SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION IN A RACING EVENT - Patent application

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and computer-implemented method for facilitating virtual participation in a racing event. In particular, the present invention provides a multi-dimensional virtual environment that recreates a physical environment associated with a live racing event, a previously recorded racing event, or a past racing event, in which one or more users can virtually participate in the event using a gaming device that enables the users to control the movement of an avatar in the virtual environment.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a computer-implemented system and computer-implemented method for facilitating virtual participation in a racing event. In particular, the present invention provides a multi-dimensional virtual environment that recreates a physical environment associated with a live, previously recorded, or past racing event, and allows one or more users to virtually participate in the event using a gaming device that allows the users to control the movement of an avatar in the virtual environment. [Background technology]

[0002] Techniques that allow users to see and interact with other users in activities using networked electronic devices continue to evolve. For example, many game consoles are configured to allow connection to a network, thus allowing users to enjoy immersive online experiences using their game console and associated two-dimensional displays, such as widescreen televisions. Such activities are no longer considered limited by the amount of memory contained on a disk or game console, and in this regard, cloud computing has become a common configuration as it allows online systems to take advantage of access to large amounts of memory and streaming of images directly to a user's screen through a data communication network such as the Internet.

[0003] Bandwidth permitting, users may also enjoy fully immersive online experiences through the use of devices such as virtual reality (VR) headset displays, which may be standalone units or associated with game consoles. Such headsets typically include a display that allows the user to immerse themselves in a representation of a three-dimensional virtual reality environment. Depending on the application, the virtual reality environment may be made to replicate an actual physical space. The headset places the user in a virtual environment, and the user typically controls the movement and interaction of an avatar (i.e., an icon or figure representing themselves) within the environment by interacting with the headset. For example, the user's commands to the avatar may be registered by the headset through the movement of the user's head (e.g., to look around the virtual environment), the movement of the user's body (e.g., to move around the virtual environment), the use of one or more buttons / touchpads associated with the headset or an associated controller, or by voice commands.

[0004] One particular area in which evolving technology is prevalent is the sports industry, where sporting events and tournaments, such as racing events, are broadcast live to user devices and users can interact by various means. For example, users can communicate with other users in connection with the broadcast of a racing event, including using call / text messaging capabilities associated with their mobile devices or social media to participate in discussions about the event and to participate in activities such as online tipping and betting.

[0005] Users who are interested in virtual reality gaming and sporting events, but are unable to simulate their own participation in a live, previously recorded or past sporting event, can still virtually experience competing against real participants (e.g., sportsmen and sportswomen) in the event.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a system and method that addresses the lack of a user's ability to virtually compete in a sporting event, such as a competitive race, while also adapting to any luck regarding resources available during the virtual competition in the event.

[0007] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be construed as, an admission or suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a system and method that addresses the lack of a user's ability to virtually compete in a sporting event, such as a competitive race, while also adapting to any luck regarding resources available during the virtual competition in the event.

[0009] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be construed as, an admission or suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is that one or more users Real World 1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating virtual participation in a racing event, the method comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, a data feed from the event; a data feed from a live racing event, a previously recorded racing event, or a historical racing event; processing, by one or more processors, the data feed to generate a multidimensional virtual environment that substantially replicates the physical environment of the event, the multidimensional virtual environment including a virtualized representation of each participant in the event, each of the virtualized representations of the participants adapted to move within the multidimensional virtual environment according to the physical movements of the corresponding participant during the event, and the multidimensional virtual environment including one or more avatars corresponding to the one or more users; and communicating, by the one or more processors, with computer hardware associated with the one or more users, whereby a display associated with the computer hardware can present to the user, from a viewpoint associated with the user's avatar, the multidimensional virtual environment including the virtualized representation and any movements of the virtualized representation, thereby enabling the user to visualize the racing event over time and for the user's avatar to proceed along a race path based on the user's commands, thereby enabling the user to participate in and compete with participants in the racing event.

[0011] In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving, by the one or more processors, feedback from the computer hardware, the feedback including data regarding the performance of one or more users virtually participating in the racing event.

[0012] In an embodiment, the multi-dimensional virtual environment is either a three-dimensional or a two-dimensional representation of the physical environment of the racing event. 。

[0013] In one embodiment, the multi-dimensional virtual environment that substantially simulates the physical environment of a racing event can be modified to simulate any defined environmental and / or physical conditions, such as rain, snow, or wind / high wind conditions. In this embodiment, the virtual environment may include variations of the pre-defined virtual environment of the annual event, along with changes to the representation of the physical locations of objects (e.g., seating, advertising signs, etc.) for a particular event.

[0014] It will be appreciated that the multi-dimensional virtual environment may include any racing surface including, but not limited to, a race track, an animal racing track, a car racing track, an unpaved road, a sports court / sports arena, a marathon track, a rally (racing car) track, a ski slope / snow field or a body of water.

[0015] In some embodiments, the multi-dimensional virtual environment may further include virtual instruments that are partially or fully modifiable in response to user input prior to and / or during the racing event.

[0016] The equipment may include any item used as part of a racing event. For example, the equipment may include a racing car that is modifiable with respect to one or more aspects of the racing car and possibly also the outcome of the racing event. In this example, assuming that the racing event is based on a particular Grand Prix (past) racing event where the weather has been known / recorded to change from dry weather conditions to wet weather conditions during the race, and this environmental change is simulated during the virtual racing event, one or more users may choose to change the tires of their racing car from "slick" tires (i.e., not having any grooves or patterns, thereby providing better traction under dry weather conditions) to tires with a tread pattern (providing better traction under wet weather conditions) during the racing event in order to increase their chances of winning the race. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the racing events will be based on actual past Grand Prix racing events and the data feed will be based on past / recorded data regarding the environmental conditions that existed on the day of the past Grand Prix event.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention is that one or more users Real World A system for facilitating virtual participation in a racing event, the system including computer hardware associated with each user and one or more processors in communication with the computer hardware, the one or more processors receiving a data feed from the racing event. a data feed from a live racing event, a previously recorded racing event, or a historical racing event;and configured to receive a data feed from the one or more processors and process the data feed to generate a multidimensional virtual environment that substantially replicates a physical environment associated with the event, the multidimensional virtual environment including a virtualized representation of each participant in the event, each of the virtualized representations of the participants adapted to move within the multidimensional virtual environment according to the corresponding participant's physical movements along a race route during the event, and the multidimensional virtual environment including one or more avatars corresponding to one or more users, the one or more processors configured to communicate with computer hardware associated with the one or more users, thereby enabling a display associated with the computer hardware to present to the user, from the perspective of the user's avatar, the multidimensional virtual environment including the virtualized representation and any movements of the virtualized representation, thereby enabling the user to visualize the racing event over time and to have the user's avatar move along the race route based on the user's commands, thereby enabling the user to participate in the racing event and compete with participants.

[0018] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a method for making a computer-readable recording medium comprising: Real World A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for facilitating virtual participation in a racing event, the one or more instructions including, when executed by one or more processors, a method for transmitting a data feed from the racing event to the one or more processors. a data feed from a live racing event, a previously recorded racing event, or a historical racing event;and processing the data feed to generate a multidimensional virtual environment that substantially replicates a physical environment associated with a racing event, the multidimensional virtual environment including a virtualized representation of each participant in the event, each of the virtualized representations of the participants adapted to move within the multidimensional virtual environment according to the corresponding participant's physical movements along a race route during the event, and the multidimensional virtual environment including one or more avatars corresponding to one or more users, the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to communicate with computer hardware associated with the one or more users such that a display associated with the computer hardware can present to the user a multidimensional virtual environment including the virtualized representations and any movements of the virtualized representations from the perspective of the user's avatar, thereby enabling the user to visualize the racing event over time and for the user's avatar to navigate the race route based on the user's commands, thereby enabling the user to participate in the racing event and compete with participants.

[0019] In order to generate a highly realistic experience, it is preferable to generate a three-dimensional environment in which the user can be immersed. However, there may be situations such as limited bandwidth availability during virtual participation in an event, which may result in the user receiving a two-dimensional representation of the physical environment and thus participating in the event in a two-dimensional representation of the event and the participants. In an embodiment, different users may participate in the same racing event in either a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional virtual representation of the racing event's physical environment, which may be provided to individual participants at different times and for different durations, depending on the bandwidth availability to the individual participants according to their location. In a particular embodiment, since individual participants can select the virtual representation provided to them at any time, they can decide for themselves when to downgrade the three-dimensional representation to a two-dimensional representation, which downgrade allows the user interaction to be maintained without interruptions / delays that may otherwise occur if network bandwidth is temporarily compromised and data buffering occurs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] An embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the event is a racing event and the physical environment and objects in the physical environment are generated and represented in three dimensions. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a system and method for facilitating virtual participation in a live racing event, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary live racing event and the capture of live feed data according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates a server component of the embodiment of FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram of a process that allows a user to view a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual environment using computer hardware in operative communication with the server shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exemplary flow diagram of a process shown in FIG. 4 that allows a user to select and modify a particular avatar for use in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual environment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The present invention relates to a computer-implemented system and computer-implemented method for facilitating one or more users (190) to virtually participate in a racing event (10). In one embodiment, a central server (100) receives a data feed (80) from the event (10) and processes the data feed (80) to generate either a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional virtual environment (220) that substantially replicates the physical environment associated with the event (10). In the embodiment described herein, the event (10) is a motor racing event that uses a particular motor racing track (20), although the event may be any other live (or previously recorded or past) racing event. The virtual environment (220) includes a virtualized representation (not shown) corresponding to each actual race participant (40A, 40B), each of which is adapted to move within the two- or three-dimensional virtual environment (220) according to the participant's (40A, 40B) physical movement along a race path (20) associated with the event. The virtual environment (220) further includes avatars (250, 260) corresponding to one or more users (190) that are controlled by the one or more users (190).

[0022] The central server (100) is configured to communicate with a computer hardware (210) at the user end, which in the illustrated embodiment is a game console. This enables the computer hardware (210) to cause an associated display to present a two- or three-dimensional virtual environment (220) including a virtualized representation (e.g., a participant) and all of their movements (e.g., the movement of a virtual participant along a race path) from a viewpoint associated with the user's avatar. In this way, it is possible for one or more users (190) to visualize in real time or near real time a live racing event (10) that reproduces the presence of the users (190) at the event (10) in which the real participants (40A, 40B) co-exist. Furthermore, based on instructions by the users (190) inputted into the computer hardware (210), for example using a controller (230), the users (190) can control their own avatars as additional participants in the event. That is, the user (190) can navigate a virtual recreation of the race track (20) along with the actual participants represented as avatars, so that the user (190) virtually begins to participate in the racing event (10) and compete against the original participants (40A, 40B).

[0023] 1, the system and method of the present invention provides a solution that allows a user (190) to view a virtual representation (220) of a live racing event (10) and compete in the racing event from the comfort of their living room, anywhere in the world. The live racing event may include any racing sport, such as, for example, motor racing, motorcycle racing, horse racing, or any other racing event whose data can be captured in real time or near real time.

[0024] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in order to recreate a racing event, the server (100) will require access to data regarding the race path, such as the race track (20). In this regard, race track data may be pre-programmed into the server (100) on the basis that such tracks typically do not change and are frequently used for racing events (e.g., the Monaco F1 Street Circuit, or the Flemington Racecourse in Victoria, Australia). Such race path data may be stored by the server (100), which may eliminate the need to monitor and provide details regarding the race track to the server during each race, which may reduce processor and memory consumption.

[0025] Alternatively, if the race track data is not known and / or accessible, visual representations corresponding to objects associated with the track (e.g., rails or safety barriers) may be detected in real time during the event, and the track also appears in real time in the virtual environment as such data is collected. As will become apparent, additional data may be collected during the live event (10) to provide the user with the most immersive experience possible, including, for example, environmental data such as rain, visibility, wind speed, temperature and humidity, as well as telemetry data such as participants' positions on the track, speeds, accelerations and lap times. In one embodiment, the visual representation of the race track is altered to replace existing or past advertising displays with selected advertising displays according to the system's programming. In this embodiment, the selected advertising displays replacing existing / past displays may change depending on the participant's geographic location, whereby participants are exposed to advertising displays related to goods and / or services available to consumers at each participant's geographic location. Naturally, with regard to instances of virtual events / virtual participation using pre-stored race tracks, offering companies the opportunity to replace existing / previous advertising display with their own brand / logo represents a commercial opportunity from which the system operators can make revenue.

[0026] It will also be appreciated that re-creating past or previously recorded racing events (rather than live racing events) may also include pre-programming the server with any known / recorded environmental conditions associated with a particular past or previously recorded racing event. Additionally, historical data relating to actual events that occurred during past races may be stored and accessed to generate avatars of participants in the actual past races in which users may compete.

[0027] FIG. 1 is divided into segments, which are further expanded in the following FIGS. 2-4. In FIG. 1, segments (200) and (300) show a server (100) communicating with environmental data capture hardware (30) and telemetry data receiver hardware (60) located at the sporting event (10). Such hardware allows live data feeds to be transmitted to an event data collection server (70) and then to the server (100), as further expanded in FIG. 3. FIG. 1 also details a segment (400), which is shown in more detail in FIG. 4, showing a user (190) sitting in his lounge room and viewing a two-dimensional version of a virtual environment (220) on a display screen associated with a game console (210). Finally, segment (500) of Figure 1 is shown in further detail in Figure 5, showing some of the options available to the user before participating in the virtual event, including, for example, selecting a particular avatar, which in the example shown is a vehicle (250, 260). The following paragraphs explain the details of each of Figures 2-5 in further detail.

[0028] As mentioned above, FIG. 2 shows an example of a live racing event (10) and how data (80) from the event (10) may be captured and used to recreate a virtual race. In FIG. 2, a race track (20) and two participants (40A, 40B) in the form of race car drivers competing against each other are shown. The movement of the vehicles may be captured using motion capture techniques. For example, one or more sensors may be placed on each vehicle and may transmit data in real time to a telemetry data receiver (60) that receives the data. Other motion capture techniques may be used that do not require data transmission by on-board sensors. For example, the vehicles may be fitted with reflective markers that reflect or emit light, which is then tracked by a camera, thereby tracking the movement of the vehicles. In this manner, telemetry data may be captured for each vehicle, which may include data regarding the position of each participant on the track, the speed at which the vehicles are traveling, the acceleration of the vehicles, and lap times. It will be appreciated that the data collected and the method of collection may vary depending on the racing event for which a virtual representation is desired.

[0029] Once collected, the telemetry data receiver (60) may transmit the data to an event data collection server (70) that is also present at the live event (10).

[0030] In addition to the telemetry data, environmental data may also be captured by one or more environmental capture devices (30). This allows the conditions experienced by the participants, including rain, visibility, wind speed, temperature and humidity, to be captured so that similar conditions can be reflected in the virtual environment. The purpose is to ensure that the virtual race matches the conditions of the live event as closely as possible. Such data may be transmitted by the environmental data capture devices (30) to an event data collection server (70), which is responsible for collating all data received from the event and transmitting these data in real time or near real time to the server (100).

[0031] In alternative embodiments, one or more environmental factors may be received or accessed from other sources, such as available weather information.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a server component that accepts a data feed (80) from an event data collection server (70) and processes the data feed (80) to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual environment (220). In FIG. 3, it is understood that the server (100) includes an infrastructure (90), which may be a local or cloud-based infrastructure. The primary purpose of the server (100) is to receive a data feed (80) from an event (10) and then process the data feed (80) to generate a virtual environment (220), which recreates a racing event, including racing situations and competitors. A user (190) can compete in a virtual race against a virtual representation of a real participant (e.g., a professional athlete) via a game console (210), a virtual reality headset (not shown), a computer, or any device capable of displaying a two-dimensional or three-dimensional environment.

[0033] The central server (100) is capable of running computer applications providing at least one of the functions (110, 120, 130, 140, 150 and 160) described herein, each of which includes: · Data processing (110), i.e. collecting and processing the event data feed (80) into a format suitable for storage and generation (120) of the virtual environment (220); The ability to generate (120) a two- or three-dimensional model recreating the racing event (10) at any point in time based on the collected and processed event data (80); · A user account register (130) that provides a register of users (190) using the system, as well as user preferences and settings; · a repository (140) of graphical images that users can select as their avatars when the virtual race is rendered (150), based on the user's preferences and settings (130); · A function (150) for rendering a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual environment (220) by taking the virtual environment model generated by the function (120) and creating an image to be displayed using a computing device (210). This function takes the generated virtual race model and creates an image that a user (190) sees when operating his / her game console or similar device, the created environment recreating a live event based on data received in a data feed (80) containing teleoperation data and / or environmental data. The created image may be based on additional factors including the viewing position of the user (190) and user preferences, such as selection of specific graphical images for virtualized representations and avatars; A function (160) for generating results and meter boards to be displayed on a graphical user interface, such as a display showing performance-related details, associated with each of the original competitors (40A, 40B) and one or more users (190): Includes:

[0034] Thus, a real-time or near real-time feed (80) of event data is transferred from the hardware (70) to the server (100) to provide additional telemetry data regarding the positions and movements, as well as participants, environmental conditions and any additional objects that need to be captured at the live racing event (10). This allows for the generation of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual environment (220). Additional object data that requires monitoring includes, but is not limited to, track-related objects that allow for the reconstruction of the track (20).

[0035] The present invention is not intended to be limited to any particular type of sensor or motion capture device. The selection of sensors, markers, or any other devices used in capturing data may ultimately be relevant to the racing event being recreated. In general, a minimum of positional and movement data associated with the participants (40A, 40B) needs to be captured.

[0036] 4 shows a user (190) sitting in his lounge room, viewing a two-dimensional virtual environment (220) displayed on a screen connected to his game console (210). It will be appreciated that any suitable viewing hardware may be utilized, including, for example, a virtual reality headset (not shown) that may enable the user (190) to visualize a three-dimensional virtual environment instead of a two-dimensional one. In the embodiment shown, instructions for moving the user's avatar through a race are transferred to the console via a controller (230).

[0037] Also shown in Figure 4 is a client connection (180), which represents communication from the server (100) to the game console (210) at the user end, and from the game console (210) at the user end to the server (100). Communication between the game console (210) and the server (100) may be accomplished via an Internet or similar network connection. It will further be appreciated that the rendering of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual environment (220) may be accomplished on the server side, as described above, or on the client side, for example, by the game console (210), or a combination of both.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows an expanded view of a game console (210) with associated display and a game controller (230). As described above, the game console (210) receives input (commands) from a controller (230) controlled by a user (190) and displays a rendered environment (220) to the user (190) from a particular perspective associated with the user's avatar. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, this perspective is a first-person perspective, where the game displays what the player's avatar would see with the avatar's own eyes. However, the environment may be rendered from different perspectives, for example, from a third-person perspective, where the user can visualize and control their avatar.

[0039] The perspective, including whether the view is from a first or third person perspective, may be one of the preferences selectable by the user (190) before or during participation in the virtual race. Inputs to the controller (230) are translated into different actions on behalf of the user's avatar in the virtual environment (220), which may include, for example, steering, accelerating, braking, and any additional actions that may be required for proper participation in a particular racing event.

[0040] The present invention is not intended to be limited to the use of a game console controller to control the movement of the user's avatar. Other devices may be used, such as, for example, a racing simulator cockpit. The display associated with the hardware (210) may be any display suitable for presenting two- or three-dimensional images to the user (190), including, for example, a TV, a headset, a computer monitor, or any other projector capable of displaying the rendered event (220) to the user (190).

[0041] 4 further illustrates an interface (240) that may be used to display any race-related information at any time during and / or after the racing event. For example, the display (240) may be in the form of a leaderboard that displays the results of the race in real time, including, for example, a list of the race leaders. In this manner, the user (190) may compare his or her performance against the participants (40A, 40B) not only after the race, but also during the race, as well as against any other users who may be participating in the same event from different locations.

[0042] The user (190) may enjoy control over a variety of additional parameters and options associated with the virtual environment, including, but not limited to, the ability to select an alternate avatar (270). For example, alternate vehicles (260) may be displayed and the user may select a preferred avatar (250) for use during any one racing event. The vehicle specifications and performance may realistically match those of the live participants (40A, 40B), and the performance of the selected vehicle may be affected by conditions such as safety cars, breakdowns, and other random events similar to those conditions in random events that would likely be experienced by actual participants (40A, 40B) at a live event.

[0043] A user may have the ability to build or modify their selected avatar (vehicle) to suit specific conditions (e.g., use of wet weather tires) or to make general performance improvements, such as upgrading the vehicle engine (280) as shown in Figure 5. In some implementations, the user may be required to pay for such builds / modifications with money or game credits.

[0044] 5 shows a user's avatar (290) in the form of a racing vehicle positioned on a race track (20) during a racing event in which the user is competing against virtual representations of the live participants (40A, 40B) and virtual representations of any other users participating. The user (190) participates in the virtual race under the same or similar conditions as the live event, all from the comfort of his or her own lounge room.

[0045] Additional data may be monitored and stored (and retrieved by the user from time to time) to allow the user to track how he or she is evolving in terms of improving their overall performance on a particular race track or with respect to a particular sport, not only during the race but over a period of time (e.g., weeks, months, or years). In addition to rewarding the first-finishing user or participant, other achievements may be monitored and recognized / rewarded, including, for example, personal best lap times. It should be appreciated that the user (190) may participate in communities and leaderboards to compete with other users in relation to such achievements. In this way, the user may compare his or her results with other users, enjoy friendly competition, and also participate in additional online interactions, such as trading or selling his or her avatar (vehicle) to other users for money in game credits.

[0046] It should be understood that the event does not necessarily have to be a live event, but can be, for example, a previously recorded event or a past event. Such events can also be rendered in a virtual environment, and the advantage of such events is that they do not need to be recorded in real time, since all data associated with the event, such as telemetry data, environmental data, etc., are known. For example, a user may prefer to race in a particular Formula 1 Grand Prix race that the user was interested in, in order to test his or her abilities against retired or deceased sportsmen of the past. In this regard, the server (100) can store or have access to the necessary data corresponding to a particular race that can be rendered in the virtual environment.

[0047] To ensure fairness with respect to other users and / or actual participants, events may be configured to assign advantages to different users (e.g., through avatar selection, vehicle acceleration capabilities, scoring compensation, or other advantages). For example, avatars made available for selection (e.g., vehicles in motorsports, horses in horse racing, etc.) may have attributes that exceed those of actual participants to provide users with increased capabilities for purposes of competing against professional racers.

[0048] Additional parameters that the user may be required to input, which may affect the available avatars presented to the user for selection, include the user's height, weight, strength and additional fitness parameters. In this regard, artificial intelligence techniques may be utilized once all telemetry, environmental and user data has been collated and processed to adjust the avatars presented to the user as available options, as well as to adjust other settings, including assigned handicaps as described above. As another option, each user may be required to select a difficulty level, for example low, medium or high, and a particular race and / or particular participants and / or particular users may be selected based on the above selection, in addition to the preferences of other users.

[0049] The user may also be required to input additional parameters regarding the racing equipment before or during the progress of the racing event. For example, the user may be required to input the make, year and / or model of his / her racing car, as well as other aspects regarding the control and configuration of the racing car, before and / or during the race. Alternatively, the user may be presented with a range of selectable options. In this regard, the user may also select when (or how often) his / her racing car is refueled / maintained (commonly referred to as a "pit stop") during the race, and may input data regarding certain aspects of his / her vehicle, substantially in real time, as the race progresses. As an example, a user may prefer to initiate a change in tire type during the race (e.g., from slick tires during rain to tires with a tread pattern) to accommodate the changing race track conditions from dry to wet. In one embodiment, the user's selections regarding the options may be recorded and used to generate an advertising profile targeted to each user. In embodiments in which advertising displays in the virtual representation of the race track are selected for each user, the user's targeted advertising profile may be analyzed to determine appropriate alternative advertising displays that are highly relevant to the individual user.

[0050] It will be appreciated that the user's avatar may come into contact with the virtual representation of a competing vehicle during a race. This situation can be accommodated, for example, by allowing both the user and the participant to continue racing as if the vehicles were not in contact and were not visible to each other. This ensures that the representation of the live participant in the virtual environment continues to move according to the participant's movements during the live racing event. Alternatively, such contact may cause the movement and / or position of one or both of the user's vehicle and the live participant's vehicle to be affected by the contact. In this regard, the server and / or console may ignore the data feed associated with the live participant and stop or automate the participant's movements in the virtual environment (i.e., the movements of this participant in the live event are no longer reflected). Depending on the severity of the contact, one or both vehicles may be ejected from the racing event. In this regard, the user may select his / her preferred option before or during the racing event.

[0051] The server and / or game console (210) may have the capability to establish API links with external gambling software platforms that allow users to place bets regarding their participation in racing events.

[0052] The central server (100) may be a single computer, partial computing resources of a single computer, multiple computers in communication with each other, or a network of remote servers (e.g., a cloud). One or more servers may house a local database and / or communicate with one or more external databases.

[0053] The viewing hardware (210) may communicate with the server (100) over a network. In some embodiments, the network may be a wide area network ("WAN"), such as the Internet. In other embodiments, the network may be a local area network ("LAN"). For example, in more remote locations outside of a metropolitan area, the Internet may not be available. In yet other embodiments, the network may be a combination of a WAN and a LAN.

[0054] Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that numerous changes and / or modifications may be made to the invention as detailed in the embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. These embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0055] Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the term "comprises" and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated features or stated steps, or groups of stated features or groups of stated steps, but not the exclusion of any other features or steps, or groups of features or groups of steps.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating virtual participation by one or more users in a real-world racing event, comprising: The method comprises: receiving, by one or more processors, a data feed from the event, the data feed being from a live racing event, a previously recorded racing event, or a past racing event; processing, by the one or more processors, the data feed to generate a multi-dimensional virtual environment that substantially replicates a physical environment of the event; The multi-dimensional virtual environment comprises: a virtualized representation of each participant at the event, each of the virtualized representations of the participants adapted to move within the multi-dimensional virtual environment in accordance with the physical movements of the corresponding participant during the event; and one or more avatars corresponding to the one or more users; A processing step; communicating, by said one or more processors, with computer hardware associated with said one or more users, whereby a display associated with the computer hardware is capable of presenting the multi-dimensional virtual environment, including the virtualized representation and any movements of the virtualized representation, to the user from a perspective associated with the user's avatar, thereby enabling the user to visualize the racing event over time; and enabling an avatar of the user to navigate a race route based on a command from the user, thereby enabling the user to participate in the racing event and compete with the participants; A step of communicating; The method includes:

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the one or more processors, data regarding the performance of one or more users virtually participating in the racing event.

3. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment is either a three-dimensional or a two-dimensional representation of the physical environment of the racing event.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment that substantially simulates the physical environment of the racing event is modifiable to simulate any defined environmental and / or physical conditions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment further includes virtual instruments that are partially or wholly modifiable in response to user inputs entered before and / or during the racing event.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment includes a virtual racing landscape selected from any one or more of a race track, an animal racing track, a car racing track, an unpaved road, a sports court / sports arena, a marathon track, a rally (racing car) track, a ski slope / snow field, or a body of water.

7. 1. A system for facilitating virtual participation in a real-world racing event by one or more users, the system including computer hardware associated with each user and one or more processors in communication with the computer hardware; The one or more processors: configured to receive a data feed from the real-world racing event, the data feed being from a live racing event, a previously recorded racing event, or a past racing event, and process the data feed to generate a multi-dimensional virtual environment that substantially replicates a physical environment associated with the event; The multi-dimensional virtual environment comprises: a virtualized representation of each participant in the event, each of the virtualized representations of the participants adapted to move within the multi-dimensional virtual environment in accordance with the corresponding participant's physical movement along a race route during the event; and one or more avatars corresponding to the one or more users; configured to communicate with computer hardware associated with the one or more users, whereby a display associated with the computer hardware is capable of presenting the multi-dimensional virtual environment, including the virtualized representation and any movements of the virtualized representation, to the user from the perspective of the user's avatar, thereby enabling the user to visualize the racing event over time; and enabling an avatar of the user to navigate the race route based on a command from the user, thereby enabling the user to participate in the racing event and compete with the participants; system.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising receiving, by the one or more processors, data regarding the performance of one or more users virtually participating in the racing event.

9. 9. A system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment is either a three-dimensional or a two-dimensional representation of the physical environment of the racing event.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment that substantially simulates the physical environment of the racing event is modifiable to simulate any defined environmental and / or physical conditions.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment further includes virtual instruments that are partially or fully modifiable in response to user input entered prior to and / or during the racing event.

12. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment includes racing surfaces selected from any one or more of a race track, an animal racing track, a car racing track, an unpaved road, a sports court / sports arena, a marathon track, a rally (racing car) track, a ski slope / snow field, or a body of water.

13. 1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for facilitating one or more users to virtually participate in a real-world racing event, comprising: The instructions include one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receiving a data feed from a racing event, the data feed being from a live racing event, a previously recorded racing event, or a historical racing event; processing the data feed to generate a multi-dimensional virtual environment that substantially replicates a physical environment associated with the racing event; The multi-dimensional virtual environment comprises: a virtualized representation of each participant in the event, each of the virtualized representations of the participants adapted to move within the multi-dimensional virtual environment in accordance with the corresponding participant's physical movement along a race route during the event; and one or more avatars corresponding to the one or more users; and communicating with computer hardware associated with said one or more users, thereby a display associated with the computer hardware is capable of presenting the multi-dimensional virtual environment, including the virtualized representation and any movements of the virtualized representation, to the user from the perspective of the user's avatar, thereby enabling the user to visualize the racing event over time; and enabling an avatar of the user to navigate the race route based on a command from the user, thereby enabling the user to participate in the racing event and compete with the participants; Computer-readable medium.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising receiving, by the one or more processors, data regarding performance of one or more users virtually participating in the racing event.

15. 15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 or 14, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment is either a three-dimensional or a two-dimensional representation of the physical environment of the racing event.

16. 14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment that substantially simulates the physical environment of the racing event is modifiable to simulate any defined environmental and / or physical conditions.

17. 14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment further includes virtual instruments that are partially or wholly modifiable in response to user input entered before and / or during the racing event.

18. 14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the multi-dimensional virtual environment includes racing surfaces selected from any one or more of a race track, an animal racing track, a car racing track, an unpaved road, a sports court / sports arena, a marathon track, a rally (racing car) track, a ski slope / snow field, or a body of water.

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