Game aim assist

• US 10,035,064 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Garvin, John, Reese, Christopher, Yager, Darren, Allen, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Jasson
• Application Number:
  US15/083,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20160287990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/306 for displaying a marker associated to an object or location in the game field
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting

Abstract

Methods for game aim assist are provided. In electronic games, a game player may control the actions of a game character within a game environment. The game environment, which includes a focus area, may be displayed from a perspective of or with respect to a game character. During game play, one or more objects may be detected in the focus area. One of the objects may then be selected based on the distance between the object and the center of the focus area. The aim of the game character is then automatically adjusted toward the selected object, which allows the game player to direct an attack action on the object.

Claims

1. A method for game aim assist, the method comprising:

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

detects one or more selectable objects in a defined focus area within a digital environment viewed from a perspective of a user, wherein the viewed digital environment includes the defined focus area, and wherein the digital environment view is displayed on a display screen of a user device;

polls, for a pre-determined period of time, for user input associated with selecting one or more of the detected selectable objects in the defined focus area;

generates automatic selection instructions for the user device whenever no user input associated with a selection is received for the pre-determined period of time, wherein the generated automatic selection instructions are executable to automatically select one of the detected selectable objects within the defined focus area; and

overrides the generated automatic selection instructions when user input associated with the selection is received, wherein the received user input changes the selected selectable object to a different selectable object within the defined focus area; and

automatically executing an object-related action when at least one of the detected selectable objects within the defined focus area has been selected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated automatic selection instructions are executable to select the selectable object within the defined focus area based on a monitored state of each of the detected selectable objects within the defined focus area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitored state of each of the detected selectable objects include an activity of each of the detected selectable objects.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitored state of each of the detected selectable objects include viability of each of the detected selectable objects.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitored state of each of the detected selectable objects includes a distance that each of the detected selectable objects is compared to a center location of the defined focus area.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitored state of each of the detected selectable objects includes a distance that each of the detected selectable objects is relative to a location of the perspective of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic selection instructions are further executable to provide a notification to the user device when the selected one of the detected selectable objects has been selected.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification is provided via visual effects on the display screen of the user device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification is provided via audio effects.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input, associated with the overriding of the generated automatic selection instructions satisfies pre-requisite conditions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pre-requisite conditions specify that the user input be provided via a press of a button on a controller with at least a pre-determined amount of pressure.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the pre-requisite conditions specify that the user input be provided via controller for at least a pre-determined period of time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the pre-requisite conditions are customizable to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying a pre-determined amount of time between the generation of the automatic selection instructions and the execution of the object-related action.

15. An apparatus for game aim assist, the apparatus comprising:

a display device that displays a user perspective of a game environment including a defined focus area;

a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor;

detects one or more selectable objects in the defined focus area within a digital environment viewed from a perspective of a user, wherein the viewed digital environment includes the defined focus area, and wherein the digital environment view is displayed on a display screen of a user device;

polls, for a pre-determined period of time, for user input associated with selecting one or more of the detected selectable objects in the defined focus area;

generates automatic selection instructions for the user device whenever no user input associated with selection is received for the pre-determined period of time, wherein the generated automatic selection instructions are executable to automatically select one of the detected selectable objects within the defined focus area; and

overrides the generated automatic selection instructions when user input associated with the selection is received, wherein the received user input changes the selected selectable object to a different selectable object within the defined focus area; and

a controller interface that receives the user input associated with the selection of the selected selectable object within the defined focus area.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computer processor to perform a method for game aim assist, the method comprising:

detecting one or more selectable objects in a defined focus area within a digital environment viewed from a perspective of a user, wherein the viewed digital environment includes the defined focus area, and wherein the digital environment view is displayed on a display screen of a user device;

polling, for a pre-determined period of time, for user input associated with selecting one or more of the detected selectable objects in the defined focus area;

generating automatic selection instructions for the user device whenever no user input associated with a selection is received for the pre-determined period of time, wherein the generated automatic selection instructions are executable to automatically select one of the detected selectable objects within the defined focus area;

overriding the generated automatic selection instructions when user input associated with the selection is received, wherein the received user input changes the selected selectable object to a different selectable object within the defined focus area; and

automatically executing an object-related action when at least one of the detected selectable objects within the defined focus area has been selected.