Patent ID: 8527334
Filing Date: 2013-09-03
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for providing advertising through an avatar, the computer-implemented method comprising computer-implemented operations for: providing, by a computer having a processor and a memory, an advertiser-generated avatar to a first participant, the advertiser-generated avatar associated with an advertisement, the first participant having control of a current avatar, the current avatar comprising a first animated character representation associated the first participant, the advertiser-generated avatar comprising a second animated character representation associated with the advertisement, the current avatar and the advertiser-generated avatar are adapted to traverse a virtual world and interact with other avatars controlled by other participants; replacing, by the computer, the current avatar with the advertiser-generated avatar such that the first participant gains control of the advertiser-generated avatar and loses control of the current avatar, the advertiser-generated avatar traverses the virtual world as controlled by the first participant; while the first participant has control of the advertiser-generated avatar, monitoring, by the computer, a level of interaction between the first participant and other participants via the advertiser-generated avatar controlled by the first participant and the other avatars controlled by the other participants by monitoring an effectiveness of the interaction between the first participant and the other participants, the effectiveness based on an amount of times spent by the other participants discussing the advertiser-generated avatar and the advertisement associated with the advertiser-generated avatar, and an amount of purchases that are made by the other participants as a result of interacting with the advertiser-generated avatar; determining, by the computer, an amount of compensation to provide the first participant based on the level of interaction between the first participant and the other participants; and providing, by the computer, the compensation to the first participant relative to the determined level of interaction.