitored activity is at least one of: (i) anonymized and (ii) aggregated based on a predetermined user privacy setting; generating, based on analyzing the monitored activity, an activity profile, a developmental profile, and a geographical profile, wherein the activity profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a first profile type; (iii) an activity genre preferred by the user; (iv) an activity mode preferred by the user; (v) an activity duration preferred by the user; and (vi) a device type preferred by the user, wherein the development profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a second profile type; (iii) a development criteria against which to measure the user; and (iv) a level of development of the user and according to the development criteria, wherein the geographical profile identifies: (i) the user; (ii) a third profile type; (iii) a network address associated with the user, wherein the network address comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address; and (iv) a geographical location of the user, determined based on the network address using a predefined geolocation technique, and wherein the first, second, and third profile types are distinct profile types; evaluating motor abilities of the user based on a quickness and an accuracy of the input during the monitored activity; determining that the user belongs to a subset of a plurality of users of the virtual environment identified as being developmentally young, based on the evaluated motor abilities of the user and irrespective of an actual age of the user, wherein determining that the user belongs to the subset of the plurality of users identified as being developmentally young is based on determining that the user has a developmental disorder; based on the determination that the user belongs to a subset of users identified as being developmentally young, modifying, specifically for the user, a social element between the user and at least one other user of the virtual environment, without receiving, from the user, any request to modify the social element, wherein at least one other user of the plurality of users does not have any social element so modified, and wherein modifying the social element comprises placing the avatar associated with the user in a location in the virtual environment that is within a predefined distance of a plurality of other users who were also determined to belong to the subset of users identified as being developmentally young, wherein modifying the social element further comprises: receiving, from the user, either (i) an indication to enter the virtual environment or (ii) an indication to re-spawn the avatar; identifying, for the user, a spawn point in the virtual environment, wherein the spawn point is proximate to a threshold count of other users having at least one of a similar activity profile and a similar developmental profile as the user; and positioning the avatar for the user at the identified spawn point; subsequent to modifying the social element, measuring an extent to which the user is interacting with avatars in the virtual environment; and further modifying the social element in the virtual environment, based on the measured extent and further based on at least one of the activity profile and the developmental profile.