Multi-vehicle cross-network coordination

• US 7,803,054 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tector, Christopher J., Glerok, David E., Ogus, Aaron W.
• Primary Examiner(s): JONES, SCOTT E
• Application Number:
  US10/817,709
• Time in Patent Office: 2,372 Days
• Field of Search: 463 6- 9, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/358 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 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/21 Collision detection, intersection

Abstract

Multiple vehicles being simulated at multiple devices are coordinated across a network as part of a shared gaming experience. Participating devices initially synchronize a time base using a designated host device. During game play, local devices simulate local vehicles. Local devices also produce predicted vehicle states for the local vehicles and transmit the predicted vehicle states to remote devices with regard to network latency. Remote devices in turn produce interpolated vehicle states from the predicted vehicles states and then render the vehicles using the interpolated vehicle states. Interpolation values may also be employed to maintain the synchronized time base. Additionally, the interpolations may be tuned, especially with respect to collisions, by a glancing collisions handler, a dragging collisions effectuator, and/or a remote vehicle damage agent.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more media including processor-executable instructions that are executed by the at least one processor, the processor-executable instructions adapted to direct the device to perform actions comprising;

producing an interpolated vehicle state from a predicted vehicle state via an interpolation, the predicted vehicle state received from another device via a network;

determining a latency of the network between the device and the another device;

adjusting a global time based on the latency;

maintaining time synchronization between the device and the another device; and

tuning the interpolation of the predicted vehicle state with regard to collisions by expanding collision geometry of a vehicle model associated with the predicted vehicle state, the expanded collision geometry comprises two or more collision spheres located at least partially over a boundary edge of the vehicle model, wherein the two or more collision spheres define and mathematically model where and when a collision occurs to the vehicle model for tuning the interpolated vehicle state.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the actions of producing and tuning are performed at least partially simultaneously.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions are adapted to cause the device to receive the predicted vehicle state from the another device via at least one network, the another device simulating a vehicle associated with the predicted vehicle state on a local basis.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a console platform.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, the processor-executable instructions adapted to direct the device to perform actions further comprising handling glancing collisions by employing a higher-order interpolation comprising:

employing a Hermite curve to interpolate a continuous curve for position and velocity; and

employing a squad function to interpolate a rotational orientation of the interpolated vehicle state.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more collision spheres define and mathematically model where and when a dragging collision occurs between a vehicle and a barrier, wherein the barrier includes any object including at least the vehicle and a concrete barrier.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the action of tuning the interpolation with regard to collisions comprises the action of:

filtering application of damage after collisions using a predetermined impact threshold.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the action of tuning the interpolation with regard to collisions comprises the action of:

delaying application of damage from a collision until after damage parameters are received from the another device that is locally simulating a vehicle associated with the predicted vehicle state.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the predicted vehicle state is received via a peer to peer connection from the another device.

10. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a device to produce an arrangement for tuning interpolation, the arrangement comprising:

interpolation means for interpolating a vehicle state corresponding to an interpolation time from a predicted vehicle state corresponding to a prediction time; and

tuning means for tuning the interpolation means with regard to collisions, wherein the tuning means includes;

a handler means for handling glancing collisions;

an effectuation means for effectuating dragging collisions; and

an agent means for instituting same damage parameters at a remote device as are applied to a vehicle at a local device, the local device associated with the predicted vehicle state.

11. The arrangement as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

receiver means for receiving the predicted vehicle state via at least one network from the device that is locally simulating the vehicle associated with the predicted vehicle state.

12. The arrangement as recited in claim 10, wherein the vehicle associated with the predicted vehicle state is selected from a group comprising:

a car, a truck, a boat, a space ship, a plane, a bicycle, a motorcycle, and a hovercraft.

13. The arrangement as recited in claim 10, further comprising producing means and tuning means for performing producing and tuning at least partially simultaneously.

14. The arrangement as recited in claim 10, wherein the handler means of the tuning means further comprises a higher-order interpolation means for interpolating the vehicle between (i) a first position and a current time and (ii) a second position and the prediction time, wherein the second position comprises part of the predicted vehicle state, and the vehicle is associated with the predicted vehicle state.

15. The arrangement as recited in claim 10, wherein the effectuation means comprises expansion means for expanding collision geometry of a vehicle model associated with the predicted vehicle state.

16. The arrangement as recited in claim 10, wherein the agent means further comprises:

means for filtering application of damage from collisions based on impact intensity, the means for filtering recognizes and applies damage from a collision where a component of velocity in a direction of the collision exceeds a predetermined threshold, otherwise damage from collisions is not applied to the vehicle;

means for sending a damage message including damage parameters from the local device associated with the predicted vehicle state to each device remote from the vehicle associated with the damage message; and

means for applying damage parameters when the collision is of a sufficiently high impact intensity.

17. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a device to perform a method, the method comprising:

producing an interpolated vehicle state from a predicted vehicle state using higher-order interpolation, the predicted vehicle state received via a network, producing the interpolated vehicle state includes using expanded collision geometry, the expanded collision geometry includes two or more collision spheres located at least partially over a boundary edge of a vehicle model used to produce the interpolated vehicle state, the two or more collision spheres trigger collision effects and are used to define and mathematically model damage from collisions; and

maintaining synchronization of a time base using interpolation values received from another device via the network.

18. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 17, comprising the processor-executable instructions wherein the higher-order interpolation involves using a Hermite curve for position and velocity and a squad function for orientation.

19. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 17, comprising the processor-executable instructions wherein the higher-order interpolation comprises a non-linear interpolation.

20. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 17, comprising the processor-executable instructions wherein the higher-order interpolation includes interpolating vehicle motion in accordance with a continuous curve for position and velocity.

21. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 17, comprising the processor-executable instructions wherein the higher-order interpolation is performed in a glancing collision context.

22. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 17, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, further direct the device to realize damage from collisions based on collision damage parameters received via the network.

23. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a device to produce an interpolated vehicle state from a predicted vehicle state in which interpolation includes a vehicle having expanded collision geometry associated with the predicted vehicle state, the expanded collision geometry includes two or more collision spheres used to trigger collision effects, the predicted vehicle state received via a network and wherein the interpolated vehicle state being synchronized based on a latency of the network and a global time.

24. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 23, comprising the processor-executable instructions wherein at least one collision sphere of the vehicle is located at least partially beyond a boundary edge of the vehicle.

25. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 24, comprising the processor-executable instructions wherein the at least one collision sphere of the vehicle is expandable to include an expansion distance beyond the boundary edge of the vehicle, the expansion distance being configurable to produce collision effects.

26. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 23, comprising the processor-executable instructions wherein the vehicle is associated with the predicted vehicle state and is approximately rectangular with four corners, and wherein four collision spheres of the vehicle are located proximate to the four corners and at least partially beyond at least one boundary edge of the vehicle.

27. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 23, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, further direct the device to receive the predicted vehicle state via the network from another device, wherein the device and the another device are participating in a joint game using the network.

28. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 23, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, further direct the device (i) to produce the interpolated vehicle state using higher-order interpolation and (ii) to realize damage from collisions based on collision damage parameters received via the network.

29. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a device to perform actions comprising:

detecting, at a local device, a collision involving a vehicle that is being locally simulated on a remote device, the local device and the remote device in communication via a network, the local device remotely simulating the vehicle;

filtering the collision according to size and intensity of impact to determine damage parameters of the collision, wherein filtering includes recognizing damage from the collision where a component of velocity in a direction of the collision exceeds a predetermined impact threshold, otherwise damage from the collision is not recognized and no damage effects are applied to the vehicle; and

responsive to the recognizing damage from the collision, delaying application of damage effects to the vehicle, simulated at the local device, until a damage message having damage parameters is received from the remote device.

30. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 29, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the device to perform a further action comprising receiving the damage message from the another device via at least one network.

31. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 29, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the device to perform a further action comprising applying the damage parameters from the damage message received from the another device to a vehicle model of the vehicle.

32. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 29, wherein the one or more processor-accessible media comprise at least one of (i) one or more storage media and (ii) one or more transmission media.

33. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 29, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the device to perform further actions comprising:

interpolating an interpolated vehicle state from a predicted vehicle state using a higher-order interpolation between a current vehicle state and the predicted vehicle state; and

interpolating the interpolated vehicle state from the predicted vehicle state using collision spheres that are located at least partially beyond a boundary edge of the vehicle.