System and method for product trials in a simulated environment

US8626615B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michele P. Brignull · South Burlington, US
• Rick A. Hamilton, II · Charlottesville, US
• Anne R. Sand · Colorado Springs, US
• James W. Seaman · Falls Church, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 1, 2008
• Grant date: Jan 7, 2014
• Expiry date: Oct 25, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0601
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method to enable product trials and, in particular, to dynamically collect information relating to the product trials. The system includes a tagging engine configured to tag one or more products, which are part of a product trial in a virtual universe. The system also includes a tracking engine configured to track information on the one or more products via a tag and a storage unit configured to collect the tracked information for marketing and/or advertising purposes.