579 results about "Computer game" patented technology

A network-based computer game that both uses real-time financial data to affect game state and uses participants' actions to determine and engage in financial transactions. A game server receives financial data on market conditions (such as currency markets) from a financial server and regularly synchronizes user's game environments to match the financial data. The game server propagates financial data to the game or games, coordinates communication (if any) between the games, and can initiate the opening and closing of positions in the financial market based on players' game behavior. The financial market can be a currency market, where one nation's currency can be exchanged for another currency at a certain exchange rate.

Advertising is embedded inside video and computer games. Graphical and other game techniques are used to induce players to interact with and learn about products and advertised images. Such advertisements are distributed via various advertising venues to maximize coverage and return on development effort.

Non-intrusive peripheral systems and methods to track, identify various acting entities and capture the full motion of these entities in a sports event. The entities preferably include players belonging to teams. The motion capture of more than one player is implemented in real-time with image processing methods. Captured player body organ or joints location data can be used to generate a three-dimensional display of the real sporting event using computer games graphics.

The present invention provides authentication of computer generated game or test results (“outcomes”), and a system by which persons who play games or take tests on a game or testing computer, respectively, may submit the outcomes of the games or tests to a central authority having at least one central computer, and have the central computer “certify” those outcomes as being accurately reported and fairly achieved. This certification of the computer generated result constitutes a “remote-auditing” of the activity taking place on the game computer. In one application, the system enables computer generated game tournaments in which players play the games on game computers and compete against each other by submitting the outcomes for those tournament games to the central computer, which certifies the outcomes and rates and ranks the players. In another application, the system provides for players of computer games to obtain a certified ranking and rating without participation in a tournament. In other embodiments, the system provides for self-authentication and certification of outcomes for games played on the game computer itself, or for mutual-authentication and certification of such outcomes on any other game computer in the system.

Methods and apparatus to create and display panoramic images on a mobile device are disclosed. Such a mobile device can be a mobile phone. Apparatus is provided to control the position of a lens in relation to a reference lens. Methods and apparatus are provided to generate multiple images that are combined into a panoramic image. A panoramic image may be a static image. It may also be a video image. A controller provides correct camera settings for different conditions. An image processor creates a panoramic image from the correct settings provided by the controller. A panoramic camera is applied in a computer gaming system.

The present invention comprises an intelligent gaming system that includes a game engine, simulation engine, and, in certain embodiments, a static evaluator. Embodiments of the invention include an intelligent, poker playing slot machine that allows a user to play poker for money against one or more intelligent, simulated opponents. In one embodiment, the invention generates card playing strategies by analyzing the expected return to players of a game. In one embodiment, a multi-dimensional model is used to represent possible strategies that may be used by each player participating in a card game. Each axis (dimension) of the model represents a distribution of a player's possible hands. Points along a player's distribution axis divide each axis into a number of segments. Each segment has associated with it an action sequence to be undertaken by the player with hands that fall within the segment. The dividing points delineate dividing points between different action sequences. The model is divided into separate portions each corresponding to an outcome determined by the action sequences and hand strengths for each player applicable to the portion. An expected return expression is generated by multiplying the outcome for each portion by the size of the portion, and adding together the resulting products. The location of the dividing points that result in the maximum expected return is determined by taking partial derivatives of the expected return function with respect to each variable, and setting them equal to zero. The result is a set of simultaneous equations that are solved to obtain values for each dividing point. The values for the optimized dividing points define optimized card playing strategies.

In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computers, receives a request for game play, and in response to the request, causing prior game play data to be retrieved, where the prior game play data was stored in response to prior game play of another user. Further, an asynchronous game play environment may be provided where an active participant, who made the request, is able to play against and interact with an apparently live participant based on the prior game play data.

The invention relates to methods, apparatus, and software for designing and building virtual environments for playing computer games. A map builder is used to construct one or more two-dimensional maps comprised of tiles selected from a set of tiles, the map or maps representing the virtual environment for the computer game. Data describing the map is then combined with tile data providing 3D geometry to create the virtual environment. The tile data preferably also includes non-visible game-related data such as collision and navigation data, which is also combined to provide game data for the game's virtual environment. The tiles include interfaces for connecting one tile to another and, in a preferred embodiment, two versions of the interface geometry are provided for each tile, one with the interface open, the other with the interface closed. The invention facilitates the rapid construction of 3D virtual environments for playing games.

A method and an apparatus to interface multiple peripheral devices to a host computer is provided. An interface control module located in a multi-user computer game arcade system interfaces a host computer via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) to one or more joysticks, steering wheels, trackballs, coin op/bill counters, credit card readers and/or optical guns. A set of connectors allows the game builder or player to interface a variety of input peripherals to the interface control module. The interface control module recognizes the HID type of the input peripheral by the type of the selected connector, and then provides HD reports that describe each input device to the HID compliant software system of the host computer. The interface control module may support 127 HID peripherals. A watchdog function of the interface control module detects host computer malfunctions and crashes, and boots the host computer while retaining coin credit input data received proximate to and during the malfunction and recovery.

A video game character or avatar is generated using images of the player so that the on-screen avatar being controlled by the player appears like the player. Answers to a questionnaire or a psychological profile are provided by the player to determine characteristics that the player views as desirable, which are used to generate a final version of the avatar. Iterations of the avatar appearance are generated from the initial appearance to the final, more desirable appearance. Using the avatar, as play of the game proceeds the player's avatar begins as a character appearing like themselves and gradually becomes a character that is more as they would like to appear. The avatar increases the emotional impact of games by providing strong visual and psychological connections with the player. The avatar may instead begin from an initial character that does not appear similar to the player. The iterations may make the avatar gradually less appealing or with other changes in appearance, in some embodiments.

An aspect of the present invention relates to methods and systems for the organization of online computer network gaming applications. Embodiments of the present invention relate to providing filtered gaming applications in response to a user's computer game query. Embodiments of the present invention relate to providing computer game recommendations to a user by matching identified computer game characteristics to the user's computer game preference. Embodiments of the present invention relate to providing game file updates by tracking a user's actual computer game interactions and updating the user computer game preference file and game file with computer game applications that may match at least one characteristic of the user computer game preference file. Embodiments of the present invention relate to providing the user with targeted advertisement that may be based on the at least one characteristic of the user's computer game preference file. Embodiments of the present invention relate to aggregating monetized information from the user computer game preference file for at least one user computer game characteristic.

Methods and systems for processing computer game videos for virtual reality replay are disclosed. The method, when executed by a processor, comprises first receiving a video recorded using a virtual camera array during a game play of a source computer game. Next, upscaling the received video to a higher resolution, and interpolating neighboring video frames of the upscaled video for insertion into the upscaled video at a server. Finally, generating a spherical video from the interpolated video for replay in a virtual reality environment. The virtual camera array includes multiple virtual cameras each facing a different direction, and the video is recorded at a frame rate and a resolution lower than those of the source computer game. The spherical videos are provided on a video sharing platform. The present invention solves the chicken-and-egg problem of mass adoption of virtual reality technology by easily generating VR content from existing computer games.

In a wireless gaming system, one or more game controllers may be visually associated with corresponding player identities by using colored indicator lights on the game controller(s) and game console to identify which player in a computer game is controlled by a given controller. Indicator lights on the controller are illuminated in response to control signals sent via Bluetooth wireless signals so as to match the indicator lights on the console. When multiple controllers are used with a multi-player computer game, a single wireless interface device at the game console is used to issue control signals to each controller so that each controller has a light indicator that is illuminated to identify which player is controlled by the controller.

A multi-user virtual reality universe (VRU) process receives input from multiple remote clients to manipulate avatars through a modeled 3-D environment. A VRU host models movement of avatars in the VRU environment in response to client input, which each user providing input for control of a corresponding avatar. The modeled VRU data is provided by the host to client workstations for display of a simulated environment visible to all participants. The host maintains personalized data for selected modeled objects or areas that is personalized for specific users in response to client input. The host includes personalized data in modeling the VRU environment. The host may segregate VRU data provided to different clients participating in the same VRU environment according to limit personalized data to authorized users, while all users receive common data.

A method and system for distributing work load in a cluster of at least two service resources. Depending upon the configuration, a service resource may be an individual process, such as a single instance of a computer game, or a node on which multiple processes are executing, such as a Server. Initial connection requests from new clients are directed to a single entry-point service resource in the cluster, called an intake. A separate intake is designated for each type of service provided by the cluster. The clients are processed in a group at the service resource currently designated as the intake to which clients initially connected, for the duration of the session. Based upon its loading, the current intake service resource determines that another service resource in the cluster should become a new intake for subsequent connection requests received from new clients. Selection of another service resource to become the new intake is based on the current work load of each resource in the cluster. All resources in the cluster are periodically informed of the resource for each service being provided that was last designated as the intake, and of the current load on each resource in the cluster. Subsequently, new clients requesting a service are directed to the newly designated intake for that service and processed on that resource for the duration of the session by those clients.

A system for cross-platform virtual asset creation and management comprises a first computer game having a first set of virtual assets denominated in a first currency, a second computer game having a second set of virtual assets denominated in second currency and a gamer set of virtual assets denominated in a third currency. The games are accessible through a centralized server connected to a communications network. The system includes a currency exchange engine which permits the gamer to play a first game denominated in the first currency, win assets in that first currency and then exchange those assets for assets denominated in the third currency. Therefore, the gamer can play one game, win assets and then exchange the assets using the currency exchange engine for assets used on a second game and denominated in another currency.

A method is provided for producing three-dimensional (3D) models. The invention will take any sculpture, character, or model from artwork, still life models, images of human beings, characters from a computer game, or any other 3D digital image or model that is scanned, and turn the digital image into 3D models. The method is comprised of the following steps: creating a user account in a computer storage area; storing 3D images under the user account; allowing the user to select the 3D image(s) he or she wants to create as 3D models; manufacturing the 3D models; and delivering the models to the user or to a specified third-party. An online storefront and/or auction system may allow each user the opportunity to sell their 3D models or purchase other users' 3D models. The system may also create 3D models for a mobile phone and portable media player while transferring the models to either of these devices.

The present invention embodiments promote performance of exercise by users during a video or computer game by enabling a user to perform exercises to interact with the game. An embodiment of the present invention includes an exercise gaming device with a plurality of effector or gripping members in the form of handles to be manipulated by a user. The exercise gaming device further includes additional input devices to interact with a simulation or gaming scenario. The user applies forces to the handles to interact with the gaming scenario, thereby requiring the user to perform exercises during game play. The exercise gaming device may employ various damping mechanisms to provide resistance to the handles for the user. Alternatively, the handles may be fixedly attached to the exercise gaming device to resist the applied forces and provide isometric exercises for the user.

The present invention includes a system and method for automatically extracting the demographic information from images. The system detects the face in an image, locates different components, extracts component features, and then classifies the components to identify the age, gender, or ethnicity of the person(s) in the image. Using components for demographic classification gives better results as compared to currently known techniques. Moreover, the described system and technique can be used to extract demographic information in more robust manner than currently known methods, in environments where high degree of variability in size, shape, color, texture, pose, and occlusion exists. This invention also performs classifier fusion using Data Level fusion and Multi-level classification for fusing results of various component demographic classifiers. Besides use as an automated data collection system wherein given the necessary facial information as the data, the demographic category of the person is determined automatically, the system could also be used for targeting of the advertisements, surveillance, human computer interaction, security enhancements, immersive computer games and improving user interfaces based on demographic information.

An inertial input apparatus with six-axial detection ability, structured with a gyroscope and an acceleration module capable of detecting accelerations of X, Y, Z axes defined by a 3-D Cartesian coordinates, which is operable either being held to move on a planar surface or in a free space. When the inertial input apparatus is being held to move and operate on a planar surface by a user, a two-dimensional detection mode is adopted thereby that the gyroscope is used for detection rotations of the inertial input apparatus caused by unconscious rolling motions of the user and thus compensating the erroneous rotations, by which the technical disadvantages of prior-art inertial input apparatuses equipped with only accelerometer can be overcame and thus control smoothness of using the input apparatus is enhanced. In addition, when the inertial input apparatus is being held to operate in a free space by a user, a three-dimensional detection mode is adopted for enabling the inertial input apparatus to detect movements of the same with respect to at most six axes defined by the 3-D Cartesian coordinates of X, Y, Z axes, that is, the rotations with respect to the X, Y, Z axes and the movements with respect to the X, Y, Z axes, and thus the inertial input apparatus is adapted to be used as an input device for interactive computer games, In a preferred aspect, when the inertial input apparatus is acting as a 3-D mouse suitable to be used for briefing or in a remote control environment, only the detections with respect to the X and Y axes acquired by the accelerometer along with that of the gyroscope are adopts and used as control signals for controlling cursor displayed on a screen, but the detection with respect to the Z-axis acquired by the accelerometer is used as a switch signal for directing the inertial input apparatus to switch between its two-dimensional detection mode and three-dimensional detection mode.