Entertainment system, entertainment apparatus, recording medium, and program

• US 7,019,205 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Takeshi, Yamaguchi, Tomoo, Fujisawa, Takafumi, Tsuda, Jun, Nakai, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Application Number:
  US09/687,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-603, 84609-612, 84615-616, 846/18, 84626-636, 846/45, 84649-654, 846/56, 84662-668
• US Class Current: 84/609
• 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 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• 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 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/026 for games, e.g. videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/106 using icons, e.g. selecting, moving or linking icons, on-screen symbols, screen regions or segments representing musical elements or parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/131 for abstract geometric visualisation of music, e.g. for interactive editing of musical parameters linked to abstract geometric figures

Abstract

A music information processing means comprises a music editing means for assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from a plurality of sound patterns in a sound buffer to at least one track, a sound presentation trial processing means for outputting the sound pattern assigned to the track on a speaker of a display monitor via SPU when a control input of the user satisfies a predetermined condition, and an audio data processing means for registering audio data extracted from audio data introduced from a music CD (Compact Disc) or the like loaded in an optical disk drive as one of the sound patterns in a sound pattern file in the sound buffer.

Claims

1. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

at least one manual controller for entering control requests from a user into said entertainment apparatus;

music editing means for assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from a plurality of sound patterns each composed of a combination of sounds to at least one track based on a control input from said manual controller; and

sound presentation trial processing means for outputting said sound pattern assigned to said track when a control input from said manual controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

wherein said music editing means displays said plurality of sound patterns as respective symbol images on said display unit, and, responsive to a control input from said manual controller to select at least one track displayed on said display unit and a control input from said manual controller to select said symbol images, registers sound patterns corresponding to the symbol images in the selected track;

wherein said music editing means comprises;

sound pattern outputting means for outputting a sound of the selected sound pattern via a speaker;

wherein said sound pattern outputting means comprises;

means for outputting the selected sound pattern depending on an array of light spots which are turned on, of a string of light spots disposed in said selected track.

2. An entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said music editing means comprises:

light spot array changing means for changing the array of light spots which are turned on.

3. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

at least one manual controller for entering control requests from a user into said entertainment apparatus;

a sound pattern file for registering a plurality of sound patterns, said sound patterns each composed of a combination of sounds to have a length of at least one measure;

music editing means for assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from said sound patterns registered in said sound pattern file to at least one track based on a control input from said manual controller; and

sound presentation trial processing means for outputting said sound pattern assigned to said track when a control input from said manual controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

wherein said sound presentation trial processing means displays an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on said display unit, allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input, and outputs a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected;

wherein said sound presentation trial processing means comprises;

object displaying means for displaying said object relatively moving on at least one track;

object acquisition determining means for determining whether the object has been acquired with a control input or not; and

sound outputting means for outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when said object acquisition determining means determines that the object has been acquired.

4. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

at least one manual controller for entering control requests from a user into said entertainment apparatus;

music editing means for assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from a plurality of sound patterns each composed of a combination of sounds to at least one track based on a control input from said manual controller; and

sound presentation trial processing means for outputting said sound pattern assigned to said track when a control input from said manual controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

wherein said sound presentation trial processing means for displaying an object relatively on at least one track displayed on said display unit, allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input, and outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected;

wherein said sound presentation trial processing comprises;

object displaying for displaying said object relatively moving on at least one track;

object acquisition determining means for determining whether the object has been acquired with a control input or not; and

sound outputting means for outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when said object acquisition determining means determines that the object has been acquired;

wherein said sound presentation trail processing means comprises;

acquiring object displaying means for displaying an acquiring object to acquire the relatively moving object; and

wherein said object acquisition determining means comprises;

means for determining that said object is acquired if the distance between said acquiring object and the relatively moving object falls in a predetermined range when a predetermined control input is entered from said manual controller.

5. An entertainment system according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of tracks are displayed on said display unit, and said object acquisition determining means comprises:

means for determining that said object is acquired if a track on which said acquiring object and a track on which the relatively moving object are the same as each other when said predetermined control input is entered from said manual controller, and also if the distance between said acquiring object and the relatively moving object falls in said predetermined range.

6. An entertainment system according to claim 5, further comprising:

indicator displaying means for displaying an indicator image indicative of one of said tracks on which said object is coming.

7. An entertainment system comprising:

an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs;

at least one manual controller for entering control requests from a user into said entertainment apparatus;

music editing means for assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from a plurality of sound patterns each composed of a combination of sounds to at least one track based on a control input from said manual controller; and

sound presentation trial processing means for outputting said sound pattern assigned to said track when a control input from said manual controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

wherein said sound presentation trial processing means for displaying an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on said display unit, allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input, and outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected;

wherein said sound presentation trial processing means comprises;

object displaying means for displaying said object relatively moving on at least one track;

object acquisition determining means for determining whether the object has been acquired with a control input or not; and

sound outputting means for outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when said object acquisition determining means determines that the object has been acquired;

wherein a sound pattern assigned to said track is disposed as a bit string indicative of whether the sound is to be outputted or not outputted, on said track, further comprising;

light spot displaying means for displaying a bit string related to the acquired object and indicative of an output state, of the sound pattern disposed on the track on which the acquired object is positioned, in relative motion as an array of light spots; and

wherein said sound outputting means comprises;

means for outputting a sound assigned to a light spot which has reached said acquiring object, of the sound pattern assigned to said track.

8. A recording medium storing a program and data for use in an entertainment system having an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs, at least one manual controller for entering manual control requests from the user into said entertainment apparatus, and a display unit for displaying images outputted from said entertainment apparatus, the program stored in said recording medium comprising a first step of:

assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from a plurality of sound patterns each composed of a combination of sounds to at least one track based on a control input from said manual controller; and

said program further comprising a second step of;

outputting said sound pattern assigned to said track when a control input from said manual controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

wherein said first step includes the steps of;

displaying a plurality of sound patterns composed of a combination of sounds as respective symbol images on said display unit, and, responsive to a control input from said manual controller to select at least one track displayed on said display unit and a control input from said manual controller to select said symbol images, registering sound patterns corresponding to the symbol images in the selected track;

wherein said first step includes the step of;

outputting a sound of the selected sound pattern via a speaker;

wherein said step of outputting a sound comprises the step of;

outputting the selected sound pattern depending on an array of light spots which are turned on, of a string of light spots disposed in said selected track.

9. A recording medium according to claim 8, wherein said first step includes the step of:

changing the array of light spots which are turned on.

10. A recording medium storing a program and data for use in an entertainment system having an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs, at least one manual controller for entering manual control requests from the user into said entertainment apparatus, and a display unit for displaying images outputted from said entertainment apparatus, the program stored in said recording medium comprising a first step of:

assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from a plurality of sound patterns each composed of a combination of sounds to at least one track based on a control input from said manual controller; and

said program further comprising a second step of;

outputting said sound pattern assigned to said track when a control input form said manual controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

wherein said second step includes the steps of;

displaying an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on said display unit;

allowing the user to try to acquired the object with a control input; and

outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected;

wherein said second step includes the steps of;

displaying said object relatively moving on at least one track;

determining whether the object has been acquired with a control input or not; and

outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the object is determined as acquired;

wherein said second step includes the step of;

displaying an acquiring object to acquire the relatively moving object; and

wherein said step of determining whether the object has been acquired with a control input or not comprises the step of;

determining that said object is acquired the distance between said acquiring object and the relatively moving object falls in a predetermined range when a predetermined control input is entered from said manual controller;

wherein a plurality of tracks are displayed on said display unit, and said second step includes the step of;

determining that said object is acquired if a track on which said acquiring object and a track on which the relatively moving object are the same as each other when said predetermined control input is entered from said manual controller, and also if the distance between said acquiring object and the relatively moving object falls in said predetermined range.

11. A recording medium according to claim 10, wherein said program further comprises the step of:

displaying an indicator image indicative of one of said tracks on which said object is coming.

12. A recording medium storing a program and data for use in an entertainment system having an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs, at least one manual controller for entering manual control requests from the user into said entertainment apparatus, and a display unit for displaying images outputted from said entertainment apparatus, the program stored in said recording medium comprising a first step of:

assigning an arbitrary sound pattern selected from a plurality of sound patterns each composed of a combination of sounds to at least one track based on a control input from said manual controller; and

said program further comprising a second step of;

outputting said sound pattern assigned to said track when a control input from said manual controller satisfies a predetermined condition;

wherein said second step includes the steps of;

displaying an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on said display unit;

allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input; and

outputting a sound assigned to the track on wich the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected;

wherein said second step includes the steps of;

displaying said object relatively moving on at least one track;

determining whether the object has been acquired with a control input or not; and

outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the object is determined as acquired;

wherein a sound pattern assigned to said track is disposed as a bit string indicative of whether the sound is to be outputted or not outputted, on said track, wherein said program further comprises the step of;

displaying a bit string related to the acquired object and indicative of an output state, of the sound pattern disposed on the track on which the acquired object is positioned, in relative notion as an array of light spots; and

wherein said step of outputting a sound comprises the step of;

outputting a sound assigned to a light spot which has reached said acquiring object, of the sound pattern assigned to said track.