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A distributed simulation system is composed of simulator stations linked over a network that each renders real-time video imagery for its user from scene data stored in its data storage. The simulation stations are each connected with a physics farm that manages the virtual objects in the shared vir

A distributed simulation system is composed of simulator stations linked over a network that each renders real-time video imagery for its user from scene data stored in its data storage. The simulation stations are each connected with a physics farm that manages the virtual objects in the shared virtual environment based on their physical attribute data using physics engines, including an engine at each simulation station. The physics engines of the physics farm are assigned virtual objects so as to reduce the effects of latency, to ensure fair fight requirements of the system, and, where the simulation is of a vehicle, to accurately model the ownship of the user at the station. A synchronizer system is also provided that allows for action of simulated entities relying on localized closed loop controls to cause the entities to meet specific goal points at specified system time points.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for providing a shared simulated environment, said system comprising: a plurality of simulator stations each at a respective real-world location and associated with a respective user having a respective user location in said simulated environment;said simulator stations each including a

1. A system for providing a shared simulated environment, said system comprising: a plurality of simulator stations each at a respective real-world location and associated with a respective user having a respective user location in said simulated environment;said simulator stations each including a data storage system storing respective scene data thereon defining a respective version of said simulated environment, and a computerized image generator generating real-time video as a stream of images each rendered based on the respective scene data corresponding to a respective point in time, said video being displayed using a display at said simulator station that communicates with said image generator;said scene data including object data defining positions and physical attributes of virtual objects in the shared simulated environment;a physics farm linking the simulator stations via a network, said physics farm interfacing with the scene data of each of the simulator stations and controlling position data of virtual objects in said scene data based on the defined physical attributes of the virtual objects and on physical rules that cause the virtual objects to emulate real movement of objects having corresponding real physical attributes;said physics farm comprising a plurality of physics engine components each having one or more physics engines and being operatively connected with the network so as to communicate with each other, each of the simulator stations having at least a respective one of the physics engine components at the real-world location thereof; andthe physics farm assigning each of the virtual objects in the shared simulated environment to one of the physics engine components such that the assigned physics engine component determines a position of the virtual object in the virtual environment;each of the physics engine components making a determination when any of the virtual objects assigned thereto has a physical contact with any of the other virtual objects in the simulated environment, and, responsive to the determination of the physical contact by one of the physics engine components, determining in said physics engine component without communication over the network physical results of the physical contact on the virtual objects involved and then transmitting data corresponding to said physical results over the network to the other physics engine components, or transmitting a packet of data identifying the virtual objects involved and including contact data corresponding to the contact over the network. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the physics farm assigns the virtual objects that are relevant to the physics engine of the simulator station, and wherein a virtual object is determined to be relevant to the simulator station based on a distance determined between the associated user location of the simulator station and the location of the virtual object in the simulated environment. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the simulator stations include a simulation of a targeted weapon system, and wherein the physics farm assigns the virtual objects that are relevant to the physics engine of the simulator station, and wherein a virtual object is determined to be relevant to a particular one of the work stations based on targeting thereof by the simulation of the weapon system. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator stations simulate vehicles, and each station has scene data defining virtual objects that make up the respective simulated vehicle, said virtual objects all being assigned to one or more physics engines that are located in the simulator station or that communicate therewith without latency. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the simulator station simulates the operation of the vehicle using the scene data defining the virtual objects that constitute the simulated vehicle. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein an instructor station communicates with the simulator stations and is able to modify physical attributes of a virtual object. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein a simulation computer system is connected with the network, said simulation computer system deriving client movement data defining movement of a client virtual object in the virtual environment and time related data defining timing or rate of said movement, and transmitting said client movement data over the network to synchronizers at the simulator stations, said synchronizers receiving said client movement data, and transmitting data to the physics engine of the associated simulator station so as to cause the client virtual object to move in the scene data of the simulator station in compliance with the movement and timing or rate defined in the client movement data. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the data transmitted to the physics engine is prepared using a closed loop control process using the scene data stored by the data storage system. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the synchronizer, responsive to detecting that the client virtual object is obstructed by an object or objects in the virtual environment, transmits data to the physics engine causing the client virtual object to follow a route that circumvents the object or objects. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the synchronizer, responsive to detecting that the client virtual object is obstructed by an object or objects in the virtual environment, causes the physics engine to at least partially suspend the physics rules thereof so as to permit the client virtual object to move in spite of the obstruction by said object or objects. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the client movement data is route data defining a route of at least one route point and an estimated time of arrival or a rate for the client virtual object to move to the point. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the synchronizer, responsive to detecting that the client virtual object is not moving fast enough to reach the route point by the estimated time of arrival, or is moving slower than the rate, transmits data to the physics engine that causes the client virtual object to be accelerated in the scene data. 13. A system according to claim 1, wherein a semi-automated forces application is supported on a computer system communicating with said physics farm, said semi-automated forces application transmitting to said physics farm requests for creation or movement of semi-automated forces entities in the virtual scene. 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the physics farm transmits to said semi-automated forces application data indicative of physics based effects on the semi-automated forces entities. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the semi-automated forces application includes a physics manager application and a semi-automated forces behavior application, said semi-automated forces behavior application transmitting to said physics farm requests based on semi-automated forces behavior rules in response to the physics based effects on the semi-automated forces entities. 16. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the physics engine components transmits synch data for each of the virtual objects assigned thereto over the network, and the other physics engine components influence the scene data of the associated simulation station so as to move the virtual object toward a position indicated by the synch data. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the packet of data is received by one of the other physics engine components, and said one of the other physics engine components determines physical results on the virtual objects involved in the physical contact. 18. A simulation system comprising: a physics farm communications layer comprising a network communications backbone;a physics farm layer having a plurality of distributed physics engines each being communicatively linked to the physics farm network communications layer so as to transmit physics data indicative of virtual forces applied to virtual objects to the other physics engines and to receive physics data therefrom, each physics engine storing physical attribute and location data for all of the virtual objects in a virtual environment;a physics farm management system selecting for each object in the virtual environment a respective one of the physics engines that is responsible for determining the physics data therefor, said physics engine transmitting the physics data over the network communications layer;the physics farm management system assigning each of the virtual objects in the simulated environment to one of the physics engines such that the assigned physics engine determines a position of the virtual object in the virtual environment; anda physics based simulation application programming interface communicating with said physics farm management system so as to allow access thereto by applications; anda physics based simulation application layer comprising at least two distributed simulation stations providing interactive simulation to respective users including displaying to the respective user imagery rendered from scene data stored at said simulation system, said scene data being modified by said physics farm layer so as to reflect interaction of the users with the objects in the virtual environment. 19. The system of claim 18, and further comprising a physics based simulation training layer communicating with the physics based applications layer and comprising a training communications infrastructure and an administrator station receiving command inputs for controlling the system. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the system modifies the physics data responsive to said command inputs from the administrator station.