Preventing an unintentional deploy of a bonus in a video game

• US 8,080,722 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Applewhite, Douglas Robert, Foster, Christopher Joseph, Stoddard, Joshua Forrest
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon
• Application Number:
  US12/474,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20100300268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/171 Ad-lib effects, i.e. adding a musical phrase or improvisation automatically or on player's request, e.g. one-finger triggering of a note sequence

Abstract

Described are methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer program products, for preventing an unintentional deploy of a bonus in a video game. In one aspect this is accomplished by displaying, on a display in communication with a game platform, a target music data of a musical composition. The game platform receives a music performance input data via the microphone, and also determines if the music performance input data has a predetermined degree of matching with a vocal cue. If so, the performance input data is prevented from executing an improvisation deploy.

Claims

1. A method executed on a game platform in signal communication with a display and a first microphone, the method comprising:

displaying, on the display, a first target music data of a musical composition;

receiving, by the gaming platform, a first music performance input data via the first microphone;

determining, by the game platform, if a degree of matching between the first music performance input data and a first vocal cue is greater than a predetermined degree of matching, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data;

preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the degree of matching between the first music performance input data and the first vocal cue is greater than the predetermined degree of matching.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, by the gaming platform, that an improvisation deploy value exceeds a predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing the improvisation deploy when the first music performance input data accrues a sufficient amount of credits for an improvised musical performance, and wherein the step of preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy includes not granting improvisation credits for the first music performance input data if the degree of matching between the first music performance input data and the first vocal cue is greater than the predetermined degree of matching.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the game platform, a second music performance input data via a second microphone; and

executing the improvisation deploy if the second music performance input data does not have the predetermined degree of matching with the first target music data.

5. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, a first target music data of a musical composition;

receive a first performance input data via a microphone in signal communication with the data processing apparatus;

determine if a degree of matching between the first performance input data and a first vocal cue is greater than a predetermined degree of matching, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data; and

prevent an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the degree of matching between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is greater than the predetermined degree of matching.

6. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, a first target music data of a musical composition;

receive a first performance input data via a microphone in signal communication with the data processing apparatus;

determine if a degree of matching between the first performance input data and a first vocal cue is greater than a predetermined degree of matching, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data; and

prevent an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the degree of matching between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is greater than the predetermined degree of matching.

7. An apparatus comprising:

means for displaying, on a display in signal communication with the apparatus, a first target music data of a musical composition;

means for receiving a first music performance input data via the first microphone;

means for determining if a degree of matching between the first music performance input data and a first vocal cue is greater than a predetermined degree of matching, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data; and

means for preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the degree of matching between the first music performance input data and the first vocal cue is greater than the predetermined degree of matching.

8. A method executed on a game platform in signal communication with a display and a microphone, the method comprising:

displaying, on the display, a first target music data of a musical composition;

receiving, by the gaming platform, a first performance input data via the microphone;

determining, by the game platform, if a distance between the first performance input data and a first vocal cue is less than a tolerance threshold, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data; and

preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the distance between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is less than the tolerance threshold.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, a first target music data of a musical composition;

receive a first performance input data via a microphone in signal communication with the data processing apparatus;

determine if a distance between the first performance input data and a first vocal cue is less than a tolerance threshold, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data; and

prevent an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the distance between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is less than the tolerance threshold.

10. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, a first target music data of a musical composition;

receive a first performance input data via a microphone in signal communication with the data processing apparatus;

determine if a distance between the first performance input data and a first vocal cue is less than a tolerance threshold, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data; and

prevent an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the distance between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is less than the tolerance threshold.

11. An apparatus comprising:

means for displaying, on a display in signal communication with the apparatus, a first target music data of a musical composition;

means for receiving a first performance input data via a microphone in signal communication with the apparatus;

means for determining if a distance between the first performance input data and a first vocal cue is less than a tolerance threshold, wherein the first vocal cue is associated with the first target music data; and

means for preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance if the distance between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is less than the tolerance threshold.

12. A method executed on a game platform in signal communication with a display and a microphone, the method comprising:

displaying, on the display, a first vocal cue corresponding to a first target music data of a musical composition;

determining, by the gaming platform, that an improvisation deploy value exceeds a predetermined threshold;

receiving, by the gaming platform, a first performance input via the microphone; and

determining, by the game platform, if the first performance input is associated with the first vocal cue, and if so, preventing an execution of a first improvisation deploy for the first performance input, wherein the first improvisation deploy is associated with an improvised musical performance.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

displaying, on the display, a second vocal cue corresponding to a second target music data of a musical composition;

receiving, by the gaming platform, a second performance input via a second microphone in signal communication with the game platform;

determining, by the game platform, if the second performance input is associated with the second vocal cue, and if not, allowing an execution of a second improvisation deploy for the second performance input.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first target music data is a melody target music data and the second target music data is a harmony target music data.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the first target music data is a harmony target music data and the second target music data is a melody target music data.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein determining if the first performance input is associated with the first vocal cue comprises determining if a degree of matching between a pitch component of the first performance input and the first vocal cue is greater than the predetermined degree of matching.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein determining if the first performance input is associated with the first vocal cue comprises determining if a distance between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is less than the tolerance threshold.

18. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, a first vocal cue corresponding to a first target music data of a musical composition;

determine that an improvisation deploy value exceeds a predetermined threshold;

receive a first performance input via a microphone in signal communication with the data processing apparatus; and

determine if a degree of matching between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is greater than a predetermined degree of matching, and if so, preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance.

19. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, a first vocal cue corresponding to a first target music data of a musical composition;

determine that an improvisation deploy value exceeds a predetermined threshold;

receive a first performance input via a microphone in signal communication with the data processing apparatus; and

determine if a degree of matching between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is greater than a predetermined degree of matching, and if so, preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improved musical performance.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for displaying, on a display in signal communication with the apparatus, a first vocal cue corresponding to a first target music data of a musical composition;

means for determining that an improvisation deploy value exceeds a predetermined threshold;

means for receiving a first performance input via a microphone in signal communication with the apparatus; and

means for determining if a degree of matching between the first performance input and the first vocal cue is greater than a predetermined degree of matching, and if so, preventing an execution of an improvisation deploy associated with an improvised musical performance.