Patent ID: 8055766

Claim:
A method for providing a user state file enabling interactions between virtual and real world identities, the method comprising: determining a real world identity of a user; determining a virtual world identity of the user; providing an associated user designation for a first and a second associated user; determining at least one of a real world identity or a virtual world identity for the associated users, wherein the first associated user has at least a real world identity and the second associated user has at least a virtual world identity; establishing a communication history between the user and the first and second associated users, the communication history including communications in at least one of the real world or the virtual world; generating the user state file based on the determined real world and virtual world identities of the user and the associated users and the communication history between the user and the associated users, wherein the user state file is configured to be accessed by the user in both the real world and the virtual world, and wherein generating the user state file is performed on a first platform associated with either the real world identity or the virtual world identity of the user; storing the user state file on the first platform; detecting a communication connection between the first platform and a second platform associated with the other of the real world identity or the virtual world identity of the user; and transferring the user state file to the second platform to synchronize the user state file with another copy of the user state file resident on the second platform.