Automatic increasing of capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world

• US 10,284,454 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Haggar, Peter F., Bokor, Brian R., House, Daniel E., Nicol, II, William B., Smith, Andrew B., Ostdiek, Luis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Ting Z
• Application Number:
  US14/875,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20160164769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system for automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world may include a processor and a module operating on the processor for detecting an attempt by an avatar to enter a virtual space in a virtual world. The system may also include another module for determining if an allowable number of avatars is currently in the virtual space. The allowable number of avatars may be determined by at least a capacity of a server that is hosting the virtual space. Another module may be provided for increasing a capacity of the virtual space when the allowable number of avatars is currently in the virtual space. Increasing the capacity of the virtual space may include spawning a replicate new virtual space on a different server in response to the capacity of the server that is hosting the virtual space reaching the allowable number of avatars.

Claims

1. A system for automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world, wherein the virtual world is hosted by a server, comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

detect an attempt by an avatar to enter a virtual space in a virtual world;

determine a threshold number of avatars for the virtual space;

determine whether a current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars; and

increase the capacity of the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars, wherein the increase of the capacity is achieved by spawning a replicate virtual space, corresponding to the virtual space, in said server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

allow the avatar to enter the virtual space in response to the increase of the capacity of the virtual space.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

increase the threshold number of avatars in response to the increase of the capacity of the virtual space.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual space comprises at least one of a store, a business, an arena, a building, a land area, or a room.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein increasing the capacity of the virtual space comprises creating a new instance of the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold number of avatars is set for the virtual space by at least one of an owner of the virtual space or a manager of the virtual space.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the threshold number of avatars comprises a maximum avatar capacity for the virtual space.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein increasing the capacity of the virtual space comprises providing a perception of increased physical space in the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold number of avatars is based on computer resources available for the virtual space, and wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

provide additional computing resources for the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.

10. A system for automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world, wherein the virtual world is hosted by a server, comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

determine a threshold number of avatars for the virtual space based on computing resources available for the virtual space;

determine whether a current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars; and

increase the capacity of the virtual space in response to a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars, wherein the increase of the capacity is achieved by spawning a replicate virtual space, corresponding to the virtual space, in said server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the virtual space comprises at least one of a store, a business, an arena, a building, a land area, or a room.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein increasing the capacity of the virtual space comprises creating a new instance of the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein increasing the capacity of the virtual space comprises providing a perception of increased physical space in the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.

14. A method of automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world, wherein the virtual world is hosted by a server, the method being implemented on a computer system comprising one or more physical processors executing one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computer system, an attempt by an avatar to enter a virtual space in a virtual world;

determining, by the computer system, a threshold number of avatars for the virtual space;

determining, by the computer system, whether a current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars; and

increasing, by the computer system, the capacity of the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars, wherein the increasing of the capacity is achieved by spawning a replicate virtual space, corresponding to the virtual space, in said server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

allowing, by the computer system, the avatar to enter the virtual space in response to the increase of the capacity of the virtual space.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the threshold number of avatars is based on computer resources available for the virtual space.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing, by the computer system, additional computing resources for the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the virtual space comprises at least one of a store, a business, an arena, a building, a land area, or a room.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein increasing the capacity of the virtual space comprises creating a new instance of the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein increasing the capacity of the virtual space comprises providing a perception of increased physical space in the virtual space in response to the detection of the attempt and a determination that the current number of avatars in the virtual space has reached the threshold number of avatars.