Unified Social Graph Across Virtual Spaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for determining social graphs in virtual spaces do not effectively incorporate affiliations across multiple virtual environments and relationships in social networks, limiting the representation of user connections and interactions.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines social graphs for individual users by integrating affiliations within virtual spaces with relationships in electronic social networks, using modules such as user, environment, interaction, and relationship modules to monitor interactions and establish relationships across multiple virtual environments, and an overarching group module to link affiliations from different spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If existing systems determine social graphs within a single virtual space, then the system complexity is low, but the social graph representation is incomplete and does not reflect user connections across multiple virtual environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines social graph data from multiple virtual spaces and electronic social networks into a unified social graph. The system integrates affiliations from different virtual environments (e.g., guilds in game A, alliances in game B) along with electronic social network relationships (e.g., Facebook friends) to create a comprehensive social graph that represents all user connections across platforms, thereby reducing information loss about user social structures
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal social graph framework that works across multiple virtual spaces and electronic social networks simultaneously. This multi-functional approach allows the same social graph structure to represent relationships whether they originate from virtual space affiliations or electronic social network connections, enabling consistent social analysis across diverse platforms without requiring separate systems for each environment
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing systems limit affiliations to a single virtual space, then the affiliation management is simple, but the user relationship representation is limited and does not capture cross-environment connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary affiliation mapping mechanism that connects affiliations across different virtual spaces. This intermediary layer identifies corresponding affiliations in different environments (e.g., mapping a guild in virtual space A to an alliance in virtual space B) and links them through the unified social graph, enabling cross-environment relationship recognition without requiring complex direct integration between each virtual space system
3Loss of information
If existing systems do not integrate electronic social network relationships, then the system implementation is straightforward, but the social graph does not reflect real-world user connections
Solution Approach 1:
The system copies relationship data from electronic social networks into the virtual space social graph structure. It retrieves friendship and connection information from electronic social networks (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn) and replicates these relationships within the unified social graph framework, allowing virtual environments to leverage real-world social connections without requiring complex real-time synchronization with external networks
Data Source
AI summary
Social graphs may be determined for individual users belonging to affiliations in virtual spaces accessible via electronic social networks. Affiliations within one or more virtual spaces may be managed. A given affiliation within a given virtual space may comprise a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the given virtual space. Relationships within one or more electronic social network may be managed. A given relationship within a given electronic social network may represent a reciprocal relation between two or more users in the given electronic social network. Social graphs associated with individual users may be determined based on the affiliations within the one or more virtual spaces and the relationships within the one or more electronic social networks.