Data processing system and method of operation

• US 20060010256A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wood, Karl J., Heron, Dale R
• Application Number:
  US10/528,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010256A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

A server-based data processing system (10) is provided for enabling interaction between users of a massive multi-player role playing game (MMRPG) or similar application in which a virtual environment (20) is represented geographically as a plurality of cells (22) arranged in a matrix for example. Game state data relating to the individual cells is broadcast from the server (12) to respective user-interface apparatus (14) such as mobile phone devices. Each cell is associated with one channel allowing the user-interface apparatus to receive the channel associated with the cell in which the respective user is represented. The association between cells of the virtual environment and broadcast channels enables the user-interface devices to reject unwanted state data by simply tuning to the desired channel. This is particularly beneficial for low power, low memory devices.

Claims

1. A data processing system 10 comprising a server 12 for processing a software application enabling interaction among multiple users sharing a virtual environment 20 represented geographically as a plurality of cells 22, each user being represented at a virtual location in said environment, and a plurality of user-interface apparatus 14 each for receiving state data relating to said environment from said server via a plurality of channels, wherein each cell 22 is associated with one of said channels, and at least one of said user-interface apparatus 14 is operable to tune to one of said channels so as to receive the channel associated with the cell in which the respective users representation is located.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said cells overlap with adjacent cells.

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said cells are arranged in a 2-D row and column matrix formation.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said cells are arranged in a first and a second matrix 32,37 such that a cell in the first matrix overlies four cells in the second matrix.

5. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein more than one of said cells 22 are associated with one of said channels.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said at least one user-interface apparatus is operable to disregard the remaining cells associated with that channel.

7. Interactivity apparatus 14 for use with a remote server-based multiple user application in which the users share a virtual environment 20 represented geographically as a plurality of cells 22 and are each represented at a virtual location in said environment, the apparatus operable to communicate with the server via a plurality of channels, wherein each cell is associated with one of said channels, and the apparatus further comprises receiving means 18 operable to tune to one of said channels so as to receive the channel associated with the cell in which the respective user'"'"'s representation is located.

8. A mobile phone device comprising the apparatus of claim 7.

9. A method of processing data for a multiple user application in which the users share a virtual environment 20 represented geographically as a plurality of cells 22, the method comprising the steps of:

representing a user at a virtual location in said environment;

transmitting a plurality of channels, wherein each cell is associated with one of said channels and each channel conveys information relating to its respective associated cells; and

,

tuning to one of said channels so as to receive the channel associated with the cell comprising said virtual location.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

detecting the direction of movement of said user'"'"'s representation; and

,

receiving another one of said channels which is associated with a neighbouring cell to that cell comprising said virtual location in accordance with said detected direction.

11. A computer program for carrying out the method of claim 9 or claim 10.