# US 2010/0169798 A1 · Visual Indication of User Interests in a Computer-Generated Virtual Environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0169798 A1 - Document ID: US20100169798A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/345,376 - Filed: 2008-12-29 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-29 - Assignees: Nortel Networks Limited - Inventors: Arn Hyndman; Nicholas Sauriol - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100169798A1 ## CPC - A63F 13/12 - A63F 13/537: using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen - A63F 13/30: Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers - A63F 13/79: involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - A63F 13/71: using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players - A63F 2300/305: for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player - A63F 2300/5546: using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history - A63F 2300/5553: user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Users create profiles containing their interests, professional qualifications, and/or personal information. When users encounter each other in the virtual environment, the information contained in the personal profiles is used to provide visual indications of the profile information so that other users know some modicum of information about the user associated with the Avatar. The user associated with the personal profile may control what information is provided publicly and what information is provided privately. Information in other users' profiles may be filtered to enable relevant information to be presented to the user. Filtering may be explicit and based on user-defined criteria. Filtering may be inherent as well and implemented to select visual indications based on similarities between the user's profile information and the other users' profile information. Inherent matching of attributes may be exact, based on pre-defined similarities or groups, or based on learned similarities between types of attributes, or based on previous interactions of the user with other users in the virtual environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of: collecting profile information from user interest profiles of other users of the computer generated virtual environment; and generating interest icons for display to the user in association with Avatars representing the other users of the computer generated virtual environment based on the collected profile information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein the profile information includes user interest, job function, and location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein interest icons include graphical icons ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein interest icons include text. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the interest icons includes a corporate badge. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 5, wherein the corporate badge includes authentication state to indicate whether the user was authenticated when entering the virtual environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein the interest icons are displayed around the Avatars of the other users and visible only to the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein the user has a user interest profile containing user profile information, and the method further comprising the step of enabling the user to control what user profile information from the user's user interest profile is made available to the other users of the virtual environment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein the user has a user interest profile, and wherein the step of generating interest icons for display to the user comprises the step of filtering the collected profile information for matching profile information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 9, wherein the step of filtering is explicit and based on user-defined criteria so that the user can filter information shown to him to highlight Avatars with particular profile attributes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 9, wherein the step of filtering is inherent and implemented to select interest icons based on similarities between the user's profile information and the other user's profile information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 11, wherein the step of filtering requires the profile information to match exactly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 11, wherein the step of filtering enables interest icons to be displayed where the similarities between the user's profile information and the other users' profile information is not exact but where both fall within a predefined group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 11, wherein the step of filtering may be based on learned similarities. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 1, wherein the user has a user interest profile, the method further comprising the step of defining a heat map showing concentrations of users with profiles containing particular profile information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method of providing a visual indication of profile information to a user in a computer-generated virtual environment according to claim 15, wherein the user is provided with the ability to select the particular profile information so that the user can use the map to look for concentrations of users with particular attributes.