Virtual World Blacklist System for Avoiding Unwanted User Encounters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users in immersive virtual environments often face challenges in avoiding specific individuals, such as casual friends or former spouses, which can lead to embarrassing or unwanted encounters during professional or personal activities.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to create and manage blacklists, storing user preferences and situational contexts to avoid specific users by predicting their locations and suggesting alternative travel plans to minimize encounters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users freely interact with all other users in the virtual world, then the social immersion and realism of the virtual environment is improved, but unwanted or embarrassing encounters with specific users cannot be avoided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user interaction space by creating blacklist entries that divide other users into 'wanted' and 'unwanted' categories. The system separates the virtual world into safe zones (where blacklisted users are excluded) and unrestricted zones, allowing selective interaction based on user preferences stored in the database.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (the blacklist management system and database) that mediates between users and potential encounters. This intermediary automatically detects when a blacklisted user is present and intervenes by alerting the user or preventing interaction, without requiring direct user control over every encounter.
2Reliability
If the system tracks and monitors user locations and interactions to prevent unwanted encounters, then user safety and comfort is improved, but the complexity of the virtual world system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the system automatically monitors user locations, compares them against blacklist data, and generates alerts without requiring manual intervention. The database automatically updates and maintains blacklist information, and the system autonomously determines when encounters should be prevented based on stored user preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback loops where the system continuously monitors user interactions and location data, compares this information against the blacklist database, and provides real-time alerts or warnings to users. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adaptively respond to potential unwanted encounters while maintaining simple user interfaces.
3Loss of information
If the system provides detailed alerts and warnings about blacklisted users, then user awareness and control is improved, but the user experience may become intrusive or annoying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by providing different levels of alert intensity based on the situation. The system offers subtle warnings (such as visual indicators or gentle notifications) rather than constant intrusive alerts. Users can choose to receive information about blacklisted users only when relevant to their current activity, avoiding unnecessary disruptions to the user experience.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for providing information for avoiding specific users of an immersive virtual environment. Generally, a primary user may specify other users to be avoided in a blacklist. The blacklisted users may be specified to be avoided at all times, or may be specified to be avoided in certain situations. In one embodiment, a user may be added to the blacklist during a specific situation, resulting in the characteristics of the situation being automatically stored in the blacklist. Subsequently, the blacklist may be used to determine the locations of the blacklisted users matching the current situation. The primary user may then avoid the locations having the greatest probability of encountering blacklisted users.