MUSIC VIDEO GAME WITH VIRTUAL DRUMS

• US 20100009746A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Muhammad A., Raymond, Jesse B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,858,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• 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 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• 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 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A video game maps each of a plurality of outputs to inputs associated with a video game controller. In some embodiments, the plurality of outputs represent the various potential outputs of a drum set. Combinations of video game controller inputs are used to generate the outputs. Video game controller inputs include traditional input devices such as button inputs, as well as input signals generated from positioning and movement of the video game controllers. In some embodiments, a video game console provides a video representation of the outputs generated by input combinations received from the video game controllers.

Claims

1. A method of providing audio and video outputs for a video game, comprising:

receiving an input signal from a video game controller;

receiving additional signals from a plurality of additional inputs on the video game controller;

selecting an audio output to output based on the input signal and the additional signals; and

determining a video output based on the selected audio output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signal is a signal based on an accelerometer output of the video game controller and the additional signals are signals generated based on status of from a plurality of depressible input devices on the video game controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected audio outputs is selected from a lookup table mapping the input signal and the additional signals to audio outputs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio outputs correspond to audio outputs of a drum set.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least a plurality of the audio outputs is mapped to an icon on a visual display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the video output is a modification of the icon mapped to the selected audio output.

7. A method of generating a drum output in a music video game, comprising:

receiving a first input signal from a set of video game controllers;

determining output modification parameters on the first input signal;

receiving a second input signal from the set of video game controllers; and

selecting a drum output from a plurality of drum outputs for the second input signal based on the modification parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first input signal and the second input signal is based on a state of a depressible input device on one of the set of video game controllers.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first input signal and the second input signal is based on an output from an accelerometer on one of the set of video game controllers.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the output modification parameters affect the pitch of the drum output.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the output modification parameters affect the volume of the drum output.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting a drum output based on the output modification parameters is selecting an alternate drum output mapped to the second input signal.

13. A system for providing a visual interface for identifying audio outputs generated on a simulated drum set in a video game, comprising:

a display;

a set of video game controllers;

memory, the memory including modifying parameters associated with a plurality of additional inputs on at least one of the set of video game controllers and a mapping of video output signals to audio output signals; and

a processor configured by program instructions to generate display information of the visual interface, the program instructions including instructions for;

receiving an input signal from the set of video game controllers;

detecting additional inputs activated at the time the input signal is received;

processing the input signal to generate an audio output signal based on the activated additional inputs; and

displaying the video output signal mapped to the generated audio output signal on the visual interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the visual interface includes a visual icon representing each audio output signal, and wherein the video output signal modifies the appearance of the visual icon representing the generated audio output signal.

15. The system of claim 13, the program instructions further including instructions for generating instructive cues on the visual interface, the instinctive cues providing instructions for a user operating the set of video game controllers.

16. The system of claim 16, the program instructions further including instructions for displaying a first video output signal when operation of the set of video game controllers is in compliance with the instructions and displaying a second video output signal when the generated audio output signal is not in compliance with the instructions.

17. A music based video game system, comprising:

a first video game controller including a first plurality of inputs and a first accelerometer; and

a second video game controller including a second plurality of inputs and a second accelerometer, the second video game controller configured to communicate with the first video game controller;

the first video game controllers and the second video game controller configured to generate input signals, the input signals including generation signals, each generation signal mapped to a one of a plurality of output signals in the music based video game, and modification signals; and

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit configured to receive the generation signals and modification signals and determine output signals to generate based on the generation signals and modification signals, each of the output signals simulating a drum of a drum set.

18. A music based video game including audio generation based on input signals received from a plurality of input devices on a video game controller, wherein the music based video game including a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes comprising:

a default mode wherein audio outputs are generated based on input signals received from the plurality of input devices; and

a fill mode including a prerecorded string of audio outputs, wherein each audio output of the prerecorded string of audio outputs is generated sequentially, a one audio output generated when a preselected input signal is received.

19. The music based video game of claim 18, wherein the input signals in the default mode further include modification signals.