Patent ID: 8219616

Claim:
A method of providing communication in a virtual universe (VU), comprising: instantiating an information channel for a first client of the VU, said information channel being a data link over which data may be transferred to another client of the VU; assigning the instantiated information channel to the first client of the VU; associating at least one additional client of the VU to the information channel assigned to the first client; conveying data placed on the information channel to the first client and the at least one additional client; linking the information channel to a second information channel, wherein at least one other client is associated with the second information channel; and conveying data placed on either the information channel or the second information channel to the first client, the at least one additional client, and the at least one other client, wherein: the linking comprises creating a host bridge between the information channel and the second information channel; and the host bridge is instantiated for a predefined finite time period, and the information channel and the second information channel are unlinked after expiration of the predefined finite time period.