System and method for implementing environmentally-sensitive simulations on a data processing system

• US 8,088,004 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Freeman, David S., Pomerantz, Ori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/872,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 5, 463 7- 9, 463 30- 34, 463 36- 39, 463 40- 43, 463 49- 57, 463/101, 273/108.1, 273/127.R, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/309, 273/317.1, 273/340, 273/343, 273/348, 273361-367, 273/461, 250/205, 250330-334, 250/338.1, 250/339.02, 250/339.06, 250/339.09, 250/339.11, 250/339.14, 250/341.8, 250/342, 250344-345, 250350-351, 250/353, 345 11- 13, 345 21- 23, 345 31- 34, 345/24, 345/419, 345467-469, 345/473, 345/539, 345543-544, 345/625, 345/636, 345/638, 345653-656, 345664-666, 345682-683, 345/686, 345949-950, 345/FOR.139, 345/FOR.153, 348/14.15, 348/39, 348/42, 348 47- 52, 348/115, 348/117, 348/121, 348135-137, 348/141, 348/211.2, 348/211.4, 3482117-2118, 348/211.14, 348/211.99, 348/576, 348588-589, 348/719, 348/721, 348/734, 348/E13.004, 348E13064-E13067, 37524015-24016, 375/240.25, 398106-108, 398111-112, 398/118, 398/123, 398127-131, 434 37- 38, 434 43- 44, 434/69, 434/118, 434/240, 434256-257
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/217 using environment-related information, i.e. information generated otherwise than by the player, e.g. ambient temperature or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

A system and method for implementing environmentally-sensitive simulations on a data processing system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an ambient temperature associated with a player'"'"'s location is provided to an environmental module. The environmental module provides the ambient temperature information to a simulation application. The simulation application modifies the behavior of a simulation executing on the data processing system according to the ambient temperature. The data processing system displays the simulation with the modified behavior to the player.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for implementing environmentally-sensitive simulations on a data processing system, said computer implemented method comprising:

in response to continuing receipt of an ambient temperature information obtained by an environmental sensor disposed within a player'"'"'s room, sending said ambient temperature information in real-time to a simulation application being executed within a data processing system, wherein said simulation application is a video game, wherein said ambient temperature information is also received from a weather information depository via a network to which said data processing system is connected;

continuously altering attributes of a background and any playable game characters within said background of a simulated environment generated by said simulation application being executed within said data processing system according to said ambient temperature information obtained in real-time so as to change the storyline of said simulated environment in real-time in said video game; and

displaying in real-time said simulated environment having said background and said playable game characters in said altered attributes on a display to said player.

2. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

an environmental sensor coupled to said processor via an interconnect, wherein said environmental sensor continuously obtains ambient temperature information within a player'"'"'s room in real-time, wherein said ambient temperature information is also received from a weather information depository via a network to which said data processing system is connected;

a system memory coupled to said processor via said interconnect, wherein said system memory includes a simulation application that continuously receives said ambient temperature information from said environmental sensor and continuously alters attributes of a background and any playable game characters within said background in a simulated environment generated by said simulation application according to said ambient temperature information in real-time so as to change the storyline of said simulated environment in real-time in a video game, wherein said simulation application is a video game; and

a display configured to display in real-time said simulated environment having said background and said playable game characters in said altered attributes to said player.