INTERACTIVE GUITAR GAME DESIGNED FOR LEARNING TO PLAY THE GUITAR

• US 20100137049A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubisoft Entertainment S.A.
• Original Assignee: Ubisoft Entertainment S.A.
• Inventors: EPSTEIN, Joseph Charles
• Granted Patent: US 9,120,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• 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 13/54 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 13/67 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 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/066 for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental
• 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 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/145 Multiplayer musical games, e.g. karaoke-like multiplayer videogames

Abstract

An interactive game designed for learning to play a guitar. A guitar may be connected to a computer or other platform, capable of loading music and displaying notes and chords and other feedback and visual learning aids on a display screen, allowing a user to read music and play along. The goal of the software or interactive game engine is for players to learn how to play a guitar. Users may operate the game in a number of modes with different goals, playing mini-games throughout the levels of the game. The game provides feedback and statistics to help users learn how to play the guitar.

Claims

1. An interactive guitar playing system for learning to play a song on a guitar comprising:

a guitar input for receiving an analog or digital audio signal when the guitar is played by a user;

a game engine for allowing the user to play the song that is broken down into discrete segments selectable by the user corresponding to notation for the song, wherein the game engine compares the guitar input with the song; and

an audio-video display output for displaying notation for the song and providing feedback on performance by the user.

2. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the game engine tracks performance and progress of the user in learning how to play the song.

3. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the audio-video display output displays a notation for the guitar input actually played by the user.

4. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, further comprising a tuning system for indicating notes that are out of tune.

5. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the guitar generates a composite audio signal for processing.

6. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the guitar generates discrete audio signals for processing.

7. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the notation is presented in a timeline view, the timeline view having notation scrolling from right to left and a video in the background, wherein the audio output of the song is timed to the scrolling notation, and wherein the scrolling notation includes notes that reach a hit area indicating to the user to play the notes within the hit area.

8. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the notation is a rotating notating and includes a plurality of symbols corresponding to notes to be sequentially played in a repeatable manner.

9. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 8, wherein the note symbols corresponding to notes be played next in the song are displayed in a front portion of the rotating notation, and wherein note symbols corresponding to subsequent notes of the song are displayed in a back portion of the rotating notation, wherein the note symbols in the back portion of the rotating notation are partially viewable through the front portion of the rotating notation.

10. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 8, wherein the graphical representation is a three dimensional representation of the musical piece and wherein the plurality of symbols display tablature.

11. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 8, wherein the plurality of symbols display note names.

12. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 8, wherein the notation includes indications of timing of notes to be sequentially played.

13. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 8, wherein the notation includes a hit zone for indicating when the notes are to be played.

14. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the notation is displayed in a guitar neck view, the guitar neck view having a grid on top of a representation of a guitar fretboard and a display of note names.

15. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 14, wherein the video display further comprises an animated hand for showing actual fingering of a chord.

16. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the feedback on performance indicates whether the user has played an incorrect note.

17. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein points are awarded according to a user'"'"'s time of play.

18. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the game engine includes a framing narrative, the framing narrative framing a story as a progression of mini-games in which the user progresses through different levels of play.

19. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 18, wherein the story includes a character selectable by the user.

20. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 18, wherein the scrolling notation of a mini-game pauses until the user has played a correct note.

21. An interactive guitar playing system as in claim 1, wherein the video display output displays notation to be played by more than one user.

22. A method for teaching a user how to play a song on a guitar comprising:

receiving an input from the guitar when played by the user, wherein the input comprises an analog or digital audio signal;

allowing the user to play the song that is broken down into discrete segments selectable by the user corresponding to notation for the song;

comparing the input from the guitar with the song;

displaying notation for the song and providing feedback on performance by the user.

23. An interactive musical instrument playing system for learning to play a song on a musical instrument comprising:

an input for receiving an analog or digital audio signal when the musical instrument is played by a user;

a game engine for allowing the user to play the song that is broken down into discrete segments selectable by the user corresponding to notation for the song, wherein the game engine compares the input with the song; and

an audio-video display output for displaying notation for the song and providing feedback on performance by the user.

24. A graphical representation of a musical piece comprising:

a rotating notation corresponding to the musical piece, wherein the notation includes a plurality of note symbols corresponding to notes to be sequentially played in a repeatable manner.

25. The graphical representation as in claim 24, wherein the note symbols corresponding to notes be played next in the musical piece are displayed in a front portion of the rotating notation, and wherein note symbols corresponding to subsequent notes of the musical piece are displayed in a back portion of the rotating notation, and wherein the note symbols in the back portion of the rotating notation are partially viewable through the front portion of the rotating notation.

26. The graphical representation as in claim 24, wherein the graphical representation is a three dimensional graphical representation of the musical piece and the plurality of note symbols display tablature.

27. The graphical representation as in claim 24, wherein the plurality of note symbols display note names.

28. The graphical representation as in claim 24, wherein the notation includes indications of timing of notes to be sequentially played.

29. The graphical representation as in claim 24, wherein the notation includes a hit zone for indicating when the notes are to be played.