ATTENTION-BASED AI DETERMINATION OF PLAYER CHOICES

• US 20190076736A1
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Published: 03/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Timm, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 11,351,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/217 using environment-related information, i.e. information generated otherwise than by the player, e.g. ambient temperature or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• 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 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• 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 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Using a camera or other tracking hardware, the attention of a player of a computer game (based on gaze direction, for instance) is tracked at key/predetermined points during game play. For example, when the player enters a new area in the game such as a simulated room, town, etc., it is determined what the player'"'"'s gaze focuses on more, e.g., a dog huddled in the comer, a nobleman with obvious signs of wealth, or a shifty appearing figure in the shadows. Based on this input, one or more factors of future gameplay are determined, such as an order in which to present encounters/challenges, adjusting a character'"'"'s “morality” score/flag, adjusting bonuses/penalties to non-player character (NPC) interactions, etc.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

receive from a camera at least one image of a player of a computer game;

based at least in part on the image, determine a direction of gaze of the player;

correlate the direction of gaze to at least one object in the computer game to establish a correlation;

use the correlation to determine at least one of;

a game path to present to the player, a dialog to present to the player, a player skill attribute; and

execute at least one of;

presenting the game path to the player, presenting the dialog to the player, altering a skill associated with the player according to the player skill attribute.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

use the correlation to determine a game path to present to the player; and

present the game path to the player.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

use the correlation to determine a dialog to present to the player; and

present the dialog to the player.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

use the correlation to determine a player skill attribute; and

alter a skill associated with the player according to the player skill attribute.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

correlate the direction of gaze to at least one object in the computer game to establish a correlation at least in part based on accessing information the computer game indicating locations of objects in at least one keystone scene.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the camera is supported by a computer game headset wearable by the player.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

establish the correlation at least in part based on a number of times greater than one that the direction of gaze is directed to the at least one object.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

establish the correlation at least in part based on a class of the at least one object.

9. The device of claim 1, comprising the at least one processor.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one computer storage comprising instructions executable by at least one processor; and

at least one processor configured to access the instructions for;

receiving from a device at least one indication signal that is not a computer game input signal, the at least one indication signal indicating attention of a player to an element of a computer game;

based at least in part on the indication signal, determining an attention of the player;

correlating the attention of the player to at least one object in the computer game to establish a correlation;

using the correlation to determine at least one of;

a game path to present to the player, a dialog to present to the player, a player skill attribute; and

executing at least one of;

presenting the game path to the player, presenting the dialog to the player, altering a skill associated with the player according to the player skill attribute.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the device is a camera and the indication signal comprises at least one image of the player.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the device is a processor and the indication signal comprises at least cursor hover signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable for:

using the correlation to determine a game path to present to the player; and

presenting the game path to the player.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable for:

using the correlation to determine a dialog to present to the player; and

presenting the dialog to the player.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable for:

using the correlation to determine a player skill attribute; and

altering a skill associated with the player according to the player skill attribute.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable for:

establishing the correlation at least in part based on accessing information the computer game indicating locations of objects in at least one keystone scene.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable for:

establishing the correlation at least in part based on a number of times greater than one that the attention is directed to the at least one object.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the instructions are executable for:

establishing the correlation at least in part based on a class of the at least one object.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving at least one indication signal that is not a computer game input signal;

based at least in part on the indication signal, determining an attention of the player;

correlating the attention of the player to at least one object in a computer game to establish a correlation; and

using the correlation to alter presentation of the computer game.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

using the correlation to determine at least one of;

a game path to present to the player, a dialog to present to the player, a player skill attribute; and

executing at least one of;

presenting the game path to the player, presenting the dialog to the player, altering a skill associated with the player according to the player skill attribute.