Abstract:
A game can allow a player to participate in a live event as if the player were one of the participants. In one embodiment, the present invention includes capturing information about a live event and generating a game based on the captured information. The game can than be provided to, via an interface to a mobile client device. The user of the mobile client device can play the game by creating user input, which can be received by a game server from the mobile client device via the interface. The user input than can be used to virtually perform an action in the game, and the result in the game can then be compared with the result in the live event.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims the priority benefit of Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 634/CHE/2005, filed with the Government of India, Patent Office Branch on May 26, 2005, and entitled “Method of Immersive Gaming”.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     1. Field  
         [0003]     Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of computer gaming. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to combining computer gaming with a real live event.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Internet, television (TV) and mobile platforms have become indispensable to consumers and businesses. Gaming software and platforms enable gamers to play various games, which are modeled on virtual and real life environments. By providing information, broadcasting events, communicate easily and enabling users to interact with each other, they have enabled users to become mobile, increase productivity and get entertained in new ways.  
         [0006]     However, the users are still limited to a passive role. They can watch an event live at the place of the event or watch it on the TV. They can also follow the latest updates on the Internet or hear it on other media. Some level of interactivity is presented to the user through fantasy games or predictive contests around the event. Games on various devices offer a higher level of interaction, though they are not directly related to the real event as it is happening. What is needed is a comprehensive system to enable a user to more actively participate in an event of the user&#39;s interest as it is happening, taking the user closer to and into the event.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating one configuration of a client device connected to the server over the network;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating one configuration of a live participative gaming according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the live participative gaming with a connected client device;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating one configuration of the capture system according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating one configuration of a data processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating the use of the processed data according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating the way a user can participate in an event or game according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating the way a user can select the participative roles according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating the live participative gaming according to one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram illustrating the participation feedback mechanism for the user according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     Although the present system will be discussed with reference to various illustrated examples, these examples should not be read to limit the broader spirit and scope of the present invention. Some portions of the detailed description that follows are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the computer science arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared and otherwise manipulated.  
         [0019]     The terms ‘user’, ‘player’ and ‘participant’ are used interchangeably herein to refer to the actual person who uses the software. The ‘user’ could be a person or could be automated software or other programs.  
         [0020]     The terms ‘game’ or ‘event’ are used interchangeably to mean any sporting game, news event, historical event, personal event or happening, etc.  
         [0021]     The terms ‘client device’, ‘mobile device’, ‘device’, ‘Personal Computer’, ‘computer’, ‘laptop’ and ‘cell phone’ are used interchangeably to refer to the actual device used by the participant to access the virtual reality world for the immersive experience. Each computer or computer server might be a multipurpose or a special purpose computer of varying size or transactional capacity. Each device might be a multipurpose or a special purpose device of varying size or transactional capacity. As used herein, the terms ‘computer’, ‘user computer’ and ‘device’ are intended to cover any multi-purpose computer, handheld device, game console, cell phone, PDA, laptop or any other device that permits a user to connect to, capture the game or event and communicate with the participative game or event of the present invention. Each device used to connect a player to the participative game or event may be considered as a ‘client’. The server could be the client device too, where it can act as a client and a server.  
         [0022]     The terms ‘internet’, ‘telecommunication network’, ‘network’ and ‘wireless network’ are used interchangeably to mean the means of connecting a device to the game server or with other devices to participate in the game or event.  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates a simple prior art configuration of a client device connected to the server over the internet. Client Devices  1 , 2  connect to the Cellular Network  5  using GPRS  4 . The Cellular network  5  connects to the Server  7  through the Internet  6 . The Client Device  3  connects to the Server through the Internet  6 . The Server  7  connects to the database  9  using TCP/IP  8  protocol. The cellular network illustrated consists of one gateway  12  and one cell tower  11 .  
         [0024]     The Cellular Network  16  could be much more complex than the simplified diagram in  FIG. 1 . There could be multiple cellular gateways and cell towers making up the cellular network  5 . There could be multiple networks within a network and these could be interconnected in several ways. There could also be multiple clients connecting to the Server through the Cellular Gateway or to the Internet. And the clients could connect directly or indirectly with each other and to the server through various protocols including Bluetooth or GSM or CDMA or TCP/IP or by any other means. A simple configuration with 3 Clients  1 ,  2 ,  3  connected is shown here. Client devices  1  and  2  could be any cellular devices. Client device  2  could be any device that connects to the Internet like a Personal Computer, Laptop or IP Enabled TV. These could connect directly or through some other network device to the Internet. The devices could also connect directly to the server. The network could be any network including a LAN network, WiFi network, Peer to Peer network or other mechanisms of connecting and transmitting data and voice. The connection protocols could any protocols including TCP/IP or Peer-to-Peer or 802.11g or GSM or CDMA.  
         [0025]     One embodiment of the invention is now illustrated with reference to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  shows the same simplified configuration of a client device connecting to the server through the Internet. However, the Game Server  21  module is on the server and it is connected to the Game Capture Module  25 . The Game Capture Module  25  interacts with the Live Game/Event  26  to capture the live event data, which is used for creating the participative gaming.  
         [0026]     The capture module  25  captures the live game or event  26 . The captured data is then processed by the game server module  21  into the play scenarios needed for game play, by the application of rules and other logic required for the game play. The Game Server Module  21  also manages the game play and related rules to make game or event participation.  
         [0027]     The user is then able to play the games from the client device  13  using either the Client Module installed on the device or through the device Internet browser. The client module on the client device  13  will be provided with the game data and other details from the Game Server Module  11 .  
         [0028]     The client module on the client device  13  will be the interface between the user and the game server  21 . The module will take the data from the server and present it to the user. The user actions and related data would then be processed and sent to the game server by the client module.  
         [0029]     One embodiment of the game client is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The user downloads the game client from the server  28 . The Game Server  45 , the Game Client File System  46  and the Database  47  facilitate the download process and maintenance of the client by the user. The game client is then installed on the user device  29  and the user starts the game client  30 . The user then selects a game from the games available  31 , gets the game information  32  from the game server and starts playing the game  34 . The user performs game actions  35 , which are sent to the server  36  by the game client. The game action feedback from the server  37  is presented to the user as feedback  38  on the users performance in the game play scenario. The user can then continue to play or Exit  39 .  
         [0030]     One embodiment of the invention is to enable the casting of the game or event using the Game Capture module. The casting could be of a live game or an archived game or an imaginary game. The user captures the data using the Game Capture Module  25  and the data is sent to the Game Server Module  21 , which then casts the data to the users. The data could be in an animation format or a mixture of animation, images and video.  
         [0031]     One embodiment of the data capture of the event or game is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In this illustration the process for the capture of the event or game is provided. As the game or event is happening  48 , it can be captured in a number of ways. One way to capture the event is observation  49 , where the live event or play information is entered manually into a capture module  53  for further processing and game play, to apply any relevant event information from the Event Model Repository  50 .  
         [0032]     Another way to capture the event is Video Feed Conversion  51 , where the video from the event or the play is streamed into the capture module  53 , which will then process it further to enable game play using any relevant information from the Event Model Repository  52 . The capture module  25  collects the information from either or both the above methods into the Captured Data &amp; Models Database  53 . The use of the event model repository databases can be while the event is being captured or also after the event data has been collected.  
         [0033]     One embodiment of the data processing is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , where the Captured Event Data and Models Database  55  for the event are submitted for processing to the Game Server Processing Module  56 . The game server then processes the data by the applications of various rules and algorithms to enable the data and the models to be used for game play.  
         [0034]     These rules and algorithms could be applied sequentially or in parallel, depending on the scenarios of the games or events. One flow could be that the Event Algorithms  57  is applied. These could include, based on the kind of event or game, the physical characteristics like the stadium settings, the audience patterns, etc.  
         [0035]     Then Game Algorithms  58  is applied which could include the physics of the movements like the ball flights, the rules of the game or event, etc. The Simulation Algorithms  59  could include the path of the ball or the simulation of the hit by the player, etc. The Device Algorithms  60  could include the specific rules that need to be applied to make the game or event available for playing on various devices, etc. like mobile phones, PC&#39;s, PDA&#39;s, Digital TV&#39;s, etc. After processing the data, the game server-processing module  56  converts the captured data and models database to the Processed Game or Event Database  61 .  
         [0036]     One embodiment of the process of using the processed data to create various participative experiences for the user are illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The processed game data is then used for either Broadcasting  63  for the purposes of only viewing interactively or for Immersive Participation  66  in the game around the live event or sport. Also, it could be used for the purposes of Mixing  69  both the above elements to provide the user a game play and a broadcasting experience.  
         [0037]     Various rules and algorithms could be applied in preparing the data for the purposed of broadcasting or game play or mixing, based on the need for the particular game or event. For Broadcasting  63 , Device Rules  64  related to the device configurations are applied and processed to present the user with a broadcasting experience. For Immersive Participation  66  Immersion &amp; Device Rules  67  are applied and presented to the user for Game or Event Immersion  68  experience. For Mixing  69  Mixing Algorithms  70  are applied to provide the user with a Immersion and Broadcast  71  experience.  
         [0038]     One embodiment of the live participative gaming is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . In this scenario, if there is a live sporting event like a football game between  2  teams happening, the user can take part in the game as one of the participant. The user  72  selects the live game or event to participate in  73  from the list of available events. The user then selects the role to adopt  74  or Avatar that the user would like to play as. User then starts game  75  as the avatar and can play against other real event characters  76  live, as if the user is participating in the real event or game.  
         [0039]     One embodiment of the process of selecting the participative roles or avatars is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . In this scenario of a football game  77 , the user uses his or her device to connect to playing the game. The user is presented with the option to choose the user role  78  that he or she would like to assume. The user then may assume the avatar of, for example, the ‘offensive quarterback’, in the game  80 .  
         [0040]     The user is then given control of the offensive quarterback avatar in the game. All the needed game scenarios and the action on the football field, as they are happening, for the game are presented to the user, except for the avatar the user assumed. So, in this example, the user is presented with the football and has to make the same or similar or better plays as the live quarterback player in the actual game. The actions of the rest of his team and the defensive team would be rendered to the user.  
         [0041]     The user is not limited to participative role in the game and might take multiple roles. For instance, the user could adopt the offensive quarterback role to start with. When the ball is thrown to a receiver by the quarterback, the user might become the receiver and play as if he is playing the live game receiver&#39;s role.  
         [0042]     At the end of the play, at frequent intervals and at the end of the game, the user is presented with a participative scorecard of how his or her performance compares to the live player or players. The user may also exit from the game and come back to re-join the game, with an option to either continue from where the user left the game or from the live scenario at the point of re-joining.  
         [0043]     The user may also select an Event  79  role, like being a Event Manager  81 . As an event manager, the user will manage the event or related Objects  82  or other  83  roles of the Football game event.  
         [0044]     One embodiment of the live participative gaming in a live golf game is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The user  88  is participating in an ABC major golf tournament  89  and uses his or her device to connect to the game server that will enable him to play the game, as the golf tournament is happening.  
         [0045]     The user is presented with the current scenario of the ABC major golf tournament and the option of choose the avatar he or she wants to assume. An avatar is an instance of the real player playing the golf tournament, at that particular point of time. User can select the avatar from the leader board  90  and start playing the tournament live  91 .  
         [0046]     All the user actions and the performance would be compared with the actual live player  92  whose avatar the user has assumed and the user&#39;s performance would be judged against the actual player&#39;s performance.  
         [0047]     For instance, on the first hole, the actual player selects the driver for his tee shot and plays the shot towards the right of the fairway with a hit clearing a distance of  265  yards. The user, who assumed the player&#39;s avatar, plays the same hole on the user device and uses the driver to hit  240  yards to the left of the fairway.  
         [0048]     In this instance, the user has not exactly matched the real player, whose avatar he or she had assumed. The user would be provided the play feedback  93 , based on his or her performance against the live player.  
         [0049]     The comparison with the actual player and feedback may not be limited to the examples in this illustration. They might include all the different direct and indirect variables of the game.  
         [0050]     In this instance, the user may not be awarded points for not exactly matching the real player&#39;s actions in the game. The game points schemes would be developed according to the game and the game scenarios for performance rating.  
         [0051]     For the second shot, the user is given the option to play the next live shot  94 , which is the shot that the actual live player will make from the point where the player&#39;s first shot landed at the 265 yards distance. If the user selects this scenario, the reset play to live scenario  95  is presented and the user can continue to play the next shot live  91 . The game scenario as described above would be repeated for each of the shot played by the player and the participant, until the live golf game ends or the user chooses to exit the game.  
         [0052]     In the play next live shot  94 , if the user selects not to play the live shot and continue the current play scenario  98 , he or she can continue the game from the first shot and the performance is compared to the live player after the end of the first hole  97 . So, the user will play the golf ball from the 240 yards mark, where the user&#39;s first shot had landed. Then Play is reset after the end of the hole  96  and the user can continue to play live from the next hole.  
         [0053]     The participative gaming is not limited to one user. There could be multiple users adopting the avatars of different players playing the game or multiple users adopting the avatars of the same player. The participative gaming module and the game server module will then compare each of the participative users to their avatars and would also rank them against each other. The ranking may be based on various rules depending on the game and the game scenarios.  
         [0054]     One embodiment of the current invention is illustrated in  FIG. 10  providing a tracking and feedback mechanism to the users in a live game. As the live event or game  100  is happening and the user plays the selected role  101 , the participative game server&#39;s evaluation module  103  takes the event data  99  and the user data  102  to provide feedback  104  to the user. The feedback may be provided live as the game is happening and as the user plays the game. Or it could also be provided at the end of the game.  
         [0055]     Thus, a participative gaming system has been described. In the forgoing description, various specific values were given names, such as “Golf,” and various specific modules, such as the “game server module” and “event model database” have been described. However, these names are merely to describe and illustrate various aspects of the present invention, and in no way limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, various modules, such as the capture module  25  in  FIG. 2  and the client module described in above can be implemented as software or hardware modules, or without dividing their functionalities into modules at all. The present invention is not limited to any modular architecture either in software or in hardware, whether described above or not.  
         [0000]     General Matters  
         [0056]     In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this description.  
         [0057]     Embodiments of the present invention include various processes. The processes may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to cause one or more processors programmed with the instructions to perform the processes. Alternatively, the processes may be performed by a combination of hardware and software.  
         [0058]     Embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a computer program product that may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic device) to perform a process according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing instructions. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention may also be downloaded as a computer program product, wherein the program may be transferred from a remote computer to a requesting computer by way of data signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium via a communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection).  
         [0059]     While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.