Simulating Musical Instruments

• US 20110256929A1
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Teasdale, Daniel C., Applewhite, Douglas R., Schmidt, Daniel A., Dubrofsky, Sylvain, Monsalvatge, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,568,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

The invention provides a realistic drum experience in a video game. It operates in the context of a video game platform in communication with a display and a drum controller having at least one cymbal and at least one drum pad. It involves determining if a cue to be displayed on the display in a particular sub-lane should be a cue indicating a cymbal input or a cue indicating a pad input. Then, the cue is displayed in the particular sub-lane, indicating the cymbal input or pad input (dependent on the previous determination). Then, input is received from the player via the drum controller; and the input is given a first score if the input was a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane and the input is given a second score if the input was an input other than a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane.

Claims

1. A method of providing a realistic drum experience in a video game, the method executed on a video game platform in communication with a display and a drum controller comprising at least one cymbal and at least one drum pad, and comprising:

(a) determining, by a processor, if a cue to be displayed on the display in a particular sub-lane should be a cue indicating a cymbal input or a cue indicating a pad input;

(b) displaying, on the display, in the particular sub-lane, the cue indicating the cymbal input or pad input as determined in step (a);

(c) receiving, by the game platform, input from the player via the drum controller; and

(d) scoring, by the game platform, the input with a first score if the input was a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane and scoring the input with a second score if the input was an input other than a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each sub-lane is associated with a color.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second score is equal to the first score if the cue indicates a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second score is less than the first score if the cue indicates a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second score is zero if the cue indicates a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score is equal to the second score if the cue indicates a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score is less than the second score if the cue indicates a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score is zero if the cue indicates a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a count of the player'"'"'s consecutive successful inputs is reset if the cue indicates a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a count of the player'"'"'s consecutive successful inputs is not reset if the cue indicates a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a count of the player'"'"'s consecutive successful inputs is reset if the cue indicates a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a count of the player'"'"'s consecutive successful inputs is not reset if the cue indicates a pad input associated with the particular sub-lane and the received input is a cymbal input associated with the particular sub-lane.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score is a bonus score if the received input is a cymbal input and the cue indicates a cymbal input and the second score is a bonus score if the received input is a pad input and the cue indicates a pad input.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score is a bonus score if the received input is a cymbal input and the cue indicates a pad input and the second score is a bonus score if the received input is a pad input and the cue indicates a cymbal input.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the input is a successful input if the received input is a cymbal input and the cue indicates a pad input or if the received input is a pad input and the cue indicates a cymbal input.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the input is a successful input if the received input is a cymbal input and the cue indicates a cymbal input or if the received input is a pad input and the cue indicates a pad input.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises determining that a cymbal for the particular sub-lane is plugged into the drum controller and data in an input file indicates a cue is a cymbal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data in the input file indicates a cue is a cymbal by being a NOTE_ON event for a particular MIDI note.