Method and apparatus for creating and playing soundtracks in a gaming system

• US 20020128067A1
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Blanco, Victor Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/802,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128067A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

A gaming system includes a game console that executes an application that creates and plays soundtracks through the gaming system. The application allows a user to create soundtracks by copying audio tracks from one or more audio sources. A user-created soundtrack can be associated with a particular game such that the user-created soundtrack is played during execution of the game instead of the game'"'"'s default soundtrack.

Claims

1. A game console, comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

a console application stored in memory and executable on the processor, the console application configured to create a soundtrack containing a plurality of audio tracks.

2. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a hard disk drive.

3. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application is further configured to play soundtracks through the game console.

4. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from an audio CD in the game console.

5. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from an audio DVD in the game console.

6. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application 22 retrieves audio tracks from a game disc in the game console.

7. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from an online source coupled to the game console.

8. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application stores the soundtrack in the memory.

9. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application stores the soundtrack in the memory as a WMA file.

10. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application retrieves audio tracks from a plurality of audio sources.

11. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application is further configured to associate the soundtrack with a particular game such that the soundtrack is played when the particular game is launched.

12. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application is further configured to associate the soundtrack with a particular user of the game console.

13. A game console as recited in claim 1 wherein the console application is further configured to display a listing of all soundtracks available for playback by the game console.

15. A game console as recited in claim 14 wherein the second user interface is further to facilitate the associating of a selected soundtrack with a particular game such that the selected soundtrack is played when the particular game is launched.

16. A game console as recited in claim 14 wherein the second user interface further facilitates the associating of a selected soundtrack with a particular user of the game console.

17. A game console as recited in claim 14 wherein the plurality of audio tracks are retrieved from a plurality of audio sources.

18. A game console as recited in claim 14 wherein the plurality of audio tracks are retrieved from a single audio source.

19. A game console as recited in claim 14 wherein the first user interface facilitates creation of a soundtrack by presenting a list of audio sources from which to select audio tracks.

20. A game console as recited in claim 14 wherein the first user interface facilitates creation of a soundtrack by presenting a list of audio tracks available from a selected audio source, the first user interface further facilitating selection of an audio track from the audio source for including in the soundtrack.

14. A game console, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to present a first user interface to facilitate creation of a soundtrack containing a plurality of audio tracks, the processor further configured to present a second user interface to facilitate playback of soundtracks stored in the memory.

21. A method comprising:

a receiving a request to launch a game in a gaming system;

determining whether the game has a user-associated soundtrack;

launching the game and playing the user-associated soundtrack if the game has a user-associated soundtrack; and

launching the game and playing a default soundtrack if the game does not have a user-associated soundtrack.

22. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the default soundtrack is provided by the game developer.

23. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the default soundtrack is provided on a game disc.

24. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the default soundtrack and the game are stored on a game disc installed in the gaming system.

25. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein playing the user-associated soundtrack includes retrieving the user-associated soundtrack from a hard disk drive in the gaming system.

26. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein playing the user-associated soundtrack occurs while a game disc is installed in the gaming system.

27. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 21.

29. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes allowing the user to select between a default game soundtrack and other soundtracks stored in the gaming system.

30. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes associating the selected soundtrack with the game if the selected soundtrack is stored in the gaming system.

31. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein allowing the user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes associating the selected soundtrack with the game if the selected soundtrack is not the default game soundtrack.

32. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein allowing the user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack includes

33. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 28.

35. A method as recited in claim 34 wherein determining the new soundtrack to be played includes:

displaying a list of available soundtracks to a user of the gaming system; and

identifying the soundtrack selected by the user of the gaming system.

36. A method as recited in claim 35 wherein the list of available soundtracks is generated by identifying soundtracks stored on a hard disk drive in the gaming system.

37. A method as recited in claim 35 wherein the list of available soundtracks is generated by identifying soundtracks associated with the user of the gaming system.

38. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 34.

40. A user interface as recited in claim 39 wherein the soundtrack creation menu is further configured to facilitate association of a soundtrack with a particular game.

41. A user interface as recited in claim 39 wherein the soundtrack creation menu is further configured to facilitate association of a specific soundtrack with a particular game such that when the game is executed, the specific soundtrack is played instead of the particular game'"'"'s default soundtrack.

28. A method comprising:

receiving a request to play a game in a gaming system;

determining whether the game has a user-associated soundtrack;

if the game has a user-associated soundtrack;

launching the game; and

playing the user-associated soundtrack;

if the game does not have a user-associated soundtrack;

allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack to play while the game is executed.

34. A method comprising:

launching a game and playing a user-associated soundtrack on a gaming system;

receiving a request to select a different soundtrack;

pausing execution of the game;

determining the new soundtrack to be played; and

resuming execution of the game and playing the new soundtrack on the gaming system.

39. A user interface for a game console, comprising:

a music collection menu configured to identify soundtracks that are currently available to play on the game console; and

a soundtrack creation menu accessible from the music collection menu to create a soundtrack from one or more audio tracks.

42. A computer-readable medium for a game console comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to:

identify a game to be executed by the game console;

determine whether the identified game has a user-associated soundtrack;

execute the game while playing the user-associated soundtrack if the identified game has a user-associated soundtrack; and

execute the game while playing a default game soundtrack if the identified game does not have a user-associated soundtrack.

43. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 42 wherein the default game soundtrack is stored on a game disc with an associated game.

44. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 42 wherein the user-associated soundtrack is played while a game disc is installed in the game console.