Displaying song lyrics and vocal cues

• US 8,449,360 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• 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: Stoddard, Joshua Forrest, Foster, Christopher Joseph, Dubrofsky, Sylvain
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, BRADLEY
• Application Number:
  US12/474,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/34
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal

Abstract

Described are methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer program products, for displaying song lyrics and vocal cues in a rhythm-action game. In one aspect this is accomplished by displaying, on a display in communication with a game platform, a vocal cue. The vocal cue moves on the display in synchronization with a timing component of a musical composition towards a target marker. Lyrics are also displayed, but instead of moving with the movement of the vocal cue the lyrics are displayed in a fixed position. The lyrics maintain their position until the vocal cue has moved to a particular position with respect to the target marker.

Claims

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

instructing the display to display a first vocal cue;

instructing the display to move the first vocal cue toward a target marker; and

instructing the display to display a first lyric at a fixed position until the first vocal cue has moved to a particular position with respect to the target marker.

2. The method of claim 1, the particular position with respect to the target marker includes a position that is vertically aligned with the target marker.

3. The method of claim 1, instructing the display to move the first vocal cue includes instructing the display to alter a horizontal position of the first vocal cue from a right side of the display to a left side of the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular position with respect to the target marker includes a location that is on a left side of a vertical plane of the target marker.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the display to display a second vocal cue associated with the first vocal cue; and

instructing the display to display a second lyric associated with the second vocal cue.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing the display to change a color of the first lyric based on a position of the first vocal cue with respect to the target marker.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein instructing the display to change the color of the first lyric based on the position of the first vocal cue includes instructing the display to change the color of the first lyric when the first vocal cue is vertically aligned with the target marker.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the display to move the first vocal cue toward the target marker includes instructing the display to move the first vocal cue toward the target marker in synchronization with a timing component of a musical composition.

8. Tangible, non-transitory computer readable media comprising machine-readable executable code operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

instruct a display, in communication with the data processing apparatus, to display a first vocal cue;

instruct the display to move the first vocal cue toward a target marker; and

instruct the display to display a first lyric at a fixed position until the first vocal cue has moved to a particular position with respect to the target marker.

9. A system comprising a data processing apparatus, wherein the data processing apparatus is configured to:

instruct a display, in communication with the data processing apparatus, to display a first vocal cue;

instruct the display to move the first vocal cue toward a target marker; and

instruct the display to display a first lyric at a fixed position until the first vocal cue has moved to a particular position with respect to the target marker.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for instructing a display, in communication with a data processing apparatus, to display a first vocal cue;

means for instructing the display to move the first vocal cue toward a target marker; and

means for instructing the display to display a first lyric at a fixed position until the first vocal cue has moved to a particular position with respect to the target marker.