PODBLASTING-CONNECTING A USB PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICE TO A CONSOLE

• US 20090088255A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Meyers, Mark, Huntsman, Kendell T., Barnes, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for aiding users of game consoles in creating custom gameplay data for a music video game based on audio data (e.g., songs) stored on a portable media device. Specific embodiments provide a game console application that can receive a song at a game console from a portable media device, and receive user inputs to generate custom gameplay data associated with the song. The gameplay data may then be saved to the portable storage device and later accessed, either at the same or a different game console, to allow a user to play the music video game in accordance with the gameplay data and the audio data. In this manner, users can create and share custom gameplay content for a music video game based on songs stored on their portable media devices.

Claims

1. A method for aiding a user of a game console in creating gameplay data for a video game based on audio data stored on a portable media device, the method comprising:

receiving the audio data at the game console from the portable media device, the portable media device being communicatively coupled with the game console via a data link;

presenting a user interface to the user of the game console, the user interface including a visual representation of the audio data;

receiving input from the user of the game console, the input being used to generate gameplay data associated with the audio data, the gameplay data including a plurality of user input cues synchronized with the audio data; and

storing the gameplay data on the portable media device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the gameplay data at the game console from the portable media device; and

enabling the user of the game console to play the video game on the game console in accordance with the gameplay data and the audio data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein enabling the user of the game console to play the video game on the game console in accordance with the gameplay data and the audio data comprises playing back the audio data while concurrently displaying a visual representation of the gameplay data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the video game is a music video game.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining if a user of a second game console is allowed to access the audio data; and

if the user of the second game console is allowed to access the audio data;

receiving the gameplay data at the second game console; and

enabling the user of the second game console to play the video game on the second game console in accordance with the gameplay data and the audio data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the user of the second console is allowed to access the audio data if the user of the second console owns a legally acquired copy of the audio data.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving the gameplay data at the second game console comprises:

communicatively coupling the portable media device with the second game console via a second data link; and

receiving the gameplay data from the portable media device through the second data link.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving the gameplay data at the second game console comprises downloading the gameplay data from a remote server.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

generating a video of the user of the game console playing the video game in accordance with the gameplay data and the audio data; and

storing the video on the portable media device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising displaying the video on a display of the portable media device.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving the video from the portable media device at a second game console; and

displaying the video on a display connected to the second game console.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving information about a plurality of audio tracks from the portable media device, the plurality of audio tracks being stored on the portable media device, the audio data being included in the plurality of audio tracks; and

presenting a second user interface to the user of the game console, the second user interface including at least a portion of the information about the plurality of audio tracks.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a selection of the audio data from among the plurality of audio tracks, the selection being received from the user of the game console via a motion-sensitive controller.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising uploading the gameplay data to a remote server.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the visual representation of the audio data includes a timeline of the audio data.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is received from the user of the game console via a motion-sensitive controller.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more user input cues in the gameplay data correspond to notes played by one or more instruments in the audio data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more instruments is selected from a group consisting of:

guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and voice.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the audio data on the game console.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio data is received at the game console in a streaming format.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the gameplay data is stored on the portable storage device in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio data is stored on the portable storage device as an audio data file, and wherein the gameplay data is stored on the portable storage device as metadata in the audio data file.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the audio data file is an Advanced Audio Code (AAC) file.

24. The method of claim 1 where the gameplay data is stored on the portable storage device as a first file and the audio data is stored on the portable storage device as a second file.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the data link is a wired link.

26. The method of claim 25 where the data link is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link.

27. The method of claim 1 where in the data link is a wireless link.

29. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

a third programmatic interface for receiving the gameplay data at the game console; and

a playback module for playing back the audio data while concurrently display a visual representation of the gameplay data within a game, thereby allowing the user of the game console to play the video game in accordance with the gameplay data and the audio data.

28. A system for aiding a user of a game console in creating gameplay data for a video game based on audio data stored on a portable media device, the system comprising:

a first programmatic interface for receiving the audio data at the game console from the portable media device;

an editor module for displaying a visual representation of the audio data and receiving input from the user of the game console, the input being used to generate gameplay data associated with the audio data, the gameplay data including a plurality of user input cues synchronized with the audio data; and

a second programmatic interface for transmitting the gameplay data from the game console to the portable media device for storage on the portable media device.

30. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive audio data at a game console from a portable media device, the portable media device being communicatively coupled with the game console via a data link;

present a user interface to a user of the game console, the user interface including a visual representation of the audio data;

receive input from the user of the game console, the input being used to generate gameplay data associated with the audio data, the gameplay data including a plurality of user input cues synchronized with the audio data; and

store the gameplay data on the portable media device.