System and method for vehicular ad-hoc gaming networking

Abstract

A game is provided which can be played over a vehicular ad hoc network. Because vehicles may rapidly change locations, the game is capable of switching to new instances of the same game with relatively seamless transitions. Players who are no longer in a new instance, but were in the previous instance, may be replaced by computer controlled players to add to the seamlessness of the transition.

1 . A vehicle communication system comprising:
 a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory;   a local transceiver operable to communicate with a remote transceiver of another vehicle communication system and in communication with the processor;   wherein the processor, in conjunction with the persistent and non-persistent memory, is operable to maintain a game state, including a player character;   wherein the processor is further operable to detect that a change in game players has occurred;   wherein the processor is operable to determine whether one or more players previously present in the game state are still present in the game state, and, for at least one player no longer present, to determine whether or not that player should be replaced by a computer-controlled player, wherein if the processor determines that a no-longer present player should be replaced by a computer controlled player, the processor is operable to create a computer controlled player in place of the no-longer present player.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine if a game board change has occurred. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine whether the no-longer present player was, before the player was no longer present, in an actual field of view of the player character in the previous game. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine whether the no-longer present player was, before the player was no longer present, in a possible field of view of the player character in the previous game. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the processor's determination that a no-longer present player should be replaced by a computer controlled player is based at least in part on a determination that the no-longer present player was in an actual field of view of the player character in the previous game before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the processor's determination that a no-longer present player should be replaced by a computer controlled player is based at least in part on a determination that the no-longer present player was in a possible field of view of the player character in the previous game before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine whether the no-longer present player was in an actual line of sight of the player character in the previous game before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine whether the no-longer present player was in a possible line of sight of the player character in the previous game before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processor's determination that a no-longer present player should be replaced by a computer controlled player is based at least in part on a determination that the no-longer present player was in an actual line of sight of the player character in the previous game before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor's determination that a no-longer present player should be replaced by a computer controlled player is based at least in part on a determination that the no-longer present player was in a possible line of sight of the player character in the previous game before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine whether the player character in the previous game was actively interacting with the no-longer present player before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor's determination that a no-longer present player should be replaced by a computer controlled player is based at least in part on a determination that the player character in the previous game was actively interacting with the no-longer present player before the player was no longer present. 
   
   
       13 . A vehicle communication system comprising:
 a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory;   a local transceiver operable to communicate with a remote transceiver of another vehicle communication system and in communication with the processor;   wherein the processor, in conjunction with the persistent and non-persistent memory, is operable to maintain a game state, including at least a player character;   wherein the processor is further operable to detect when the player character has entered a game and to determine if there are any existing computer controlled characters in the game;   wherein the processor is operable to replace an existing computer controlled character with the player character.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine if a game board of the game has changed. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein replacement of an existing computer controlled character with the player character is at least in part contingent on a determination that the game board of the game has changed. 
   
   
       16 . A vehicle communication system comprising:
 a local computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory;   a local transceiver operable to communicate with a remote transceiver of another vehicle communication system and in communication with the processor;   wherein the local processor is operable to detect that a signal strength of a communication with the remote transceiver has fallen below a certain threshold;   wherein the local processor is further able to determine that a second remote transceiver has a stronger signal strength;   wherein the local processor is able to detect that a remote processor, connected to the second remote transceiver, is running an instance of the same game presently being run by the local processor; and   wherein the local processor is operable to automatically connect to the second remote transceiver and to join the instance of the same game being run by the remote processor.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine that the signal strength has been below the threshold for longer than a predetermined period of time, and wherein the automatic connection to the second remote transceiver does not occur until the predetermined period of time has passed.