SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SIMULATING A ROCK BAND EXPERIENCE

• US 20090104956A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• 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: Wright, Nathan H., McGinnis, Kevin Morris, Kay, Robert, Schmidt, Daniel, Lesser, Ryan, LoPiccolo, Gregory B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,690,670 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

Systems and methods for indicating the performance of a plurality of players playing a video game simulating a rock band experience may include: calculating a player score for each player playing a rhythm action game within a band, each player score representing the performance level of a particular player; calculating a composite score for the band playing a rhythm action game, the composite score based in part on a performance level associated with each player within the band; displaying the composite score on a performance meter as a performance level; and displaying each player score on the performance meter as a graphical indication positioned on the meter at a position corresponding to the calculated player score.

Claims

1. a method for displaying a performance meter indicative of one or more performance:

levels associated with players and groups of players of a rhythm action game, the method comprising;

a. calculating a player score for each player playing a rhythm action game within a band, each player score representing the performance level of a particular player;

b. calculating a composite score for the band playing a rhythm action game, the composite score based in part on a performance level associated with each player within the band;

c. displaying the composite score on a performance meter as a performance level; and

d. displaying each player score on the performance meter as a graphical indication positioned on the meter at a position corresponding to the calculated player score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the player score for each player within the band further comprises calculating a weighted rolling average of the performance level for each player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the player score for each player further comprises calculating a percentage of notes correctly played by each player.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the percentage of notes further comprises weighting recently played notes more heavily than previously played notes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the player score for each player further comprises calculating a weighted average of the performance levels for each player as measured during a particular phrase.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the player score each time a new note is played.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the player score each time a new phrase is sung.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the composite score for the band further comprises calculating a composite score by averaging together the player scores for each player within the band.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each graphical indication corresponds to an instrument type of each player.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the performance meter as a meter having at least one subdivision, the at least one subdivision labeled according to a performance characteristic associated with a particular performance level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each graphical indication comprises an icon representative of an instrument associated with a player.

12. A computer program product comprising code executable by a processor to display a performance meter indicative of one or more performance levels associated with players and groups of players of a rhythm action game, the computer program product comprising computer readable media having:

executable code for calculating a player score for each player playing a rhythm action game within a band, each player score representing the performance level of a particular player;

executable code for calculating a composite score for the band playing a rhythm action game, the composite score based in part on a performance level associated with each player within the band;

executable code for displaying the composite score on a performance meter as a performance level; and

executable code for displaying each player score on the performance meter as a graphical indication positioned on the meter at a position corresponding to the calculated player score.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein executable code for calculating the player score for each player within the band further comprises executable code for calculating a weighted rolling average of the performance level for each player.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein executable code for calculating the player score for each player further comprises executable code for calculating a percentage of notes correctly played by each player.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein executable code for calculating the percentage of notes further comprises executable code for weighting recently played notes more heavily than previously played notes.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein executable code for calculating the player score for each player further comprises executable code for calculating a weighted average of the performance levels for each player as measured during a particular phrase.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for updating the player score each time a new note is played.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for updating the player score each time a new phrase is sung.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein executable code for calculating the composite score for the band further comprises executable code for calculating a composite score by averaging together the player scores for each player within the band.

20. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein each graphical indication corresponds to an instrument associated with each player.

21. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code for displaying the performance meter as a meter having at least one subdivision, the at least one subdivision labeled according to a performance characteristic associated with a particular performance level.

22. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein each graphical indication comprises an icon representative of an instrument associated with a player.