Abstract:
A reactive emitter associated with an object in a video game emits an asset in response to a secondary effect of an activity that occurs in the video game within a vicinity of the object.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to video games, and more specifically to special effects used in video games. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The fun and excitement associated with many video games is increased when audio and visual effects are similar to real-life sounds and images. This is especially true with action combat games involving shooting and other weapons. Sounds may be related to an environmental activity or an impact activity. 
         [0003]    Environmental activity refers to activity surrounding the video game characters, such as flies buzzing, water running in a river, footsteps of a character running, a car engine running, etc. The sounds associated with environmental activities are typically not reactive, but rather are static in that they exist to enhance the presence of the object or person (“object” is used hereafter to refer to a physical object, person, or other living creature). Impact activity refers to “direct hits” on an object, such as a car blowing up from an explosive, a window shattering from a bullet, an alien or bad guy being shot, etc. The sounds associated with impact activities are typically due to the “direct hit.” 
         [0004]    In real life, objects may also react to secondary effects of an environmental or impact activity. For example, if a bomb explodes, a nearby fence may rattle in response to the resulting shockwave. Thus, the overall video game experience could be enhanced if the effect associated with an environmental and/or impact activity includes an output asset (e.g., audio, visual, audio-visual effect) triggered by a force other than a direct hit, to create a more real-life sensation during video game play. In other words, the asset is output in response to a secondary effect of the activity, such as the shockwave of an explosion. This adds to the player&#39;s envelopment in the virtual play space. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The output of an object in a video game includes an asset triggered by a secondary force, i.e., a force other than a direct hit on the object. Typically the force will be a secondary force from an environmental activity or an impact activity. The trigger is accomplished by a “reactive emitter,” which is a property associated with the object that is programmed into the video game to react to the secondary force. 
         [0006]    In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a method includes assigning a coverage zone to an activity in the video game, assigning a detection zone to an object in the video game, determining the coverage zone intersects with the detection zone, and causing the object to emit the asset based on the intersection of the coverage zone and the detection zone. The coverage zone is the area affected by a secondary effect of the activity. The detection zone is an area in the vicinity of the object. 
         [0007]    The asset may be an audio asset, a video asset, or an audio-video asset. The coverage zone and detection zone are typically substantially spherical, defined by a coverage radius and detection radius respectively. The activity is typically an explosion, and the secondary effect is a shockwave of the explosion. 
         [0008]    The output asset may vary in size/intensity based on the magnitude of intersection of the coverage zone and the detection zone. The output asset may also vary based on the type of object and/or the type of activity. If the output asset includes an audio component, the properties affected by these parameters may be pitch, volume, duration, and frequency. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a flowchart of a method of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a geometric diagram showing intersections of various two-dimensional coverage zones and detection zones. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates various  3 -dimensional coverage zones and detection zones. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a partial scene of a video game illustrating the coverage zone of an explosion intersecting with detection zones of various objects. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the above-described drawings. Beginning with  FIG. 4 , a partial scene  400  from within a video game is shown, in which an explosion  430  is occurring. The scene  400  includes a building wall  410 , a car  415 , a barrel  420 , and a fence  425 . Also shown in  FIG. 4  are dotted lines representing coverage zone  435  of the explosion  430 , and detection zones  440 ,  445 ,  450 , and  455 , of the wall  410 , car  415 , barrel  420 , and fence  425  respectively. The dotted lines are for illustration purposes only, and would not be visible during video game play as part of the scene  400  or otherwise. 
         [0014]    Coverage zone  435  is shown as substantially circular, as are detection zones  445 ,  450 , and  455 . These zones could be any shape, including three-dimensional shapes such as substantially spherical. Detection zone  440  of wall  410  is shown as three-dimensional, specifically in the shape of a rectangular prism corresponding to the shape of the wall. Coverage zone  435  of explosion  430  represents the area affected by the shockwave of the explosion. In  FIG. 4 , coverage zone  435  extends radially outward from the point of origin of explosion  430 , and intersects with each of detection zones  410 ,  415 ,  420 , and  425 . Thus, in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, the shockwave of explosion  430  in scene  400  would cause each of objects  410 ,  415 ,  420 , and  425  to emit one or more assets. For example, as further described herein: wall  410  might shake, creak, and/or wobble etc.; car  415  might roll, tilt, spin, become airborne, have an airbag go off, have an alarm go off, and/or have the horn honk, etc.; barrel  420  might crack, split, roll, spin, become airborne, and/or discharge some or all of its contents, etc.; and fence  425  might rattle, buckle, and/or bend, etc. Various real-life sounds could be associated with the aforementioned. 
         [0015]    Turning now to  FIG. 1 , a method to output an asset in a video game in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in a flowchart. The method begins at Step  100 . At Step  105 , a coverage zone is assigned to a secondary effect of an activity in the video game. The activity may be any activity generating a shockwave, pressure wave, or other secondary force. For example, the activity may be an explosion (as illustrated in  FIG. 4 ) from a bomb, grenade, rocket, missile, or any other type of explosive. The activity may be a weather event or natural phenomenon such as an earthquake, lightning strike, hurricane, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, etc. The activity may be a sonic boom from an aircraft, or a force wave from a supernatural power. The activity may be recoil or reverberation from firing a weapon, or a shockwave from a large building falling or an aircraft crashing. 
         [0016]    The coverage zone represents the area affected by the secondary effect of the activity. Typically the coverage zone is substantially spherical, and thus is defined by a coverage radius. When the activity is an explosion, the coverage radius is a blast radius. However, the coverage zone may be any geometric shape or irregular area, and may even be three-dimensional. Various three-dimensional coverage zones are shown, e.g., in  FIG. 3 . Specifically: a cylindrical zone  305  is shown for an activity centered at  320 ; a conical zone  310  is shown for an activity centered at  325 ; and a spherical zone  315  is shown for an activity centered at  330 . 
         [0017]    The coverage zone is programmed into the video game by associating the zone with the activity. The coverage zone may be constant for the activity, or may vary depending on other parameters. For example, a certain type of explosion may always have a blast radius of 15 feet, or that type of explosion may have a blast radius varying from 5 feet to 25 feet, depending on parameters such as which character triggered the explosion, the weather conditions, whether the weapon causing the explosion has been enhanced, etc. Or the range may be randomly generated. Multiple activities may have corresponding coverage zones assigned to their corresponding secondary effects at Step  105 . The coverage zones may be assigned as part of the video game development, or dynamically during video game play. 
         [0018]    At Step  110 , a detection zone is assigned to an object in the video game. Objects may be fences, barrels, walls, windows, cars or other vehicles, boxes, poles, trees, bushes, dirt, leaves, rocks, water, structures, or anything else. Multiple objects may be assigned corresponding detection zones at Step  110 . Assignment of detection zones to objects may occur before, after, or simultaneously with assigning coverage zones to the secondary effects of activities at Step  105 . The detection zones may be assigned as part of the video game development, or dynamically during video game play. Various detection zones  440 ,  445 ,  450 , and  455  are shown in  FIG. 4 . Typically detection zones are substantially spherical, and thus are defined by a detection radius. 
         [0019]    During video game play, when an activity occurs having a coverage zone, if the coverage zone intersects with the detection zone of an object, the object will emit an asset based on the intersection. Determination of the intersection occurs at Step  115 , and is discussed in more detail herein with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The object emits the asset at Step  120 . The asset may be audio, visual, audio-visual, or even another sensory asset such as a smell, flavor, or tactile output. The asset may have properties associated therewith, and the values of those properties are referred to herein as the asset&#39;s payload. For example, a sound asset may have properties of pitch, volume, duration, frequency, etc., each assigned a value. A video asset may have properties of direction, speed, condition, color, axis of rotation, discharge, deformation, etc., each assigned a value. 
         [0020]    As an example, if an explosion occurs generating a shockwave with a coverage zone intersecting the detection zone of a barrel, the barrel may shake, roll, break, and discharge its contents, all with accompanying lifelike sounds. Similarly, if the coverage zone intersects the detection zone of a car, the car may spin, become airborne, and have its hood pop off when it lands, all with accompanying lifelike sounds. If the coverage zone intersects the detection zone of a fence, the fence may rattle, buckle, or dislodge, all with accompanying lifelike sounds. If the coverage zone intersects the detection zone of a wall or building, the wall or building may shake, crumble, crack, or have portions dislodged, all with accompanying lifelike sounds. 
         [0021]    The scope and extent of the asset or assets emitted may be determined by various factors. For example, an object may have fixed assets associated therewith. In such a case, the object would emit the same asset(s) whenever its detection zone intersected a coverage zone. Or an object may have various fixed assets associated therewith corresponding to various known activities. In such a case, the asset(s) emitted would depend on the activity associated with the coverage zone intersecting the object&#39;s detection zone. Various objects may have various assets assigned thereto depending on the type of the object. Objects may be classified into different types such as human, inanimate, extraterrestrial, etc., and may be further classified into sub-types such as by size, stability, foundation, material composition, etc. Such classifications may be determined at the programming level (as may classifications of activities). 
         [0022]    Further, the payload of an asset may depend on various factors. For example, the payload may vary as the magnitude of the intersection between the coverage zone and the detection zone varies. In other words, if an object&#39;s detection zone barely intersects an activity&#39;s coverage zone, the payload may be minimal, whereas if the object&#39;s detection zone significantly intersects an activity&#39;s coverage zone, the payload may be more significant. The payload may also vary depending on the type of object (as previously described) and/or the type of activity. Activities may be classified into different types such as weather, explosion, structural, supernatural, etc. Or each activity may have its own unique payload associated therewith. An activity with a short duration and high frequency may cause the object to emit a short more “pingy” payload as compared to a longer low-frequency activity. 
         [0023]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , intersections of various two-dimensional coverage zones ( 205 ,  210 ,  220 , and  225 ) and detection zones ( 215  and  230 ) are shown in a geometric diagram. The coverage zones  205 ,  210 ,  220 , and  225  represent areas affected by secondary effects of various activities centered at  235 ,  240 ,  250 , and  255  respectively. The zones are all circular, and thus have coverage radii  265 ,  270 ,  280 , and  285  respectively. The activities may occur substantially simultaneously or at different times during the video game. The detection zones  215  and  230  represent areas in the vicinities of objects centered at  245  and  260  respectively, and are also circular and thus have detection radii  275  and  290  respectively. 
         [0024]    As can be seen, not all of the coverage zones  205 ,  210 ,  220 , and  225  intersect both of the detection zones  215  (for object centered at  245 ) and  225  (for object centered at  260 ). Starting with coverage zone  205  of activity centered at  235 , this zone does not intersect with either of detection zones  215  or  230 . Thus, occurrence of this activity would not cause either of those objects to emit an asset. Coverage zones  210  and  220  intersect detection zone  215 , but does not intersect detection zone  230 . Thus, occurrence of the activities centered at  240  and  250  would cause the object centered at  245  to emit an asset, but would not cause the object centered at  260  to emit an asset. And coverage zone  225  intersects detection zone  230 , but does not intersect detection zone  215 . Thus, occurrence of the activity centered at  255  would cause the object centered at  260  to emit an asset, but would not cause the object centered at  245  to emit an asset. 
         [0025]    As already mentioned, the output asset may vary in intensity based on a determination of the magnitude of intersection of the coverage zone and the detection zone. For example, the asset&#39;s payload may increase as the magnitude of the intersection between the coverage zone and the detection zone increases. Determination of the size/intensity of the payload may be based on a percent of intersection of the coverage zone and detection zone, and/or some other linear or exponential function dependent on proximity of the activity to the object, intervening obstacles, etc. In  FIG. 2 , for example, coverage zones  210  and  220  intersect with detection zone  215  at  295  and  297  respectively. Those intersections are small compared to intersection  299  of coverage zone  225  and detection zone  230 . Thus, if a payload is directly proportional to the magnitude of intersection, the payload of the object centered at  260  based on the activity centered at  255  would be greater than the payload of the object centered at  245  based on either of the activities centered at  240  or  250 . 
         [0026]    As an example of modifying assets based on the magnitude of intersection of the applicable coverage zone and detection zone, a barrel at  245  might react to activity at  240  or  250  by slightly wobbling or tilting over, with a low volume corresponding sound. On the other hand, a barrel at  260  might react to activity at  255  by being ejected into the air and breaking apart, with loud thuds as the pieces land. Any or all of audio properties of pitch, volume, duration, and frequency, may be adjusted accordingly based on the magnitude of intersection. 
         [0027]    Also as already mentioned, the output asset may vary based on the type of object and/or the type of activity. For example, all metal objects may have specific sounds associated with them, whereas all liquid objects may have other specific sounds associated with them. Objects may be classified as broadly or narrowly as is desired. Likewise, activities may be classified as broadly or narrowly as desired. An object&#39;s output asset(s) may depend on the type of activity associated with the coverage zone. Such assets for any object or type/class of objects may be mapped to any activity or class/type of activity as desired. 
         [0028]    Additionally, detection areas may vary for an object, depending on the type of activity. For example, a barrel might have one detection zone for weather-related activities, and a different detection zone for explosions. Or the barrel might have one detection zone for earthquakes, and a different detection zone for lightning strikes. Detection zones may also be randomly generated. 
         [0029]    Although particular embodiments have been shown and described, the above description is not intended to limit the scope of these embodiments. While embodiments and variations of the many aspects of the invention have been disclosed and described herein, such disclosure is provided for purposes of explanation and illustration only. Thus, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Accordingly, embodiments are intended to exemplify alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may fall within the scope of the claims. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except to the following claims, and their equivalents.