Saving audio source identifiers for soundtracks in a gaming system

• US 20040005923A1
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Helm, James N., Allard, James E., Blanco, Victor Keith, Stone, Jeffrey S., Sharpe, Tracy
• Granted Patent: US 7,708,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• 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

In accordance with one aspect of saving audio source identifiers for soundtracks in a gaming system, an audio track is obtained from an audio source and the audio track is saved so that a copy of the audio track is available when the audio source is no longer accessible to a game console. The audio track is at least part of a user-created soundtrack and/or a user-selected soundtrack. The identifier of the audio source is also saved, and when a database containing meta data associated with the audio track is available, the meta data associated with the audio track is obtained from the database, based at least in part on the identifier saved on the storage device, and the obtained meta data is stored.

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, wherein the console application is configured to;

create a soundtrack containing a plurality of audio tracks,

associate, with each of the plurality of audio tracks, an identifier of an audio source from which the audio track is obtained,

subsequently use, for at least one of the plurality of audio tracks, the identifier associated with the audio track to retrieve a title for the audio track, and

present the title for the audio track as part of the soundtrack.

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 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.

14. A method, implemented in a game console, the method comprising:

obtaining an audio track from an audio source;

saving the audio track so that a copy of the audio track is available when the audio source is no longer accessible to the game console, wherein the audio track is at least part of a user-created soundtrack;

saving an identifier of the audio source; and

when a database containing meta data associated with the audio track is available, obtaining the meta data associated with the audio track from the database and storing the meta data associated with the audio track, wherein the meta data is obtained based at least in part on the identifier saved on the storage device.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

saving the audio track comprises saving the audio track on a storage device of the game console;

saving the identifier comprises saving the identifier on the storage device; and

saving the meta data comprises storing the meta data on the storage device.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the storage device comprises an internal hard disk drive of the game console.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the database is stored on the storage device.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

saving an indicator of the audio track; and

wherein the meta data is obtained based at least in part on both the saved identifier and the saved indicator on the storage device.

19. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the audio source comprises an audio CD.

20. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the audio source comprises an audio DVD.

21. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the identifier of the audio source comprises table of contents (TOC) information for the audio source.

22. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the database is stored on a removable media readable by a media drive of the game console.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the removable media comprises an optical disc.

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

obtain an audio track from an audio source;

save the audio track so that a copy of the audio track is available when the audio source is no longer accessible to the game console, wherein the audio track is at least part of a user-selected soundtrack;

save an identifier of the audio source; and

when a database containing meta data associated with the audio track is available, obtain the meta data associated with the audio track from the database and store the meta data associated with the audio track, wherein the meta data is obtained based at least in part on the identifier saved on the storage device.

25. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein:

the instructions that direct the game console to save the audio track direct the game console to save the audio track on a storage device of the game console;

the instructions that direct the game console to save the identifier direct the game console to save the identifier on the storage device; and

the instructions that direct the game console to store the meta data direct the game console to store the meta data on the storage device.

26. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the storage device comprises an internal hard disk drive of the game console.

27. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the database is stored on the storage device.

28. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, further direct the game console to:

save an indicator of the audio track; and

wherein the meta data is obtained based at least in part on both the saved identifier and the saved indicator.

29. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the audio source comprises an audio CD.

30. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the audio source comprises an audio DVD.

31. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the identifier of the audio source comprises table of contents (TOC) information for the audio source.

32. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the database is stored on a removable media readable by a media drive of the game console.

33. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the removable media comprises an optical disc.

34. A method, implemented in a game console, the method comprising:

obtaining an audio track from a source;

saving the audio track on a storage device of the game console;

saving, on the storage device, an identifier of the source;

waiting for a future application to be subsequently installed on the game console; and

after the future application is installed on the game console, using the saved identifier to obtain meta data associated with the audio track from a database and storing the meta data associated with the audio track on the storage device.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein obtaining the meta data comprises obtaining the meta data in response to the future application being installed.

36. A method, implemented in a game console, the method comprising:

copying an audio track from an audio source to a storage device of the game console, wherein the audio track is at least part of a user-selected soundtrack;

using an identifier of the audio source to retrieve meta data associated with the audio track from a database if the database is accessible; and

saving the identifier of the audio source on the game console if the database is not accessible.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, further comprising using the saved identifier to retrieve the meta data associated with the audio track when the database is subsequently available.

38. A method as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

saving, on the game console, an indicator of the audio track; and

using both the saved identifier and the saved indicator to retrieve the meta data.

39. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the audio source comprises an audio CD.

40. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the audio source comprises an audio DVD.

41. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the storage device comprises an internal hard disk drive of the game console.

42. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the identifier of the audio source comprises table of contents (TOC) information for the audio source.

43. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein at least a portion of the database is stored on a removable media inserted in the game console.

44. A method as recited in claim 43, wherein the removable media comprises an optical disc.

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

copy an audio track from an audio source to a storage device of the game console, wherein the audio track is at least part of a user-created soundtrack;

use an identifier of the audio source to retrieve meta data associated with the audio track from a database if the database is accessible; and

save the identifier of the audio source on the game console if the database is not accessible.

46. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein the instructions further direct the game console to use the saved identifier to retrieve the meta data associated with the audio track when the database is subsequently available.

47. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 46, wherein the instructions further direct the game console to:

save, on the game console, an indicator of the audio track; and

use both the saved identifier and the saved indicator to retrieve the meta data.

48. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein the audio source comprises an audio CD.

49. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein the audio source comprises an audio DVD.

50. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein the storage device comprises an internal hard disk drive of the game console.

51. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein the identifier of the audio source comprises table of contents (TOC) information for the audio source.

52. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein at least a portion of the database is stored on a removable media inserted in the game console.

53. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 52, wherein the removable media comprises an optical disc.