Interactive Story Development System and Method for Creating a Narrative of a Storyline

• US 20160274705A1
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Shoulson, Alexander, Kapadia, Mubbasir, Sumner, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

There is provided a method for use by an interactive story development system. The method includes receiving a story state including an attribute state of each of a plurality of items present in a storyline, wherein the plurality of items include a plurality of objects of the storyline and a plurality of characters of the storyline. The method also includes creating a story web, wherein the story web includes a node for every possible interaction between the plurality of objects and the plurality of characters in the storyline, and calculating a narrative value for each of the nodes of the story web, receiving a first input from a user selecting user criteria including at least one of a story telling option of the storyline and a sentiment selection, and determining based on the narrative value and the user criteria, a plurality of candidate nodes of the story web.

Claims

1. An interactive story development system for creating a narrative of a storyline, the system comprising:

a memory including;

an inventory including a plurality of items, wherein the plurality of items include a plurality of objects of the storyline and a plurality of characters of the storyline, and wherein each item has an attribute state;

an event library describing a change in the attribute state of each item in the inventory resulting from an interaction with each of the other items in the inventory; and

a processor configured to;

receive a story state including an attribute state of each item present in the storyline;

create a story web, wherein the story web includes a node for every possible interaction between the plurality of objects and the plurality of characters in the storyline;

calculate a narrative value for each of the nodes of the story web;

receive a first input from a user selecting user criteria including at least one of a story telling option of the storyline and a sentiment selection; and

determine, based on the narrative value and the user criteria, a plurality of candidate nodes of the story web.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the story telling option is one of generative storytelling and intervention storytelling, wherein generative storytelling includes the storyline pausing after each event and waiting for an input from the user selecting what action to take next, and intervention storytelling includes the storyline automatically generating a complete story based on the user criteria, wherein the storyline only pauses for input from the user when the user chooses to intervene.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the narrative value for each possible story state includes a quantitative component and a qualitative component.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the quantitative component includes calculating a cost associated with each node of the story web.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sentiment selection includes selecting at least one sentiment from violent, non-violent, brave, and negligent.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display the storyline on a display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a second input from the user selecting a candidate node from the plurality of candidate nodes.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to update the attribute state of each item present in the storyline to reflect the story state at the selected candidate node

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a story web generator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to use the story web generator to create the story web.

11. A method for use by an interactive story development system having a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

receiving, using the processor, a story state including an attribute state of each of a plurality of items present in a storyline, wherein the plurality of items are stored in the memory and include a plurality of objects of the storyline and a plurality of characters of the storyline;

creating a story web using the processor, wherein the story web includes a node for every possible interaction between the plurality of objects and the plurality of characters in the storyline;

calculating, using the processor, a narrative value for each of the nodes of the story web;

receiving, using the processor, a first input from a user selecting user criteria including at least one of a story telling option of the storyline and a sentiment selection; and

determining, using the processor, based on the narrative value and the user criteria, a plurality of candidate nodes of the story web.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the story telling option is one of generative storytelling and intervention storytelling, wherein generative storytelling includes the storyline pausing after each event and waiting for an input from the user selecting what action to take next, and intervention storytelling includes the storyline automatically generating a complete story based on the user criteria, wherein the storyline only pauses for input from the user when the user chooses to intervene.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the narrative value for each possible story state includes a quantitative component and a qualitative component.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the quantitative component includes calculating a cost associated with each node of the story web.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the sentiment selection includes selecting at least one sentiment from violent, non-violent, brave, and negligent.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to display the storyline on a display.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a second input from the user selecting a candidate node from the plurality of candidate nodes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to update the attribute state of each item present in the storyline to reflect the story state at the selected candidate node.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory includes a story web generator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to use the story web generator in creating the story web.