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

• US 9,433,866 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jacob, Mark Lester
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US14/733,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20150265926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 comprising:

monitoring a user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing a game by monitoring at least three-dimensional movements of a Human Interface Device (HID);

determining, by a processor based apparatus and from monitoring the user'"'"'s performance, if the user'"'"'s performance is within a 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 or outside of 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 monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring movements of a motion sensing input device being manipulated by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring and evaluating the user'"'"'s response with at least the HID to audio and/or visual stimuli.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving statistics about typical player interaction with the game and wherein the desired range of performance is obtained by using the receiving statistics about player interaction with the game.

7. 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:

monitoring a user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing a game by monitoring at least three-dimensional movements of a Human Interface Device (HID);

determining if the user'"'"'s performance is within a 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 or outside of the desired range.

8. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein monitoring a user'"'"'s performance comprises monitoring movements of a motion sensing input device being manipulated by the user.

9. The storage medium of claim 7, further comprising receiving statistics about typical player interaction with the game and wherein the desired range of performance is obtained by using the receiving statistics about typical player interaction with the game.

10. An apparatus for use with adjusting game parameters, comprising:

at least a Human Interface Device (HID) for use by a user to interact with a game; and

a processor based system configured to monitor the user'"'"'s performance while the user is playing the game by monitoring at least three-dimensional movements of the HID, determine if the user'"'"'s performance is within a 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 or outside of the desired range.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the input device comprises a motion sensing controller; and

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

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor based system is configured to receive statistics about typical player interaction with the game and the desired range of performance is obtained by using the received statistics about player interaction with the game.