Patent Application
20080313105
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to a delivery system for electronic assets and more specifically to postage and metering operations for the delivery of an electronic asset in a virtual computing environment.
The physical distribution of items, e.g. postcards, letters, packages, etc. is very well established. In current physical worlds, getting an item delivered to another person can be accomplished in a myriad of ways, not the least of which is the U.S. Postal system. The electronic distribution of messages is also very well established, for example sending electronic mail (email) to various recipients.
These existing systems and techniques are known in the physical world. With the advancement of computing resources and user interaction, virtual worlds are growing phenomenon. One incarnation of this virtual world is a multi-player interactive environment, also commonly known as MMOs. There are also other types of virtual environments, such as the presently popular environment known as “Second Life” as created and maintained by Linden, Corp.
In these virtual environments, there currently does not exist any means for delivering or transmitting elements between users. There are rudimentary features, such as “Message of the Day” (MOTD) feature, where a person may leave a message for others to view, but there does not exist any parallel functions as found in the physical world for the delivery of assets.
For example, in the Second Life virtual environment, users can make items and perform services for virtual payments. This environment includes a floating currency, commonly referred to as “Linden Dollars” that users exchange for real dollars. Users can purchase a plot of virtual land and then pay someone to build them a virtual house. They can purchase virtual furnishings and have someone virtually decorate their virtual house. In this virtual environment though, a person cannot send a package or a message to another user.
There exists a need for a virtual delivery system which can offer additional features beyond the existing email (or other techniques, such as SMS) or physical mail techniques. Such a virtual delivery system may be able to address many of the limitations of traditional delivery methods. For example, the mechanisms that may be used to deliver messages in current virtual environments are limited in their ability to deliver those items. One way in which such delivery mechanisms are limited is in their ability to deliver items to users who are not currently online. Current mechanisms generally work only when both the sender and the recipient are online, in the virtual environment, at the same time. Embodiments of the present invention can address this limitation, providing a virtual mailing system which is not so limited.
In addition, current methods of message delivery may be insufficiently secure for the transmission of sensitive or valuable messages. A virtual mailing system may provide for the secure delivery of messages within virtual environments, ensuring that messages are read and received by only the intended recipient.
A virtual mailing system may also provide features to support new and uniquely online endeavors. For example, there is a growing trend among the users of virtual environments to participate in “farming” operations, where users perform operations in a virtual world to earn items and then sell those items online as virtual wares. A purchaser might, upon payment, receive an authorization or access code from the seller, which can be then used to recreate the virtual element. However, the payment for and delivery of such items in virtual environments are constrained by existing delivery channels in ways addressable by a virtual mailing system.
A virtual mailing system may also provide features that cannot be provided through traditional means. For example, there exist numerous opportunities for merging a virtual delivery system with existing systems in the physical world. A virtual mailing system may provide for the physical delivery of items sent from within the virtual world. A virtual mailing system might also allow physical items to be represented and delivered in the virtual world.
Therefore, there exists a need for a virtual mailing system, such as the system described below, that can address these and similar needs.
A virtual mailing system can merge real world and virtual endeavors to provide the transmission and delivery of virtual assets in the virtual environment, also colloquially referred to as the “metaverse.” The virtual mailing system can include a virtual post office disposed in the virtual environment. The virtual post office can be capable of receiving the electronic asset and facilitating delivery of the asset. In addition, the virtual post office can include metering functionality such that a person sending the electronic asset can provide a payment for delivery and/or other associated services virtually rendered. The metering of the virtual post office can be synchronized with one or more real world financial instruments such that virtual payments are backed by actual physical currency, other physical monetary instruments, lines of credit, prepaid accounts, etc.
The virtual environment 102 can represent a computational environment that, through executable code and interoperative processing systems, can generate a virtual environment. An example of a virtual environment is a Massively Multi-player Online (MMO) game, such as the current popularly games “World of Warcraft” and “Everquest” for example. Another example of a virtual environment may be a virtual world, such as the presently known “Second Life” environment. The virtual environment need not be strictly limited to a visual virtual environment where a user (e.g. 104 or 106) can navigate the environment using a representative avatar. The virtual environment can include any combination of interconnected and/or networked systems whereby the first user 104 is capable of sending and/or receiving an electronic document to/from the second user 110.
The financial interface 108 may be one or more computing systems allowing for the first user 104, through the first computer 106, to interface financial information for usage by the virtual post office 114. The financial interface 108 may be associated with the virtual environment 102, such as a central profile location for a subscription-based metaverse. The financial interface 108 may also be independent of the virtual environment, providing a service for interacting with the virtual post office, such as for example a physical postage metering device having processing operations for interacting with the virtual environment, a third party financial interface application, a bank, a credit card company, a prepaid account system, etc.
The postage metering device 116 may perform processing operations executed by processing devices supporting or operating in conjunction with the virtual environment 102. For example, the postage metering device 116 may be an applet that performs postage metering operations as described in further detail below. The delivery device 118, similar to the postage metering device 116 may be composed of executable code executed within or in conjunction with the processing of the virtual environment 102. For example, the virtual environment 102 may include a sub-routine or sub-process associated with the virtual post office 114, where this process or operation activates the routines of the metering device 116 and the delivery device 118. The electronic elements, such as 108, 114, 116 and 118 may be programmed in the native virtual environment using any suitable encoding or operating techniques as recognized by one skilled in the art where the programmed elements are operative to perform the functions as described herein.
Post office 114 and devices 116, 118 may include physical processing devices having physical characteristics, such as hard-wired components or other hardware operating in conjunction with processing instructions, for performing the below-noted functions. Additionally, one or more users may actually purchase the virtual post office or the metering device and provide mailing services to third parties for a fee.
The electronic asset 120 may be any suitable type of element capable of being represented and subsequently delivered in the virtual environment 102. The asset 120 may be an electronic document itself or may, in another embodiment, be a reference or link to an electronic document. The asset 120 may also include source code, script, executable operations, electronic content (possibly including graphics, audio, video, etc.) representing an element or object within a virtual environment, such as for example a virtual item in a virtual universe.
The virtual delivery point 122 may be represented in the virtual environment as a depository for holding delivered items. For example, a virtual mailbox may be graphically represented as an actual mailbox similar to real world mailboxes. In this example, users may possess virtual property within the virtual environment. Depicted on this virtual property may be a virtual mailbox. The virtual mailbox may serve as a delivery point within the virtual environment and may include a delivery indicator, such as a depiction of the traditional red flag attached to the mailbox. In another example, the virtual delivery point 122 may be an avatar representing the individual user. In this case, the virtual package can be delivered directly to the avatar. In yet another example, the virtual delivery point 122 may be any suitable memory location in a computing environment for storing data representing the delivered item. In this example, a notification of the attempted delivery of the item, a link to the delivered item, or any other suitable representation that allows for receipt of an electronically delivered electronic asset may be provided. In one instance, a menu, accessible during use of the virtual environment, but outside of the virtual environment, may serve to provide delivery of a virtual package.
In one embodiment, the operation of the system 100 is described relative to the flowchart of
Within the method of
In this embodiment, the next step, step 134, can include assigning a metering rate for the delivery of the electronic asset. This metering rate assignment may be performed by the postage metering device, which can determine a shipping or delivery rate and thereby meter the asset or a delivery mechanism for the asset with the metered rate. For example, metering may be based on the size of the asset, such as an analogous comparison of megabytes to ounces or pounds in the physical world. As discussed in further detail below, metering may also be based on additional features such as security, delivery confirmation, speed of delivery, or other various factors that can be offered to the sender as ancillary shipping options or features.
In one embodiment, the next step of the method, step 136, can be processing the monetary funds associated with the metering rate. This step may be performed by the postage metering device 116 processing metering functions with the financial interface 108. By way of example, the processing of monetary funds may include the allocation of real world currency funds to virtual funds and processing an exchange rate, such as exchanging real dollars for virtual dollars to cover the metered costs. In another embodiment, the physical monetary funds may be converted directly from a first physical currency (e.g. dollars) to a second physical currency (e.g. euros) without requiring a middleman or a currency exchange interface.
Referring back to
Within the virtual environment 102, the delivery device 118 can be operative to deliver the electronic asset to the virtual delivery point 122. As explained above, this virtual delivery point 122 may be provided in a variety of forms and may be specifically designated for the second user 110 or may be any other suitable type of storage location, such as a virtual public storage location or a virtual notification service that notifies the second user 110 that an electronic asset is waiting.
The second user 110, through the second computing device 112, may access the virtual delivery point 122 and subsequently receive the electronic asset 120. Receipt may include extracting the electronic asset from the virtual environment using any suitable download/upload techniques, opening the electronic asset in the virtual environment, using an identifier or other object relating to the electronic asset to access another object or perform an ancillary operation in the virtual environment, or any other suitable technique.
The physical element 152 may be any suitable physical component, such as physical document or other tangible element. The converter 154 may be any suitable element capable of converting the physical element into an electronic asset, such as a scanning device to scan a document or a 3D scanner to scan a physical object. The converter 154 may also be any suitable type of component, executed in hardware, software or a combination thereof for allowing the physical element to be delivered or a reference to the element to be delivered within the virtual environment 104.
The postal device 156 may be any device in operative communication with the delivery device 118 of the virtual post office 114 that can allow for the physical delivery of a physical representation of the electronic asset. By way of example, if the electronic asset is a virtual message, the postal device 156 may include functionality to print out the message and facilitate delivery of the message using a physical delivery system. The postal device 156 may be a combination of various elements, such as one or more third party service providers that perform the various operations or the postal device may also be a self-contained system, which may include postage metering functionality and known accounting techniques for tracking fund payment allowing for physical delivery. In additional embodiments, the physical delivery may be through further electronic means, such as sending a facsimile or a wireless message. The delivery network 158 may be one or more physical networks for delivering items, such as the U.S. Postal System or a commercial delivery system such as FedEx, UPS or DHL for example.
Various operational embodiments are envisioned using the system, including the exemplary embodiments described below in the block diagrams of
In the block diagram of
Additionally, with a purchased mailing system 154, where the user has registered with the financial interface, the user may thereupon purchase postage from the financial interface. This virtual post office 114 may thereupon reside in the metaverse, whereby virtual characters can interact with the post office, such as virtually walking into the doors of the post office.
Through this, users may create virtual mail or packages 156. As described above, these mail or package elements may be electronic assets 120 or may include the electronic assets therein. Through the virtual environment 104, the mail or packages 156 may be thereupon delivered to intended virtual delivery points 122. In one embodiment, a user may have a mailing list or other suitable type of documentation of a recipient and delivery locations, whereupon multiple copies of the electronic assets may be delivered to multiple recipients in a virtual mass mailing operation.
The owner of the virtual mailing machine may allow for the selection of additional services, where these services can provide an added-value to the sender and be reflected in the metering costs of electronic transmission of the electronic asset 120. In one embodiment, a special service rate menu 162 can indicate fees for various services, where such services may include services such as security measures, delivery confirmation, speed of delivery or any other suitable delivery enhancement. For example, one embodiment may include a security device, which can be incorporated in the postage metering device, within the virtual post office or a stand alone component. This security device can affix or otherwise secure the electronic asset or a virtual package that includes the electronic asset, such as applying an encryption technique, a digital signature, etc.
In the virtual environment, a virtual package 156 may be created. Creation of the virtual package 156 can include the virtual assembly of a box, placing the electronic asset in a box, adding virtual packing materials, sealing the box with virtual tape, etc. From a programming perspective, the creation of the virtual package may include adding metadata or affixing the electronic asset to a program or other type of data routine. An option from the special service rate menu 162 may be delivery confirmation, so that when the mail or package is prepared for delivery, tracking information may be provided to the virtual post office 114 indicating the electronic asset is being delivered.
In one embodiment, techniques can be used to deliver the virtual mail to a recipient's virtual delivery point 122. As described above, this can be accomplished virtually using a delivery service, routing protocols for the electronic transmission of the item or any other suitable delivery means. A recipient can open the mail or package 156, possibly performing one or more delivery conditions, such as signing or otherwise acknowledging the delivery of an item or providing an authentication or identification. Non-repudiation techniques known in the art can be applied to prevent a recipient who actually received the mail or package from later denying it. In another embodiment, the recipient may be requested to pay a surcharge or delivery fee, such as if the original delivery costs were inadequate for example.
In the virtual environment, the receipt or opening of the virtual package may be a registering event, confirming delivery. This may be analogous to the real world delivery confirmation where a recipient signs for a package and that delivery recognition is noted in a back-end system, such as a certified mailing scenario. Delivery confirmation may then be received by the virtual post office 114. Thereupon, a notification may be promptly provided to the owner of the mailing machine 160 or the sender indicating that delivery has been completed.
In addition to benefits in the virtual environment, virtual mailing systems may be used to compliment real world mailing systems. A bridge system may be utilized to coordinate between these two systems, such as the converter 154 and the postal device 156 described above with respect to
Through mailing techniques described above, the electronic asset, in this example being an electronic book, is then delivered to the customer 206 in the virtual world. Thus, a customer may purchase an item in the real world and have this item then delivered to the virtual world. Delivery in the virtual world using the virtual post office can thus bridge the gap between physical restrictions in the real world and the virtual restrictions of the virtual world.
The exemplary embodiments of
Virtual mailing may be accomplished across different virtual platforms or different virtual worlds.
The virtual post office can provide for virtual mailing. The utilization of a metering device that coordinates with payment based on real world funds can allow for the effective utilization of asset or information delivery in the virtual environment. The virtual nature can also allow for numerous opportunities through solely virtual activity and operations complimenting real world delivery. By way of example, a party may send mass mailings in a virtual environment to virtual users and may only be charged for opened mail items and spare expenses for delivered but not opened items. As this virtual post office resides in the processing environment, the generation of electronic assets can be performed using any suitable technique whereby the virtual post office allows for metered delivery of electronic assets to intended recipients.
The preceding description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention. One of skill in the art will appreciate additional embodiment that, although not described explicitly above, fall within the scope of the claims.
