Method and system for splitting virtual universes into distinct entities

• US 8,140,982 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• 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): Vu, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US11/936,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 715/741, 715/743, 715/753, 715/755, 715/757
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• 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: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods for allowing an administrator or program to select a region or set of avatars in a virtual universe grid for splitting into another, separate and distinct virtual universe grid. If a region is selected, all of the avatars and virtual universe resources associated with the region are locked, their data is retrieved, and another separate virtual universe grid is commanded to create and insert the avatars and resources in it. If avatars are selected, all of the resources, scripts, histories, and information regarding the selected avatars are retrieved, and the avatars are locked in the source universe. Then, another, separate virtual universe grid is commanded to create universe user identifiers for the avatars, and they are inserted into the separate VU grid. Cleanup includes deleting the region and/or avatars from the first (source) virtual universe grid.

Claims

1. A method for splitting a first virtual universe context by designating one or more avatars to be separated from the first virtual universe, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more avatars from a first virtual universe grid to form one or more selected avatars, said step of selecting comprising automatically selecting said one or more avatars on the basis that said one or more avatars have exceeded an activity threshold;

instructing said first virtual universe grid to lock user accounts associated with said one or more selected avatars in order to prevent avatar or inventory modification to said selected one or more avatars, thereby forming locked avatars;

retrieving and storing account, avatar, and inventory data for said locked avatars from said first virtual universe grid, said step of retrieving account, avatar, and inventory data comprising retrieving scripts associated with said locked avatars;

commanding a second virtual universe grid, distinct from said first virtual universe grid, to generate one or more new universe user identifiers corresponding to said stored data; and

commanding said second virtual universe grid to insert said one or more selected avatars into said second virtual universe grid.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of commanding said second virtual universe grid to insert said one or more selected avatars into said second virtual universe grid comprises commanding said second virtual universe grid to perform an operation selected from the group of updating a notice board and updating a web site statistic.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving account, avatar, and inventory data for said locked avatars from said first virtual universe grid comprises retrieving history associated with said locked avatars.

4. A data processing system for splitting a first virtual universe context by designating one or more avatars to be separated from the first virtual universe, said data processing system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable 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 one or more avatars from a first virtual universe grid to form one or more selected avatars, wherein said program instructions to select said one or more avatars select said one or more avatars on the basis that said one or more avatars are designated as disreputable;

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 instruct said first virtual universe grid to lock user accounts associated with said one or more selected avatars in order to prevent avatar or inventory modification to said selected one or more avatars, thereby forming locked avatars;

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 and store account, avatar, and inventory data for said locked avatars from said first virtual universe grid, wherein said program instructions, to retrieve account, avatar, and inventory data for said locked avatars from said first virtual universe grid retrieve scripts associated with said locked avatars;

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 command a second virtual universe grid, distinct from said first virtual universe grid, to generate one or more new universe user identifiers corresponding to said stored data after storing said data; 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 command said second virtual universe grid to insert said one or more selected avatars into said second virtual universe grid.

5. The data processing system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said program instructions to command said second virtual universe grid to insert said one or more selected avatars into said second virtual universe grid command said second virtual universe grid to perform an operation selected from the group of updating a notice board and updating a web site statistic.

6. The data processing system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said program instructions to retrieve account, avatar, and inventory data for said locked avatars from said first virtual universe grid retrieve history associated with said locked avatars.