Music playing game apparatus, performance guiding image display method, and readable storage medium storing performance guiding image forming program

• US 6,390,923 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Omori, Takahiro, Kubo, Kazuya, Yoshitomi, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T.
• Application Number:
  US09/695,461
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/30-31, 463/35, 463/43, 434/307.A, 434/307.R, 434/315, 434/318, 434/365, 434/309, 434/308, 846/10--11, 846/34--35, 846/50--51
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/141 Games on or about music, i.e. based on musical knowledge, e.g. musical multimedia quizzes teaching of music per se G09B15/00

Abstract

A music playing game apparatus comprises background music reproducing unit; display unit for displaying an image stored in the storage medium; control unit for reading a content of recorded information in a storage medium storing a plurality of simulated music instruments played by a player and for executing a predetermined operation to the display unit and the background music reproducing unit upon receiving an operation signal from the simulated music instrument. The control unit includes a pattern storage unit for storing operation instruction pattern to instruct an operation of the simulated music instrument; a sound information storage unit for storing playing sounds of the simulated music instrument; a display control unit for reading out the operation instruction pattern corresponding to the background music to be reproduced, and for displaying the operation instruction; playing sound output unit for outputting a playing sound from the sound information storage unit at a time of operation of the music instrument in accordance with the operation instruction pattern displayed on the display control unit.

Claims

1. A music playing game apparatus comprising:

background music reproducing means for reproducing a background music chosen from a plurality of background music stored in a storage medium;

display means for displaying an image stored in the storage medium;

control means for reading a plurality of simulated music instruments to be played by a player and a content of recorded information in the storage medium for executing a predetermined operation to the display means and the background music reproducing means upon receiving an operation signal from the simulated music instrument;

said control means including;

a pattern storage unit for storing operation instruction pattern for instructing an operation of the simulated music instrument;

a music playing sound information storage unit for storing playing sounds of the simulated music instrument so as to correspond to each operation instruction pattern;

a display control unit for dividing the display area into display sections whose number is in accordance with the number of the simulated music instruments, for reading out the operation instruction pattern corresponding to the background music to be reproduced, and for displaying the operation instruction patterns in synchronism with the reproduced music in divided sections respectively; and

a playing sound output unit for reading out and outputting a playing sound from the playing sound information storage unit, the playing sound corresponding to the operation instruction signal at a time of operation of the music instrument in accordance with the operation instruction pattern displayed on the display control unit.

2. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means further includes an evaluation unit for evaluating the operation of the music instrument in view of a comparison between the instruction given by the operation instruction pattern and the operation of the simulated music instrument in response to the instruction of the operation instruction pattern.

3. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the background music reproducing means reproduces the background music excluding the sound of the simulated music instrument to be played by the player.

4. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays a reference mark on one side of the display area and the operation instruction pattern scrolling from the other side of the display area to the reference mark at a predetermined speed.

5. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit sets a scrolling direction of the operation instruction pattern in accordance with the music instruments.

6. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the simulated music instruments includes a simulated guitar simulating a guitar and a simulated drum simulating a drum and the display control unit scrolls the operation instruction pattern corresponding to the simulated guitar from a bottom to top and scrolls the operation instruction pattern corresponding to the simulated drum from the top to the bottom.

7. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit changes a size of each of the sections of the display area in accordance with the number of the music instruments.

8. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays in a first display mode and a second display mode, the displayed image on the second display mode is longer in a horizontal direction than that on the first display mode, the pattern storage means stores an image of the first operation instruction pattern for the first display mode and an image of the second operation instruction pattern for the second display mode, the display control unit displays the first operation instruction pattern when the first display mode is selected and displays the second operation instruction pattern when the second display mode is selected.

9. The music playing game apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display area includes a display section that displays a predetermined image in addition to the second operation instruction pattern when the second display mode is selected.

10. A performance guiding image display method for displaying in a display means an image stored in a storage medium in synchronism with a reproduction of a background music selected from a plurality of background music stored in the storage medium, and performing a predetermined operation to the image display means upon receiving operation signals from a plurality of music instruments to be played by player, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the display area of the image display means into a plurality of sections;

displaying in the plural sections respectively the operation instruction patterns for the simulated music instruments corresponding to the reproduced background music in synchronism with the reproduced background music; and

outputting a playing sound corresponding to the operation instruction pattern for the playing sound of the music instrument stored in the storage medium so as to correspond to respective operation instruction patterns when the simulated music instrument is operated in accordance with the operation instruction pattern displayed on the display means.

11. A readable storage medium for storing a program of forming a performance guiding image which displays in a display means an image stored in a storage medium in synchronism with a reproduction of a background music selected from a plurality of background music stored in the storage medium, and performing a predetermined operation to the image display means upon receiving an operation signal from a plurality of music instruments to be played by player, said storage medium comprising the steps of:

a step for dividing the display area of the image display means into a plurality of sections;

a step for displaying in the plural sections respectively the operation instruction patterns for the simulated music instruments corresponding to the reproduced background music in synchronism with the reproduced background music; and

a step for outputting a playing sound corresponding to the operation instruction pattern for the playing sound of the music instrument stored in the storage medium so as to correspond to respective operation instruction patterns when the simulated music instrument is operated in accordance with the operation instruction pattern displayed on the display means.