Methods, systems, and devices to protect personal identifiable (pi) data when a user utilizes an avatar in a virtual environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024189721-A1
Application number	US-202218062769-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2022
Priority date	Dec 7, 2022
Publication date	Jun 13, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining a first virtual location of a first avatar of a first user within a virtual environment, determining a second virtual location a second avatar of a second user within the virtual environment that is in proximity to the first virtual location, and determining that the second user has an untrusted relationship with the first user. Further embodiments include presenting on a user interface of a first communication device of the first user a group of actions for restricting personal identifiable (PI) data of the first user presented by the first avatar in the virtual environment to the second user, receiving a selection of a first action from the group of actions for restricting the PI data, and restricting presentation of the PI data in the virtual environment according to the first action. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: determining a first virtual location of a first avatar associated with a first user within a virtual environment; determining a second virtual location of a second avatar associated with a second user within the virtual environment that is in proximity to the first virtual location of the first avatar; determining that the second user has an untrusted relationship with the first user; presenting on a user interface of a first communication device associated with the first user a group of actions for restricting personal identifiable (PI) data associated with the first user presented by the first avatar in the virtual environment to the second user; receiving a selection of a first action from the group of actions for restricting the PI data; and restricting presentation of the PI data in the virtual environment according to the first action resulting in restricted data.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the restricted data comprises one of a voice of the first user and first media content provided by first user-generated input from the first user.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the determining that the second user has an untrusted relationship with the first user comprises one of receiving second generated input from the first user indicating the untrusted relationship and analyzing second media content from the second user indicating the untrusted relationship utilizing one of textual recognition techniques, image recognition techniques, and voice recognition techniques.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the restricting of the presentation of the restricted data comprises altering an appearance of the first avatar associated with the first user.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise determining that a second communication device associated with the second user attempts to record the PI data prior to restricting the presentation of the PI data.

6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the operations comprise determining that the second communication device associated with the second user has successfully recorded the restricted data.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein recording of the PI data by the second communication device comprises capturing an image of the virtual environment including the PI data.

8 . The device of claim 6 , wherein recording of the PI data by the second communication device comprises recording audio content associated with the PI data.

9 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the operations comprise providing a first notification to the first communication device that indicates recording of the PI data by the second communication device, wherein the first communication device presents the first notification on the user interface.

10 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the operations comprise preventing the second communication device from recording the PI data.

11 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the operations comprise providing a second notification to the first communication device that indicates the second communication device attempting to record the PI data, wherein the first communication device presents the second notification on the user interface.

12 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
determining a first virtual location of a first avatar associated with a first user within a virtual environment; determining a second virtual location of a second avatar associated with a second user within the virtual environment that is in proximity to the first virtual location of the first avatar; determining that the second user has a trusted relationship with the first user; determining that a second communication device associated with the second user has successfully recorded personal identifiable (PI) data resulting in a first determination; and providing a first notification to a first communication device associated with the first user that indicates recording of the PI data by the second communication device based on the first determination, wherein the first communication device presents the first notification on a user interface of the first communication device.

13 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein recording of the PI data by the second communication device comprises capturing an image of the virtual environment including the PI data.

14 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein recording of the PI data by the second communication device comprises recording audio content associated with the PI data.

15 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the operations comprise determining that the second user has an untrusted relationship based on the first determination.

16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the PI data comprise a voice of the first user.

17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the PI data comprises media content provided by user-generated input from the first user.

18 . A method, comprising:
determining, by a processing system including a processor, a first virtual location of a first avatar associated with a first user within a virtual environment, wherein the first user accesses the virtual environment via a first communication device; determining, by the processing system, a second virtual location of a second avatar associated with a second user within the virtual environment that is in proximity to the first virtual location of the first avatar, wherein the second user accesses the virtual environment via a second communication device; determining, by the processing system, that the second user has a trusted relationship with the first user; determining, by the processing system, that the second communication device associated with the second user attempts to record personal identifiable (PI) data resulting in a first determination; and preventing, by the processing system, the second communication device from recording the PI data.

19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising providing, by the processing system, a first notification to the first communication device that indicates the second communication device attempting to record the PI data, wherein the first communication device presents the first notification on a user interface of the first communication device.

20 . The method of claim 18 , comprising determining, by the processing system, that the second user has an untrusted relationship based on the first determination.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Palamadai Rashmi
• Palazzo Richard
• Zavesky Eric
• Spatscheck Oliver
• Craine Ari
• Koch Robert

Classifications

• A63F13/87

  Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat · CPC title

• A63F13/79 Primary

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

• G06F21/60 Primary

  Protecting data · CPC title