# US 12,182,248 B2 · Techniques for establishing trusted environments within a metaverse > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,182,248 B2 - Document ID: US12182248B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/051,452 - Filed: 2022-10-31 - Published: 2024-05-02 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-31 - Assignees: Ally Financial Inc. - Applicants: Ally Financial Inc. - Inventors: Harish Naik; Arvy Rajasekaran; Dallas Gale; Dzmitry Dubarau; Jared Allmond; Jordan Gilliam; Michael Parello; Sathish Muthukrishnan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182248B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/36: by graphic or iconic representation - G06T 13/40: of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings - G06T 19/006: {Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Methods, systems, and devices are described. A virtual environment may perform a multi-step authentication process to verify identities of both a user and a representative of an organization interacting within the virtual environment. Within the virtual environment, the representative may perform a first verification process to verify the identity of the user and the representative by validating the user's account information and an identifier of the representative against a distributed ledger. Upon success of the first verification process, the representative may initiate a second verification process. As part of the second verification process, the distributed ledger may provide one or more questions posed to the user by the representative, which may be answered within the virtual environment, external to the virtual environment, or both. Upon the user successfully answering the one or more questions, the virtual environment may display an indication that the user and the representative are verified. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: establishing a session with a user within a three-dimensional virtual environment, wherein the established session is based at least in part on a first avatar being located within a threshold distance of a second avatar within the three-dimensional virtual environment, the first avatar being associated with the user and the second avatar being associated with a representative of an organization; receiving, from the first avatar or the user, or both, account information associated with at least one account provided by the organization to the user; performing a first sequence of processes to verify the account information and an identifier of the representative, wherein verification of the account information and the identifier is based at least in part on respective data validated against a distributed ledger; performing a second sequence of processes to authenticate the first avatar based at least in part on the first sequence of processes being successful, wherein the second sequence of processes uses one or more questions received from the distributed ledger; and indicating, within the three-dimensional virtual environment, that the first avatar and the second avatar are verified based at least in part on the second sequence of processes being successful. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first sequence of processes comprises: transmitting, to a system providing the distributed ledger, a first application programming interface (API) call comprising the account information; receiving a hash key from the system in response to the first API call; transmitting, to the system, a second API call comprising the hash key and the identifier of the representative; and receiving, from the system, a message indicating whether the hash key and the identifier are validated against the distributed ledger in response to the second API call, wherein the first sequence of processes is successful based at least in part on the message indicating that the hash key and the identifier are validated against the distributed ledger. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second sequence of processes comprises: transmitting, to a system providing the distributed ledger, a third application programming interface (API) call comprising a request for the one or more questions; receiving, from the system, a message comprising the one or more questions in response to the third API call; and transmitting the one or more questions to the first avatar or the user, or both, wherein the second sequence of processes is successful based at least in part on one or more actions performed by the first avatar within the three-dimensional virtual environment in response to the one or more questions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more questions are transmitted via a network that is separate from the three-dimensional virtual environment, and the one or more questions are transmitted from the representative directly to the user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more questions are transmitted via the three-dimensional virtual environment, and the one or more questions are transmitted from the second avatar directly to the first avatar. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: performing, by the first avatar, a third sequence of processes to verify an identity of the second avatar, wherein the third sequence of processes is based at least in part on data within the distributed ledger. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein performing the third sequence of processes comprises: transmitting, to a system providing the distributed ledger, a fourth application programming interface (API) call comprising a request to validate the representative; and receiving, from the system, a response indicating whether the representative is validated against the distributed ledger, wherein the response indicates that the representative and the second avatar are verified based at least in part on the identifier being validated against the distributed ledger. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the third sequence of processes is automatically triggered by the user or the first avatar, or both, scanning a quick response (QR) code associated with the second avatar. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more questions are randomly selected from a plurality of predefined questions stored by the distributed ledger. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the distributed ledger comprises a private distributed ledger associated with the organization. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold distance corresponds to an area surrounding the second avatar, or a boundary of a virtual office associated with the organization, or a boundary of a virtual storefront associated with the organization or any combination thereof. ### Claim 12 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to: establish a session with a user within a three-dimensional virtual environment, wherein the established session is based at least in part on a first avatar being located within a threshold distance of a second avatar within the three-dimensional virtual environment, the first avatar being associated with the user and the second avatar being associated with a representative of an organization; receive, from the first avatar or the user, or both, account information associated with at least one account provided by the organization to the user; perform a first sequence of processes to verify the account information and an identifier of the representative, wherein verification of the account information and the identifier is based at least in part on respective data validated against a distributed ledger; perform a second sequence of processes to authenticate the first avatar based at least in part on the first sequence of processes being successful, wherein the second sequence of processes uses one or more questions received from the distributed ledger; and indicate, within the three-dimensional virtual environment, that the first avatar and the second avatar are verified based at least in part on the second sequence of processes being successful. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions to perform the first sequence of processes are executable by the processor to: transmit, to a system providing the distributed ledger, a first application programming interface (API) call comprising the account information; receive a hash key from the system in response to the first API call; transmit, to the system, a second API call comprising the hash key and the identifier of the representative; and receive, from the system, a message indicating whether the hash key and the identifier are validated against the distributed ledger in response to the second API call, wherein the first sequence of processes is successful based at least in part on the message indicating that the hash key and the identifier are validated against the distributed ledger. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions to perform the second sequence of processes are executable by the processor to: transmit, to a system providing the distributed ledger, a third application programming interface (API) call comprising a request for the one or more questions; receive, from the system, a message comprising the one or more questions in response to the third API call; and transmit the one or more questions to the first avatar or the user, or both, wherein the second sequence of processes is successful based at least in part on one or more actions performed by the first avatar within the three-dimensional virtual environment in response to the one or more questions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more questions are transmitted via a network that is separate from the three-dimensional virtual environment, and the one or more questions are transmitted from the representative directly to the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein: the one or more questions are transmitted via the three-dimensional virtual environment, and the one or more questions are transmitted from the second avatar directly to the first avatar. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to: perform, by the first avatar, a third sequence of processes to verify an identity of the second avatar, wherein the third sequence of processes is based at least in part on data within the distributed ledger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions to perform the third sequence of processes are executable by the processor to: transmit, to a system providing the distributed ledger, a fourth application programming interface (API) call comprising a request to validate the representative; and receive, from the system, a response indicating whether the representative is validated against the distributed ledger, wherein the response indicates that the representative and the second avatar are verified based at least in part on the identifier being validated against the distributed ledger. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the third sequence of processes is automatically triggered by the user or the first avatar, or both, scanning a quick response (QR) code associated with the second avatar. ### Claim 20 An apparatus, comprising: a controller associated with a memory device, wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to: establish a session with a user within a three-dimensional virtual environment, wherein the established session is based at least in part on a first avatar being located within a threshold distance of a second avatar within the three-dimensional virtual environment, the first avatar being associated with the user and the second avatar being associated with a representative of an organization; receive, from the first avatar or the user, or both, account information associated with at least one account provided by the organization to the user; perform a first sequence of processes to verify the account information and an identifier of the representative, wherein verification of the account information and the identifier is based at least in part on respective data validated against a distributed ledger; perform a second sequence of processes to authenticate the first avatar based at least in part on the first sequence of processes being successful, wherein the second sequence of processes uses one or more questions received from the distributed ledger; and indicate, within the three-dimensional virtual environment, that the first avatar and the second avatar are verified based at least in part on the second sequence of processes being successful.