Abstract: Certain technology disclosed herein relates to a server, that supports a portion of a computer implemented virtual reality (VR) environment, submitting negative reports on behalf of users in order to reduce the probability of users of the VR environment retaliating against one another in response to receiving negative ratings. Certain technology described herein relates to using ring signatures to sign the negative reports that are to be submitted to a public database, which technology is also used to reduce the probability of users retaliating against one another in response to receiving negative ratings.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein reduce the probability that a user of a VR environment can nefariously rig a system to positively and/or negatively influence another user's reputation score. Information indicative of a positive or negative interaction between an avatar of a first user and an avatar of a second user is received from a client computing device used by the first user. Further information is received from a client computing device used by a third user of the VR environment, and based thereon, there is a determination whether the positive or negative interaction is corroborated or contradicted. If corroborated, a reputation score associated with the second user is increased or decreased. If contradicted, the reputation score associated with the second user is not adjusted, and the reputation score of the first user may be decreased. Such reputation scores can be accessed and used by a user using a client computing device.

Abstract: Certain technology disclosed herein relates to a server, that supports a portion of a computer implemented virtual reality (VR) environment, submitting negative reports on behalf of users in order to reduce the probability of users of the VR environment retaliating against one another in response to receiving negative ratings. Certain technology described herein relates to using ring signatures to sign the negative reports that are to be submitted to a public database, which technology is also used to reduce the probability of users retaliating against one another in response to receiving negative ratings.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein determine relative reputation scores for users of a VR environment, wherein each user is linked to another user via one, two, or more degrees of separation, or not at all. For each of a plurality of the users of the VR environment, information indicative of the user's impressions of one or more other users is obtained. Based thereon, individual-to-individual (I2I) reputations scores are determined, maintained, and used to determine relative reputation scores. For example, for a first user, there can be a determination of a relative reputation score associated with a second user, determined based on I2I reputation score(s) associated with the second user that were determined for one or more other users linked to both the first and second users. The relative reputation score associated with the second user can also based on an I2I score indicative of the first user's impression of the second user.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein reduce the probability that a user of a VR environment can nefariously rig a system to positively and/or negatively influence another user's reputation score. Information indicative of a positive or negative interaction between an avatar of a first user and an avatar of a second user is received from a client computing device used by the first user. Further information is received from a client computing device used by a third user of the VR environment, and based thereon, there is a determination whether the positive or negative interaction is corroborated or contradicted. If corroborated, a reputation score associated with the second user is increased or decreased. If contradicted, the reputation score associated with the second user is not adjusted, and the reputation score of the first user may be decreased. Such reputation scores can be accessed and used by a user using a client computing device.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein determine reputation scores for users of a VR environment based on gestures. Directional information, location information, and gesture information are received from respective client computing devices used by users of the VR environment. Based on the directional and location information, there is a determination of when a user (or their avatar) is looking at an avatar of another user within a specified distance of the avatar of the user within the VR environment. Based on the gesture information, there is a determination of whether the user has a positive impression of the other user, and a reputation score associated with the other user is assigned or modified based thereon. A record of reputation scores associated users is maintained and made available so a user can control an interaction with another user based on the reputation score associated with the other user.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for providing a computer-generated virtual environment that is at least partially supported by user contributed computing devices. In an embodiment, an indication is received, from each of a plurality of user contributed computing devices, that the computing device is available to contribute at least a portion of its computational resources to support the virtual environment. At least some of the computing devices, from which the indications are received, are assigned computational tasks that are used to support the virtual environment. Credits are provide to users associated with the computing devices that are assigned and perform the assigned computational tasks. A record of the credits provided to users is maintained. Users that interact with the virtual environment can use their credits to pay for computational tasks performed to support the users' interactions with the virtual environment and/or to pay for virtual goods and/or virtual services.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and method for providing an immersive audio experience in a computer-generated virtual environment. An audio-mixer is placed at a location in a domain of the virtual environment and receives a separate audio feed from each of the audio source nodes directly connected to the audio-mixer. The audio-mixer mixes the received audio feeds in dependence on corresponding location, position and intrinsic loudness information to generate a separate spatialized mixed audio feed for each of the directly connected audio listener nodes. The audio-mixer sends, to each of the audio listener nodes directly connected to the audio-mixer, the separate spatialized mixed audio feed generated for the audio listener. An audio-mixer also receives and sends non-spatialized mixed audio feeds to/from other audio-mixers. The location of the audio-mixer is preferably moved to account for audio source nodes moving and/or changes to which audio source nodes are directly connected to the audio-mixer.