METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTMENT OF GAME PARAMETERS BASED ON MEASUREMENT OF USER PERFORMANCE

• US 20080268943A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jacob, Mark Lester
• Application Number:
  US12/105,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• 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 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and techniques for adjustment of game parameters based on users'"'"' performance are described. During play of a game a user'"'"'s performance is monitored. It is then determined if the player'"'"'s performance is within a desired range of performance, and game parameters are adjusted if the user'"'"'s performance is outside the desired range. In a multi-player game, parameters can be adjusted differently for each of the players to make the overall game play more competitive.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting game parameters, the method comprising:

receiving statistics about typical player interaction with a game;

monitoring a user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing the game;

determining if the user'"'"'s performance is within a desired range of performance; and

dynamically adjusting game parameters while the user is playing the game if the user'"'"'s performance is outside the desired range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting game parameters comprises limiting game options available to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting game parameters comprises enhancing game options available to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring movements of a motion sensing input device being manipulated by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises detecting the user'"'"'s response to audio stimuli.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises detecting the user'"'"'s response to visual stimuli.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired range of performance is obtained by using the receiving statistics about typical player interaction with a game.

8. A method of adjusting game parameters in a multi-user game, the method comprising:

receiving profiles of two or more users in the multi-user game;

adjusting game options for the respective users based upon their respective profiles;

monitoring the users'"'"' relative performance in playing the multi-user game;

determining if the users'"'"' relative performance is within a desired range of performance; and

dynamically adjusting game parameters for one or more of the users while the users are playing the multi-user game if the relative performance of the users is outside the desired range.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein dynamically adjusting game parameters comprises limiting game options available to one of the users.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein dynamically adjusting game parameters comprises enhancing game options available to one of the users.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein monitoring the users'"'"' relative performance comprises monitoring movements of a motion sensing input device being manipulated by each user.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein monitoring the users'"'"' relative performance comprises detecting the respective user'"'"'s reaction to audio stimuli.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein monitoring the user'"'"'s relative performance comprises detecting the respective user'"'"'s reaction to visual stimuli.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving statistics about typical player interaction with the multi-user game; and

obtaining the desired range of performance by using the received statistics.

15. A storage medium storing a computer program executable by a processor based system, the computer program causing the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

receiving statistics about typical player interaction with a game;

monitoring a user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing the game;

determining if the user'"'"'s performance is within a desired range of performance; and

dynamically adjusting game parameters while the user is playing the game if the user'"'"'s performance is outside the desired range.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring movements of a motion sensing input device being manipulated by the user.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the desired range of performance is obtained by using the receiving statistics about typical player interaction with a game.

18. An apparatus for use with adjusting game parameters, comprising:

an input device for use by a user to interact with a game; and

a processor based system configured to receive statistics about typical player interaction with the game, monitor the user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing the game, determine if the user'"'"'s performance is within a desired range of performance, and dynamically adjust game parameters while the user is playing the game if the user'"'"'s performance is outside the desired range.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the input device comprises a motion sensing controller; and

the monitoring of the user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring movements of the motion sensing controller.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the desired range of performance is obtained by using the receiving statistics about typical player interaction with a game.

21. A storage medium storing a computer program executable by a processor based system, the computer program causing the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

receiving profiles of two or more users in a multi-user game;

adjusting game options for the respective users based upon their respective profiles;

monitoring the users'"'"' relative performance in playing the multi-user game;

determining if the users'"'"' relative performance is within a desired range of performance; and

dynamically adjusting game parameters for one or more of the users while the users are playing the multi-user game if the relative performance of the users is outside the desired range.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein monitoring the users'"'"' relative performance comprises monitoring movements of a motion sensing input device being manipulated by each user.

23. The storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving statistics about typical player interaction with the multi-user game; and

obtaining the desired range of performance by using the received statistics.