Patent Application
20130191178
The present invention relates in general to computer software and management of computer generated virtual objects and, in particular, to management of registration, authentication, transfer, exchange, and market value determination of virtual goods and objects.
A virtual world or environment is an online community that is a computer-generated digital representation and simulation of an environment through which users can interact with one another and create and use virtual goods or objects. Users assume virtual forms known as avatars which may appear as textual or two-dimensional or three-dimensional graphical representations.
In a virtual world, a computer accesses a computer-simulated world or environment and presents perceptual stimuli to the user who, in turn, can manipulate elements of the modeled world and thus experience a degree of telepresence. Such modeled worlds and their rules may draw from the reality or fantasy worlds. Exemplary rules include, without limitation, gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions, and communication. Communication between users can range from and include text, graphical icons, visual gesture, and sound.
Virtual worlds or environments vary in sophistication from highly sophisticated spatial environments like those seen in the games Second Life®, The Sims®, and Star Wars The Old Republic® to environments that simply project a player's avatar to other members of the online community such as is experienced on XBox Live®.
A virtual economy is the emergent property resulting from interactions between participants in a virtual world or environment. Though the developers of virtual worlds and environments have a great deal of control over the economy by the encoded mechanics of trade, it is nonetheless the actions of users that define the economic conditions of a virtual world or environment. The economy arises as a result of the choices that users make responsive to the scarcity of real and virtual resources such as time or currency. Participants have a limited time in the virtual world, as in the real world, during which they must divide their attention between tasks such as collecting resources, practicing trade skills, or engaging in less productive fun or play. The choices they make in their interactions with the virtual world, along with the mechanics of trade and wealth acquisition, dictate the relative values of items in the virtual economy. The economy in virtual worlds is typically driven by in-game needs such as equipment, food, or trade goods. Virtual economies like that of Second Life®, however, are almost entirely player-produced with very little link to in-game needs.
The value of objects in a virtual economy is usually linked to their usefulness and the difficulty of obtaining them. The investment of real world resources (time, membership fees, etc.) in acquisition of wealth in a virtual economy may contribute to the real world value of virtual content. This real world value is manifested by the trade of virtual items on online market sites like eBay®. Recent legal disputes also give credence to the real-world value of virtual property, even overriding end user license agreements (EULAs) which many software companies use to assert that virtual property has no value and/or that users of the virtual world have no legal claims to property therein.
The perceived real world or physical value of virtual objects and goods has steadily increased with the introduction of licensed and branded virtual world objects and the promotion of rare “limited edition” items that can be purchased with real world currency.
The present invention provides for centralized registration, authentication, market valuation, and exchange of virtual goods and objects (VGOs). VGOs are non-physical items or representative concepts that are purchased for use in online communities and games. These items have no intrinsic value and by definition are intangible. They may include, without limitation, digital clothing for computer-based avatars, or other items of interest to the controller of an avatar. Additionally, the present invention recognizes avatars themselves as VGOs that could be valued and traded subject to the system and method presented herein. The system and method according to the invention utilizes several modules with specific utility to effectively manage, protect, and syndicate the perceived value of VGOs.
There is provided means for embedding a certificate of registration of ownership characteristics into a VGO, as well as means for authenticating the VGO. The system and method may also be used for the establishment and determination of real world market value for VGOs through the monitoring of value fluctuations of the VGOs based on availability, demand, and historical market conditions as they exist within the virtual world or environment.
In an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a system and method for the registration of VGOs, assignment of ownership, and the immutable establishment of authenticity. The system and method also provides for the transfer of VGOs as well as the establishment of a central exchange to trade VGOs based on market conditions and considerations across all virtual worlds and environments where the VGOs can be deployed or are currently used. The system is desirably comprised of the following:
a computer-implemented VGO Content Integration Module for preparing newly-created VGO content for management by the system, where registration information such as owner, initial value, and other identifying characteristics are written to a VGO Content Certification Registry and Repository (registration) database;
a computer-implemented Virtual Content Authentication Module, which module functions as a means of third party verification by integrating the registration database containing registrations performed by the Content Integration Module and, if supported by the VGOs' destinations, embedding registration details into VGOs to establish authenticity through steganography or other means of immutable watermarking;
a computer-implemented Virtual Content Transaction Module which allows for recordation in a connected VGO Commerce database all transactions including, for example: transfers, sales, modifications, retirement, or destruction of virtual property registered by the invention; and
a computer-implemented Virtual Content Exchange Module where data is integrated from both the VGO Commerce database and a Historical VGO Market Activity database to provide dynamic real world market data as to the elasticity of both supply and demand of any VGOs managed by the invention. Additionally, the Virtual Content Exchange Module establishes transaction parameters and provides the platform for the VGO to be traded as a real world commodity.
Other details, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description of the presently preferred embodiments and presently preferred methods of practicing the invention proceeds.
The invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof shown, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the drawings there is shown in
As is known, a virtual good or object (VGO) has no physical properties and exists as a digital construct or file. As seen in
Information regarding a VGO previously registered by the Virtual Content Integration Module 11 and stored within the VGO Content Certification Registry and Repository 12 is then accessed by a Virtual Content Authentication Module 13. Based on information provided by the creator or owner of the VGO at the time of introduction into the system via the Virtual Content Integration Module 11, authentication entries are transmitted back to the VGO Content Certification Registry and Repository 12 where the initial VGO entries are updated to reflect the level and depth of authentication within and appropriate for the VGO.
If the VGO supports direct integration of authentication, then the Virtual Content Authentication Module 13 can embed the registration meta tag data from the VGO Content Certification Registry and Repository 12 directly into a VGO's file. In this regard, the present system contemplates several means of integration. However, a preferred approach is the use of steganography, whereby a binary image file used to represent the VGO is digitally altered in a manner that is imperceptible to the observer, but when decoded by the Virtual Content Authentication Module 13 recreates the registration token originally stored within the VGO Content Certification Registry and Repository 12.
All transactions involving the VGO are then processed by a Virtual Content Transaction Module 15, the results of which are stored in a VGO Commerce Database 14 for the purpose of providing historical provenance. Finally, all transactions managed by the system and method according to the invention are evaluated by a Virtual Content Exchange Module 17 which determines the equilibrium price of the VGO based on estimated supply and demand curves in the virtual world to establish the parameters for and provide a real world commodity exchange for VGOs. The results of the analyses performed by the Virtual Content Exchange Module 17 are stored in a Historical VGO Market Activity Database 16 to provide a historical record of virtual and real word demand and market conditions.
The virtual provenance record is then provided to third party virtual storefronts 108 that sell VGOs according to the established provenance and authenticity and real world value of the VGOs as determined by the Virtual Content Exchange Module. All transactions regarding the virtual good or object are recorded by the Virtual Content Transaction Module 104 and a historical record is maintained by the VGO Commerce Database 105. Information specific to the real world dynamic market value, as opposed to the perceived real world value of the VGO at the time of entry into the system is determined by a Virtual Content Exchange Module 106 that compares current commerce activity maintained in the VGO Commerce Database 105 to historical market performance and activity of the VGO or class of VGO maintained in the Historical VGO Market Activity Database 107.
The insertion or embedding of immutable provenance data into a VGO is unique and novel and has not been contemplated in the prior art.
It will be understood that all modules described herein may be manifested in centralized or decentralized/distributed hardware, software, or any combination thereof. Likewise, any and all of the previously described databases may be in the form of a single database or a plurality of distributed databases as may be desired or necessary to achieved the objects set forth herein. Further, as in any computer-implemented system, the invention may be controlled by any of one or more suitably cooperating central processing units or microprocessors operable to execute the logic, rules and/or programming established by the several modules described herein.
Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed herein.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/590,522, filed Jan. 25, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference thereto.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61590522 | Jan 2012 | US |
