SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ONLINE BAND MATCHING IN A RHYTHM ACTION GAME

• US 20090098918A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Daniel, Brakeley, Daniel Asher, Pitsch, Geoff, Teasdale, Daniel Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,678,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• 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 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/155 Musical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/145 : Multiplayer musical games, e.g. karaoke-like multiplayer videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 : for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 : Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 : Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/435 : Gensound percussion, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a percussion instrument; Control of specific aspects of percussion sounds, e.g. harmonics, under the influence of hitting force, hitting position, settings or striking instruments such as mallet, drumstick, brush or hand
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/441 : Gensound string, i.e. generating the sound of a string instrument, controlling specific features of said sound
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/146 : using a membrane, e.g. a drum; Pick-up means for vibrating surfaces, e.g. housing of an instrument

Abstract

A method for matching suitable remote players to one or more local players of a rhythm-action game includes identifying one or more local players to participate in a networked session of a rhythm action game corresponding to a predetermined band template, each local player associated with a type of simulated musical. A first type of simulated musical instrument represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players may then be identified, along with a remote player associated with the first type of simulated musical instrument. A game session may then be provided including the one or more local players and the identified remote player.

Claims

1. A method for matching suitable remote players to one or more local players of a rhythm-action game, the method comprising:

a. identifying one or more local players to participate in a networked session of a rhythm action game corresponding to a predetermined band template, each local player associated with a type of simulated musical instrument;

b. identifying a first type of simulated musical instrument represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players;

c. identifying a remote player associated with the first type of simulated musical instrument; and

d. providing a networked session of the rhythm action game with the one or more local players and the identified remote player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more local players is identified after the remote player is identified.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the one or more local players corresponds to a simulated musical instrument connected to a game console after the remote player is identified.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of simulated musical instrument is selected from the group of guitar, drums, and microphone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the band template comprises two guitars, one microphone, and one drum set.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, to the one or more local players, an option to search for a remote player.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, to the one or more local players, an option to allow one or more remote players to join.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, to the one or more local players, an option to invite a specific remote player.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises identifying a plurality of types of simulated musical instrument represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players;

and wherein step (c) comprises identifying a plurality of remote players, each remote player associated with a different one of the identified plurality of types of simulated musical instruments.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of remote players are local to each other.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises identifying a plurality of simulated musical instruments represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players;

and wherein step (c) comprises identifying a plurality of remote players, each remote player associated with one of the identified plurality of simulated musical instruments.

12. A computer program product comprising machine-readable executable code for matching suitable remote players to one or more local players of a rhythm-action game, the computer program product comprising computer readable media having:

executable code for identifying one or more local players to participate in a networked session of a rhythm action game corresponding to a predetermined band template, each local player associated with a type of simulated musical instrument;

executable code for identifying a first type of simulated musical instrument represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players;

executable code for identifying a remote player associated with the first type of simulated musical instrument; and

executable code for providing a networked session of the rhythm action game with the one or more local players and the identified remote player.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or more local players is identified after the remote player is identified.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the one or more local players corresponds to a simulated musical instrument connected to a game console after the remote player is identified.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the type of simulated musical instrument is selected from the group of guitar, drums, and microphone.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the band template comprises two guitars, one microphone, and one drum set.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for displaying, to the one or more local players, an option to search for a remote player.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for displaying, to the one or more local players, an option to allow one or more remote players to join.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for displaying, to the one or more local players, an option to invite a specific remote player.

20. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for identifying a plurality of types of simulated musical instrument represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players;

and for identifying a plurality of remote players, each remote player associated with a different one of the identified plurality of types of simulated musical instruments.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the plurality of remote players are local to each other.

22. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for identifying a plurality of simulated musical instruments represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players;

and for identifying a plurality of remote players, each remote player associated with one of the identified plurality of simulated musical instruments.