Collapsing areas of a region in a virtual universe to conserve computing resources

• US 9,286,731 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Moskowitz, Paul A., O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Seaman, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): AMIN, JWALANT B
• Application Number:
  US13/987,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20140063004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• 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 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/36 Level of detail
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2405 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the server, e.g. server load allocation of resources in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/50; performance measurement of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Described herein are processes and devices that coalesced and/or collapse areas in a region of a virtual universe to conserve computing resources. Some embodiments are directed to detecting an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource in the virtual universe and, in response, determining the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing and collapsing into the second area of the virtual universe. In some embodiments, the first area comprises a plurality of virtual universe objects. Some embodiments are further directed to selecting a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into the second area, coalescing the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area, and, in response, collapsing the first area of the virtual universe.

Claims

1. A method of coalescing a first area of a virtual universe into a second area of the virtual universe, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more physical processors executing one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computer system, an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource in the virtual universe;

determining, by the computer system, the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing into the second area of the virtual universe responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe, wherein the first area comprises a plurality of virtual universe objects;

selecting, by the computer system, a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into the second area responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe; and

moving, by the computer system, the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects comprises selecting the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects based on a determination that the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects include one or more interactive virtual universe objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first area is associated with a first domain, and the second area is associated with a second domain.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first domain corresponds to one or more first computing resources, and wherein the second domain corresponds to one or more second computing resources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more first computing resources comprise one or more computing resources of a first server, and wherein the one or more second computing resources comprise one or more computing resources of a second server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first area and the second area are associated with the same domain.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first area is controlled by one or more first computing resources, and the second area is controlled by one or more second computing resources.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first area is controlled by a first server, and the second area is controlled by a second server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

causing, by the computer system, the first server to turn off, sleep, and/or hibernate responsive to moving the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

expanding, by the computer system, a size of the second area to accommodate the move of the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing resource includes a physical processor, memory, or hard disk space allocated for the virtual universe, and

wherein detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource comprises detecting an indication to reduce usage of the physical processor, the memory, or the hard disk space.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource comprises detecting a performance issue related to the computing resource.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource comprises detecting overuse of the computing resource based on a threshold usage level for the computing resource.

14. A system for coalescing a first area of a virtual universe into a second area of the virtual universe, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

detect an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource in the virtual universe;

determine the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing into the second area of the virtual universe responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe, wherein the first area comprises a plurality of virtual universe objects;

select a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into the second area responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe; and

move the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first area is associated with a first domain that corresponds to one or more first computing resources, and the second area is associated with a second domain that corresponds to one or more second computing resources.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first area is controlled by a first server, and the second area is controlled by a second server, and wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

cause the first server to turn off, sleep, and/or hibernate responsive to moving the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area.

17. A method of removing a first area of a virtual universe, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more physical processors executing one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computer system, an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource in the virtual universe;

determining, by the computer system, the first area to be removed from the virtual universe responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe; and

removing, by the computer system, the first area from the virtual universe responsive to detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource in the virtual universe.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the computing resource includes a physical processor, memory, or hard disk space allocated for the virtual universe, and

wherein detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource comprises detecting an indication to reduce usage of the physical processor, the memory, or the hard disk space.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first area is controlled by a first server, and a second area of the virtual universe is controlled by a second server.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

causing, by the computer system, the first server to turn off, sleep, and/or hibernate responsive to the determination that the first area of the virtual universe is to be removed.

21. A method of collapsing a first area of a virtual universe, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more physical processors executing one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computer system, a performance issue related to a computing resource allocated for the virtual universe;

determining, by the computer system, the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing into the second area of the virtual universe responsive to detecting the performance issue related to the computing resource, wherein the first area comprises a plurality of virtual universe objects;

selecting, by the computer system, a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into the second area responsive to detecting the performance issue related to the computing resource; and

moving, by the computer system, the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area responsive to detecting the performance issue related to the computing resource.

22. A method of collapsing a first area of a virtual universe, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more physical processors executing one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computer system, overuse of a computing resource allocated for the virtual universe, wherein the overuse of the computing resource is detected based on a threshold usage level for the computing resource;

determining, by the computer system, the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing into the second area of the virtual universe responsive to detecting the overuse of the computing resource, wherein the first area comprises a plurality of virtual universe objects;

selecting, by the computer system, a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into the second area responsive to detecting the overuse of the computing resource; and

moving, by the computer system, the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area responsive to detecting the overuse of the computing resource.