System and method of automatically annotating gameplay of a video game based on triggering events

• US 10,300,390 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: De La Cruz, Allen Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/136,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20170282077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 463 43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players

Abstract

A system and method is provided that automatically annotates gameplay based on triggering events that occur during a gameplay session. The system may automatically annotate the gameplay in real-time, such as during a gameplay session associated with an electronic-sports tournament. For example, the system may obtain and parse a game log corresponding to the gameplay session, identify triggering events based on the game log, obtain an annotation rule associated with the triggering event, generate an annotation item based on the annotation rule, and cause the annotation item to be presented in association with video of the gameplay session. An annotation item may be displayed interactively such that, when selected, causes the system to take an action. The action may include obtaining additional information relating to the selected annotation item; saving, sharing, liking/disliking or commenting on the selected annotation item; removing the selected annotation item from a display, and/or other actions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of automatically generating annotation items based on triggering events during gameplay, the method being implemented in a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, at least a portion of a game log for a gameplay session, wherein the game log is generated by a game engine;

identifying, by a gameplay annotator associated with the computer system, a triggering event based on the game log;

obtaining, by the gameplay annotator, an annotation rule associated with the triggering event;

generating, by the gameplay annotator, an annotation item based on the annotation rule, said annotation item comprising data distinct from video of a gameplay session and adapted to be visually displayed and/or audibly played with the video of the gameplay session; and

causing, by the gameplay annotator, the annotation item to be visually and/or audibly provided in association with video of the gameplay session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the triggering event comprises:

determining, by the game annotator, that a particular in-game achievement has been reached by a player in the gameplay session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the triggering event comprises:

determining, by the game annotator, that the gameplay session has reached a particular game state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the particular game state comprises a start of a game match between opposing sets of one or more players, the annotation rule specifies that a record of prior meetings between the opposing sets of one or more players be included in the annotation item, and wherein generating the annotation item comprises:

obtaining, by the game annotator, the record of prior meetings between the opposing sets of one or more players; and

including, by the game annotator, the record of prior meetings between the opposing sets of one or more players.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation rule specifies that particular information be provided in the annotation item, and wherein generating the annotation item based on the annotation rule comprises:

obtaining, by the game annotator, the particular information; and

including, by the game annotator, the particular information in the annotation item.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the particular information relates to at least one of historical statistical data or in-game data from the gameplay session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation rule conditions generation of the annotation item on the existence of one or more game characteristics, and wherein generating the annotation item comprises:

determining, by the game annotator, that the one or more game characteristics exist.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the annotation item to be provided in association with video of the gameplay session comprises:

generating, by the game annotator, a user interface comprising an annotation portion that includes the annotation item and a display portion that includes the video; and

causing, by the game annotator, the user interface to be displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the triggering event based on the game log comprises:

processing, by the game annotator, the game log based on a plurality of intervals, wherein the triggering event is identified during one of the plurality of intervals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the game log based on the plurality of intervals comprises:

delaying, by the game annotator, transmission of the video of the gameplay by at least a duration of time of a first one of the plurality of intervals.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the game log based on the plurality of intervals comprises:

processing, by the game annotator, a first one of the plurality of intervals during an intentional broadcast delayed transmission of the video of the gameplay.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the triggering event based on the game log comprises:

processing, by the game annotator, the game log as it is received as a live stream.

13. A system of automatically generating annotation items based on triggering events during gameplay, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, program the computer system to;

obtain at least a portion of a game log for a gameplay session, wherein the game log is generated by a game engine;

have a game annotator identify a triggering event based on the game log;

have the game annotator obtain an annotation rule associated with the triggering event;

have the game annotator generate an annotation item based on the annotation rule, said annotation item comprising data distinct from video of a gameplay session and adapted to be visually displayed and/or audibly played with the video of the gameplay session; and

have the game annotator cause the annotation item to be visually and/or audibly provided in association with video of the gameplay session.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein to identify the triggering event, the game annotator is programmed to:

determine that a particular in-game achievement has been reach by a player in the gameplay session.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein to identify the triggering event, the game annotator is programmed to:

determine that the gameplay session has reached a particular game state.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the particular game state comprises a start of a game match between opposing sets of one or more players, the annotation rule specifies that a record of prior meetings between the opposing sets of one or more players be included in the annotation item, and wherein to generate the annotation item, the game annotator is programmed to:

obtain the record of prior meetings between the opposing sets of one or more players; and

include the record of prior meetings between the opposing sets of one or more players.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the annotation rule specifies that particular information be provided in the annotation item, and wherein to generate the annotation item based on the annotation rule, the game annotator is programmed to:

obtain the particular information; and

include the particular information in the annotation item.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the particular information relates to at least one of historical statistical data or in-game data from the gameplay session.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the annotation rule conditions generation of the annotation item on the existence of one or more game characteristics, and wherein to generate the annotation item, the game annotator is programmed to:

determine that the one or more game characteristics exist.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein to cause the annotation item to be provided in association with video of the gameplay session, the game annotator is programmed to:

generate a user interface comprising an annotation portion that includes the annotation item and a display portion that includes the video; and

cause the user interface to be displayed.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein to identify the triggering event based on the game log, the game annotator is programmed to:

process the game log based on a plurality of intervals, wherein the triggering event is identified during one of the plurality of intervals.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein to process the game log based on the plurality of intervals, the game annotator is programmed to:

delay transmission of the video of the gameplay by at least a duration of time of a first one of the plurality of intervals.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein to process the game log based on the plurality of intervals, the game annotator is programmed to:

process a first one of the plurality of intervals during an intentional broadcast delayed transmission of the video of the gameplay.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein to identify the triggering event based on the game log, the game annotator is programmed to:

process the game log as it is received as a live stream.