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

• US 8,127,235 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haggar, Peter F., Bokor, Brian R., House, Daniel E., Nicol, II, William B., Smith, Andrew B., Ostdiek, Luis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US11/947,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/764, 715/863, 715/861, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/757
• 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 and method for automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world. It is determined if an allowable number of avatars are currently in the virtual space, and a capacity of the virtual space is increased when the allowable number of avatars are currently in the virtual space. The capacity of the virtual space may be increased by spawning a replicate new virtual space. The capacity of the virtual space may also be increased by expanding a size of the virtual space. The virtual space may include any type of virtual space such as for example, a store, a business, an arena, a building, a land area, a room, etc. The allowable number of avatars may be a maximum avatar capacity for the virtual space, or may be an ideal avatar capacity for the virtual space.

Claims

1. A method for automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world comprising:

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

determining if an allowable number of avatars are currently in the virtual space, wherein the allowable number of avatars is determined by at least a capacity of a server that is hosting the virtual space; and

increasing a capacity of the virtual space when the allowable number of avatars is currently in the virtual space, wherein increasing capacity of the virtual space comprises 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.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising allowing the avatar to enter the increased capacity of the virtual space.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a limit on the number of the replicate new virtual spaces that can be spawned.

4. The method according to claim 1, the virtual space comprising one of a store, a business, an arena, a building, a land area, or a room.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting the allowable number of avatars for the virtual space.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting the allowable number of avatars for the virtual space by at least one of an owner of the virtual space or a manager of the virtual space.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the allowable number of avatars comprising a maximum avatar capacity for the virtual space.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the allowable number of avatars comprising an ideal avatar capacity for the virtual space.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising defining at least one setting for the virtual space, the at least one setting comprising at least one of a maximum avatar capacity for the virtual space, an ideal avatar capacity for the virtual space, a limit on a number of replicate new virtual spaces that can be spawned from the virtual space, or a limit on an expansion of a size of the virtual space.

10. A method for automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world comprising:

determining if an allowable number of avatars are currently in the virtual space, wherein the allowable number of avatars is determined by at least a capacity of a server that is hosting the virtual space; and

increasing a capacity of the virtual space when the allowable number of avatars are currently in the virtual space, wherein increasing capacity of the virtual space comprises 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.

11. The method according to claim 10, the virtual space comprising one of a store, a business, an arena, a building, a land area, or a room.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the allowable number of avatars comprising a maximum avatar capacity for the virtual space.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the allowable number of avatars comprising an ideal avatar capacity for the virtual space.