Prioritized rendering of objects in a virtual universe

A computer system for providing prioritized rendering of objects in a virtual universe, comprising:

• at least one processing unit;
• memory operably associated with the at least one processing unit;
• and
• a prioritization tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the prioritization tool comprising a plurality of components configured to:
• determine a priority of each of a set of objects in a commercial area of the virtual universe, the commercial area having a plurality of virtual retail stores;
• assign a priority to each of the plurality of virtual stores in the commercial area based on the priority of each of the set of objects in the virtual universe;
• determine a rendering radius of the avatar traversing the commercial area of the virtual universe;
• identify a set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe that is outside the rendering radius of the avatar;
• and
• download and cache within a cache, each of the objects from the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe that are outside the rendering radius of the avatar based on the relative priorities of each of the set of the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe that are outside the rendering radius of the avatar, wherein each of the objects from a first virtual store of the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores that is outside of the rendering radius of the avatar are downloaded and cached prior to any objects from a second virtual store of the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores that is outside the rendering radius of the avatar, the first virtual store having a higher priority than the second virtual store.

A computer-readable storage device storing computer instructions, which when executed, enables a computer system to provide prioritized rendering of objects in a virtual universe, the computer instructions comprising:

• determining a priority of each of a set of objects in a commercial area of the virtual universe, the commercial area having a plurality of virtual retail stores;
• assigning a priority to each of the plurality of virtual stores in the commercial area based on the priority of each of the set of objects in the virtual universe;
• determining a rendering radius of the avatar traversing the commercial area of the virtual universe;
• identifying a set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe that is outside the rendering radius of the avatar;
• and
• downloading and caching within a cache, each of the objects from the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe that are outside the rendering radius of the avatar based on the relative priorities of each of the set of the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe that are outside the rendering radius of the avatar, wherein each of the objects from a first virtual store of the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores that is outside of the rendering radius of the avatar are downloaded and cached prior to any objects from a second virtual store of the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores that is outside the rendering radius of the avatar, the first virtual store having a higher priority than the second virtual store.