Dynamic in-game soundtrack for a console game machine

• US 7,794,325 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bronstein, Manuel U., Tedesco, Megan L., Hawkins, Dax H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US11/281,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 463/35, 463 40- 42, 713/201, 713/181, 709/231, 709/219, 709/203, 715/716, 715/201, 846/09, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game

Abstract

Background audio for a game being played in a video game system is provided via streaming from an outside source. The background audio played is based on details regarding the state of the video game system, including information regarding the game being played on said video game system. The user can select from among several possibilities for background music, and the selection is then streamed to the video game system from the music service. Enforcement of digital rights and purchasing of tracks streamed from the music service are provided for.

Claims

1. A method for providing a gaming experience to a user on a computer network server, said method comprising computer-implemented steps of:

providing a game experience using a game application;

providing user game session data comprising a user id, character level, and character game achievements associated with said game experience to a streaming audio content provider;

streaming selected dynamic audio data for the gaming experience during game play from said streaming audio content provider wherein selection of the dynamic audio data is dependent upon a state of the gaming experience and ratings from a plurality of users according to said user game session data;

accepting the streaming dynamic audio data from a streaming audio content provider via said network; and

playing at least a portion of said streaming dynamic audio data.

2. The method of claim 1, where said providing a game experience comprises playing game audio.

3. The method of claim 1, where said step of accepting streaming dynamic audio data from a streaming audio content provider comprises:

providing session data regarding said game experience to said streaming dynamic audio content provider;

accepting option data regarding options for available streams of audio data from said streaming audio content provider;

presenting said option data to said user;

accepting from said user selection data regarding said option data;

providing said user selection data to said streaming audio content provider; and

accepting said streaming dynamic audio content, according to said user selection data, from said audio content provider.

4. The method of claim 3, where said option data is based at least in part on at least one user rating, each of said user ratings corresponding to a rating given by said user to an item of audio content.

5. The method of claim 4, where said option data is based at least in part on at least one collaborator rating, each of said collaborator ratings corresponding to a rating given by a collaborator other than said user to an item of audio content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting track data from said streaming audio content provider, said track data describing said streaming dynamic audio data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying said track data to said user, said track data comprising data describing a specific track;

accepting a purchase request from said user, said purchase request relating to said specific track; and

receiving purchase response data from said streaming audio content provider, where said purchase response data allows said user to store a copy of said specific track and to use said copy of said specific track.

8. The method of claim 1, where said streaming dynamic audio data is encoded, and where said step of playing at least a portion of said streaming dynamic audio data comprises:

determining whether said user should be allowed to use said streaming dynamic audio data during game play; and

if said user should be allowed to use said streaming dynamic audio data, decoding said portion of said streaming dynamic audio data into unencoded streaming audio data; and

playing said unencoded streaming dynamic audio data.

9. A system for providing a gaming experience to a user, comprising:

a game application execution module for executing a game application;

a music service communicator for providing game execution data regarding said execution of said game application to a music service and for receiving streaming dynamic audio data from said music service, said music service communicator operably connected to said game application execution module;

a music service filter used to implement preferential collaborative filtering of streaming dynamic audio data based upon collected user history information and game execution data comprising a user id, character level, and character game achievements as provided to said music service by said music service communicator, said music service filter operably connected to said game application execution module;

an audio output, operably connected to said game application execution module and said music service communicator, for outputting audio to said user during game play, said audio comprising at least a portion of said dynamic audio streaming data.

10. The system of claim 9, where said system further comprises:

an option display, operably connected to said music service, for accepting option data regarding options for available streams of audio data from said streaming audio content provider and presenting said option data to said user;

and where said music service communicator accepts from said user selection data regarding said option data, provides said user selection data to said streaming audio content provider; and

accepts said streaming dynamic audio content, according to said user selection data, from said audio content provider.

11. The system of claim 9, where said music service communicator further comprises:

a display for displaying track data to said user, said track data comprising data describing a specific track;

a purchase request acceptor for accepting a purchase request from said user, said purchase request relating to said specific track; and

purchase response data module for receiving purchase response data from said streaming audio content provider, where said purchase response data allows said user to store a copy of said specific track and to use said copy of said specific track.

12. The system of claim 9, where said streaming dynamic audio data is encoded, and where said system further comprises:

a digital rights module for enforcing a digital rights management system which governs the conditions under which said user can use a said streaming dynamic audio data, said digital rights module operably connected to said music service communicator.

13. The system of claim 12, where said system further comprises:

a decoder for decoding said streaming dynamic audio data into a usable form, operably connected to said digital rights module.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having a tangible physical structure comprising computer-executable instructions for providing a gaming experience to a user, said computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

providing a game experience using a game application;

providing user game session data comprising a user id, character level, and character game achievements associated with said game experience to a streaming audio content provider;

streaming selected dynamic audio data for the gaming experience during gameplay from said streaming audio content provider wherein selection of the dynamic audio data is dependent upon a state of the gaming experience and ratings from a plurality of users according to said user game session data;

accepting streaming dynamic audio data from a streaming audio content provider via a network; and

playing at least a portion of said streaming dynamic audio data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, where said step of accepting streaming dynamic audio data from a streaming audio content provider comprises:

providing session data regarding said game experience to said streaming audio content provider;

accepting option data regarding options for available streams of audio data from said streaming audio content provider;

presenting said option data to said user;

accepting from said user selection data regarding said option data;

providing said user selection data to said streaming audio content provider; and

accepting said streaming dynamic audio content, according to said user selection data, from said audio content provider.

16. The computer-readable storage of claim 14, said steps further comprising:

accepting track data from said streaming audio content provider, said track data describing said streaming dynamic audio data.

17. The computer-readable storage of claim 16, said steps further comprising:

displaying said track data to said user, said track data comprising data describing a specific track;

accepting a purchase request from said user, said purchase request relating to said specific track; and

receiving purchase response data from said streaming audio content provider, where said purchase response data allows said user to store a copy of said specific track and to use said copy of said specific track.

18. The computer-readable storage of claim 14, where said streaming audio data is encoded, and where said step of playing at least a portion of said streaming dynamic audio data comprises:

determining whether said user should be allowed to use said streaming dynamic audio data; and

if said user should be allowed to use said streaming dynamic audio data, decoding said portion of said streaming dynamic audio data into un-encoded streaming audio data; and

playing said un-encoded streaming dynamic audio data.