Method of creating a computer model of the physical world

Abstract

A method of executing a computer application in the context of a computer model comprising the steps of retrieving computer model data from a model server, retrieving application information from an application server, and executing said application information in the context of the model in an execution environment.

1 . A method of executing a computer application in the context of a computer model comprising the steps of:
 retrieving computer model data from a model server,   retrieving application information from an application server, and   executing said application information in the context of the model in an execution environment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising applying economic value to transactions occurring within the executed application, the method further comprising the steps of:
 retrieving transaction information from the model server, 
 retrieving transaction information from the application server, 
 retrieving execution information from the execution environment, 
 retrieving economic information from an economy server, 
 apportioning economic value to a transaction, and 
 updating the execution environment with said economic value. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  or  2  where the computer model is a model of the physical world, and the model server is a world server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of any preceding claim where:
 computer model data is modified from within an application executed in the context of the model in the execution environment, and   the modified data is populatable onto said model server.   
     
     
         5 . The method of any preceding claim in which a plurality of applications are executed in respective execution environments in the context of the computer model. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  when dependent on  claim 4  wherein the modified computer model data is retrievable only in the context of the application execution in which it was modified. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  when dependent on  claim 4  wherein the modified computer model data is retrievable in the context of a plurality of applications executed in the context of the world model. 
     
     
         8 . The method of any of  claims 4  to  7  where the modified computer model data may be voted on by users of the application. 
     
     
         9 . The method of any of  claims 1  to  3  where the computer model data is lockable to prevent modification from within application execution. 
     
     
         10 . The method of any preceding claim where the computer model data retrieved from the model server is scaled according to resources available in the execution environment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of any preceding claim where the computer model data retrieved from the model server is selected according to a unique selection from each user execution environment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of any preceding claim where a plurality of versions of the computer model are stored. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein respective versions correspond to respective applications. 
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 12  wherein respective versions correspond to versions of the model at different time instants. 
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising caching a version of the model at a cache location intermediate the model server and the execution environment. 
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 15  further comprising flagging any modification to the version at the cache for selective upload to the execution environment. 
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in any preceding claim in which one or each of the model, execution and application server comprise any one or more of a hardware, software, localised or distributed server instance. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus providing a computer application execution environment arranged to:
 retrieve computer model data from a world server,   retrieve application information from an application server, and execute said application information in the context of the world model in the execution environment.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 a computer model server storing a computer model, further being arranged to store a plurality of versions of said model.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program comprising one or more sequences of instructions for implementing the steps of any of  claims 1  to  17 . 
     
     
         21 . A computer readable medium containing the computer program of  claim 20 . 
     
     
         22 . A method of enhancing a model of the physical world comprising collecting real world data from a plurality of sources, and transforming and loading said data onto a model world server to enhance the model of the physical world with said data. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  where the collected data is real-time data. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  or  23  where the data is accessed by a client of the model world server. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  where the model world server initiates a community alert to at least one client of the server. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  where the community alert is based on the location of the client within the model world. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  where the community alert is further based on a distribution list. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25  where the community alert is based on the location of the client within the real world. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  where the community alert comprises information relating to the corresponding position in the model world. 
     
     
         30 . A computer program comprising one or more sequences of instructions for implementing the steps of any of  claims 22  to  29 . 
     
     
         31 . A computer readable medium containing the computer program of  claim 30 . 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus for enhancing a model of the physical world arranged to store said model, receive real world data from a plurality of sources and load said data to enhance said model. 
     
     
         33 . A method of creating a model component in a computer model of the physical world, the method comprising
 displaying a plurality of component features each feature having a parameter expressible by a parameter descriptor,   receiving a user selection of displayed, component features, and providing the corresponding parameter descriptor to a model component creation environment.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising storing the parametric description in a component creation environment. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  or  34  where said component feature comprises a visual parameter. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  or  34  where said component feature comprises a collision parameter. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33  or  34  where said component feature comprises a parameter for a physics engine or a noise map. 
     
     
         38 . The method of any of  claims 33  to  37  further comprising deriving said parameters from a graphical representation of the model component. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33  further rendering parameters in real-time for display comprising scaling the rendering according to the resources of the component creation environment. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  further comprising projecting the component into the terrain of the computer model. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising stitching the projected component onto the terrain of the computer model and displaying the stitched component. 
     
     
         42 . A method of rending in a user execution environment a computerised model world having components placed therein, comprising rendering said components according to one of the resources of the user execution environment and the available resolution of the components. 
     
     
         43 . A computer program comprising one or more sequences of instructions for implementing the steps of any of  claims 33  to  42 . 
     
     
         44 . A computer readable medium containing the computer program of  claim 43 . 
     
     
         45 . A method of processing a three-dimensional image of a computer generated environment comprising a background terrain and an environment component to be melded into the terrain comprising
 identifying a component outline,   creating a component receiving gap having a periphery corresponding to the outline with a boundary region at least partially therearound, and   melding the component into the gap by generating melded terrain in the boundary region.   
     
     
         46 . A method as claimed in  claim 45  in which the component comprises one of a road or building representation. 
     
     
         47 . A method as claimed in  claim 45  or  46  in which the terrain comprises a plurality of terrain tiles, and processing is only applied to tiles in which the component receiving gap is created. 
     
     
         48 . A method of processing a three-dimensional image of a computer generated environment comprising a background terrain and an environment component to be inserted into the terrain comprising identifying a component outline,
 creating a component receiving gap having a periphery corresponding to the outline,   inserting the component into the gap in which the terrain comprises a plurality of terrain tiles, wherein   processing is only applied to tiles in which the component receiving gap is created.   
     
     
         49 . A computer program comprising one or more sequences of instructions for implementing the steps of any of  claims 45  to  48 . 
     
     
         50 . A computer readable medium containing the computer program of  claim 49 . 
     
     
         51 . A method of creating a computer model of the physical world having world components comprising:
 rendering a component template available to a plurality of remote users, and   populating the template with data from at least one remote user.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  where said template comprises at least one of cartographic, topographic or geographic information. 
     
     
         53 . The method as in  claim 51  or  52  further comprising displaying a component corresponding to the populated template to a plurality of users in a community and incorporating the component into the model dependent on a community vote. 
     
     
         54 . The method as in  claim 51  or  52  further comprising displaying for selection a component corresponding to the populated template to a plurality of users in a community and calculating a component rating dependent on the number of users who select said component. 
     
     
         55 . The method as in any of  claims 51  to  54  further comprising rewarding the users based on their population activity. 
     
     
         56 . The method as in  claim 55  where said rewards contribute to a status in at least one application executed in the context of the model world. 
     
     
         57 . The method as in any of  claims 51  to  56  wherein a plurality of applications are executed in parallel in the context of the model world. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56  or  57  where said application is a game. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57  or  58  where the populated component template is displayed to a plurality of users of the same application as the application from which the user data was provided. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58  where the populated component template is displayed to a plurality of users of a plurality of applications executed in the context of the model world. 
     
     
         61 . A method of creating a computer model of the physical world having world components comprising displaying a candidate component to a user community and incorporating the component into the world dependent on a community vote. 
     
     
         62 . A method of creating a computer model of the physical world having world components comprising displaying a candidate component to a user community and calculating a component rating dependent on the number of users who choose said component. 
     
     
         63 . The method as in  claim 53  or  61  where said community vote is derived from individual voting ratings from each of a plurality of users. 
     
     
         64 . The method as in  claim 61  were the voting rating comprises a value attributed by the user between and including full approval and full non-approval. 
     
     
         65 . The method of any of  claims 51  to  64  where the components comprise at least one of an architectural or geographical feature, for example a building, a road, as tree, a water feature, street furniture or a fence. 
     
     
         66 . A method of creating a computer model of the physical world having world components comprising:
 rendering a component template available to a plurality of remote users wherein a plurality of games are executed in parallel in the context of the model world.   
     
     
         67 . A computer program comprising one or more sequences of instructions for implementing the steps of any of  claims 51  to  66 . 
     
     
         68 . A computer readable medium containing the computer program of  claim 67 . 
     
     
         69 . An apparatus comprising a remote user client server arranged to allow creation of a component for a computer model of the physical world, the apparatus being arranged to:
 display a component template received from a remote server to a user,   collect data from the user, and   transmit the collected data to a remote server for population of the template.   
     
     
         70 . An apparatus comprising a server arranged to store a computer model of the physical world having world components, the apparatus being arranged to:
 render a component template available to a plurality of remote users,   receive data from at least one remote user server,   populate the template with data from at least one remote user, and   incorporate a component according to the populated template into the model.   
     
     
         71 . An apparatus comprising a server arranged to store a computer model of the physical world having world components, the apparatus being arranged to:
 render a component template available to a plurality of remote users,   receive data from at least one remote user server,   populate the template with data from at least one remote user, and   calculate a component rating with data from at least one remote user.   
     
     
         72 . A method and apparatus for creating an improved computer model of the physical world substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any combination of the accompanying drawings.