Simulated speed-of-light delay for recreational benefit applications

• US 7,251,788 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Meyers, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US09/747,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,413 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/30, 463/42, 463/40, 342/457, 370/466, 379/201.01, 379/207.3, 379/207.12, 455/419, 709/205, 715/799, 345/2.1
• US Class Current: 715/799
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• 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 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Recreations which simulate space travel with space communication simulate the communication delays that would inhere at space distances. Recreation-related communications are passed through a store-and-forward server in which they are stored before forwarding for a time interval which simulates the communication delay that would inhere between points at the simulated spatial locations of the parties. Methods are provided for discouraging the parties from circumventing the simulated delay by communicating through means other than the store-and-forward server.

Claims

1. A system for simulating message transmission delays in a virtual recreation environment, said system comprising:

a server configured to define the virtual recreation environment, said server being configured to connect through a communication network with a plurality of terminals, such that each of the plurality of terminals is configured to selectively interact in the virtual recreation environment with others of the plurality of terminals; and

transmitting means for transmitting messages between first and second terminals of said plurality of terminals;

wherein said server is further configured to associate a virtual location of the virtual recreation environment with each of the plurality of terminals and to delay transmission of messages sent between the first and second terminals by implementing a delay time based on a virtual distance between the virtual locations of the first and second terminals.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said server comprises a memory for storing a queue of messages, each message of the queue of messages being from a source one of the plurality of terminals and destined for a destination one of the plurality of terminals.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each message of the queue of messages remains in the queue for a queuing time based on the virtual distance between the source and destination terminals.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said server comprises means for determining an actual location for each of the plurality of terminals.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said determining means is configured to equate the actual location for each of the plurality of terminals to a terrestrial location of the respective proximate city.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said server comprises means for receiving signals from a global positioning system and said determining means is configured for determining the actual location for each of the plurality of terminals based on signals received from the global positioning system.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein said server comprises means for inputting a postal code and said determining means is configured for equating the actual location of each of the plurality of terminals with a predetermined terrestrial location associated with the postal code.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said server is configured to associate the virtual location of the virtual recreation environment with each of the plurality of terminals by using an actual location for each of the plurality of terminals and virtual distances pertaining to the virtual recreation environment.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said server is configured to connect through the communication network using at least one of the Internet, Global System for Mobile communication, (GSM), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), TErrestrial TRunked RAdio (TETRA), or Bluetooth wireless technology.

10. The system according to claim 4, wherein said server associates the actual location of each of the plurality of terminals to the virtual location in the virtual recreation environment.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is configured to determine a travel rate of transmission of the message in the virtual recreation environment and to implement the delay time based on the virtual distance between the virtual locations of the first and second terminals and on the travel rate of transmission of the message in the virtual recreation environment.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said server comprises a memory storing a list of participating terminals of the plurality of terminals that are currently participating in the virtual recreation environment and associated virtual distances between each pair of the plurality of terminals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said memory is further configured to store transmission speeds of each of the plurality of terminals.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said memory is further configured to store a queue of messages, each message of the queue of messages being from a source one of the plurality of terminals and destined for a destination one of the plurality of terminals.

15. A system for simulating message transmission delays in a virtual environment, comprising a server including a processor running a software program defining a virtual recreation environment, said processor being connected to a receiver and transmitter for communication with a communication network, said server being configured to connect through the communication network with a plurality of terminals for allowing each of the plurality of terminals to interact in the virtual recreation environment with others of the plurality of terminals, said software comprising computer executable steps instructing said server to:

associate each of the plurality of terminals interacting in the virtual recreation environment to a virtual location in the virtual recreation environment,

transmit messages between first and second terminals of said plurality of terminals, the messages being related to the virtual recreation environment, and

delay transmission of messages sent from the first terminal to the second terminal by implementing a delay time based on a virtual distance between the virtual locations of the first and second terminals.

16. A computer program product for simulating message transmission delays in a virtual environment when executed by a processor of a server defining a virtual recreation environment, the server being configured to connect through a communication network with a plurality of terminals for allowing each of the plurality of terminals to interact in the virtual recreation environment with others of the terminals, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable code portion for associating each of the plurality of terminals to a virtual location in the virtual recreation environment;

a second executable code portion for transmitting messages between first and second terminals of said plurality of terminals, the messages being related to the virtual recreation environment; and

a third executable code portion for delaying transmission of messages sent from the first terminal to the second terminal by implementing a delay time based on a virtual distance between the virtual locations of the first and second terminals.