USING VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT INCENTIVES TO REDUCE REAL WORLD ENERGY USAGE

• US 20090281885A1
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wisniewski, Robert, Castelli, Vittorio, Hamilton, Rick A. II, Pickover, Clifford A.
• Application Number:
  US12/117,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20090281885A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.130
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

Real world energy usage can be reduced using a virtual environment. A virtual universe energy conservation system (“system”) can determine energy usage from a power grid by energy consuming devices supporting a virtual universe. The system can determine that the energy usage is at a time that corresponds to a peak power usage period on the power grid. The system can determine a virtual universe user account associated with the energy consuming devices. The system can also transmit an offer of a virtual universe award to an electronic device associated with the virtual universe user accounts to entice a reduction in energy usage from the power grid during the peak power usage period.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining energy usage from a power grid by one or more energy consuming devices supporting a virtual universe;

determining that the energy usage is at a time that corresponds to a peak power usage period on the power grid;

determining one or more virtual universe user accounts associated with at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices; and

transmitting an offer of a virtual universe award to one or more electronic devices associated with the one or more virtual universe user accounts to entice a reduction in energy usage from the power grid during the peak power usage period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual universe award is any one or more of a virtual universe money award, a virtual universe privilege, a virtual universe subscription reduction, and a virtual universe item.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a power reduction goal with the offer;

determining that a first of the one or more virtual universe user accounts fulfills the power reduction goal; and

awarding the virtual universe award to the first of the one or more virtual universe user accounts.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the power reduction goal comprises one or more of a power reduction amount and a reduction time period, and wherein the determining that the first of the one or more virtual universe user accounts fulfills the power reduction goal comprises:

monitoring a physical site energy usage of the one or more energy consuming devices; and

determining that the physical site energy usage that corresponds to those of the one or more energy consuming devices associated with the first virtual universe user account reduces by the power reduction amount during the reduction time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual universe award is any one or more of a special ability and a privilege for an avatar to use, wherein the avatar is associated with the one or more virtual universe user accounts and further comprising:

determining that the at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices reduces energy usage during the peak power usage period; and

associating at least one of the special ability and the privilege to the avatar associated with the one or more virtual universe user accounts.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting data on how the one or more virtual universe user accounts respond to the offer; and

using the data to perform any one or more of planning offers to optimize cost versus power savings, personalizing future offers to the one or more virtual universe user accounts, and prioritizing the one or more virtual universe users account to receive the offer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a value for the virtual universe award based on any one or more of a user preference, a history of energy usage, and a proposed energy usage of the one or more virtual universe user accounts.

8. One or more machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining energy usage from a power grid by one or more energy consuming devices supporting a virtual universe;

determining that the energy usage is at a time that corresponds to a peak power usage period on the power grid;

determining one or more virtual universe user accounts associated with at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices; and

transmitting an offer of a virtual universe award to one or more electronic devices associated with the one or more virtual universe user accounts to entice a reduction in energy usage from the power grid during the peak power usage period.

9. The machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein the virtual universe award is any one or more of a virtual universe money award, a virtual universe privilege, a virtual universe subscription reduction, and a virtual universe item.

10. The machine-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

associating a power reduction goal with the offer;

determining that a first of the one or more virtual universe user accounts fulfills the power reduction goal; and

awarding the virtual universe award to the first of the one or more virtual universe user accounts.

11. The machine-readable media of claim 10, wherein the power reduction goal comprises one or more of a power reduction amount and a reduction time period, and wherein the determining that the first of the one or more virtual universe user accounts fulfills the power reduction goal comprises:

monitoring a physical site energy usage of the one or more energy consuming devices; and

determining that the physical site energy usage that corresponds to those of the one or more energy consuming devices associated with the first virtual universe user account reduces by the power reduction amount during the reduction time period.

12. The machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein the virtual universe award is any one or more of a special ability and privilege for an avatar to use, wherein the avatar is associated with the one or more virtual universe user accounts and further comprising:

determining that the at least one of the one or more energy consuming devices reduces energy usage during the peak power usage period; and

associating at least one of the special ability and the privilege to the avatar associated with the one or more virtual universe user accounts.

13. The machine-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

collecting data on how the one or more virtual universe users respond to the offer; and

using the data to perform any one or more of planning offers to optimize cost versus power savings, personalizing future offers to the one or more virtual universe user accounts, and prioritizing the one or more virtual universe users account to receive the offer.

14. The machine-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a value for the virtual universe award based on any one or more of a user preference, a history of energy usage, and a proposed energy usage of the one or more virtual universe user accounts.

15. A system, comprising:

a client configured to access a virtual universe user account, wherein the client comprises an energy conservation module configured to

determine energy usage from a power grid by one or more energy consuming devices supporting a virtual universe, and

determine that the energy usage is at a time that corresponds to peak power usage period on the power grid; and

a server configured to support the virtual universe, wherein the server comprises

an energy usage module configured to determine the virtual universe user account associated with the client, and

an incentives module configured to transmit an offer of a virtual universe award to the client to entice a reduction in energy usage from the power grid during the peak power usage period.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual universe award has a redeemable value within the virtual universe, and wherein the incentives module is configured to determine the redeemable value for the virtual universe award based on any one or more of a user preference, a history of energy usage, and a proposed energy usage of the virtual universe use account.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the energy usage module is further configured to associate a power reduction goal to the offer, and determine that the virtual universe user account fulfills the power reduction goal, and wherein the incentives module is configured to award the virtual universe award to the virtual universe user account.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the power reduction goal comprises any one or more of a power reduction amount and a reduction time period, and wherein the energy usage module is further configured to

monitor a physical site energy usage of the one or more energy consuming devices, and

determine that the physical site energy usage reduces power consumption by the power reduction amount during the reduction time period.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual universe award is redeemable by an avatar within the virtual universe, wherein the avatar is associated with the virtual universe user account and wherein the incentives module is configured to assign the award to the avatar to use within the virtual universe.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the incentives module is further configured to

collect data on how the virtual universe user account responds to the offer, and

use the data to determine any one or more of the value, assignment, and priority of future awards.