Collaborative information sharing in a virtual world

摘要

A system and method are provided for enabling information sharing in a distributed virtual world. In general, a virtual world client associated with a user participating in a virtual world operates to obtain one or more annotations associated with virtual world constructs identified as being of interest to the user. The virtual world constructs of interest to the user may be identified by the user or identified automatically by the virtual world client. In one embodiment, the one or more annotations are defined by other users participating in the virtual world. Once the one or more annotations are obtained, the virtual world client may, for example, present the one or more annotations to the user, present a portion of the one or more annotations to the user, notify the user that the one or more annotations are available, or the like.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
automatically identifying a first virtual world construct of interest to a user associated with an avatar within a virtual world based on an activity with which the avatar is actively engaged within the virtual world where the first virtual world construct of interest is based on pre-defined information associated with the user; querying a plurality of virtual world clients associated with a plurality of users participating in the virtual world, the plurality of virtual world clients hosted by a corresponding plurality of client devices for annotations for the virtual world construct; receiving a response, the response including at least one annotation for a second virtual world construct of interest that is related to and separate from the first virtual world construct of interest, wherein the second virtual world construct of interest is based on the activity with which the avatar is actively engaged within the virtual world; and enabling the user to consume the at least one annotation for the virtual world construct provided in the response, wherein the user consumes the at least one annotation when the at least one annotation is displayed to the user on a secondary interface that includes the at least one annotation.