Systems and methods for generating a game device music track from music

• US 8,158,873 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Ivanich, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): UHLIR, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US12/534,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 846/10
• US Class Current: 84/610
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/051 for extraction or detection of onsets of musical sounds or notes, i.e. note attack timings
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/056 for extraction or identification of individual instrumental parts, e.g. melody, chords, bass; Identification or separation of instrumental parts by their characteristic voices or timbres
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/066 for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/086 for transcription of raw audio or music data to a displayed or printed staff representation or to displayable MIDI-like note-oriented data, e.g. in pianoroll format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces

Abstract

Game player performance information systems and methods generate game player performance information. An exemplary embodiment receives a specification of an audio track of interest; receives a specification of a musical instrument, wherein the musical instrument corresponds to an instrument simulation device that a game player operates when playing the musical game; determines an instrument audio track based upon the audio track of interest, wherein the instrument audio track corresponds to music played by the specified musical instrument during the recording of the audio track of interest; generating a plurality of instrument notes based upon the instrument audio track; generates a plurality of game play notes based upon the instrument notes; and generates game player performance information based upon the game play notes, wherein the game player performance information identifies the sequence of specific player actions for the game player to make during playback of the audio track of interest.

Claims

1. A method that generates game player performance information associated with audio tracks that are received from at least one of a head end facility, a music station and a radio station that are operated by a media provider, and that are played during a musical game, the method comprising:

receiving a specification indicating a first point in a selected one of the received plurality of audio tracks that corresponds to a beginning of an audio track of interest;

receiving a specification indicating a second point that corresponds to an ending of the audio track of interest;

storing the audio track of interest defined by the first point and the second point of the audio track of interest;

receiving a specification of a musical instrument, wherein the musical instrument corresponds to an instrument simulation device that a game player operates when playing the musical game;

receiving the specified audio track of interest from at least one of the head end facility, the music station and the radio station;

analyzing sound characteristics of the audio track of interest to identify sounds produced by different instruments playing on the audio track of interest;

determining an instrument audio track based upon the analyzed sound characteristics of the audio track of interest, wherein the instrument audio track is determined from sounds corresponding to music played by the specified musical instrument during recording of the audio track of interest;

determining a series of instrument notes based upon the instrument audio track, wherein the series of instrument notes correspond to the sounds generated by the specified musical instrument of the instrument audio track;

generating a series of game play notes based upon the determined series of instrument notes, wherein each of the game play notes correspond to at least one of a plurality of controllers on an instrument simulation device; and

generating game player performance information based upon the game play notes, wherein the game player performance information identifies a sequence of specific player actions for the game player to make on the plurality of controllers on the instrument simulation device during playback of the audio track of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a game play graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the game play GUI is operable to receive the specification of the audio track of interest and the specification of the musical instrument.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

communicating the game play GUI to a media presentation device that is configured to present the game play GUI on a display of the media presentation device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying the game play GUI on a display.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the audio track of interest at a set top box configured to receive media content, wherein the set top box determines the instrument audio track, generates the instrument notes, generates the game play notes, and generates the game player performance information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein storing the generated game player performance information comprises:

storing the generated game player performance information in a memory of the media device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein storing the generated game player performance information comprises:

communicating the generated game player performance information to a game play device, wherein the game player performance information is storable in a memory of the game play device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a movie comprising a movie audio track;

receiving a specification indicating a first point in the movie audio track that corresponds to a beginning of the audio track of interest;

receiving a specification indicating a second point in the movie audio track that corresponds to an ending of the audio track of interest;

generating the game player performance information based upon the first point and the second point of the movie audio track; and

storing a portion of the movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point of the movie audio track.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a movie video track corresponding to the received movie audio track; and

storing a portion of the received movie video track, wherein the portion of the received movie video track corresponds to the portion of the received movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an audio track from a music playback device;

receiving a specification indicating a first point in the audio track that corresponds to a beginning of the audio track of interest;

receiving a specification indicating a second point in the audio track that corresponds to an ending of the audio track of interest;

generating the game player performance information based upon the first point and the second point of the audio track; and

storing the audio track defined by the first point and the second point of the audio track received from the music playback device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing sound characteristics, determining the instrument audio track, determining the series of instrument notes, generating the series of game play notes, and generating game player performance information is performed by a set top box comprising a tuner, wherein the tuner is configured to receive the audio track of interest.

12. A game play performance information system, comprising:

a program content stream interface configured to receive at least a plurality of audio tracks from at least one of a head end facility, a music station and a radio station that are operated by a media provider;

a memory; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the program content stream interface and the memory, and configured to;

receive a specification indicating a first point in a selected one of the received plurality of audio tracks that corresponds to a beginning of an audio track of interest received from at least one of the head end facility, the music station and the radio station;

receive a specification indicating a second point that corresponds to an ending of the audio track of interest received from at least one of the head end facility, the music station and the radio station;

store the audio track defined by the first point and the second point of the audio track received from at least one of the head end facility, the music station and the radio station;

and wherein the processor system, based upon the first point and the second point of the audio track received from at least one of the head end facility, the music station and the radio station, is further configured to,

receive a specification of a musical instrument, wherein the musical instrument corresponds to an instrument simulation device that a game player operates when playing a musical game;

analyze sound characteristics of the audio track of interest to identify sounds produced by different instruments playing on the audio track of interest;

determine an instrument audio track based upon the analyzed sound characteristics of the audio track of interest, wherein the instrument audio track is determined from sounds corresponding to music played by the specified musical instrument during a recording of the audio track of interest;

determine a series of instrument notes based upon the instrument audio track, wherein the series of instrument notes correspond to the sounds generated by the specified musical instrument of the instrument audio track;

generate a series of game play notes based upon the determined series of instrument notes, wherein each of the game play notes correspond to at least one of a plurality of controllers on the instrument simulation device; and

generate game player performance information based upon the game play notes, wherein the game player performance information identifies a sequence of specific player actions for the game player to make on the plurality of controllers on the instrument simulation device during playback of the audio track of interest.

13. The game play performance information system of claim 12, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

generate a game play graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the game play GUI is operable to receive the specification of the audio track of interest and the specification of the musical instrument.

14. The game play performance information system of claim 12, further comprising:

an external device interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to receive the plurality of audio tracks from a remote source.

15. The game play performance information system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the program content stream interface and the external device interface is configured to receive a movie comprising a movie video track and a movie audio track, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

receive a specification indicating a first point in the movie audio track that corresponds to a beginning of the audio track of interest;

receive a specification indicating a second point in the movie audio track that corresponds to an ending of the audio track of interest;

generate the game player performance information based upon the first point and the second point of the movie audio track;

store a portion of the movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point of the movie audio track; and

store a portion of the movie video track, wherein the portion of the movie video track corresponds to the portion of the movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point.

16. The game play performance information system of claim 14, wherein the external device interface receives the plurality of audio tracks from at least one of the music station and the radio station.

17. The game play performance information system of claim 12, wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive a movie comprising a movie video track and a movie audio track received from the head end facility operated by the media provider, wherein the processor system is further configured to:

receive a specification indicating a first point in the movie audio track that corresponds to a beginning of the audio track of interest;

receive a specification indicating a second point in the movie audio track that corresponds to an ending of the audio track of interest;

generate the game player performance information based upon the first point and the second point of the movie audio track;

store a portion of the movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point of the movie audio track; and

store a portion of the movie video track, wherein the portion of the movie video track corresponds to the portion of the movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point.

18. A method that generates game player performance information associated with audio tracks played during a musical game, the method comprising:

receiving an audio track with a plurality of musical scores and songs thereon from at least one of a head end facility, a music station and a radio station that are operated by a media provider;

receiving a specification indicating a first point in the audio track that corresponds to a beginning of portion of an audio track of interest;

receiving a specification indicating a second point in the audio track that corresponds to an ending of the portion of the audio track of interest;

receiving a specification of a musical instrument, wherein the musical instrument corresponds to an instrument simulation device that a game player operates when playing the musical game;

analyzing sound characteristics of the audio track of interest to identify sounds produced by different instruments playing on the portion of the audio track of interest defined by the first point and the second point;

determining an instrument audio track based upon the analyzed sound characteristics of the portion of the audio track of interest, wherein the instrument audio track is determined from sounds corresponding to music played by the specified musical instrument in the portion of the audio track of interest;

determining a series of instrument notes based upon the instrument audio track, wherein the series of instrument notes correspond to the sounds generated by the specified musical instrument of the instrument audio track;

generating a series of game play notes based upon the determined series of instrument notes, wherein each of the game play notes correspond to at least one of a plurality of controllers on the instrument simulation device;

generating the game player performance information based upon the audio track of interest defined by the first point and the second point; and

storing a portion of the audio track of interest defined by the first point and the second point of the audio track received from at least one of the head end facility, the music station and the radio station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the audio track comprises:

receiving a movie comprising a movie audio track, wherein the audio track of interest corresponds to a portion of the movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point of the movie audio track.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a movie video track corresponding to the received movie audio track; and

storing a portion of the movie video track, wherein the portion of the movie video track corresponds to the portion of the movie audio track defined by the first point and the second point.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the audio track comprises:

receiving the audio track from an external content source device.