Modifying time progression rates in a virtual universe

• US 7,945,802 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, II, Rick A., Moskowitz, Paul A., O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Seaman, James W., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US11/856,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 713/500, 345/691, 463/30, 463/31, 463/32
• US Class Current: 713/500
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• 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 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

Described herein are processes and devices that intentionally modify time progression rates in a virtual universe. One of the devices described is a temporal variation device. The temporal variation device can determine an area, in a virtual universe, in which time progresses at a specific time progression rate. The temporal variation device can modify the time progression rate to be faster or slower in the area. By modifying the time progression rate in the area, rates at which action occur also change in a way that is correlated to the change in the time progression rate. The temporal variation device can maintain areas beyond the borders of the area at a time progression rate that is not modified. Therefore, the temporal variation device can create a relative time dilation between the determined area and other areas in the virtual universe outside of the determined area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting an area of a virtual universe, wherein time progresses at a first time progression rate in the area; and

modifying the first time progression rate for the area to a second time progression rate different from the first time progression rate,

wherein said modifying comprises changing an effect of physical rules in the area, which causes objects in the area to act in accordance with the second time progression rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying the first time progression rate comprises modifying a rate at which data is processed to present the virtual universe.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying comprises modifying one or more computer code program elements for the area that affect one or more of movement, velocity, distance, frequency, acceleration, viscosity of air, gravity, mass, and friction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an event that affects a stability of the virtual universe, wherein said modifying the first time progression rate in the area to the second time progression rate is in response to said detecting of the event that affects the stability of the virtual universe.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying the first time progression rate in the area to the second time progression rate comprises:

forming a boundary around a radius of an avatar, wherein a second area is outside of the boundary, and wherein actions occur in the second area according to the first time progression rate.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying that an avatar performs a harmful activity within in the virtual universe, and wherein said selecting the area of the virtual universe is in response to the identifying that the avatar performs the harmful activity.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an event that occurs in the virtual universe that affects a stability of the virtual universe;

analyzing a potential impact of the event on the virtual universe; and

determining, based on the analyzing of the potential impact of the event on the virtual universe, that the potential impact will affect the area more than a second area in the virtual universe, and wherein said selecting the area of the virtual universe is in response to determining that the potential impact will affect the area more than the second area.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that an avatar enters the area from an additional area of the virtual universe, wherein the virtual universe includes a first set of physical rules that govern physics in the virtual universe, and wherein changing the effect of the physical rules in the area comprises changing the first set of physical rules to a second set of physical rules;

applying the second set of physical rules to the avatar while in the area, wherein the second set of physical rules causes the avatar to move in the area in accordance with the second time progression rate;

detecting that the avatar exits the area and enters the additional area; and

applying the first set of physical rules to the avatar while in the additional area, wherein the first set of physical rules causes the avatar to move in the additional area in accordance with the first time progression rate.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

visually modifying an appearance of one or more of a geographic characteristic and an atmospheric characteristic of the area in response to the modifying of the first time progression rate in the area to the second time progression rate.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that an avatar is performing an activity within the area,

determining that the avatar is inexperienced at performing the activity,

modifying the first time progression rate in the area to the second time progression rate to slow an occurrence of the activity within the area in response to the determining that the avatar is inexperienced at performing the activity.

11. A method comprising:

determining that an avatar -performs a first activity at a first rate of movement within an area in a virtual universe;

detecting a client, associated with the avatar, wherein the client renders an appearance of the avatar at the first rate of movement according to a data processing rate;

instructing the client to modify the data processing rate, wherein the modifying of the data processing rate causes the -avatar to slow down performance of the first activity within the area from the first rate of movement to a second rate of movement; and

performing a second activity at the first rate of movement while the avatar performs the first activity at the second rate of movement, wherein the second activity counteracts the first activity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said instructing the client to modify the data processing rate comprises instructing the client to modify a clock cycle rate for rendering the virtual universe.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said instructing the client to modify the data processing rate comprises instructing the client to throttle data for rendering the virtual universe.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said performing of the second activity comprises causing an additional avatar to perform the second activity.

15. A system comprising:

a machine configured to connect to a communication network, the machine configured to process data in a virtual universe;

a temporal variation device configured to connect to any one of the machine and the communication network, wherein the temporal variation device comprises a temporal variation controller configured to

determine a first area of the virtual universe, wherein time progresses at a first time progression rate in the virtual universe, and

modify the first time progression rate in the first area to a second time progression rate different than the first time progression rate, wherein said modification causes actions in the first area to occur in accordance with the second time progression rate while actions occur in a second area of the virtual universe in accordance with the first time progression rate;

a temporal variation effects monitoring device configured to analyze the effects of said modification of the first time progression rate; and

a temporal variation display controller configured to display an indicator, viewable via the machine, of said modification of the first time progression rate.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

an event detector configured to detect an event that triggers said modification of the first time progression rate.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the temporal variation controller is configured to modify the first time progression rate in the first area to the second time progression rate by being configured to modify one or more variables that control one or more of viscosity of air, gravity, mass, and friction in the first area.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said machine is configured to render the virtual universe at a data processing rate, and wherein said temporal variation device is configured to modify the first time progression rate by modifying the data processing rate.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said data processing rate comprises any one of a data transfer rate, a data throttling rate, and a computer clock cycle rate.

20. A computer program product comprising a machine-readable, tangible storage device(s) and machine-readable program instructions stored on the machine-readable, tangible storage device(s) to modify time progression, the machine-readable program instructions, when executed by a CPU:

detect an event that occurs in a virtual universe;

analyze a potential impact of the event on the virtual universe;

determine, based on the analyzing of the potential impact of the event on the virtual universe, that the potential impact will affect a first area of the virtual universe more than a second area of the virtual universe, wherein time progresses at a first time progression rate in both the first area and in the second area the virtual universe; and

modify the first time progression rate in the first area to a second time progression rate different from the first time progression rate, wherein said modifying causes actions in the first area to occur in accordance with the second time progression rate while simultaneously actions occur in a second area of the virtual universe in accordance with the first time progression rate.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising machine-readable program instructions which are stored on the machine-readable, tangible storage device(s) and when executed by the CPU modify one or more computer code program variables that affect one or more of viscosity of air in the first area, gravity in the first area, mass in the first area, and friction in the first area.

22. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising machine-readable program instructions which are stored on the machine-readable, tangible storage device(s) and when executed by the CPU:

automatically address an effect caused by the event on a stability of the first area;

reset the second time progression rate in the first area to the first time progression rate after automatically addressing the effect caused by the event on the stability of the first area; and

modify the first time progression rate in the second area to the second time progression rate after resetting the second time progression rate in the first area to the first time progression rate.

23. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising machine-readable program instructions which are stored on the machine-readable, tangible storage device(s) and when executed by the CPU:

reverse at least some effects of the event on the first area while the first area is subject to the second time progression rate;

compare first metrics of a first state of the first area before the event to second metrics of a second state of the first area after reversing the at least some effects of the event;

determine, based on the comparing of the first metrics to the second metrics, that the reversing of the at least some effects improves a stability of the first area; and

reset the second time progression rate in the first area to the first time progression rate in response to determining that the reversing of the at least some effects improves the stability of the first area.

24. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising machine-readable program instructions which are stored on the machine-readable, tangible storage device(s) and when executed by the CPU:

analyze an impact to an avatar population of the first area.

25. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising machine-readable program instructions which are stored on the machine-readable, tangible storage device(s) and when executed by the CPU:

modify one or more of a visual geographic characteristic and a visual atmospheric characteristic of the first area in response to modifying the first time progression rate in the first area to the second time progression rate.