System and method for online item publication and marketplace within virtual worlds

Abstract

A system and method for publishing information about items and allowing internet shopping within virtual worlds. A server based application for internet commerce has been designed to integrate with virtual world servers and the client programs that work with the virtual world servers. For example, a consumer within a virtual world may approach a billboard that will allow the user to interact with a real internet-based marketplace that is available in the real world. Both real world and virtual world items may be purchased from the internet-based marketplace after locating a desired item within the virtual world.

1 . A method of providing access to a networked commerce site from within a virtual world, said method comprising:
 receiving a first request of shopping information from a virtual world user;   transmitting said first request of shopping information to a networked commerce site translation application;   transmitting a second request of shopping information from said networked commerce site translation application to said networked commerce site;   processing a first set of results received back from said networked commerce site within said networked commerce site translation application to create a second set of results; and   transmitting said second set of results to a virtual world server application for display to said virtual world user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of providing access to said networked commerce site as set forth in  claim 1 , said method further comprising:
 receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and   launching a web browser program with a destination address of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of providing access to said networked commerce site as set forth in  claim 1 , said method further comprising:
 receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and   sending an email message containing a Uniform resource Locator associated with a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user to an email address associated with said virtual world user.   
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation of only items associated with said virtual world. 
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation that excludes items that will be sold within a short period of time. 
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said second set of results comprises an image file. 
     
     
         7 . The method as set forth in  claim 6  wherein said second set of results further comprises a click map of said image file. 
     
     
         8 . A system for providing marketplace capabilities from within a virtual world, said system comprising:
 a networked commerce site, said network commerce site having an application programming interface for receiving search requests;   a networked commerce site translation server, said networked commerce site translation server comprising
 a request processing module, said request processing module receiving a first request of shopping information from a virtual world user, processing said first request into a second request and transmitting said second request to said networked commerce site, and 
 a response processing module, said response processing module processing a first set of results received back from said networked commerce site to create a second set of results and transmitting said second set of results to a virtual world server application for display to said virtual world user. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein a virtual client application receives a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user and launches a web browser program with a destination address of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user. 
     
     
         10 . The system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein a virtual client application receives a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user and sends an email message containing a Uniform resource Locator of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user to an email address associated with said virtual world user. 
     
     
         11 . The system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation of only items associated with said virtual world. 
     
     
         12 . The system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation that excludes items that will be sold within a short period of time. 
     
     
         13 . The system as set forth in  claim 8  wherein said second set of results comprises an image file. 
     
     
         14 . The system as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said second set of results further comprises a click map of said image file. 
     
     
         15 . A machine-readable medium, said machine-readable medium comprising a set of computer instructions that provide method for accessing a networked commerce site from within a virtual world, said method comprising:
 receiving a first request of shopping information from a virtual world user;   transmitting said first request of shopping information to a networked commerce site translation application;   transmitting a second request of shopping information from said networked commerce site translation application to said networked commerce site;   processing a first set of results received back from said networked commerce site within said networked commerce site translation application to create a second set of results; and   transmitting said second set of results to a virtual world server application for display to said virtual world user.   
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable medium as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said method further comprises:
 receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and   launching a web browser program with a destination address of a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user.   
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable medium as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said method further comprises:
 receiving a designation of a product displayed in said second set of results from a virtual world user; and   sending an email message containing a Uniform resource Locator associated with a web page associated with said product designated by said virtual world user to an email address associated with said virtual world user.   
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable medium as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation of only items associated with said virtual world. 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable medium as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said second request of shopping information specifies a limitation that excludes items that will be sold within a short period of time. 
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable medium as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said second set of results comprises an image file. 
     
     
         21 . The machine-readable medium as set forth in  claim 20  wherein said second set of results further comprises a click map of said image file.