Simulating Musical Instruments

• US 20110257771A1
• 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: Bennett, Bryn, Booth, Jason D., Dubrofsky, Sylvain
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/92
• 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 scoring a performance of a guitar part in a rhythm-action game. It operates in the context of a video game platform in communication with a display and a controller and involves receiving an input performance from the controller including at least one input chord note, each input chord note including an input string value corresponding to a struck string and an input fret value associated with the input string value. Then, a reference performance is provided, which includes at least two reference chord notes to be input at a target time, each reference chord note including a reference string value and a reference fret value associated with the reference string value. Then, a degree of matching is determined between the input performance and the reference performance, and a score is assigned to the input performance based on the degree of matching.

Claims

1. A method of scoring a performance of a guitar part in a rhythm-action game, executed on a game platform in communication with a display and a controller, comprising:

(a) receiving an input performance from the controller comprising at least one input chord note, each input chord note comprising an input string value corresponding to a struck string and an input fret value associated with the input string value;

(b) providing a reference performance comprising at least two reference chord notes to be input at a target time, each reference chord note comprising a reference string value and a reference fret value associated with the reference string value;

(c) determining a degree of matching between the input performance and the reference performance; and

(d) assigning a score to the input performance based on the degree of matching.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the degree of matching between the input performance and the reference performance comprises determining that an input chord note of the at least one input chord notes is a correct input if the input chord note matches a reference chord note of the at least two reference chord notes within a range of the target time, wherein the input chord note matches a reference chord note if the input string value is equal to the reference string value and the input fret value is equal to the reference fret value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the degree of matching further comprises determining a count of correct inputs in the input performance

4. The method of the claim 3, further comprising determining a ratio of correct inputs based on the count of correct inputs and a count of the at least two reference chord notes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the score is assigned based on the ratio of correct inputs being above or equal to a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold value is 0.5.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the score is assigned based on a table lookup.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the table lookup is based on the count of correct inputs.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the table lookup is based on a count of the at least two reference chord notes.

10. The method of the claim 3, further comprising determining a count of incorrect inputs in the input performance by subtracting the count of correct inputs from a count of the at least one input chord notes.

11. The method of the claim 3, further comprising determining a ratio of incorrect inputs based on the count of incorrect inputs and a count of the at least two reference chord notes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the score is assigned based on the ratio of incorrect inputs being below or equal to a threshold value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the threshold value is 0.5.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the score is assigned based on a table lookup.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the table lookup is based on the count of incorrect inputs.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the table lookup is based on a count of the at least two reference chord notes.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein an input fret value of zero represents an open strum.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a reference fret value of zero represents an open strum.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising resetting a streak counter based on the degree of matching.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising, altering a musical output corresponding to the guitar part based on the degree of matching.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising, adjusting a crowd meter based on the degree of matching.