Methods and systems for determining the authenticity of copied objects in a virtual environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10981069-B2
Application number	US-201715725607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2008
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A server computer is connected to a plurality of client computers through a network, and controls objects in a Metaverse accessed by the client computers. The server computer includes a storage unit for storing an object ID specifying an object accessible in the Metaverse by the plurality of client computers and authenticity information associated with the object ID. The authenticity information indicates that the object is genuine. The server computer also includes a communication unit for communicating with each of the client computers. The server computer also includes an enquiry unit for causing the communication unit to transmit the authenticity information corresponding to the object ID to at least one of the plurality of client computers upon receipt of an enquiry request to enquire about the object ID of the object from one of the plurality of client computers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for determining copying of objects in a virtual environment, the system comprising a server computer in communication with one or more client computers, the server computer configured to:
store information about at least some of the objects in the virtual environment, wherein the information comprises at least a unique ID and authenticity data corresponding to at least some of the objects in the virtual environment;
process a copying request from the one or more client computers, wherein the copying request corresponds to one object of the at least some of the objects in the virtual environment, wherein processing the copying request copies the one object to form a copied object in said virtual environment, and wherein the copying request is processed by storing information corresponding to the copied object together with information corresponding to the one object;
process an inquiry request for the copied object from the one or more client computers; and
generate authenticity information corresponding to the copied object, wherein the authenticity information indicates the copying of the one object and whether the copied object is fake or genuine.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, upon receiving the inquiry request for the copied object, the server computer is configured to communicate via the one or more client computers with an owner of the one object being copied.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more client computers comprises a first client computer, a second client computer, and a third client computer, wherein the one object is owned by a first user corresponding to the first client computer and a first avatar of the virtual environment, wherein the copying request is received from the second client computer corresponding to a second user and a second avatar of the virtual environment, and wherein the request for the copied object is received from the third client computer corresponding to a third user and a third avatar of the virtual environment.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein processing the copying request corresponding to the one object further comprises creating a unique object ID for the copied object and storing the unique object ID for the copied object together with a unique object ID of the one object.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information about at least some of the objects in the virtual environment further comprises an expiration time of the authenticity data and a history of at least any one of a creation, a copying, a modification or a transfer of at least some of the objects in the virtual environment.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one object is an accessory object for an avatar in the virtual environment and wherein the authenticity data further comprises manager information specifying a manager of a brand of the accessory object, a brand name indicating a name of the brand, and logo data indicating a logo of the brand.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one object is an employee badge object of an avatar in the virtual environment and wherein the authenticity data further comprises owner information specifying an owner of the employee badge object, data indicating a name of a company, and logo data indicating a logo of the company.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one object is a ticket having an expiration time in the virtual environment and wherein information corresponding to the one object comprises time period data indicating an expiration time of authenticity information.

9. A computer-implemented method of determining copying of an object in a virtual environment, the method being implemented in a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:
using the computer system, storing information corresponding to each object in the virtual environment wherein the information comprises at least a unique object ID and authenticity data;
using the computer system, processing a copying request from one or more client computers to copy an object in the virtual environment, to thereby create a copied object in the virtual environment, by storing information for the copied object, wherein the information for the copied object comprises at least a unique object ID and authenticity information indicative of the copying of the object; and
using the computer system, processing a request for the copied object from the one or more client computers by using the unique object ID of the copied object and returning the authenticity information indicative of the copying of the object and whether the copied object is fake or genuine.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the computer program instructions, when executed, further cause the computer system to communicate with an owner of the copied object upon receiving a request for the copied object and to convey the request for the copied object to the owner.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein processing the copying request further comprises creating a unique object ID for the copied object and storing the unique object ID for the copied object along with a unique ID of the object.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the information corresponding to each object in the virtual environment further comprises an expiration time of the authenticity data and a history of at least any one of a creation, a copying, a modification and a transfer of the object.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the object is an accessory object for an avatar in the virtual environment and wherein the authenticity data of the object further comprises manager information specifying a manager of a brand of the accessory object, a name indicating a name of the brand, and logo data indicating a logo of the brand.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the object is an employee badge object of an avatar in the virtual environment, wherein the authenticity data further comprises owner information specifying an owner of the employee badge object, a company name indicating a name of the company, and logo data indicating a logo of the company.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the object is a ticket having an expiration time and wherein the information corresponding to each object in the virtual environment comprises time period information indicating an expiration time of the authenticity data.

16. A computer program product for determining copying of an object in a virtual environment, computer program product comprising:
one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage devices;
program instructions, stored on at least one the one or more tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage devices that, when executed, cause a computer to:
store information corresponding to the object, wherein the information comprises at least a unique object ID and authenticity information;
process a copying request corresponding to the object, from one or more of the client computers, to form a copied object in the virtual environment, by storing information about the copied object, wherein the information comprises at least a unique object ID and authenticity data indicative of a copying of the object; and
process a request for the copied object from one or more of the client computers by using the unique object ID of the copied object and returning the corresponding authenticity data indicative of a copying of the object and whether the copied object is fake or genuine.

17. The computer program

Assignees

• Activision Publishing Inc

Inventors

• Kawachiya Kiyokuni
• Tatsubori Michiaki

Classifications

• A63F13/12 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F13/79

  involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories · CPC title

• A63F13/75 Primary

  Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players · CPC title

• G06F21/64

  Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures · CPC title

• A63F2300/5586

  for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play · CPC title