System and method for testing human interactive applications including computer games
Granted: September 8, 2009
Patent Number:
7587637
An interactive application testing system allows a human tester to operate an interactive application and record user inputs and outputs for later replay for a debugger. By synchronizing recordation of inputs and outputs, testing sessions can be easily replayed. Where the tester is a human user, a test session can be dynamic and respond to human user feedback of game events.
Computer simulation of body dynamics including a solver that solves in linear time for a set of constraints
Granted: March 17, 2009
Patent Number:
7505883
Computer simulation of the dynamics of rigid bodies interacting through collisions, stacks and joints is performed using a constraint-based system in which constraints are defined in terms of the positions of the bodies. Displacements caused by reaction forces necessary to ensure that the bodies comply with the position constraints can be calculated and can be done iteratively by updating equations defining the reaction forces and the displacements such that the computation time and…
Computer animation of simulated characters using combinations of motion-capture data and external force modelling or other physics models
Granted: July 22, 2008
Patent Number:
7403202
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus wherein physics models are integrated with motion capture animation to allow for variability in animations, dynamic response, such as animating events different from those for which motion capture data was obtained, including changes in character purpose and collisions. The physical model may include sets of internal forces and/or external forces. To facilitate the integration of mo-cap animation data with physics models,…
Systems and methods for simulating game state changes responsive to an interrupt condition
Granted: April 1, 2008
Patent Number:
7351138
A simulation module simulates events that may occur during a cautionary period based on, e.g., current relative position of vehicles, vehicle and driver attributes and current game statistics for vehicles, and compiles new statistics and attributes that are used in the resumed race. A full race simulation option and a partial race simulation option are also provided. For example, in a season mode, the simulation module simulates events that may occur during a race and compiles statistics…
Efficient rendering of similar objects in a three-dimensional graphics engine
Granted: April 24, 2007
Patent Number:
7209139
Multiple instances of a single object are aggregated and submitted collectively to a graphics API for rendering. Vertices of the object are replicated into a large buffer and are modified so as to be bound to different transformation matrices in a matrix palette. An index buffer of the object is similarly replicated. Each replicated index buffer is modified to refer to vertices of a different, respective set of replicated vertices. Thus, the large vertex and index buffers are initialized…
Systems and methods for implementing shader-driven compilation of rendering assets
Granted: January 2, 2007
Patent Number:
7159212
Art asset rendering systems and methods in which pre-processing is performed in a compilation process. Geometric data are processed in the compilation process with knowledge of associated shading programs. The data are converted into data structures targeted directly to a target hardware platform, and a code stream is assembled that describes the manipulations required to render these data structures. The compiler includes a front end configured to read the geometric data and attributes…
Sequencing input control stick
Granted: September 19, 2006
Patent Number:
7109994
A method of controlling an animation character with a controller that includes determining a position of the controller and determining a current state of the animation character. A history of positions of the controller is determined and compared with a set of history patterns based upon the current state of the animation character. An animation sequence is initiated based upon any matched history patterns.
Positive-return gambling
Granted: August 22, 2006
Patent Number:
7094152
A method and system of providing players with positive return in a gambling game. Tokens are won or lost in a manner that assures net positive return. Token value is determined based on the total number of outstanding tokens, or on the total number that have been issued in a predetermined time period, so that the total prize payout is predetermined and constant. In one embodiment, tokens act as lottery tickets, and prizes are awarded to winners of the lottery, so that a player's chance…
System and method for providing user input to character animation
Granted: January 31, 2006
Patent Number:
6992654
The present invention provides a system that increases a user's control over character animation. Time-dependent signals are accepted from a user input device. The input is processed in real-time such that the user's input can be used to directly control the animation of an animated character. For example, the animation of a three-dimensional rendered character swinging a golf club in a golf game can be changed in mid-swing according to the user's operation of an input device. In general…
Episodic delivery of content
Granted: October 18, 2005
Patent Number:
6955605
A system, method, and apparatus are provided that allow episodic delivery of entertainment content to a user. More specifically, an application module is created with episodic content technology, which can be purchased as a CD-ROM or downloaded from a remote server. The application module contains a current episode of the game and a technology shell to allow future episodes to be downloaded and executed. The entertainment content delivery system is implemented through a centralized…
Chat clusters for a virtual world application
Granted: August 3, 2004
Patent Number:
6772195
A virtual world environment is provided having chat clusters. Chat clusters are groupings of avatars of users who are engaged in a closed conversation. Accordingly, a request to initiate a chat cluster is received from a user. Next, the other participants of the chat cluster are identified, and a conversation area within the virtual environment is defined. The conversation area is a unseen demarcated area within which the avatars of the participants are positioned. The conversation area…
Systems and methods for simulating game state changes responsive to an interrupt condition
Granted: May 11, 2004
Patent Number:
6733383
A simulation module simulates events that may occur during a cautionary period based on, e.g., current relative position of vehicles, vehicle and driver attributes and current game statistics for vehicles, and compiles new statistics and attributes that are used in the resumed race. A full race simulation option and a partial race simulation option are also provided. For example, in a season mode, the simulation module simulates events that may occur during a race and compiles statistics…
Episodic delivery of content
Granted: December 30, 2003
Patent Number:
6669564
A system, method, and apparatus are provided that allow episodic delivery of entertainment content to a user. More specifically, an application module is created with episodic content technology, which can be purchased as a CD-ROM or downloaded from a remote server. The application module contains a current episode of the game and a technology shell to allow future episodes to be downloaded and executed. The entertainment content delivery system is implemented through a centralized…
Use in computer games of voronoi diagrams for partitioning a gamespace for analysis
Granted: May 6, 2003
Patent Number:
6558258
In a computer game, a game situation is analyzed using states of a plurality of game elements by determining a state for each of the plurality of game elements, generating a representation of a Voronoi diagram among the game elements, using at least some of the game elements as Voronoi sites and performing an analysis of the game situation using the Voronoi diagram. The analysis can be spatial analysis and/or tactical analysis to determine a move of a computer-controlled entity based on…
Remote communication through visual representations
Granted: February 18, 2003
Patent Number:
6522333
A system and method for remote communication is disclosed that allows communication over a network but still provides a behavioral context within which the communication is interpreted. A visual representation of a user is provided to a recipient. A set of behavioral characteristics of the visual representation is provided to the user, the behavioral characteristics representing contexts within which data is to be interpreted. The user selects a behavioral characteristic and inputs data…
Behavioral learning for a visual representation in a communication environment
Granted: June 11, 2002
Patent Number:
6404438
Utterances comprising text and behavioral movement commands entered by a user are processed to identify patterns of behavioral movements executed by the user's visual representation. Once identified, the patterns are used to generate behavioral movements responsive to new utterances received from the user, without requiring the user to explicitly alter the behavioral characteristics selected by the user. An application module parses an utterance generated by a user to determine the…
Video image compression and decompression
Granted: November 17, 1998
Patent Number:
5838823
A video image compression and decompression system and method operates on frame blocks and uses multiple compression stages to select a best compression method for use with the associated block. The best compression method is selected by performing motion compensation compression on each block and assigning a quantitative image quality rating to the compressed block. During a second compression stage, the blocks having the lowest image quality ratings are selected and compressed using a…
Electronic game system with wireless controller
Granted: September 15, 1998
Patent Number:
5806849
An electronic game system includes a game console, which accepts a game cartridge and runs the games stored therein, and a wireless controller for controlling actions in the game. The wireless controller includes a radio frequency transmitter for sending control signals to the console, and the console includes a receiver for receiving the control signals from the controller. Because the controller uses radio frequency signals instead of infrared signals to send information to the…
Data transfer accelerating apparatus and method
Granted: October 3, 1995
Patent Number:
5455918
In a computing system having a data source, a memory, and a central processing unit (CPU), data is transferred from the data source to the memory by first monitoring signals from the CPU to determine whether data transfer is desired. If data transfer is desired, an optimized instruction set is generated which is specifically designed to cause the CPU to carry out the data transfer in an optimal manner. This optimized instruction set is sent to the CPU and is executed thereby to transfer…
Amusement device
Granted: April 25, 1995
Patent Number:
5409222
An amusement device has an outer track forming a loop surounding a playing field, and is adapted to retain one or more play objects in motion around the outer track. An adjustable motor accelerates the play object within the track to a desired speed, and a lever directs the moving play object from the track to the play field.
