Method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting game or other simulation difficulty

• US 9,266,026 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jacob, Mark Lester
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US13/932,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 463/23, 463/31, 463 36- 38
• 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

A method for use with a simulation includes running the simulation, receiving information from a control interface used by a user to interact with the simulation, analyzing the received information, forming at least an indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill based on the analysis of the received information, and adjusting a difficulty level of the simulation based on the indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill. A storage medium storing a computer program executable by a processor based system and an apparatus for use with a simulation are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

running a simulation;

receiving information from a control interface used by a user to interact with the simulation, wherein the received information comprises information relating to frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of an object;

analyzing the received information relating to the frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of the object;

forming at least an indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill based on the analysis of the received information relating to the frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of the object; and

dynamically adjusting a difficulty level of the simulation based on the indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the received information comprises gauging one or more of the user'"'"'s response times in the simulation.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein analyzing the received information further comprises compiling a history of the user'"'"'s response times in the simulation.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the received information comprises compiling a history of accuracies of a plurality of the user'"'"'s responses in the simulation.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving information from the control interface comprises using at least one of inertial, video, acoustical or infrared analysis to track three-dimensional movements of the object.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein analyzing the received information comprises compiling a history of the three-dimensional movements of the object.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein analyzing the received information comprises comparing the information relating to the three-dimensional movements of the object with information relating to an accuracy of one or more of the user'"'"'s responses in the simulation.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein adjusting the difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a display duration of one or more visual cues.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein adjusting the difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a volume of one or more auditory cues.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein adjusting the difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a display location of one or more visual cues.

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

running a simulation;

receiving information from a control interface used by a user to interact with the simulation, wherein the received information comprises information relating to frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of an object;

analyzing the received information relating to the frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of the object;

forming at least an indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill based on the analysis of the received information relating to the frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of the object; and

dynamically adjusting a difficulty level of the simulation based on the indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill.

12. A storage medium in accordance with claim 11, wherein analyzing the received information comprises gauging one or more of the user'"'"'s response times in the simulation.

13. A storage medium in accordance with claim 12, wherein analyzing the received information further comprises compiling a history of the user'"'"'s response times in the simulation.

14. A storage medium in accordance with claim 11, wherein analyzing the received information comprises compiling a history of accuracies of a plurality of the user'"'"'s responses in the simulation.

15. A storage medium in accordance with claim 11, wherein receiving information from the control interface comprises using at least one of inertial, video, acoustical or infrared analysis to track three-dimensional movements of the object.

16. A storage medium in accordance with claim 15, wherein analyzing the received information comprises compiling a history of the three-dimensional movements of the object.

17. A storage medium in accordance with claim 15, wherein analyzing the received information comprises comparing the information relating to the three-dimensional movements of the object with information relating to an accuracy of one or more of the user'"'"'s responses in the simulation.

18. A storage medium in accordance with claim 11, wherein adjusting the difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a display duration of one or more visual cues.

19. A storage medium in accordance with claim 11, wherein adjusting the difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a volume of one or more auditory cues.

20. A storage medium in accordance with claim 11, wherein adjusting the difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a display location of one or more visual cues.

21. A game console, comprising:

a control interface for use by a user to interact with a simulation, the control interface being used to track frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of an object; and

a processor based system configured to run the simulation, receive information from the control interface relating to the frequency or severity of the three-dimensional movements of the object, analyze the received information, form at least an indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill based on the analysis of the received information, and dynamically adjust a difficulty level of the simulation based on the indication of the user'"'"'s level of skill.

22. A game console in accordance with claim 21, wherein analyzing the received information comprises gauging one or more of the user'"'"'s response times in the simulation.

23. A game console in accordance with claim 21, wherein analyzing the received information further comprises compiling a history of the user'"'"'s response times in the simulation.

24. A game console in accordance with claim 21, wherein analyzing the received information comprises compiling a history of accuracies of a plurality of the user'"'"'s responses in the simulation.

25. A game console in accordance with claim 21, wherein the control interface uses at least one of inertial, video, acoustical or infrared analysis to track the three-dimensional movements of the object.

26. A game console in accordance with claim 25, wherein analyzing the received information comprises compiling a history of the three-dimensional movements of the object.

27. A game console in accordance with claim 25, wherein analyzing the received information comprises comparing the information relating to the three-dimensional movements of the object with information relating to an accuracy of one or more of the user'"'"'s responses in the simulation.

28. A game console in accordance with claim 21, wherein the adjusting a difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a display duration of one or more visual cues.

29. A game console in accordance with claim 21, wherein the adjusting a difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a volume of one or more auditory cues.

30. A game console in accordance with claim 21, wherein the adjusting a difficulty level of the simulation comprises adjusting a display location of one or more visual cues.