Method and apparatus for creating and playing soundtracks in a gaming system

• US 6,878,067 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blanco, Victor Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/778,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30- 32, 463 35- 38, 463 43- 44
• 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 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video

Abstract

A gaming system includes a game console that executes an application that creates and plays soundtracks through the gaming system. The application allows a user to create soundtracks by copying audio tracks from one or more audio sources. A user-created soundtrack can be associated with a particular game such that the user-created soundtrack is played during execution of the game instead of the game'"'"'s default soundtrack. During execution of a game, a user may change the soundtrack being played.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing a game application and playing a first soundtrack on a gaming system;

receiving a request to select a different soundtrack;

determining a new soundtrack to be played;

continuing execution of the game application and playing the new soundtrack on the gaming system; and

pausing execution of the game application after receiving the request to select the different soundtrack.

2. A method comprising:

executing a game application and playing a user-associated soundtrack on a gaming system;

receiving a request to select a different soundtrack;

pausing execution of the game application;

determining a new soundtrack to be played; and

resuming execution of the game application and playing the new soundtrack on the gaming system.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein determining a new soundtrack to be played includes:

displaying a list of available soundtracks to a user of the gaming system; and

identifying the soundtrack selected by the user of the gaming system.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the list of available soundtracks is generated by identifying soundtracks stored on a hard disk drive in the gaming system.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the list of available soundtracks is generated by identifying soundtracks associated with the user of the gaming system.

6. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the user-associated soundtrack is stored on a storage device in the gaming system.

7. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the user-associated soundtrack is stored on a hard disk drive contained in the gaming system.

8. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the user-associated soundtrack includes a plurality of audio tracks retrieved from a plurality of sources.

9. A computer-readable medium for a game console comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to:

execute a game application and play a first soundtrack associated with the game application;

pause execution of the game application in response to receiving a request to select a different soundtrack;

receive identification of a new soundtrack; and

resume execution of the game application and play the new soundtrack.

10. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9 wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further direct the game console to associate the new soundtrack with the game application.

11. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9 wherein the new soundtrack is stored on a hard disk drive in the game console.

12. A game console comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

an application stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the application configured to play a user-associated soundtrack during execution of a game, the application further to pause execution of the game in response to receipt of a request to play a new soundtrack, wherein the application resumes execution of the game and plays the new soundtrack.

13. A game console as recited in claim 12 wherein the application is a console application.

14. A game console as recited in claim 12 further comprising a disk drive coupled to the processor, wherein the disk drive stores a plurality of soundtracks.