Heightened realism for computer-controlled units in real-time activity simulation
First Claim
1. A method for simulating a subject computer-controlled unit in a simulated environment having at least one other unit within the environment, the method comprising:
- periodically determining a tactical condition relating to the subject unit;
updating a first portion of the simulation at a first rate;
updating a second portion of the simulation at a second rate; and
varying the second rate in response to changes in the tactical condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Enhanced realism of a real-time simulator having multiple computer-controlled units results from making the units capable of reacting to only those other units that each of them can be aware of because of their spatial relationships to the unit. Awareness is based upon probabilities; it can persist after a relationship changes; and it can be influenced by a unit'"'"'s designation of a target. Each unit selects a target based upon a score incorporating multiple aspects of its tactical situation, and can change targets when the situation changes. A unit selects a strategy in response to which of a set of tactical configurations exist between the unit and its target; the strategy can change short of completion when the configuration changes. A plan produces guidance commands from the high-level strategy. The guidance commands are converted into control settings for guiding the subject unit using a physics engine for simulating the physical dynamics of the unit. The control settings can interact with each other under certain conditions. The time rate at which each computer-controlled unit performs the above operations varies with the tactical situation, and can be different for different units. The operator for each unit precomputes some data required for multiple calculations in performing the operations.
80 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for simulating a subject computer-controlled unit in a simulated environment having at least one other unit within the environment, the method comprising:
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periodically determining a tactical condition relating to the subject unit;
updating a first portion of the simulation at a first rate;
updating a second portion of the simulation at a second rate; and
varying the second rate in response to changes in the tactical condition.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for performing a simulation of multiple computer-controlled units in a simulated environment, the method comprising:
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updating a first portion of the simulation of all of the units at a first rate;
updating a second portion of the simulation of each of the units at one of a plurality of different second rates; and
selecting one of the second rates for each of the units independently of the second rates of the other units. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A simulator implemented on a programmed digital computer for controlling a subject unit in a simulated environment containing at least one other unit, the simulator comprising:
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a rate generator for producing one of a plurality of different rates;
a guidance module for directing the subject unit and responsive to the rate generator for operating at one of the different rates; and
a selector module for selecting among the different rates in response to a predetermined relationship between the subject unit and the other unit. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
separate rate generators for each of the subject units, each rate generator producing a plurality of rates independently of the remaining rate generators;
separate guidance modules for directing the subject units and responsive to respective ones of the rate generators;
separate selector modules for selecting among the different rates independently of the remaining selector modules.
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30. The simulator of claim 29, wherein different ones of the rate generators operate at different ones of the rates simultaneously.
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31. A programmed computer, comprising:
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input devices for accepting a sequence of commands from a user for directing a simulated player unit;
a plurality of controllers each controlling one of a plurality of subject units, each controller including a rate generator for producing one of a plurality of different rates, a guidance module for directing the subject unit and responsive to the rate generator for operating at one of the different rates, and a selector module for selecting among the different rates in response to a predetermined relationship between the subject unit and the other unit;
a simulator responsive to the guidance commands for simulating the units in an environment;
a rendering module responsive to the simulator for calculating representations of the units; and
output devices responsive to the rendering module for displaying the representations. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification