Peer-to-peer based content delivery in a virtual universe

• US 8,276,084 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Walker, Keith R., Castelli, Vittorio
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durkin, James T
• Application Number:
  US12/476,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/744, 715/758, 463/42, 709/203, 370254-258, 370/351
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• 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 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

The present invention permits performance adjustment in a virtual universe. In particular, the invention proposes a mixed server-based/peer-to-peer approach, in which transmission responsibilities are shifted towards peer-to-peer computing as the number of avatars within a region increases. The invention may foster fluid business transactions (e.g., sales) during times of high avatar load.

Claims

1. A method for content delivery in a region of a virtual universe (VU), comprising:

detecting a plurality of interactions among avatars;

tracking the detected plurality of interactions;

examining a load capacity of a server supporting the region of the VU to determine whether the load capacity exceeds a predetermined load threshold;

forming a set of subgroups of avatars in the region if the predetermined load threshold is exceeded, each of the set of subgroups containing one or more avatars for which the detecting and tracking is performed; and

responsive to the predetermined load threshold being exceeded, if an amount of VU data being transferred to or from the server exceeds a pre-determined bandwidth threshold, transmitting at least some of the amount of VU data between the avatars of a particular one of the set of subgroups using a peer-to-peer broadcast, wherein all of the avatars in the particular one of the set of subgroups are transferring at least some VU data to or from the server, and wherein if the amount of VU data is below the pre-determined bandwidth threshold, not transmitting the amount of VU data between the avatars of the particular one of the set of subgroups.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obscuring an appearance of at least one avatar outside of the particular one of the set of subgroups in the region to the avatars in the subgroup.

3. The method of claim 1, the capacity being determined to exceed the predetermined threshold based on the load on the server supporting the VU.

4. The method of claim 1, the VU data transmitted between the avatars of the particular one of the set of subgroups being high bandwidth geometries and textures.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting low bandwidth data between the avatars of different subgroups.

6. The method of claim 5, the low bandwidth data being location information and movement information.

7. The method of claim 5, the low bandwidth data being transmitted to the server supporting the VU.

8. A computer-implemented system for content delivery in a region of a virtual universe (VU), comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus; and

a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to;

detect a plurality of interactions among avatars;

track the detected plurality of interactions;

examine a load capacity of a server supporting the region of the VU to determine whether the load capacity exceeds a predetermined load threshold;

form a set of subgroups of avatars in the region if the predetermined load threshold is exceeded, each of the set of subgroups containing one or more avatars for which the detecting and tracking is performed; and

responsive to the predetermined load threshold being exceeded, if an amount of VU data being transferred to or from the server exceeds a pre-determined bandwidth threshold, transmit at least some of the amount of VU data between the avatars of a particular one of the set of subgroups using a peer-to-peer broadcast, wherein all of the avatars in the particular one of the set of subgroups are transferring at least some VU data to or from the server, and wherein if the amount of VU data is below the pre-determined bandwidth threshold, not transmitting the amount of VU data between the avatars of the particular one of the set of subgroups.

9. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions to obscure an appearance of at least one avatar outside of the particular one of the set of subgroups in the region to the avatars in the subgroup.

10. The system of claim 8, the capacity being determined to exceed the predetermined threshold based on the load on the server supporting the VU.

11. The system of claim 8, the VU data transmitted between the avatars of the particular one of the set of subgroups being high bandwidth geometries and textures.

12. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions to transmit low bandwidth data between the avatars of different subgroups.

13. The system of claim 12, the low bandwidth data being location information and movement information.

14. The system of claim 13, the low bandwidth data being transmitted to the server supporting the VU.

15. A program product stored on a computer readable storage device for content delivery in a region of a virtual universe (VU), the computer readable storage device containing program code for causing a computer to:

detect a plurality of interactions among avatars;

track the detected plurality of interactions;

examine a load capacity of a server supporting the region of the VU to determine whether the load capacity exceeds a predetermined load threshold;

form a set of subgroups of avatars in the region if the predetermined load threshold is exceeded, each of the set of subgroups containing one or more avatars for which the detecting and tracking is performed; and

responsive to the predetermined load threshold being exceeded, if an amount of VU data being transferred to or from the server exceeds a pre-determined bandwidth threshold, transmit at least some of the amount of VU data between the avatars of a particular one of the set of subgroups using a peer-to-peer broadcast, wherein all of the avatars in the particular one of the set of subgroups are transferring at least some VU data to or from the server, and wherein if the amount of VU data is below the pre-determined bandwidth threshold, not transmitting the amount of VU data between the avatars of the particular one of the set of subgroups.

16. The program product stored on the computer readable storage device of claim 15, the computer readable storage device further containing program code for causing the computer to:

obscure an appearance of at least one avatar outside of the particular one of the set of subgroups in the region to the avatars in the subgroup.

17. The program product stored on the computer readable storage device of claim 15, the capacity being determined to exceed the predetermined threshold based on the load on the server supporting the VU.

18. The program product stored on the computer readable storage device of claim 15, the VU data transmitted between the avatars of the particular one of the set of subgroups being high bandwidth geometries and textures.

19. The program product stored on the computer readable storage device of claim 15, the computer readable storage device further containing program code for causing the computer to:

transmit low bandwidth data between the avatars of different subgroups.

20. The program product stored on the computer readable storage device of claim 19, the low bandwidth data being location information and movement information.

21. The program product stored on the computer readable storage device of claim 20, the low bandwidth data being transmitted to the server supporting the VU.

22. A method for content delivery in a region of a virtual universe (VU), comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

detect a plurality of interactions among avatars;

track the detected plurality of interactions;

examine a capacity of a server supporting the region of the VU to determine whether the load capacity exceeds a predetermined load threshold;

form a set of subgroups of avatars in the region if the predetermined load threshold is exceeded, each of the set of subgroups containing one or more avatars for which the detecting and tracking is performed; and

responsive to the predetermined load threshold being exceeded, if an amount of VU data being transferred to or from the server exceeds a pre-determined bandwidth threshold, transmit at least some of the amount of VU data between the avatars of a particular one of the set of subgroups using a peer-to-peer broadcast, wherein all of the avatars in the particular one of the set of subgroups are transferring at least some VU data to or from the server, and wherein if the amount of VU data is below the pre-determined bandwidth threshold, not transmitting the amount of VU data between the avatars of the particular one of the set of subgroups.

23. The method of claim 22, the computer infrastructure being further operable to obscure an appearance of at least one avatar outside of the particular one of the set of subgroups in the region to the avatars in the subgroup.