Managing use limitations in a virtual universe resource conservation region

• US 8,199,145 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gennene, Fikru
• Application Number:
  US12/115,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.13, 705/14.39, 705/412
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A virtual universe can include regions that conserve natural resource usage. A virtual universe natural resource conservation system (“system”) can determine that an avatar is accessing a natural resource conservation region in a virtual universe. The natural resource conservation region is supported with one or more devices that adhere to restrictions on natural resource usage. The system can also apply one or more virtual universe restrictions while the avatar is accessing the natural resource conservation region.

Claims

1. A method for conserving resources for a virtual universe, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer determining that an avatar is accessing a natural resource conservation region in the virtual universe, wherein the natural resource conservation region is supported with one or more devices that adhere to restrictions on natural resource usage;

the computer applying one or more virtual universe restrictions while the avatar is accessing the natural resource conservation region; and

the computer providing one or more indicators to the avatar, within the virtual universe, indicating any one or more of a conservation status of the natural resource conservation region, a degree of resource conservation achieved by the one or more virtual universe restrictions, and a description of the virtual universe restrictions that are applied in the natural resource conservation region, wherein the indicators comprise any one or more of images within a virtual universe user interface, video images, sounds, text messages, visual indications on a map of the virtual universe, a degraded image quality for one or more objects in the natural resource conservation region, colors, backgrounds, textures, and sign posts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of the computer applying the one or more virtual universe restrictions while the avatar is accessing the natural resource conservation region comprises a step of the computer imposing limitations on processing the natural resource conservation region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said limitations comprise one or more of time limits on access by the avatar, image quality restrictions on virtual objects, penalties, restrictions on abilities of the avatar, restrictions on the data transmitted to a client device associated with the avatar, removal of the avatar from the natural resource conservation region, and restrictions on teleportations associated with the natural resource conservation region.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

the computer indicating the natural resource conservation region to the avatar before the avatar accesses the natural resource conservation region;

the computer offering one or more awards to the avatar to incentivize the avatar to visit the natural resource conservation region; and

the computer assigning the one or more awards to the avatar if the avatar visits the natural resource conservation region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of the computer offering the one or more awards to the avatar to incentivize the avatar to visit the natural resource conservation region comprises a step of the computer offering the one or more awards based on a history of activity by the avatar.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

the computer receiving an offer for compensation by the avatar to remove the one or more virtual universe restrictions from the avatar; and

the computer removing the one or more virtual universe restrictions on the avatar based on the compensation.

7. A computer program product for conserving resources for a virtual universe, the computer program product comprising:

one or more machine-readable, tangible storage devices;

program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that an avatar is accessing a natural resource conservation region in the virtual universe, wherein the natural resource conservation region is supported with one or more devices that adhere to restrictions on natural resource usage; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to apply one or more virtual universe restrictions while the avatar is accessing the natural resource conservation region, wherein said limitations comprise any one or more of time limits on access by the avatar, image quality restrictions on virtual objects, penalties, restrictions on abilities of the avatar, restrictions on the data transmitted to a client device associated with the avatar, removal of the avatar from the natural resource conservation region, and restrictions on teleportations associated with the natural resource conservation region.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions to apply the one or more virtual universe restrictions while the avatar is accessing the natural resource conservation region

impose limitations on processing the natural resource conservation region.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to indicate the natural resource conservation region to the avatar before the avatar accesses the natural resource conservation region;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to offer one or more awards to the avatar to incentivize the avatar to visit the natural resource conservation region; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to assign the one or more awards to the avatar if the avatar visits the natural resource conservation region.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the program instructions to offer the one or more awards to the avatar to incentivize the avatar to visit the natural resource conservation region offer the one or more awards based on a history of activity by the avatar.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to provide one or more indicators to the avatar, within the virtual universe, that indicate one or more of a conservation status of the natural resource conservation region, a degree of resource conservation achieved by the one or more virtual universe restrictions, and a description of the virtual universe restrictions that are applied in the natural resource conservation region.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the indicators comprise one or more of images within a virtual universe user interface, video images, sounds, text messages, visual indications on a map of the virtual universe, a degraded image quality for one or more objects in the natural resource conservation region, colors, backgrounds, textures, and sign posts.

13. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive an offer for compensation by the avatar to remove the one or more virtual universe restrictions from the avatar; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to remove the one or more virtual universe restrictions on the avatar based on the compensation.

14. A computer system for conserving resources of a virtual universe, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more machine-readable memories and one or more machine-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 that an avatar is the virtual universe is accessing a natural resource conservation 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 apply one or more virtual universe limitations while the avatar is accessing the natural resource conservation region, wherein the system resource usage controller is configured to impose any one or more of time limits on access by the avatar, image quality limitations on virtual objects, penalties, limitations on abilities of the avatar, limitations on the data transmitted to a client device associated with the avatar, removal of the avatar from the natural resource conservation region, and limitations on teleportations associated with the natural resource conservation region.

15. The computer system of claim 14 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 indicate the natural resource conservation region to the avatar before the avatar accesses the natural resource conservation region;

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 offer one or more awards to the avatar to incentivize the avatar to visit the natural resource conservation 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 assign the one or more awards to the avatar if the avatar visits the natural resource conservation region.

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 indicate one or more of a conservation status of the natural resource conservation region, a degree of resource conservation achieved by the one or more virtual universe limitations, and a description of the virtual universe limitations that are applied in the natural resource conservation region.