Simulation of sporting events in a virtual environment

• US 8,734,214 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hughes, Ian, Kasell, Bradford Glenn, Yeoh, Christopher Beng Kiat, Yeoh, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US11/947,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,371 Days
• Field of Search: 463/5, 463/3
• US Class Current: 463/3
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• 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 2300/8011 Ball

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide a system, method and computer program product for simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment. Primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values for a projectile is received, with each time value in the primary data being associated with one of the sets of position values. The primary data is processed to generate secondary data that represents at least two consecutive sets of positions. Each set of positions includes a start position and an end position for the projectile, and the secondary data further represents a velocity of the projectile associated with each start position. The secondary data is used to simulate movement of the projectile in the virtual environment.

Claims

1. A data processing system for simulating projectile movement in a virtual environment, the data processing system comprising a bus system;

a communications unit coupled to the bus system;

a memory coupled to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit is operable to cause execution of the set of instructions to perform the following steps;

receive primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values corresponding to a path of a projectile, each time value being associated with a respective one of the sets of position values;

process the primary data to generate secondary data, wherein the secondary data represents a plurality of sets of positions, each set of positions representing a respective portion of a plurality of consecutive portions of said path of said projectile, each said set of positions comprising a respective start position and a respective end position for the corresponding portion of said path of said projectile, and wherein the secondary data further represents a respective velocity of the projectile associated with each said start position;

provide the secondary data to a virtual platform having a physics engine which supports a computer-based immersive virtual environment; and

generate visual output to a user simulating an event in the computer-based immersive virtual environment using the virtual platform, wherein the secondary data is used by the physics engine to simulate said path of said projectile in the computer-based immersive virtual environment by successively generating with the physics engine a respective trajectory representing each consecutive portion of said path of said projectile using the corresponding start position and velocity associated with the corresponding start position to reach a respective end position of the respective portion of said path of said projectile, and adjusting the position and velocity of the projectile to correspond to the start position and velocity of the immediately succeeding consecutive portion of said path of said projectile, wherein for at least a first portion of said path of said projectile, the respective end position of the first portion does not correspond to the respective start position of the portion of said path of said projectile immediately succeeding the first portion.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system is configured to receive the primary data from a monitoring system in a real world environment.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is operable to cause execution of the set of instructions to process the primary data by determining redirection spaces for the projectile.

4. The data processing system of claim 3, wherein each redirection space consists of a single collision point at which a direction of the projectile changes to an extent that indicates a collision of the projectile with an object.

5. The data processing system of claim 4, wherein the processing unit is operable to cause execution of the set of instructions to calculate velocity vectors between consecutive collision points to generate the secondary data.

6. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein generating visual output to a user simulating an event in the computer-based immersive virtual environment using the virtual platform, wherein the secondary data is used to simulate movement of the projectile in the computer-based immersive virtual environment, comprises, in series, for each consecutive set of positions:

creating a new virtual projectile at the start position in the virtual environment, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the start position; and

deleting the new virtual projectile when it reaches the end position in the virtual environment.

7. A method of simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment, the method comprising the computer-executed steps of:

receiving primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values corresponding to a path of a projectile, each time value being associated with a respective one of the sets of position values;

processing the primary data to generate secondary data, wherein the secondary data represents a plurality of sets of positions, each set of positions representing a respective portion of a plurality of consecutive portions of said path of said projectile, each said set of positions comprising a respective start position and a respective end position for the corresponding portion of said path of said projectile, and wherein the secondary data further represents a respective velocity of the projectile associated with each said start position;

providing the secondary data to a virtual platform having a physics engine which supports a computer-based immersive virtual environment; and

generating visual output to a user simulating an event in the computer-based immersive virtual environment using the virtual platform, wherein the secondary data is used by the physics engine to simulate said path of said projectile in the computer-based immersive virtual environment by successively generating with the physics engine a respective trajectory representing each consecutive portion of said path of said projectile using the corresponding start position and velocity associated with the corresponding start position to reach a respective end position of the respective portion of said path of said projectile, and adjusting the position and velocity of the projectile to correspond to the start position and velocity of the immediately succeeding consecutive portion of said path of said projectile, wherein for at least a first portion of said path of said projectile, the respective end position of the first portion does not correspond to the respective start position of the portion of said path of said projectile immediately succeeding the first portion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the primary data comprises receiving the primary data from a monitoring system in a real world environment.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein processing the primary data to generate the secondary data comprises determining redirection spaces for the projectile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each redirection space consists of a single collision point at which a direction of the projectile changes to an extent that indicates a collision of the projectile with an object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the primary data to generate the secondary data comprises calculating velocity vectors between consecutive collision points.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein generating visual output to a user simulating an event in the computer-based immersive virtual environment using the virtual platform, wherein the secondary data is used to simulate movement of the projectile in the computer-based immersive virtual environment, comprises, in series, for each consecutive set of positions:

creating a new virtual projectile at the start position in the virtual environment, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the start position; and

deleting the new virtual projectile when it reaches the end position in the virtual environment.

13. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-usable instructions for simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive primary data comprising a plurality of sets of position values and a plurality of time values corresponding to a path of a projectile, each time value being associated with a respective one of the sets of position values;

process the primary data to generate secondary data, wherein the secondary data represents a plurality of sets of positions, each set of positions representing a respective portion of a plurality of consecutive portions of said path of said projectile, each said set of positions comprising a respective start position and a respective end position for the corresponding portion of said path of said projectile, and wherein the secondary data further represents a respective velocity of the projectile associated with each said start position;

provide the secondary data to a virtual platform having a physics engine which supports a computer-based immersive virtual environment; and

generate visual output to a user simulating an event in the computer-based immersive virtual environment using the virtual platform, wherein the secondary data is used by the physics engine to simulate said path of said projectile in the computer-based immersive virtual environment by successively generating with the physics engine a respective trajectory representing each consecutive portion of said path of said projectile using the corresponding start position and velocity associated with the corresponding start position to reach a respective end position of the respective portion of said path of said projectile, and adjusting the position and velocity of the projectile to correspond to the start position and velocity of the immediately succeeding consecutive portion of said path of said projectile, wherein for at least a first portion of said path of said projectile, the respective end position of the first portion does not correspond to the respective start position of the portion of said path of said projectile immediately succeeding the first portion.

14. A computer program product as claimed in claim 13, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to receive the primary data from a monitoring system in a real world environment.

15. A computer program product as claimed in claim 14, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to determine redirection spaces for the projectile.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein each redirection space consists of a single collision point at which a direction of the projectile changes to an extent that indicates a collision of the projectile with an object.

17. A computer program product as claimed in claim 16, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to calculate velocity vectors between consecutive collision points as part of generating the secondary data.

18. A method for simulating projectile movement in a virtual environment, the method comprising computer-executed steps of:

obtaining data representing a plurality of sets of positions, each set of positions representing a respective portion of a plurality of consecutive portions of a path of a projectile, each said set of positions comprising a respective start position and a respective end position for said projectile, the data further representing a respective velocity of the projectile associated with each said start position; and

using the data to simulate said path of the projectile in a computer-based immersive virtual environment generated by a virtual platform having a physics engine by, in series, for each consecutive set of positions;

(a) creating a new virtual projectile at the respective start position, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the respective start position;

(b) using the physics engine to determine a respective trajectory from the respective start position and velocity associated with the respective start position to reach a respective end position; and

(c) deleting the new virtual projectile when it reaches the respective end position, wherein for at least a first virtual projectile, the respective end position of the first virtual projectile does not correspond to the respective start position of the virtual projectile immediately succeeding the first virtual projectile; and

generating visual output to a user simulating an event in the computer-based immersive virtual environment using the virtual platform, wherein the movement of the projectile is part of the event.

19. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-usable instructions for simulating movement of a projectile in a virtual environment, wherein the computer-usable instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

obtain data representing a plurality of sets of positions, each set of positions representing a respective portion of a plurality of consecutive portions of a path of a projectile, each said set of positions comprising a respective start position and a respective end position for said projectile, the data further representing a respective velocity of the projectile associated with each said start position; and

use the data to simulate said path of the projectile in a computer-based immersive virtual environment generated by a virtual platform having a physics engine by, in series, for each consecutive set of positions;

(a) creating a new virtual projectile at the respective start position, the new virtual projectile having the velocity associated with the respective start position;

(b) using the physics engine to determine a respective trajectory from the respective start position and velocity associated with the respective start position to reach a respective end position; and

(c) deleting the new virtual projectile when it reaches the respective end position, wherein for at least a first virtual projectile, the respective end position of the first virtual projectile does not correspond to the respective start position of the virtual projectile immediately succeeding the first virtual projectile; and

generate visual output to a user simulating an event in the computer-based immersive virtual environment using the virtual platform, wherein the movement of the projectile is part of the event.