USING SMART OBJECTS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE TO CONSERVE COMPUTING RESOURCES

• US 20130002667A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A. II, Moskowitz, Paul A., O'Connell, Brian M., Pickover, Clifford A., Seaman, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Described herein are some embodiments that use smart objects in a virtual universe to conserve computing resources. Some embodiments describe detecting that a virtual object of the virtual universe enters a resource conservation area in the virtual universe. Some embodiments further include, in response to determining that the virtual object enters the resource conservation area, detecting that the virtual object has a setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the virtual object from a first display quality level. Some embodiments further include, in response to determining that the virtual object has the setting that enables the automatic reduction in display quality from the first display quality setting, automatically reducing the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to a second display quality level less than the first display quality level.

Claims

1. A method for conserving resource consumption by a virtual universe comprising the steps of:

a computer detecting that a virtual object of the virtual universe enters an area in the virtual universe;

in response to the computer determining that the virtual object enters the area, the computer detecting that the virtual object has a setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the virtual object from a first display quality level; and

in response to the computer determining that the virtual object has the setting that enables the automatic reduction in display quality from the first display quality setting, the computer automatically reducing the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to a second display quality level less than the first display quality level.

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

the computer detecting that an additional virtual object of the virtual universe enters the area concurrently with the computer determining that the virtual object enters the area;

the computer determining that the additional virtual object is not enabled for automatic reduction of display quality; and

the computer preventing automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object.

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

the computer detecting that an additional virtual object enters the area, wherein the virtual object is a first type of object and wherein the additional virtual object is a second type of object;

the computer detecting that the additional virtual object includes an additional setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the additional virtual object;

the computer determining that the first type of object is different from the second type of object; and

in response to the computer determining that the first type of object is different from the second type of object, the computer automatically reducing display quality of the additional virtual object in a different way from the computer reducing display quality of the virtual object.

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

the computer detecting that an additional virtual object enters the area;

the computer detecting that the additional virtual object includes an additional setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the additional virtual object;

the computer determining that a fee has been paid from a user account associated with the additional virtual object to prevent automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object; and

in response to the computer determining that the fee has been paid, the computer preventing automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

the computer determining that a fee has not been paid from a user account associated with the virtual object;

wherein the computer automatically reducing the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to the second display quality level is further in response to the computer determining that the fee has not been paid.

6. A computer program product for conserving resource consumption by 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 detect that a virtual object of the virtual universe enters an area in the virtual universe;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to determining that the virtual object enters the area, detect that the virtual object has a setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the virtual object from a first display quality level; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to in, response to determining that the virtual object has the setting that enables the automatic reduction in display quality from the first display quality setting, reduce the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to a second display quality level less than the first display quality level.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to detect that an additional virtual object of the virtual universe enters the concurrently with determining that the virtual object enters the resource conservation area;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that the additional virtual object is not enabled for automatic reduction of display quality; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to prevent automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to detect that an additional virtual object enters the area, wherein the virtual object is a first type of object and wherein the additional virtual object is a second type of object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to detect that the additional virtual object includes an additional setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the additional virtual object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that the first type of object is different from the second type of object; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to determining that the first type of object is different from the second type of object, reduce display quality of the additional virtual object in a different way from reducing display quality of the virtual object.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to detect that an additional virtual object enters the area;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to detect that the additional virtual object includes an additional setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the additional virtual object;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that a fee has been paid from a user account associated with the additional virtual object to prevent automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to, in response to determining that the fee has been paid, prevent automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine that a fee has not been paid from a user account associated with the virtual object;

wherein the program instructions to reduce the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to the second display quality level reduce the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to the second display quality level further in response to determining that the fee has not been paid.

11. A computer system for conserving resource consumption by 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 detect that a virtual object of the virtual universe enters an area in the virtual universe;

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, in response to determining that the virtual object enters the area, detect that the virtual object has a setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the virtual object from a first display quality level; 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, in response to determining that the virtual object has the setting that enables the automatic reduction in display quality from the first display quality setting, reduce the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to a second display quality level less than the first display quality level.

12. The computer system of claim 11 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 detect that an additional virtual object of the virtual universe enters the area concurrently with determining that the virtual object enters the resource conservation area;

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 the additional virtual object is not enabled for automatic reduction of display quality; 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 prevent automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object.

13. The computer system of claim 11 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 detect that an additional virtual object enters the area, wherein the virtual object is a first type of object and wherein the additional virtual object is a second type of object;

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 detect that the additional virtual object includes an additional setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the additional virtual object;

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 the first type of object is different from the second type of object; 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, in response to determining that the first type of object is different from the second type of object, reduce display quality of the additional virtual object in a different way from reducing display quality of the virtual object.

14. The computer system of claim 11 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 detect that an additional virtual object enters the area;

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 detect that the additional virtual object includes an additional setting that enables automatic reduction of display quality of the additional virtual object;

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 a fee has been paid from a user account associated with the additional virtual object to prevent automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object; 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, in response to determining that the fee has been paid, prevent automatic reduction in display quality of the additional virtual object.

15. The computer system of claim 11 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 determine that a fee has not been paid from a user account associated with the virtual object;

wherein the program instructions to reduce the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to the second display quality level reduce the display quality of the virtual object from the first display quality level to the second display quality level further in response to determining that the fee has not been paid.