# US 2010/0169211 A1 · Communication system and information processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0169211 A1 - Document ID: US20100169211A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/659,322 - Filed: 2010-03-04 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2000-08-23 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Hideaki Takahashi; Tatsuo Itabashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100169211A1 ## CPC - G06Q 20/10: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems - G06Q 20/00: Payment architectures, schemes or protocols (apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12) - G06Q 20/02: involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP] - G06Q 20/105: {involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"} - G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems - G06Q 20/40: Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists - G06Q 30/0282: Rating or review of business operators or products - G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A network transaction server apparatus manages virtual world privilege information that is issued for a transaction that a user has conducted in a virtual world by manipulating a personal computer. A settlement server apparatus manages real world privilege information that is issued for a transaction that the user has conducted in a real world. In response to a request from the personal computer, the settlement server apparatus converts virtual world privilege information that is managed by the network transaction server apparatus into real world privilege information using a prescribed conversion factor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication system comprising: an IC card including a unique user identifier corresponding to a user; a first management apparatus for generating and managing a first type of user information, the first type of user information generated based on a first transaction conducted between the first management apparatus and a first terminal using the user identifier, the first terminal including an IC card interface for receiving the user identifier from the IC card, the user identifier associating the first type of user information with the user; a second management apparatus for generating and managing a second type of user information, the second type of user information generated based on a second transaction conducted between the second management apparatus and a second terminal using the user identifier, the second terminal including an IC card interface for receiving the user identifier from the IC card, the user identifier associating the second type of user information with the user; wherein the second management apparatus combines the first type of user information with the second type of user information in response to a request from the user to combine the first type of user information and the second type of user information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first management apparatus and the second management apparatus converts the first type of user information into the second type of user information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first type of user information is converted into the second type of user information based on a predetermined conversation factor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first type of user information and the second type of user information has an empirical value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first type of user information and the second type of user information include point information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the first management apparatus generates and accumulates the first type of user information from subsequent transactions including the first management apparatus and the user identifier; and the second management apparatus generates and accumulates the second type of user information from subsequent transactions including the second management apparatus and the user identifier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first management apparatus performs settlement processing in response to a settlement request for a transaction initiated by the user; and the second management apparatus performs settlement processing in response to a settlement request for a transaction initiated by the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first management apparatus generates the first type of user information based on acts performed by the user in the virtual world that represent a credibility or a contribution of the user in a virtual world. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second management apparatus generates the second type of user information in accordance with a credibility of the user or a contribution by the user in a real world. ### Claim 10 An information processing method comprising the steps of: receiving a user identifier from an IC card at a first terminal, the first terminal including an IC card interface; generating a first type of user information based on a first transaction conducted between the first management apparatus and the first terminal using the user identifier, the user identifier associating the first type of user information with the user; receiving the user identifier from the IC card at a second terminal, the second terminal including an IC card interface; generating a second type of user information based on a second transaction conducted between the second management apparatus and the second terminal using the user identifier, the user identifier associating the second type of user information with the user; combining the first type of user information with the second type of user information in response to a request from the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The information processing method according to claim 10, further comprising converting the first type of user information into the second type of user information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the first type of user information is converted into the second type of user information according to a predetermined conversion factor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the first type of user information and the second type of user information has an empirical value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the first type of user information and the second type of user information include point information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The information processing method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first management apparatus and the second management apparatus issue the point information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The information processing method according to claim 10, further comprising: accumulating the first type of user information generated from subsequent transactions by the first management apparatus using the user identifier; and accumulating the second type of user information generated from subsequent transactions by the second management apparatus using the user identifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the first management apparatus generates the first type of user information based on acts performed by the user in the virtual world that represent a credibility or a contribution of the user in the virtual world. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the second management apparatus generates the second type of user information in accordance with a credibility of the user or a contribution by the user in the real world.