# US 2010/0169486 A1 · Access to resources in a virtual environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0169486 A1 - Document ID: US20100169486A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/346,336 - Filed: 2008-12-30 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-30 - Assignees: Nortel Networks Limited - Inventors: Tony McCormack; Neil O'Connor; Joseph Smyth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100169486A1 ## CPC - H04L 49/90: Buffering arrangements - H04L 47/70: Admission control; Resource allocation - H04L 47/741: {Holding a request until resources become available} - H04L 47/821: {Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests} - H04L 67/1001: for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers - H04L 67/1012: based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources - H04L 67/61: taking into account QoS or priority requirements - H04L 67/131: Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Access to a resource in a virtual environment is controllably granted by: a) receiving, from a user of the environment, a request for access to the resource; b) allocating the request to a queue of requests for the resource; c) determining a maximum permissible rate of access of users to the resource; d) providing a mechanism which is operable to grant users of the virtual environment with access to the resource at a rate no greater than the maximum permissible rate; e) allocating requests from the queue to the mechanism at a controlled allocation rate no greater than the maximum permissible rate; f) upon allocation of the request from the user to the mechanism, the mechanism granting the user with access to the resource within the virtual environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of providing access to a resource in a virtual environment, comprising the steps of: a) receiving, from a user of said environment, a request for access to said resource; b) allocating said request to a queue of requests for said resource; c) determining a maximum permissible rate of access of users to said resource; d) providing a mechanism which is operable to grant users of said virtual environment with access to said resource at a rate no greater than said maximum permissible rate; e) allocating requests from said queue to said mechanism at a controlled allocation rate no greater than said maximum permissible rate; f) upon allocation of said request from said user to said mechanism, said mechanism granting said user with access to said resource within the virtual environment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said request is received from a server associated with hosting said environment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said request is received from a channel unrelated to the hosting of said environment and is associated with said user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said request is received as a telephone or email communication and contains an identifier from which said user may be identified. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said request is allocated to a prioritized position within the queue. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of validating said request before allocating said request to said queue. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of queues are maintained for said resource, and further comprising the step of selecting a queue to which said request is allocated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said maximum permissible rate of access is received as a manual input. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said maximum permissible rate of access is determined with reference to a measurable capacity associated with said resource. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said resource is hosted by or accessible via one or more servers and said maximum permissible rate of access is determined at least in part with reference to the capacity of said one or more servers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said capacity of said one or more servers is determined as a function of the number of said one or more servers hosting or providing access to said resource. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of adjusting said maximum permissible rate of access as said measurable capacity associated with said resource is varied. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of requesting the introduction of additional capacity in association with said resource in the event that the controlled allocation rate reaches a predetermined relationship with the maximum permissible rate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of requesting the introduction of additional capacity in association with said resource in the event that a measured queue load reaches a threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism is provided as a plurality of virtual agents or as a plurality of interfaces to human agents, and wherein said controlled allocation rate is driven by the rate at which said agents become free to handle new requests from said queue. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mechanism is implemented as one or more virtual agents which are each configured to interact with one or more user(s) as the user(s) are granted access to the resource, the rate at which users are granted access to said resource being determined by the number of virtual agents and the number of users with whom each virtual agent interacts simultaneously. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said virtual agents are provided as a plurality of instances of the same software-generated virtual agent. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said mechanism is implemented as an interface enabling each of a plurality of human agents to interact with one or more user(s) as the user(s) are granted access to the resource, the rate at which said users are granted access to said resource being determined by the number of said human agents and the number of said users with whom each agent interacts simultaneously. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of granting said user with access to said resource comprises altering the virtual environment as experienced by said user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said request is generated as a result of an online transaction. ### Claim 21 A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium encoding instructions which, when executed in a computing system, are effective to cause said computing system to perform a method of providing access to a resource in a virtual environment, by: a) receiving, from a user of said environment, a request for access to said resource; b) allocating said request to a queue of requests for said resource; c) determining a maximum permissible rate of access of users to said resource; d) providing a mechanism which is operable to grant users of said virtual environment with access to said resource at a rate no greater than said maximum permissible rate; e) allocating requests from said queue to said mechanism at a controlled allocation rate no greater than said maximum permissible rate; f) upon allocation of said request from said user to said mechanism, said mechanism granting said user with access to said resource within the virtual environment. ### Claim 22 A system for providing access to a resource in a virtual environment, the system comprising: a) an interface for receiving requests for access to said resource; b) a queuing manager controlling a queue of said requests for access to said resource; c) a memory storing a maximum permissible rate of access of users to said resource; d) a mechanism configured to grant users of said virtual environment with access to said resource at a rate no greater than said maximum permissible rate; wherein said queuing manager is configured to allocate requests from said queue to said mechanism at a controlled allocation rate no greater than said maximum permissible rate, and wherein said mechanism is effective to grant said user with access to said resource within the virtual environment upon allocation of said request from said user to said mechanism.