Computer game development factory system and method

• US 20050202861A1
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Dougherty, Christopher, Shuman, Michael V., Uhlir, Kurt Brooks
• Granted Patent: US 7,967,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for facilitating development of computer games that depict or represent actual geographic locales or imaginary locales as part of the play scenarios of the games. A computer game factory system includes inventories of map data products, road models, 3D models, game shells, and game engines. Configuration parameters identify which components to select from the inventories to produce games for various different computer platforms. The selected components are combined with a geographic data API and geographic data tools to produce computer games.

Claims

1. A method of making computer games comprising:

selecting from an inventory of map database products, a map database that contains data that represents features located in a geographic area to be depicted as part of a playing scenario of a computer game;

selecting from a game shells inventory a game shell data structure that includes basic logic, rules, strategy, and characters for the computer game; and

combining the map database and the game shell data structure in a computer game product.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting from an inventory of road models, road models data that contains data representations used for visual appearance and rendering of road-related things.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the road-related things include at least one selected from a group consisting of:

road colors, road pavement, lane stripes, curbs, sidewalks, signs, lampposts, lane dividers, traffic signals, speed bumps, and crosswalks.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting from an inventory of 3D models, 3D models data that contains data representations used for visual appearance and rendering of cityscape and landscape-related things.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the cityscape and landscape-related things include at least one selected from a group consisting of:

buildings, fences, trees, shrubbery, lawns, fences, clouds, and scenery.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting game engines from an inventory, wherein the game engines are programs that perform specific tasks and operate on an as-needed basis during game play.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the game engines include at least one selected from a group consisting of:

audio engines, logic engines, rules engines, animation engines, graphics engines, and user interface engines.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

combining the map database and the game shell data structure with a geographic API in the computer game product.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the geographic API includes a set of queries by which game engine components in the computer game can request geographic data from the map database.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the geographic API provides for spatial queries for geographic data from the map database by components of the computer game.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

combining the map database and the game shell data structure with geographic data tools programs in the computer game product.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the geographic data tools programs include an integration function that combines road model data with data from the map database.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the geographic data tools programs include a 3D conversion function that provides for conversion of data from the map database for presentation in a perspective view.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

referring to parameters associated with a platform on which the computer game will be installed, wherein the parameters are obtained from a repository that contains a plurality of sets of parameters associated with different computer platforms.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the repository includes sets of parameters associated with computer platforms selected from a group consisting of:

personal computers, game consoles, cell phones, hand held devices, and networks.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the game shells inventory repository includes basic logic, rules, strategy, and characters for a type of computer game selected from a group consisting of:

a road rally game, a police chase game, a location quiz game, a “

bot”

fighter game, a flight simulator game, a “

first-person-shooter”

game, an auto theft game, and an urban development simulator game.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the map database products includes map databases that represent different locales.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the different locales are selected from a group consisting of:

cities, states, and countries.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the inventory of map database products includes map databases that represent a locale for different purposes, wherein the purposes are selected from a group consisting of:

auto, pedestrian, bicycle, and aircraft.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the inventory of map database products includes map databases that represent a locale with different levels of accuracy.

21. A computer game factory system comprising:

a map products inventory that contains a plurality of map data products, wherein the map data products represent separate geographic locales to be represented during playing scenarios of the computer games;

a game shells inventory that contains data structures that includes basic logic, rules, strategy, characters, and vehicles, for computer games; and

a program that combines one of the map data products and one of the data structures from the games shells inventory to produce a computer game.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a road models inventory that contains data representations used for visual appearance and rendering of road-related things, wherein the program combines one of the data representations used for visual appearance and rendering of road-related things with the one of the map data products and the one of the data structures from the games shells inventory to produce the computer game.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a 3D models inventory that contains data representations used for visual appearance and rendering of cityscape and landscape-related things, wherein the program combines one of the data representations used for visual appearance and rendering of cityscape and landscape-related things with the one of the map data products and the one of the data structures from the games shells inventory to produce the computer game.

24. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a game engines inventory that contains software engine programs that perform specific, regularly performed tasks and that operate on an as-needed basis during game play;

wherein the program combines software engine programs with the one of the map data products and the one of the data structures from the games shells inventory to produce the computer game.