System and method for human identification proof for use in virtual environments

A system for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world, said system comprising:

• a server device for establishing a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, in said virtual world environment
• a plurality of client devices, each of said plurality corresponding to an avatar present in the virtual world environment and representing a user, each client device having an interface means operable by users, for enabling said users to interact through their said representing avatars in said virtual world environment, said client devices and server device communicating over a network connection;
• said server device maintaining a list of present avatars interacting in said virtual world environment and corresponding information for identifying client computing devices operating to control said present avatars;
• and wherein
• a human user detects, while interacting through said representative avatar in said virtual world environment, an avatar suspected by that human user of exhibiting non-human behavior in said virtual world;
• said human user initiating a request to challenge said suspect avatar to determine whether said suspect avatar is controlled by an automated application program (bot);
• said server device for providing computer-implemented functions for receiving said request for challenging said suspect avatar in said virtual world environment, said server device identifying, in response to said received challenging request, a user client device associated with a challenged avatar;
• said server device providing computer-implemented functions for generating, for display at said user client device over a network connection, a Human Identification Proof, (HIP) surface challenge directed at said suspect avatar in said virtual world to detect a human user versus an application program user controlling said suspect avatar, said HIP surface challenge requiring a response from said avatar;
• said server device receiving said response from said user client device and providing computer-implemented functions to determine, from said response provided, whether said user is an application program user (bot) or a human user;
• and,
• said server device providing computer-implemented functions for preventing, at said server device, said suspect avatar from further interaction in said virtual world environment, or performing any other punitive action, when a bot is determined to control said challenged avatar.

A non-transitory program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for verifying an avatar interacting in a virtual world environment represents a human user, said method steps comprising:

• providing, by a server device, a communication system for establishing a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, in said virtual world environment;
• enabling, via client devices associated with one or more users, said users to interact through their said representing avatars, said client devices and server device communicating over a network;
• and wherein,
• a human user detects, while interacting through said representative avatar in said virtual world environment, an avatar suspected by that human user of exhibiting non-human behavior in said virtual world;
• said human user initiating a request to challenge said suspect avatar to determine whether said suspect avatar is controlled by an automated application program (bot);
• receiving, at said server device, said request for challenging an avatar in said virtual world environment;
• identifying, in response to said challenging, a user client device associated with the suspect challenged avatar;
• generating, for display at a user client device, a Human Identification Proof (HIP) surface challenge directed at said suspect avatar in said virtual world to detect a human user versus an application program user controlling said suspect avatar, said HIP surface challenge requiring a response from said avatar;
• determining, from said response, whether said user is an application program user (bot) or a human user;
• and,
• preventing, at said server device, said suspect avatar from further interaction in said virtual world environment, or performing any other punitive action, when said challenged avatar is determined to be a bot.