METHOD, APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR MODELING PRESENCE IN PERSISTENT VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method, apparatus, and program product for modelling presence in a persistent virtual environment in which a time a player virtually existing is pursued, intensity of the cycle is analyzed assuming a player virtually exists following a cycle, and whether a player virtually exists or not in future is assumed. SOLUTION: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that accumulate a presence history of an entity within a persistent virtual environment by repeated gathering of virtual presence information. The virtual presence information includes an entity identification value and a sampling time value. The technology performs a general least-squares-fit to a set of basis functions on a portion of the presence history to create a coefficient vector. The coefficient vector represents a temporal profile consistent with the presence history and includes coefficients responsive to the general least-squares-fit. The technology characterizes the entity responsive to its coefficient vector and presents the characterization of the entity. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT