Dynamic spawning of focal point objects within a virtual universe system

• US 9,299,080 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Dawson, Christopher J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Moskowitz, Paul A., Pickover, Clifford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US13/439,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In various embodiments, the number of virtual universe avatars within a predetermined proximity from a designated first object in a virtual universe is determined. A condition that affects a load on a server computer supporting the designated first object in the virtual universe is determined. A second object is dynamically spawned within the virtual universe in response to determining that the number of virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the designated first object is greater than a first predetermined threshold and that the determined condition on the server computer is greater than a second predetermined threshold. The second object is associated with transmissions of information within the virtual universe.

Claims

1. A method for generating an object in a virtual universe, the method being implemented on a computer system that includes one or more physical processors executing computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

determining, by the computer system, a number of virtual universe avatars within a predefined proximity from a first object that enables transmission of information in the virtual universe;

determining, by the computer system, whether a first predetermined threshold is satisfied based on the number of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object, wherein the first predetermined threshold is related to a load on a computing resource that supports the first object; and

generating, by the computer system, a second object within the virtual universe responsive to a determination that the first predetermined threshold related to the load on the computing resource is satisfied, wherein the second object enables transmission of information in the virtual universe.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, a condition that affects the load on the computing resource;

determining, by the computer system, based on the condition, whether a second predetermined threshold related to the load on the computing resource is satisfied; and

wherein the second object is generated within the virtual universe responsive to a determination that the second predetermined threshold related to the load on the computing resource is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, a location in the virtual universe for the second object based on at least one of load balancing between server computers, on-the-fly bidding, historical analysis of past placement of objects, or predicted migration patterns of virtual universe avatars, wherein the second object is placed at the determined location in the virtual universe.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the computer system, information to a first plurality of virtual universe avatars located within the predetermined proximity from the first object of the virtual universe; and

transmitting, by the system, the information to a second plurality of virtual universe avatars located within a predetermined proximity from a dynamically spawned object associated with the first object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

providing, by the computer system, to at least a subset of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object, a notification regarding at least one virtual universe location having a dynamically spawned object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, promotional content related to a virtual universe store that is proximate at least one of the first object or the second object in the virtual universe, wherein the promotional content is obtained based on a distance of a virtual universe avatar to at least one of the first object or the second object in the virtual universe; and

transmitting, by the computer system, the promotional content related to the virtual universe store to the virtual universe avatar via at least one of the first object or the second object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing resource comprises a server computer that supports the first object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the server computer supports the first object by hosting the first object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, based on the number of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object, a density of a region that comprises the first object;

wherein determining whether the first predetermined threshold is satisfied comprises determining, based on the density of the region, whether the first predetermined threshold is satisfied.

10. A computer system for generating an object in a virtual universe, the computer system comprising:

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

determine a number of virtual universe avatars within a predetermined proximity from a first object that enables transmission of information in the virtual universe;

determine whether a first predetermined threshold is satisfied based on the number of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object, wherein the first predetermined threshold is related to a load on a computing resource that supports the first object; and

generate a second object within the virtual universe responsive to a determination that the first predetermined threshold related to the load on the computing resource is satisfied, wherein the second object enables transmission of information in the virtual universe.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

determine a condition that affects the load on the computing resource;

determine, based on the condition, whether a second predetermined threshold related to the load on the computing resource is satisfied; and

wherein the second object is generated within the virtual universe responsive to a determination that the second predetermined threshold related to the load on the computing resource is satisfied.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

determine a location in the virtual universe for the second object based on at least one of load balancing between server computers, on-the-fly bidding, historical analysis of past placement of objects, or predicted migration patterns of virtual universe avatars, wherein the second object is placed at the determined location in the virtual universe.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

transmit information to a first plurality of virtual universe avatars located within the predetermined proximity from the first object of the virtual universe; and

transmit the information to a second plurality of virtual universe avatars located within a predetermined proximity from a dynamically spawned object associated with the first object.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

provide, to at least a subset of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object, a notification regarding at least one virtual universe location having a dynamically spawned object.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

obtain promotional content related to a virtual universe store that is proximate at least one of the first object or the second object in the virtual universe, wherein the promotional content is obtained based on a distance of a virtual universe avatar to at least one of the first object or the second object in the virtual universe; and

transmit the promotional content related to the virtual universe store to the virtual universe avatar via at least one of the first object or the second object.

16. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

detect preference data associated with profiles of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object; and

teleport, based on the preference data, a subset of the virtual universe avatars to a virtual universe location at which the second object is located.

17. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the computing resource comprises a server computer that supports the first object.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the server computer supports the first object by hosting the first object.

19. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

determine, based on the number of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object, a density of a region that comprises the first object;

wherein the determination of whether the first predetermined threshold is satisfied is based on the density of the region.

20. A computer program product for generating an object in a virtual universe, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine a number of virtual universe avatars within a predetermined proximity from a first object that enables transmission of information in the virtual universe;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine whether a first predetermined threshold is satisfied based on the number of the virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the first object, wherein the first predetermined threshold is related to a load on a computing resource that supports the first object; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to generate a second object within the virtual universe responsive to a determination that the first predetermined threshold related to the load on the computing resource is satisfied, wherein the second object enables transmission of information in the virtual universe.