Systems and methods for online band matching in a rhythm action game

• US 8,678,895 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Teasdale, Daniel Charles, Pitsch, Geoff, Brakeley, Daniel Asher, Schmidt, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH-VO V
• Application Number:
  US12/140,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20090098918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/24
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• 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 2210/155 Musical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/145 : Multiplayer musical games, e.g. karaoke-like multiplayer videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 : for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 : Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 : Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/435 : Gensound percussion, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a percussion instrument; Control of specific aspects of percussion sounds, e.g. harmonics, under the influence of hitting force, hitting position, settings or striking instruments such as mallet, drumstick, brush or hand
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/441 : Gensound string, i.e. generating the sound of a string instrument, controlling specific features of said sound
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/146 : using a membrane, e.g. a drum; Pick-up means for vibrating surfaces, e.g. housing of an instrument

Abstract

A method for matching suitable remote players to one or more local players of a rhythm-action game includes identifying one or more local players to participate in a networked session of a rhythm action game corresponding to a predetermined band template, each local player associated with a type of simulated musical. A first type of simulated musical instrument represented in the predetermined band template and not associated with any of the one or more local players may then be identified, along with a remote player associated with the first type of simulated musical instrument. A game session may then be provided including the one or more local players and the identified remote player.

Claims

1. A method for providing a networked session of a rhythm action game on a game console, the method comprising:

identifying at least one local input device configured to participate in the networked session of the rhythm action game corresponding to a band template, wherein the band template includes a plurality of slots, each slot is associated with a particular type of simulated musical instrument, and wherein each of the at least one local input device is i) a game controller coupled to the game console, ii) associated with a particular simulated musical instrument controller type, and iii) configured to be associated with one of the plurality of slots;

for each of the at least one local input device, determining an associated one of the plurality of slots based on the simulated musical instrument controller type of the at least one local input device;

determining that a first slot of the plurality of slots is not associated with any of the at least one local input device configured to participate in the networked session of the rhythm action game;

determining a first simulated musical instrument controller type associated with the first slot;

providing information to search for and identify a remote input device associated with the first simulated musical instrument controller type, wherein the remote input device is coupled to a remote game console in communication with the game console over a network; and

providing the networked session of the rhythm action game with the at least one local input device and the remote input device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an additional local input device, coupled to the game console, after identifying the remote input device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional local input device is coupled to the game console after identifying the remote input device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of slots is associated with one of a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the band template includes four slots, two of which are associated with guitars, one of which is associated with a microphone, and one of which is associated with a drum set.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an option to identify candidate input devices for the first slot.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an option to allow the remote input device to join.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an option to invite a specific input device, coupled to the remote game console, to the networked session of the rhythm action game.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second slot of the plurality of slots is not associated with any of the at least one local input device configured to participate in the networked session of the rhythm action game;

determining a second simulated musical instrument controller type associated with the second slot; and

searching for a second remote input device associated with the second simulated musical instrument controller type.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an additional remote input device that is coupled to the remote game console.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the remote input device includes receiving an identification of the remote input device over the network.

12. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising machine-readable executable code for providing a networked session of a rhythm-action game on a game console, the computer readable media comprising:

executable code for identifying at least one local input device configured to participate in the networked session of the rhythm action game corresponding to a band template, wherein the band template includes a plurality of slots, each slot is associated with a particular type of simulated musical instrument, and wherein each of the at least one local input device is i) a game controller coupled to the game console, ii) associated with a particular simulated musical instrument controller type, and iii) configured to be associated with one of the plurality of slots;

executable code for determining, for each of the at least one local input device, an associated one of the plurality of slots based on the simulated musical instrument controller type of the at least one local input device;

executable code for determining that a first slot of the plurality of slots is not associated with any of the at least one local input device configured to participate in the networked session of the rhythm action game;

executable code for determining a first simulated musical instrument controller type associated with the first slot;

executable code for providing information to search for and identify a remote input device associated with the first simulated musical instrument controller type, wherein the remote input device is coupled to a remote game console in communication with the game console over a network; and

executable code for providing the networked session of the rhythm action game with the at least one local input device and the remote input device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising executable code for identifying an additional local input device, coupled to the game console, after identifying the remote input device coupled to the remote game console.

14. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of slots is associated with one of a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone.

15. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the band template includes four slots, two of which are associated with guitars, one of which is associated with a microphone, and one of which is associated with a drum set.

16. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising executable code for displaying an option to identify candidate input devices for the first slot.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising executable code for displaying an option to allow the remote input device to join.

18. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising executable code for displaying an option to invite a specific input device, coupled to the remote game console, to the networked session of the rhythm action game.

19. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising:

executable code for determining a second slot of the plurality of slots is not associated with any of the at least one local input device;

executable code for determining a second simulated musical instrument controller type associated with the second slot; and

searching for a second remote input device associated with the second simulated musical instrument controller type.

20. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising executable code for identifying an additional remote input device that is coupled to the remote game console.

21. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the executable code for identifying the remote input device associated with the first type of a simulated musical instrument includes executable code for receiving an identification of the remote input device over the network.