Real-time replay system for video game

• US 6,699,127 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lobb, Kenneth, Berro, Mike, Mithra, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/671,316
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/44, 463/45, 463/46, 463/47, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/1, 463/4, 463/7, 463/8, 463/9, 345/121, 345/123, 345/126, 345/129, 345/130, 345/131, 345/139
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/807 Gliding or sliding on surfaces, e.g. using skis, skates or boards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6669 using a plurality of virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character change rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8041 Skating using skis, skates or board

Abstract

A system and method for enabling real-time replay for videogames, wherein the player can selectively rewind the videogame to previously played points in the game in order to replay portions of the game during real-time. Inline keyframes are periodically recorded, together with the controller information, so that upon selecting the replay option, the game can be rewound to the nearest keyframe. Once rewound, the game is restored based on the keyframe and is then played back from the keyframe using the stored controller information. At any point during playback, the player can take-over the action and use the actual game controller to begin actual play of the game from that point in the playback sequence. The player can also change cameras and speed for the playback in real-time at any time during the playback.

Claims

1. A method of providing real-time replay during gameplay in an interactive video game system, comprising:

starting real-time gameplay;

recording an inline keyframe at predetermined time intervals during gameplay;

recording controller input from a user during gameplay;

upon selection by the user of a predetemined controller input prior to the end of a game;

backing-up the gameplay a set period of gameplay time from the current gameplay condition to a previous gameplay condition;

using a recorded inline keyframe generally corresponding to the previous gameplay condition and the recorded controller inputs to generate and display at least a partial real-time replay of the game from the previous gameplay condition to the current gameplay condition; and

enabling the user to take over the replay to begin real-time gameplay at any time during the replay and from a point in the replay where the user has taken over the replay by supplying controller input,

wherein the recordings of inline keyframes and recording of controller inputs is performed based on an internal logic rate of the video game system;

and further including enabling the replay to be frozen at any time during the replay and allowing the user to change at least one of camera characteristic and playback speed for the replay while the replay is frozen, and further including recording any changes to the camera characteristic or playback speed in an array of random keyframe buffers together with information that determines on which frame of the replay the recorded changes are to take effect.

2. The method of claim 1, further including continuing real-time gameplay upon completion of the replay.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein backing-up the gameplay a set period of time includes backing-up the gameplay approximately three seconds of gameplay time.

4. The method of claim 1, further including monitoring during the entire gameplay for the predetermined controller input from the user in order to enable the user to select a real-time replay at any point during gameplay.

5. The method of claim 1, further including using a wrapper buffer to store the recorded inline keyframes.

6. The method of claim 1, further including generating and displaying an entire replay of the game from the previous gameplay condition to the current gameplay condition if the user does not provide any controller input during the replay.

7. A method of providing real-time replay during gameplay in an interactive video game system, comprising:

starting real-time gameplay;

recording an inline keyframe at predetermined time intervals during gameplay;

recording controller input from a user during gameplay;

upon selection by the user of a predetermined controller input prior to the end of a game;

backing-up the gameplay a set period of gameplay time from the current gameplay condition to a previous gameplay condition;

using a recorded inline keyframe generally corresponding to the previous gameplay condition and the recorded controller inputs to begin a real-time replay of the game from the previous gameplay condition;

completing a replay of the game from the previous gameplay condition to the current gameplay condition if the player does not provide any controller input during the replay; and

enabling the user to take over the replay to begin real-time gameplay at any time during the replay and from a point in the replay where the user has taken over the replay by supplying controller input;

wherein the recordings of inline keyframes and recording of controller inputs is performed based on an internal logic rate of the video game system

and further including enabling the replay to be frozen at any time during the replay and allowing the user to change at least one of camera characteristic and playback speed for the replay while the replay is frozen, and further including recording any changes to the camera characteristic or playback speed in an array of random keyframe buffers together with information that determines on which frame of the replay the recorded changes are to take effect.

8. The method of claim 7, further including continuing real-time gameplay upon completion of the replay.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein backing-up the gameplay a set period of time includes backing-up the gameplay approximately three seconds of gameplay time.

10. The method of claim 7, further including monitoring during the entire gameplay for the predetermined controller input from the user in order to enable the user to select a real-time replay at any point during gameplay.

11. The method of claim 7, further including using a wrapper buffer to store the recorded inline keyframes.