System and method for providing information in a virtual world

1. A system for providing information about events in a virtual world comprising:

a virtual object configured for operating within the virtual world;

a re-usable code portion having a unique identifier, the re-usable code portion configured for tracking the events corresponding with the virtual object, wherein the tracking corresponds with the information; and wherein the re-usable code portion is associated with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world either by attaching the re-usable code portion to the virtual object or by attaching the re-usable code portion to the virtual object;

an external data storage for receiving the information.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the re-usable code portion is associated with the virtual object in a manner selected from the group consisting of: integrating the re-usable code portion at a source code level with the virtual object, and attaching the re-usable code portion with virtual object.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the re-usable code portion comprises:

first interface for collecting usage information about events relating to the virtual object;

a second interface for periodically collecting spatial information based on a configurable tracking frequency; and

a third interface for providing the information to the external data storage, wherein the information includes usage information and spatial information.

4. The system of one of the claim 1 , wherein the external storage is coupled with a tracking system, the tracking system comprising a server and a tracking subsystem.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the tracking subsystem comprises an integrated tracking servlet for finding the information in a request from the server and a tracking data handler for unpacking the information and storing the information into the external data storage.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the tracking subsystem comprises a tracking monitor for aggregating the information.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured for providing the unique identifier to the tracking subsystem.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a tracking data visualizer for projecting the information back into the virtual world.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an external browser unit coupled with the tracking system for accessing the information.

10. A computer program product for providing tracking information about events in a virtual world, the computer program comprising:

first programmatic instructions for providing a re-usable code portion, the re-usable code portion configured with a unique identifier and an address of an external data storage;

second programmatic instructions for configuring at least a set of events to be tracked for sending information about tracked events to the external data storage;

third programmatic instructions for associating the re-usable code portion with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world wherein the third programmatic instructions for associating the re-usable code portion with the virtual object comprise either fourth programmatic instructions for causing the computer to attach the re-usable code portion to the virtual object or fifth programmatic instructions for causing the computer to attach the reusable code portion to the virtual object.

11. A method for providing tracking information about events in a virtual world using a computer comprising:

causing the computer to provide a re-usable code portion, the re-usable code portion configured with a unique identifier and an address of an external data storage;

causing the computer to configure at least a set of events to be tracked for sending information about tracked events to the external data storage;

causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world wherein the causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with the virtual object comprises either causing the computer to attach the re-usable code portion to the virtual object.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured with a first interface for causing the computer to collect usage information about events relating to the virtual object.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first interface is configured for causing the computer to collect usage information selected from the group consisting of: a definition of events information from the virtual object and a receipt information from the virtual object.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured with a second interface for periodically causing the computer to collect spatial information based on a configurable tracking frequency.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured with a third interface for causing the computer to provide the information to the external data storage, wherein the information includes usage information and spatial information.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the third interface supports an http protocol.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the re-usable code portion is configured for causing the computer to track the information in a manner selected from the group consisting of: tracking periodically, tracking on request, and tracking as triggered.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is generated by an identifier-generation algorithm, wherein the identifier-generation algorithm utilizes a concatenation of a unique identification of an executing avatar, a current virtual world time, and a random integer number in generating the unique identifier.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the identifier-generation algorithm further causing the computer to implement a wait state after generating the unique identifier before a new unique identifier can be generated.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured to provide a definition of at least one condition corresponding with when information should be provided to the external data storage.

21. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

causing the computer to retrieve a portion of the information from the external data storage; and

causing the computer to project the information into to the virtual world related to the virtual object.