IP Library › Granted Patent US 12707212
Granted Patent B2
US 12707212 · App. 17/702,382 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

System for facilitating in-person interaction between multiuser virtual environment users whose avatars have interacted virtually

Inventor: Gregory A. Piccionelli (Westlake Village, CA)
H04R25/70G06Q10/10H04L65/1101H04R2225/55
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12707212
App. No.
17/702,382
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described is a system for facilitating in-person interaction between multi-user virtual environment (“MMVE”) users. The system facilitates in-person interaction between the users if they have interacted virtually in MMVE via their respective avatars.

Claims (26)

1 . A system that manages multi-user virtual environment (“MMVE”) on at least one server with a plurality of users, comprising:

a plurality of avatars in the MMVE with each avatar associated with a user of the plurality of users;

a plurality of user criteria associated with each avatar accessible by the server;

a first load value associated with at least a portion of the MMVE having a first grouping of the plurality of avatar generated by the server; and

a second grouping of the plurality of avatars identified on the server and moving them to a different portion of the MMVE to reduce the first load value of the server, where the selection of the second grouping from the first grouping is based at least partially upon the plurality of user criteria, wherein the at least two of the plurality of users have responded to a query signal and kept in the portion of the MMVE having a first grouping even if at least one of the at least two of the plurality of users is identified as belonging in the second grouping.

2 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 1 , where the different portion of the MMVE is a new instance of the MMVE.

3 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 1 , where the different portion of the MMVE is a new instance of the MMVE on another server in a server bank.

4 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 1 , where the plurality of user criteria includes a user's age.

5 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 4 , where the first grouping is based at least on a user's age.

6 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 1 , where the plurality of user criteria includes a user's political affiliation.

7 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 6 , where the first grouping is based at least on a user's political affiliation.

8 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 1 , where the plurality of criteria is based on at least on a user's sex.

9 . The system that manages the MMVE of claim 8 , where the first grouping is based at least on a user's sex.

10 . A method for managing multi-user virtual environment (“MMVE”) with a plurality of users, the method including:

a plurality of avatars in the MMVE with each avatar associated with a user of the plurality of users;

a plurality of user criteria associated with each avatar;

determining a first load value associated with at least a portion of the MMVE having a first grouping of the plurality of avatar; and

selecting a second grouping of the plurality of avatars and moving them to a different portion of the MMVE to that reduces the first load value, where the selection of the second grouping from the first grouping is based upon the plurality of user criteria, wherein the at least two of the plurality of users have responded to a query signal and kept in the portion of the MMVE having a first grouping even if at least one of the at least two of the plurality of users is identified as belonging in the second grouping.

11 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 10 , where the different portion of the MMVE is a new instance of the MMVE on the server.

12 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 10 , where the different portion of the MMVE is a new instance of the MMVE on another server in a server bank.

13 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 10 , where the plurality of user criteria includes a user's age.

14 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 13 , where the first grouping is based at least on a user's age.

15 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 10 , where the plurality of user criteria includes a user's political affiliation.

16 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 15 , where the first grouping is based at least on a user's political affiliation.

17 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 10 , where the plurality of criteria includes at least on a user's sex.

18 . The method for managing the MMVE of claim 17 where the first grouping is based at least on a user's sex.