Electronic game utilizing photographs

• US 20080293488A1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: World Golf Tour, Inc. (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: World Golf Tour, Inc. (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Montgomery, David, Cheng, YuChiang, Nelson, Chad M., Gorrow, Phil, Castelnuovo, David
• Application Number:
  US12/154,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20080293488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

The present disclosure includes, among other things, methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing an electronic game utilizing photographs.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

selecting a prior state of an interactive electronic game from a plurality of prior states, the prior state identifying user input previously provided to the electronic game and a set of values representing a condition of the electronic game before the user input was processed by the electronic game;

setting a current condition of the electronic game according to the set of values and providing the user input to the electronic game;

obtaining a new set of values corresponding to a new condition of the electronic game by processing of the user input by the electronic game based on the current condition and the set of values; and

selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images based on the new set of values.

2. The method of claim 1 where the interactive electronic game simulates a game of skill.

3. The method of claim 1 where the interactive electronic game is a first-person shooter game.

4. The method of claim 1 where selecting the prior state includes basing the selection on a received identifier of the prior state.

5. The method of claim 4 where the identifier is part of a message sent over one or more computer networks.

6. The method of claim 1 where the new set of values includes a three-dimensional path of a virtual object relative to a physical terrain.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

selecting the sequence of one or more photographic images based on the path.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

incorporating a representation of a virtual object into one or more photographic images in the sequence of one or more photographic images based on the new set of values.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input indicating shot preferences; and

selecting the sequence of one or more photographic images based on the shot preferences.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a three-dimensional path relative to a model of a physical terrain for a physical course, and where a plurality of areas of the physical course are captured by one or more two-dimensional photographic images;

determining which of the physical course areas are on the path; and

selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images having a view of the physical course areas on or about the path.

11. The method of claim 10 where the path at least partially lies on the physical terrain.

12. The method of claim 10 where the model is a topology of the physical course.

13. The method of claim 10 where two or more of the areas overlap each other.

14. The method or claim 10 where determining the three-dimensional path includes:

modeling the physics of a virtual object'"'"'s interaction with the model of the physical terrain.

15. The method of claim 14 where the model of the physical terrain includes one or more obstacles rising vertically from the terrain and where determining the three-dimensional path includes:

modeling the physics of the virtual object'"'"'s interaction with the one or more obstacles.

16. The method of claim 10 where each photographic image is associated with a priority and where selecting the sequence of one or more photographic images is based on the associated priorities.

17. The method of claim 16 where selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images includes:

determining if two or more first photographic images have a view of an area on or about the path; and

selecting the first photographic image with the highest priority.

18. The method of claim 10 where determining which of the physical course areas are on the path includes determining if the path lies on or over a portion of the model of the physical terrain that is captured by a two-dimensional photographic image.

19. The method of claim 10 where selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images is governed by a script.

20. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

selecting a prior state of an interactive electronic game from a plurality of prior states, the prior state identifying user input previously provided to the electronic game and a set of values representing a condition of the electronic game before the user input was processed by the electronic game;

setting a current condition of the electronic game according to the set of values and providing the user input to the electronic game;

obtaining a new set of values corresponding to a new condition of the electronic game by processing of the user input by the electronic game based on the current condition and the set of values; and

selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images based on the new set of values.

21. The program product of claim 20 where the interactive electronic game simulates a game of skill.

22. The program product of claim 20 where the interactive electronic game is a first-person shooter game.

23. The program product of claim 20 where selecting the prior state includes basing the selection on a received identifier of the prior state.

24. The program product of claim 23 where the identifier is part of a message sent over one or more computer networks.

25. The program product of claim 20 where the new set of values includes a three-dimensional path of a virtual object relative to a physical terrain.

26. The program product of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting the sequence of one or more photographic images based on the path.

27. The program product of claim 20, further comprising:

incorporating a representation of a virtual object into one or more photographic images in the sequence of one or more photographic images based on the new set of values.

28. The program product of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving input indicating shot preferences; and

selecting the sequence of one or more photographic images based on the shot preferences.

29. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining a three-dimensional path relative to a model of a physical terrain for a physical course, and where a plurality of areas of the physical course are captured by one or more two-dimensional photographic images;

determining which of the physical course areas are on the path; and

selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images having a view of the physical course areas on or about the path.

30. The program product of claim 29 where the path at least partially lies on the physical terrain.

31. The program product of claim 29 where the model is a topology of the physical course.

32. The program product of claim 29 where two or more of the areas overlap each other.

33. The program product of claim 29 where determining the three-dimensional path includes:

modeling the physics of a virtual object'"'"'s interaction with the model of the physical terrain.

34. The program product of claim 33 where the model of the physical terrain includes one or more obstacles rising vertically from the terrain and where determining the three-dimensional path includes:

modeling the physics of the virtual object'"'"'s interaction with the one or more obstacles.

35. The program product of claim 29 where each photographic image is associated with a priority and where selecting the sequence of one or more photographic images is based on the associated priorities.

36. The program product of claim 35 where selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images includes:

determining if two or more first photographic images have a view of an area on or about the path; and

selecting the first photographic image with the highest priority.

37. The program product of claim 29 where determining which of the physical course areas are on the path includes determining if the path lies on or over a portion of the model of the physical terrain that is captured by a two-dimensional photographic image.

38. The program product of claim 29 where selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images is governed by a script.

39. A system comprising:

a display device;

a machine-readable storage device including a program product; and

one or more processors operable to execute the program product, interact with the display device, and perform operations comprising;

selecting a prior state of an interactive electronic game from a plurality of prior states, the prior state identifying user input previously provided to the electronic game and a set of values representing a condition of the electronic game before the user input was processed by the electronic game;

setting a current condition of the electronic game according to the set of values and providing the user input to the electronic game;

obtaining a new set of values corresponding to a new condition of the electronic game by processing of the user input by the electronic game based on the current condition and the set of values; and

selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images based on the new set of values.

40. A system comprising:

a display device;

a machine-readable storage device including a program product; and

one or more processors operable to execute the program product, interact with the display device, and perform operations comprising;

determining a three-dimensional path relative to a model of a physical terrain for a physical course, and where a plurality of areas of the physical course are captured by one or more two-dimensional photographic images;

determining which of the physical course areas are on the path; and

selecting a sequence of one or more photographic images having a view of the physical course areas on or about the path.