Application programming interface for geographic data in computer games

• US 7,828,655 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Dougherty, Christopher, Shuman, Michael V., Uhlir, Kurt Brooks, Casino, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu; Kang
• Application Number:
  US10/798,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20050202877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,434 Days
• Field of Search: 434 29- 71, 434/150, 706/7, 706/8, 702/5, 463/6, 463 31- 33, 463/43, 463/44
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/663 for simulating liquid objects, e.g. water, gas, fog, snow, clouds
• 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 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 : Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 : Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 : Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 : Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 : Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 : using electrical means

Abstract

A computer game depicts or represents actual or imaginary geographic locales as part of the play scenarios of the games. The computer game uses a map database that contains data that represent geographic features, such as roads, in a locale. A game engine program presents a game play scenario to a user via a user interface of the game. An application programming interface program accepts requests for data from the game engine program, accesses data from the map database, and provides the data in a suitable format to the game engine program for use in presenting the game scenario to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-game system comprising:

a map database containing geographic data including a plurality of road segment records that represent portions of roads in a real-world geographic locale, wherein each of the road segment records corresponds to navigation-related attribute data that support vehicle navigation-related functions for real-world navigation on the roads in the real-world geographic locale, the navigation-related attribute data including;

(i) geographic coordinates,

(ii) a street name,

(iii) an address range,

(iv) a turn restriction, and

(v) road shape;

a user interface;

a game engine program configured for running on a computer platform and for providing a computer game to a user via the user interface;

a computer processor presenting a game play scenario on the user interface from the game engine program based on the geographic data, wherein game play includes engaging game characters within the game play scenario, and wherein the game play scenario corresponds to a virtual position independent of the user'"'"'s actual physical location; and

an application programming interface program configured for running on the computer platform and accepting requests for data from the game engine program, accessing the data from the map database, and providing the data in a suitable format to the game engine program;

wherein the map database, the user interface, the game engine program, and the application programming interface program are stored on at least one computer-readable medium, and

wherein individual road segment records are accessed from the map database during game play of the computer game to provide real time geographic data for display in the game play scenario.

2. The computer-game system of claim 1 further comprising:

a 3D function configured for converting geographic data from the map database to a perspective view for display in the computer game.

3. The computer-game system of claim 1 further comprising:

a smoothing function configured for determining a curve through data points used in the map database to represent a linearly extending feature, wherein the curve is used for display of the linearly extending feature in the computer game.

4. The computer-game system of claim 1 further comprising:

an integration function configured for combining road model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual appearance of road-related things.

5. The computer-game system of claim 4 wherein the road-related things include at least one selected from the group consisting of:

road colors, road pavement, lane stripes, curbs, sidewalks, signs, lampposts, lane dividers, traffic signals, speed bumps, and crosswalks.

6. The computer-game system of claim 1 further comprising:

an integration function configured for combining 3D model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual representation of polygon shaped features in the geographic locale.

7. The computer-game system of claim 1 further comprising:

an integration function configured for combining 3D model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual representation of cityscape and landscape features in the geographic locale.

8. The computer-game system of claim 1 further comprising:

an integration function configured for combining 3D model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual representation of one of the group consisting of;

buildings, fences, trees, shrubbery, lawns, fences, and clouds in the geographic locale.

9. The computer-game system of claim 1 wherein the application programming interface program is further configured for providing for spatial queries of data from the map database.

10. The computer-game system of claim 1 further comprising:

a game application shell that includes basic logic, rules, strategy, and characters for a type of computer game, wherein the game application shell is configured for access by the game engine program.

11. The computer-game system of claim 10 wherein the computer game is of a type selected from a group consisting of:

a road rally game, a police chase game, a “

bot”

fighter game, a flight simulator game, a “

first-person-shooter”

game, an auto theft game, and an urban development simulator game.

12. The computer-game system of claim 1 wherein the game engine program is configured for performing specific tasks and for operating on an as-needed basis during game play.

13. The computer-game system of claim 1 wherein the game engine program comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

audio engines, logic engines, rules engines, animation engines, graphics engines, and user interface engines.

14. The computer-game system of claim 1, wherein the real-world navigation includes vehicle route calculation and vehicle route guidance corresponding to the roads in the real-world geographic locale.

15. A method of operating a computer game that runs on a computer platform, the method comprising:

presenting a game play scenario on a user interface from a game engine program based on geographic data to a user for game play by a computer processor, wherein the game play includes engaging game characters within the game play scenario, and wherein the game play scenario corresponds to a virtual position independent of the user'"'"'s actual physical location;

using an application programming interface that runs on the computer platform to accept requests for geographic data from the game engine program;

using the application programming interface to access the geographic data from a map database stored on data storage hardware, the geographic data including a plurality of road segment records that represent portions of roads in a real-world geographic locale, wherein each of the road segment records corresponds to navigation-related attribute data that support vehicle navigation-related functions for real-world navigation on the roads in the real-world geographic locale, the navigation-related attribute data including;

(i) geographic coordinates,

(ii) a street name,

(iii) an address range,

(iv) a turn restriction, and

(v) road shape; and

using the application programming interface to provide, by the computer processor, the geographic data from the map database in a suitable format to the game engine program

wherein individual road segment records are accessed from the map database during the game play of the computer game to provide real time geographic data for display in the game play scenario.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

converting the geographic data from the map database to a perspective view for display by the computer platform as part of the game play scenario of the computer game.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining a curve through data points used in the map database to represent linearly extending features, wherein the curve is used for display of at least one of the linearly extending features by the computer platform as part of the game play scenario of the computer game.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

combining road model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual appearance of road-related things by the computer platform as part of the game play scenario of the computer game.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the road-related things include at least one selected from a group consisting of:

road colors, road pavement, lane stripes, curbs, sidewalks, signs, lampposts, lane dividers, traffic signals, speed bumps, and crosswalks.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

combining 3D model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual representation of polygon shaped features in the geographic locale by the computer platform as part of the game play scenario of the computer game.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

combining 3D model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual representation of cityscape and landscape features in the geographic locale by the computer platform as part of the game play scenario of the computer game.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

combining 3D model data with data that represent roads from the map database to provide a realistic visual representation of one of a group consisting of;

buildings, fences, trees, shrubbery, lawns, fences, and clouds in the geographic locale by the computer platform as part of the game play scenario of the computer game.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the application programming interface program provides for spatial queries of data from the map database.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

using the game engine program to access a game application shell that includes basic logic, rules, strategy, and characters for a type of computer game.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the type of computer game is selected from a group consisting of:

a road rally game, a police chase game, a “

bot”

fighter game, a flight simulator game, a “

first-person-shooter ”

game, and an auto theft game.

26. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

using the game engine program to perform specific tasks and operate on an as-needed basis during the game play scenario of the computer game.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein the game engine program comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of:

audio engines, logic engines, rules engines, animation engines, graphics engines, and user interface engines.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the application programming interface requests data representing all road segment records within a selected area from the map database as a function of a spatial query, the spatial query defining the selected area.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the selected area is defined by a longitude and latitude point and a radial distance from the longitude and latitude point.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the selected area is defined by a rectangular area having specified geographic boundaries.