Method and apparatus for adjustment of game parameters based on measurement of user performance

• US 9,069,441 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jacob, Mark Lester
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US14/015,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20140004925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and techniques for adjustment of game parameters based on users'"'"' performance are described. During play of a game a user'"'"'s performance is monitored. It is then determined if the player'"'"'s performance is within a desired range of performance, and game parameters are adjusted if the user'"'"'s performance is outside the desired range. In a multi-player game, parameters can be adjusted differently for each of the players to make the overall game play more competitive.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting game parameters, the method comprising:

receiving statistics about player interaction with a game to form a desired range of performance;

monitoring a user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing the game by monitoring three-dimensional movements of an object;

determining, by a processor based apparatus and from the monitored three-dimensional movements of the object, if the user'"'"'s performance is within the desired range of performance while the user is playing the game; and

dynamically adjusting game parameters while the user is playing the game based on whether the user'"'"'s performance is within the desired range of performance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting game parameters comprises limiting game options available to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting game parameters comprises enhancing game options available to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a motion sensing input device and monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring three-dimensional movements of the motion sensing input device being manipulated by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises detecting the user'"'"'s response to audio stimuli.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises detecting the user'"'"'s response to visual stimuli.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving statistics about player interaction with the game comprises collecting statistics from one or more users playing the game to form the desired range of performance.

8. A storage medium storing a computer program executable by a processor based system, the computer program causing the processor based system to execute steps comprising:

receiving statistics about player interaction with a game to form a desired range of performance;

monitoring a user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing the game by monitoring three-dimensional movements of an object;

determining, by a processor based apparatus and from the monitored three-dimensional movements of the object, if the user'"'"'s performance is within the desired range of performance while the user is playing the game; and

dynamically adjusting game parameters while the user is playing the game based on whether the user'"'"'s performance is within the desired range of performance.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the object is a motion sensing input device and monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring movements of the motion sensing input device being manipulated by the user.

10. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the desired range of performance is obtained by collecting statistics from one or more users playing the game to form the desired range of performance.

11. A game console capable of adjusting game parameters, comprising:

an object for use by a user to interact with a game; and

a processor based game console configured to receive statistics about player interaction with the game to form a desired range of performance, monitor the user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing the game by monitoring three-dimensional movements of the object used by the user, determine from the monitored three-dimensional movements of the object if the user'"'"'s performance is within the desired range of performance while the user is playing the game, and dynamically adjust game parameters while the user is playing the game based on whether the user'"'"'s performance is within the desired range.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the object is a motion sensing controller; and

the monitoring of the user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring three-dimensional movements of the motion sensing controller.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor based game console configured to receive statistics to form the desired range of performance comprises a processor based game console configured to collect statistics from one or more users playing the game to form the desired range of performance.