Simulation of Sporting Events in a Virtual Environment

• US 20090143124A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kasell, Bradford Glenn, Yeoh, Kelly, Hughes, Ian, Yeoh, Christopher Beng Kiat
• Granted Patent: US 8,734,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• 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 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• 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

Aspects of the present invention provide a system, method and computer program product for simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment. Primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values for a projectile is received, with each time value in the primary data being associated with one of the sets of position values. The primary data is processed to generate secondary data that represents at least two consecutive sets of positions. Each set of positions includes a start position and an end position for the projectile, and the secondary data further represents a velocity of the projectile associated with each start position. The secondary data is used to simulate movement of the projectile in the virtual environment.

Claims

1. A data processing system for simulating projectile movement in a virtual environment, the data processing system comprising a bus system;

a communications unit coupled to the bus system;

a memory coupled to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit is operable to cause execution of the set of instructions to perform the following steps;

receive primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values for a projectile, each time value being associated with one of the sets of position values;

process the primary data to generate secondary data, wherein the secondary data represents at least two consecutive sets of positions, each set of positions comprising a start position and an end position for the projectile, and wherein the secondary data further represents a velocity of the projectile associated with each start position; and

use the secondary data to simulate movement of the projectile in the virtual environment.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is configured to receive the primary data from a monitoring system in a real world environment.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is operable to cause execution of the set of instructions to process the primary data by determining redirection spaces for the projectile.

4. The data processing system of claim 3, wherein each redirection space consists of a single collision point at which a direction of the projectile changes to an extent that indicates a collision of the projectile with an object.

5. The data processing system of claim 4, wherein the processing unit is operable to cause execution of the set of instructions to calculate velocity vectors between consecutive collision points to generate the secondary data.

6. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein use of the secondary data to simulate movement of the projectile in the virtual environment comprises, in series, for each consecutive set of positions:

creating a new virtual projectile at the start position in the virtual environment, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the start position; and

deleting the new virtual projectile when it reaches the end position in the virtual environment.

7. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein each position that is the end position in a first set of positions is also the start position in a next consecutive set of positions so that the consecutive sets of positions represented by the secondary data overlap one another.

8. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein each position that is the end position in a first set of positions is distinct from the start position in a next consecutive set of positions.

9. A method of simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values for a projectile, each time value being associated with one of the sets of position values;

processing the primary data to generate secondary data, wherein the secondary data represents at least two consecutive sets of positions, each set of positions comprising a start position and an end position for the projectile, and wherein the secondary data further represents a velocity of the projectile associated with each start position; and

using the secondary data to simulate movement of the projectile in the virtual environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the primary data comprises receiving the primary data from a monitoring system in a real world environment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the primary data to generate the secondary data comprises determining redirection spaces for the projectile.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each redirection space consists of a single collision point at which a direction of the projectile changes to an extent that indicates a collision of the projectile with an object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein processing the primary data to generate the secondary data comprises calculating velocity vectors between consecutive collision points.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein using the secondary data to simulate movement of the projectile in the virtual environment comprises, in series, for each consecutive set of positions:

creating a new virtual projectile at the start position in the virtual environment, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the start position; and

deleting the new virtual projectile when it reaches the end position in the virtual environment.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein each position that is the end position in a first set of positions is also the start position in a next consecutive set of positions so that the consecutive sets of positions represented by the secondary data overlap one another.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein each position that is the end position in a first set of positions is distinct from the start position in a next consecutive set of positions.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable medium containing computer-usable instructions for simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values for a projectile, each time value being associated with one of the sets of position values;

process the primary data to generate secondary data, wherein the secondary data represents at least two consecutive sets of positions, each set of positions comprising a start position and an end position for the projectile, and wherein the secondary data further represents a velocity of the projectile associated with each start position; and

use the secondary data to simulate movement of the projectile in the virtual environment.

18. A computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to receive the primary data from a monitoring system in a real world environment.

19. A computer program product as claimed in claim 18, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to determine redirection spaces for the projectile.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein each redirection space consists of a single collision point at which a direction of the projectile changes to an extent that indicates a collision of the projectile with an object.

21. A computer program product as claimed in claim 20, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to calculate velocity vectors between consecutive collision points as part of generating the secondary data.

22. A computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein each position that is the end position in a first set of positions is also the start position in a next consecutive set of positions so that the consecutive sets of positions represented by the secondary data overlap one another.

23. A computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein each position that is the end position in a first set of positions is distinct from the start position in a next consecutive set of positions.

24. A method for simulating projectile movement in a virtual environment, the method comprising:

obtaining data representing at least two consecutive sets of positions, each set of positions comprising a start position and an end position for a projectile, the data further representing a velocity of the projectile associated with each start position; and

using the data to, in series, for each consecutive set of positions;

create a new virtual projectile at the start position, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the start position; and

delete the new virtual projectile when it reaches the end position.

25. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable medium containing computer-usable instructions for simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

obtain data representing at least two consecutive sets of positions, each set of positions comprising a start position and an end position for a projectile, the data further representing a velocity of the projectile associated with each start position; and

use the data to, in series, for each consecutive set of positions;

create a new virtual projectile at the start position, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the start position; and

delete the new virtual projectile when it reaches the end position.