Managing energy usage by devices associated with a virtual universe resource conservation region

• US 7,996,164 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, II, Rick A., O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US12/115,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20090281743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 702/60, 702/61, 702/62, 702/182, 702/188, 705/34, 705/412, 705/413, 700/291, 700/295, 345/344, 340/3.9
• US Class Current: 702/61
• 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 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• 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: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A virtual universe can include regions that conserve natural resource usage. A virtual universe natural resource conservation system can determine a measure of comprehensive energy usage of a plurality of devices associated with a controlled energy use region in a virtual universe. The system can determine that the measure of comprehensive energy usage approaches a usage threshold for the controlled energy use region. The system can also impose one or more conservation limitations on at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold.

Claims

1. A method for managing energy usage associated with a virtual universe, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer determining a measure of comprehensive energy usage of a plurality of devices associated with a controlled energy use region in the virtual universe;

the computer determining that the measure of comprehensive energy usage approaches a usage threshold for the controlled energy use region; and

the computer imposing one or more conservation limitations on at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of the computer determining that the measure of comprehensive energy usage approaches the usage threshold for the controlled energy use region comprises the steps of:

the computer measuring energy usage using one or more monitoring devices associated with the plurality of devices, wherein the usage threshold is associated with an upper measurement limit of energy usage associated with the one or more monitoring devices; and

the computer preventing the measure of comprehensive energy usage from exceeding the upper measurement limit of energy usage associated with the one or more monitoring devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more monitoring devices comprise any one or more of a gauge and a meter that measure any one or more of power usage and heat production of the plurality of devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of the computer determining the measure of comprehensive energy usage of the plurality of devices associated with the controlled energy use region in the virtual universe comprises the step of:

the computer determining any one or more of total energy usage by the plurality of devices, energy usage by the plurality of devices over a specified time period, energy usage by the plurality of devices per avatar within a region of the virtual universe, total energy usage derived from renewable energy sources, heat output, system resource utilization, a type of energy used, and an origin of energy used.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of the computer imposing the one or more conservation limitations on the at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold comprises the steps of:

the computer determining energy efficiencies for the plurality of devices to identify which of the plurality of the devices are least energy efficient; and

the computer imposing the one or more conservation limitations based on the energy efficiencies.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the energy efficiencies comprise any one or more of over usage of energy over a time period, inefficient device metrics, high-power settings, and usage of energy from energy providers that have a high pollution rating.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of the computer imposing the one or more conservation limitations on the at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold comprises the step of:

performing any one or more of reducing overall energy usage to operate the at least one of the plurality of devices, using energy from a renewable energy source accessible to the at least one of the plurality of devices, reducing heat production by the at least one of the plurality of devices, producing less virtual universe data to be processed, and delaying network communications between the plurality of devices.

8. One or more computer-readable tangible storage devices embodying a computer program product for managing energy usage associated with a virtual universe, said computer program product comprising:

program instructions;

stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine a measure of comprehensive energy usage of a plurality of devices associated with a controlled energy use region in the virtual universe;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that the measure of comprehensive energy usage approaches a usage threshold for the controlled energy use region; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to impose one or more conservation limitations on at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold.

9. The one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to said operation of determine that the measure of comprehensive energy usage approaches the usage threshold for the controlled energy use region measure energy usage using one or more monitoring devices associated with the plurality of devices, wherein the usage threshold is associated with an upper measurement limit of energy usage associated with the one or more monitoring devices;

and prevent the measure of comprehensive energy usage from exceeding the upper measurement limit of energy usage associated with the one or more monitoring devices.

10. The one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices of claim 9, wherein the one or more monitoring devices comprise any one or more of a gauge and a meter that measure any one or more of power usage and heat production of the plurality of devices.

11. The one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to determine the measure of comprehensive energy usage of the plurality of devices associated with the controlled energy use region in the virtual universe determine any one or more of total energy usage by the plurality of devices, energy usage by the plurality of devices over a specified time period, energy usage by the plurality of devices per avatar within a region of the virtual universe, total energy usage derived from renewable energy sources, heat output, system resource utilization, a type of energy used, and an origin of energy used.

12. The one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to impose the one or more conservation limitations on the at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold:

determine energy efficiencies for the plurality of devices to identify which of the plurality of the devices are least energy efficient; and

impose the one or more conservation limitations based on the energy efficiencies.

13. The one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices of claim 12, wherein the energy efficiencies comprise any one or more of over usage of energy over a time period, inefficient device metrics, high-power settings, and usage of energy from energy providers that have a high pollution rating.

14. The one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices of claim 8, wherein the program instructions to impose the one or more conservation limitations on the at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold perform any one or more of reducing overall energy usage to operate the at least one of the plurality of devices, using energy from a renewable energy source assessable to the at least one of the plurality of devices, reducing heat production by the at least one of the plurality of devices, producing less virtual universe data to be processed, and delaying network communications between the plurality of devices.

15. A computer system for managing energy usage associated with a virtual universe, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine a measure of comprehensive energy usage of a plurality of devices associated with a controlled energy use region in the virtual universe;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine that the measure of comprehensive energy usage approaches a usage threshold for the controlled energy use region; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to impose one or more conservation limitations on at least one of the plurality of devices to maintain the comprehensive energy usage within the usage threshold.

16. The computer system of claim 15 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to measure energy usage using one or more monitoring devices associated with the plurality of devices, wherein the usage threshold is associated with an upper measurement limit of energy usage associated with the one or more monitoring devices; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to prevent the measure of comprehensive energy usage from exceeding the upper measurement limit of energy usage associated with the one or more monitoring devices.

17. The computer system of claim 16 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to measure a first power usage amount from a first device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to measure a second power usage amount from a second device; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to combine the first power usage amount and the second power usage amount to determine the measure of comprehensive energy usage.

18. The computer system of claim 15 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine any one or more of total energy usage by the plurality of devices, energy usage by the plurality of devices over a specified time period, energy usage by the plurality of devices per avatar within a region of the virtual universe, total energy usage derived from renewable energy sources, heat output, system resource utilization, a type of energy used, and an origin of energy used.

19. The computer system of claim 15 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine energy efficiencies for the plurality of devices to identify which of the plurality of the devices are least energy efficient; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to impose the one or more conservation limitations based on the energy efficiencies.

20. The computer system of claim 15 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to perform any one or more of reducing overall energy usage to operate the at least one of the plurality of devices, using energy from a renewable energy source assessable to the at least one of the plurality of devices, reducing heat production by the at least one of the plurality of devices, producing less virtual universe data to be processed, and delaying network communications between the plurality of devices.