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

A network computer system for coalescing and collapsing a first area of a virtual universe into a second area of the 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 an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource 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 determine the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing and collapsing into the second area 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;
• 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 select a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects to move from the first area into the second area, wherein the program instructions to select the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects identify those of the plurality of virtual universe objects that are interactive objects, analyze whether an avatar is likely to interact with one or more of those of the plurality of virtual universe objects that are interactive virtual universe objects, and select the one or more of those of the plurality of virtual universe objects that are interactive virtual universe objects as at least a portion of the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects;
• 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 coalesce the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area;
• 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 collapse the first area of the virtual universe responsive to coalescing the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area.

A computer program product for coalescing and collapsing a first area of a virtual universe into a second area of the 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 an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource in the virtual universe;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine the first area of the virtual universe for coalescing and collapsing 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;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to select a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into the second area, wherein the program instructions to select the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects identify those of the plurality of virtual universe objects that are interactive objects, analyze whether an avatar is likely to interact with one or more of those of the plurality of virtual universe objects that are interactive virtual universe objects, and select the one or more of those of the plurality of virtual universe objects that are interactive virtual universe objects as at least a portion of the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to coalesce the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to collapse the first area of the virtual universe responsive to coalescing the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects into the second area from the first area.

A method for collapsing a first area of a virtual universe, the method comprising the steps of:

• a computer detecting an indication to reduce usage of a computing resource that supports a virtual universe;
• the computer determining the first area of the virtual universe for collapsing responsive to said computer detecting the indication to reduce usage of the computing resource, wherein the first area comprises a plurality of virtual universe objects, and wherein the plurality of virtual universe objects comprises one or more avatars and one or more interactive virtual universe objects,
• the computer analyzing activity of the one or more avatars in the first area of the virtual universe;
• the computer determining that at least one of the one or more avatars is likely to interact with at least one of the one or more interactive virtual universe objects based on said step of the computer analyzing the activity of the one or more avatars;
• the computer selecting a first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects for moving from the first area into a second area of the virtual universe, wherein said step of the computer selecting the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects comprises selecting the at least one of the one or more avatars and the at least one of the one or more interactive virtual universe objects responsive to said step of the computer determining that the at least one of the one or more avatars is likely to interact with the at least one of the one or more interactive virtual universe objects;
• the computer moving the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects from the first area into the second area in response to said step of the computer selecting the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects;
• and
• the computer collapsing the first area of the virtual universe in response to said step of the computer moving the first set of the plurality of virtual universe objects from the first area into the second area.