Patent ID: 8726195

Claim:
A method, implemented with at least one processor, for enabling a user of an instant messenger application to interact with a virtual world environment, the method comprising: enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to navigate the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface; generating, using the at least one processor, an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment; enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment; monitoring, using the at least one processor, a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment; determining, using the at least one processor, descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring; providing, using the at least one processor, the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface; translating, using the at least one processor, a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator configured to enable non-verbal communications between avatars in the virtual world environment into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator configured to enable the text-based communications; and providing, using the at least one processor, the user of the instant messenger application with the second set of data.