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US 8,554,526 B2Granted
System and method for physics interactions in a simulation
AssigneeSony Online Entertainment LLC
InventorsJens Andersen, Drew Powers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided to implement a technique for managing physics interactions in a computer simulation, such as the interactions of objects in an online computer game. Objects in the simulation are or can become physics objects that then behave according to the rules of the physics simulator in operation. Different implementations can use different rules for how items become physics objects and for what rules are used to manage physics objects. Since physics object interactions are determined on the basis of their physical properties rather than adherence to predefined interactions, the resulting interactions are emergent and not scripted.
Claims24
A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a processor in an electronic device to perform a method of managing virtual 3-dimensional objects in a simulation, the method comprising:
- a. defining a subset of virtual 3-dimensional objects in a simulation as physics objects;
- b. defining at least a first basic parameter and a first state for a first of the physics objects, the first basic parameter characterized by a first value and a first type, the first state being selected from a group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached;
- c. defining at least a second basic parameter and a second state for a second of the physics objects, the second basic parameter characterized by a second value and a second type, wherein the first type is different from the second type, the second state being selected from the group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached;
- d. defining at least one synergistic interaction, caused by a trigger, between the first and second of the physics objects leading to an emergent result, the emergent result of the synergistic interaction at least in part dependent upon the first and second parameters and first and second states, wherein the trigger is selected from a group consisting of:
- a player character or non-player character affecting the first or second of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character interacting with the first or second of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character touching the first or second of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character damaging the first or second of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character picking up the first or second of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character throwing the first or second of the physics objects, or a predetermined scripted event;
- e. subsequent to the at least one synergistic interaction, transitioning either the first or second physics object from the first or second respective state to a new state selected from the group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached, the new state different from the first or second respective state;
- and
- f. sending a signal to a renderer and rendering an indication of the result of the synergistic interaction for each of the first of the physics objects and the second of the physics objects.
8 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a processor in an electronic device to perform a method of managing virtual 3-dimensional objects in a simulation, the method comprising:
- a. defining a subset of virtual 3-dimensional objects in a simulation as physics objects;
- b. defining at least a first basic parameter and a first state for a first of the physics objects, the first basic parameter characterized by a first value and a first type, the first state being selected from a group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached;
- c. defining at least a second basic parameter and a second state for a second of the physics objects, the second basic parameter characterized by a second value and a second type;
- d. defining at least one trigger, wherein the trigger is selected from a group consisting of:
- a player character or non-player character affecting the first of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character interacting with the first of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character touching the first of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character damaging the first of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character picking up the first of the physics objects, a player character or non-player character throwing the first of the physics objects, or a predetermined scripted event, wherein upon an occurrence of the trigger, transitioning at least one of the first of the physics objects and the second of the physics objects from the first state to a second state, or from the second state to the first state, respectively, the second state being selected from the group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached but different from the first state, a result of the transition emergent and at least in part dependent upon the first parameter and the first state or the second parameter and the second state;
- and
- e. sending a signal to a renderer and rendering an indication of the result of the transition and the first or second state.
6 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a processor in an electronic device to perform a method of managing virtual 3-dimensional objects in a simulation, the method comprising:
- a. defining at least one virtual 3-dimensional object in a simulation to be a non-physics object;
- b. defining at least one trigger, wherein upon an occurrence of the trigger, transitioning the at least one virtual 3-dimensional object to be a physics object, such that the state of the object is changed from one state from a group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached, to a different one of the group, and wherein the trigger is selected from a group consisting of:
- a player character or non-player character affecting the non-physics object, a player character or non-player character interacting with the non-physics object, a player character or non-player character touching the non-physics object, a player character or non-player character damaging the non-physics object, a player character or non-player character picking up the non-physics object, a player character or non-player character throwing the non-physics object, or a predetermined scripted event;
- and
- c. sending a signal to a renderer and rendering an indication of the result of the transition.
3 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a system for managing virtual 3-dimensional objects in a simulation, the medium including the following modules:
- a. a database module for storing data about a plurality of virtual objects including physics objects and non-physics objects;
- and
- b. a physics engine module including a trigger defining module for defining transitions in an object from being a physics object to being a non-physics object or from being a non-physics object to being a physics object, such that the state of the object is changed from one state from a group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached, to a different one of the group, and wherein the trigger defining module defines triggers selected from a group consisting of:
- a player character or non-player character affecting a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character interacting with a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character touching a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character damaging a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character picking up a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character throwing a physics or non-physics object, or a predetermined scripted event.
2 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a system for managing virtual 3-dimensional objects in a simulation, the medium including the following modules:
- a. a database module for storing data about a plurality of virtual objects including physics objects, the physics objects in part defined by a state, the state selected from a group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached;
- and
- b. a physics engine module including:
- i. an interaction defining module for defining synergistic interactions between physics objects or between physics objects and non-physics objects, the interactions caused by occurrence of a trigger, wherein the trigger is selected from a group consisting of:
- a player character or non-player character affecting a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character interacting with a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character touching a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character damaging a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character picking up a physics or non-physics object, a player character or non-player character throwing a physics or non-physics object, or a predetermined scripted event;
- and
- ii. an object rule set for defining an emergent result of a synergistic interaction between physics objects or between physics objects and non-physics objects, the emergent result including a transition from a first state to a second state, by at least one of the physics or non-physics objects, the second state also selected from the group consisting of:
- mobile, immobile, undamaged, damaged, destroyed, or attached but different from the first state.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.