Virtual Environment Mapping System for Game Applications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current video games lack the ability to effectively utilize real-world geographical information to recreate virtual environments, limiting the accuracy and immersion of game simulations.

Innovation Solution

A virtual environment mapping system that receives location identifier data packets, retrieves geographic information, identifies geographic entities, matches these entities to virtual assets, and generates a virtual environment map, allowing for the recreation of real-world locations within the game.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If video games use basic or no geographical data integration, then the device complexity and data processing requirements remain low, but the accuracy and immersion of virtual environment recreation is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of virtual environment recreationVSAvoidcomplexity of mapping system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mapping system is divided into distinct functional modules: a geographic entity identification module that processes geographic data to identify entities, an asset matching module that matches entities to virtual assets, and a map generation module that creates the virtual environment map. This segmentation allows each module to specialize in specific tasks, improving accuracy while managing complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a mapping service as an intermediary component that receives geographic information data packets, processes them to identify geographic entities, and outputs matched virtual assets. This intermediary layer decouples the complexity of geographic data processing from the game application, allowing the game to benefit from accurate mapping without directly承担ing the processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If comprehensive geographic information data is processed to identify all geographic entities, then the completeness and accuracy of the virtual environment map is improved, but the data processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of virtual environment mapVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system processes geographic information data to identify geographic entities within a defined geographic region, focusing on relevant areas rather than attempting to process entire datasets globally. The map generation module generates virtual environment maps for specific geographic regions based on identified entities, providing sufficient completeness for localized virtual environments without the computational burden of processing all possible geographic data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The mapping service performs preliminary processing of geographic information data to identify geographic entities and match them to virtual assets before the game application needs the virtual environment map. This advance processing allows the game to receive pre-processed, ready-to-use mapping data, reducing real-time processing requirements and improving overall system efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the system matches geographic entities to virtual assets using multiple attributes, then the accuracy of asset matching is improved, but the complexity of the matching algorithm increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of asset matchingVSAvoidcomplexity of matching algorithm
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The asset matching module matches geographic entities to virtual assets by comparing attributes such as entity type, geographic location, and characteristics. The system uses defined attributes from geographic information data packets to guide the matching process, changing the parameters of comparison to focus on the most relevant features for accurate matching while avoiding unnecessary algorithmic complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11331575B2Virtual environment mapping system
Publication Date: 2022.05.17 ELECTRONIC ARTS INC
  • US11331575B2 patent drawing
  • US11331575B2 patent drawing
  • US11331575B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The present disclosure provides embodiments of a virtual mapping system for using real world geographical locations to generate virtual environments within game applications. The virtual mapping system allows a game application to identify geographical information associated with real world locations. The geographical information can be used by the game application to recreate the selected geographical location using virtual assets from the game application.