Method and system for merging disparate virtual universes entities

• US 8,019,797 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, II, Rick Allen, Harrison, Steven Mark, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Pickover, Clifford Alan, Walker, Keith Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US13/006,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 707/709, 707/758, 707/769, 707/812, 707/912
• US Class Current: 707/809
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 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 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database

Abstract

A migration tool for merging disparate virtual universes by selecting a source region or source account, selecting a destination edge or destination account, retrieving and storing virtual universe information for the source region or account, inserting the virtual universe resources of the source region or account into the destination region or account, activating the inserted resources, and deleting the source resources from the source region or account.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for merging virtual universe entities, the computer implemented method comprising:

selecting, by a virtual world server, a source virtual universe account having source account information and a destination virtual universe account having destination account information, the source virtual universe account being hosted by a source grid and the destination virtual universe account being hosted by a destination grid, wherein the source grid and destination grid are disparate;

sending, by the virtual world server, a lock account instruction to the source grid, the lock account instruction preventing any avatar or inventory modifications to the source virtual universe account;

retrieving, by the virtual world server, account, avatar, and inventory data for the source virtual universe account from the source grid;

comparing, by the virtual world server, one or more universe user account identifications for the source virtual universe account to universe user account identifications in the destination virtual universe account;

resolving each duplicate identification of at least two matched virtual universe accounts, wherein each duplicate identification is found between the source virtual universe account and the destination virtual universe account, the resolving performed by modifying each duplicate identification from the source virtual universe account to be at least two resolved identifications that are each unique;

generating a new universe user identification for each resolved identification and for each non-duplicate identification from the source virtual universe account by invoking a user identification generation function in the destination grid;

sending, by the virtual world server, an insert query to the destination grid, the insert query comprising the source account information and the new universe user identification; and

sending, by the virtual world server, a delete query to the source grid to delete the source virtual universe account.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the resolving comprises appending a numeric sequence at an end of each matched virtual universe account of each duplicate identification.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the generating comprises prompting a user for the new universe user identification.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the resolving comprises assigning a temporary user identification.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sending the insert query further comprises:

invoking a function of the destination grid to perform one or more operations selected from the group consisting of new inventory creation, updating a notice board, updating a web site statistic, logging off one or more users associated with the source grid, and logging on one or more users associated with the source grid onto the destination grid.

6. A computer program product for merging virtual universe entities, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to select a source virtual universe account having source account information and a destination virtual universe account having destination account information, the source virtual universe account being hosted by a source grid and the destination virtual universe account being hosted by a destination grid, wherein the source grid and destination grid are disparate;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to send a lock account instruction to the source grid, the lock account instruction preventing any avatar or inventory modifications to the source virtual universe account;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to retrieve account, avatar, and inventory data for the source virtual universe account from the source grid;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to compare one or more universe user account identifications for the source virtual universe account to universe user account identifications in the destination virtual universe account;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to resolve each duplicate identification of at least two matched virtual universe accounts, wherein each duplicate identification is found between the source virtual universe account and the destination virtual universe account, the resolving performed by modifying each duplicate identification from the source virtual universe account to be at least two resolved identifications that are each unique;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to generate a new universe user identification for each resolved identification and for each non-duplicate identification from the source virtual universe account by invoking an user identification generation function in the destination grid;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to send an insert query to the destination grid, the insert query comprising the source account information and the new universe user identification; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to send a delete query to the source grid to delete the source virtual universe account.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the program instructions to resolve append a numeric sequence at an end of each matched virtual universe account of each duplicate identification.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the program instructions to generate prompt a user for the new universe user identification.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the program instructions to resolve assign a temporary user identification.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the program instructions to send the insert query invoke a function of the destination grid to perform one or more operations selected from the group consisting of new inventory creation, updating a notice board, updating a web site statistic, logging off one or more users associated with the source grid, and logging on one or more users associated with the source grid onto the destination grid.

11. A data processing system for merging virtual universe entities, wherein processing 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 select a source virtual universe account having source account information and a destination virtual universe account having destination account information, the source virtual universe account being hosted by a source grid and the destination virtual universe account being hosted by a destination grid, wherein the source grid and destination grid are disparate;

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 send a lock account instruction to the source grid, the lock account instruction preventing any avatar or inventory modifications to the source virtual universe account;

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 retrieve account, avatar, and inventory data for the source virtual universe account from the source grid;

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 compare one or more universe user account identifications for the source virtual universe account to universe user account identifications in the destination virtual universe account;

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 resolve each duplicate identification of at least two matched virtual universe accounts, wherein each duplicate identification is found between the source virtual universe account and the destination virtual universe account, the resolving performed by modifying each duplicate identification from the source virtual universe account to be at least two resolved identifications that are unique;

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 generate a new universe user identification for each resolved identification and for each non-duplicate identification from the source virtual universe account by invoking an user identification generation function in the destination grid;

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 send an insert query to the destination grid, the insert query comprising the source account information and the new universe user identification; 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 send a delete query to the source grid to delete the source virtual universe account.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the program instructions to resolve append a numeric sequence at an end of each matched virtual universe account of each duplicate identification.

13. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the program instructions to generate prompt a user for the new universe user identification.

14. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the program instructions to resolve assign a temporary user identification.

15. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the program instructions to send the insert query invoke a function of the destination grid to perform one or more operations selected from the group consisting of new inventory creation, updating a notice board, updating a web site statistic, logging off one or more users associated with the source grid, and logging on one or more users associated with the source grid onto the destination grid.