Method, apparatus, and program product for modeling presence in a persistent virtual environment
View Patent ↗Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that accumulate a presence history of an entity within a persistent virtual environment by repeated gathering of virtual presence information. The virtual presence information includes an entity identification value and a sampling time value. Once the virtual presence information is collected, the technology performs a general least-squares-fit to a set of basis functions on a portion of the presence history to create a coefficient vector. The coefficient vector represents a temporal profile consistent with the presence history and includes coefficients responsive to the general least-squares-fit. Once the coefficient vector is created, the technology characterizes the entity responsive to its coefficient vector and presents the characterization of the entity.
1. A computer controlled method comprising:
accumulating, by a computer, a presence history of an entity within a persistent virtual environment by repeated gathering of virtual presence information, the virtual presence information comprising an entity identification value and a sampling time value;
processing, by the computer, the presence history by performing a general least-squares-fit to a non-periodic event function that models a historical response to a determinable modification to the persistent virtual environment, wherein performing the general least-squares-fit produces a coefficient vector that represents a temporal profile consistent with the presence history, said coefficient vector comprising a plurality of coefficients whose values parameterize the temporal profile for the entity's past presence in the persistent virtual environment responsive to the determinable modification to the persistent virtual environment;
characterizing, by the computer, the entity's temporal profile based on the coefficient vector; and
presenting, to the entity, a graph illustrating the characterization of the entity's temporal profile.
2. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , wherein said entity is one or more of the group consisting of a player, an avatar, an account holder, and a player association.
3. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , wherein characterizing said entity comprises determining, as said characterization, a likelihood responsive to said coefficient vector that said entity will be virtually present at a future time.
4. The computer controlled method of claim 3 , wherein determining said likelihood further comprises extending said temporal profile to said future time.
5. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , wherein said entity is a player association and wherein characterizing said player association comprises: determining, as said characterization, a participation level of said player association responsive to said coefficient vector at a future time.
6. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , wherein characterizing said entity further comprises determining, as said characterization, one or more of the group consisting of an entity presence state value, an entity experience value, an entity class value, an entity profession value, an entity attribute value, an entity clan value, an entity city value, an entity play style value, an entity equipment value, an entity player name, an entity account, an entity online social relationship, an entity characteristic, an entity possession, an entity virtual location, and an entity property, with respect to said temporal profile.
7. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , wherein said persistent virtual environment is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a multiplayer online game, a virtual office, a virtual resort, and a virtual representation of a real world attraction.
8. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , wherein presenting said characterization further comprises presenting said temporal profile.
9. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , wherein presenting said characterization further comprises presenting information derived from said temporal profile or said coefficient vector.
10. The computer controlled method of claim 1 , further comprising adding to said coefficient vector one or more of the group consisting of an entity presence state value, an entity experience value, an entity class value, an entity profession value, an entity attribute value, an entity clan value, an entity city value, an entity play style value, an entity equipment value, an entity player name, an entity account, an entity online social relationship, an entity characteristic, an entity possession, an entity virtual location, and an entity property.
11. An apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory coupled to said CPU comprising:
a data acquisition logic configured to accumulate a presence history of an entity within a persistent virtual environment by repeated gathering of virtual presence information, the virtual presence information comprising an entity identification value and a sampling time value;
a fitting logic configured to:
process the presence history by performing a general least-squares-fit to a non-periodic event function that models a historical response to a determinable modification to the persistent virtual environment;
wherein performing the general least-squares-fit produces a coefficient vector that represents a temporal profile consistent with the presence history, said coefficient vector comprising a plurality of coefficients whose values parameterize the temporal profile for the entity's past presence in the persistent virtual environment responsive to the determinable modification to the persistent virtual environment;
a characterization logic, responsive to the fitting logic, configured to characterize the entity's temporal profile based on the coefficient vector; and
a presentation logic, responsive to the characterization logic, configured to present, to the entity, a graph illustrating the characterization of the entity's temporal profile.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said entity is one or more of the group consisting of a player, an avatar, an account holder, and a player association.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the characterization logic comprises a future likelihood logic configured to determine a likelihood responsive to said coefficient vector that said entity will be virtually present at a future time.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the future likelihood logic comprises forecasting logic configured to extend said temporal profile to said future time.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said entity is a player association and wherein the characterization logic further comprises: a prediction logic configured to determine a participation level of said player association responsive to said coefficient vector at a future time.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said persistent virtual environment is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a multiplayer online game, a virtual office, a virtual resort, and a virtual representation of a real world attraction.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the presentation logic further comprises a profile logic configured to present said temporal profile.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the presentation logic further comprises analysis logic configured to present information derived from said temporal profile or said coefficient vector.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
accumulating a presence history of an entity within a persistent virtual environment by repeated gathering of virtual presence information, the virtual presence information comprising an entity identification value and a sampling time value;
processing the presence history by performing a general least-squares-fit to a non-periodic event function that models a historical response to a determinable modification to the persistent virtual environment,
wherein performing the general least-squares-fit produces a coefficient vector that represents a temporal profile consistent with the presence history, said coefficient vector comprising a plurality of coefficients whose values parameterize the temporal profile for the entity's past presence in the persistent virtual environment responsive to the determinable modification to the persistent virtual environment;
characterizing the entity's temporal profile based on the coefficient vector; and
presenting, to the entity, a graph illustrating the characterization of the entity's temporal profile.
20. The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein said entity is one or more of the group consisting of a player, an avatar, an account holder, and a player association.
21. The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein characterizing said entity comprises determining, as said characterization, a likelihood responsive to said coefficient vector that said entity will be virtually present at a future time.
22. The storage medium of claim 21 , wherein determining said likelihood further comprises extending said temporal profile to said future time.
23. The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein said entity is a player association and wherein characterizing said player association comprises: determining, as said characterization, a participation level of said player association responsive to said coefficient vector at a future time.
24. The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein characterizing said entity further comprises determining, as said characterization, one or more of the group consisting of an entity presence state value, an entity experience value, an entity class value, an entity profession value, an entity attribute value, an entity clan value, an entity city value, an entity play style value, an entity equipment value, an entity player name, an entity account, an entity online social relationship, an entity characteristic, an entity possession, an entity virtual location, and an entity property, with respect to said temporal profile.
25. The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein said persistent virtual environment is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a multiplayer online game, a virtual office, a virtual resort, and a virtual representation of a real world attraction.
26. The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein presenting said characterization further comprises presenting said temporal profile.
27. The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein presenting said characterization further comprises presenting information derived from said temporal profile or said coefficient vector.