Dynamic improvisational fill feature

• US 9,799,314 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lopiccolo, Gregory B., Challinor, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): WARREN, DAVID S
• Application Number:
  US15/278,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20170092254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 84311
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits
• 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 2210/346 Pattern variations, break or fill-in accompaniment G10H2210/005
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/361 Selection among a set of pre-established rhythm patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/281 Spint drum assembly, i.e. mimicking two or more drums or drumpads assembled on a common structure, e.g. drum kit multi-toned percussion instruments G10H2230/255
• 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

The present disclosure is directed at systems, methods, and apparatus for implementing a rhythm-action game having an improvisational fill feature. The rhythm-action game can provide a musical track having at least one section that can be varied. The rhythm-action game can also provide a database having a plurality of fills, wherein each fill includes a soundtrack and a set of cues. During run-time, the rhythm-action game can select, for each section in the musical track that can be varied, a fill from the plurality of fills. In some embodiments, this selection can be based on various characterizing parameters to ensure that the fill is a good fit for the musical track. The rhythm-action game can also display a set of visual cues associated with the selected fill, and to evaluate whether received user input substantially corresponds to the displayed cues.

Claims

1. A method for varying a play experience of a player of a rhythm-action game, the method being executed by a computing device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory in communication with the at least one processor, the method comprising:

storing in the at least one memory;

a musical track, the musical track having at least one variable fill section, and

a database having a plurality of fills for the at least one variable fill section, each fill being associated with a different set of cues, wherein each cue directs the player to provide an input; and

for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track;

(i) selecting, for a playthrough of the musical track, by the at least one processor, a fill from the plurality of fills in the database;

(ii) transmitting display data to a display in communication with the at least one processor, the display data comprising at least part of the set of cues associated with the selected fill; and

(iii) for each displayed cue;

(a) receiving player input;

(b) evaluating whether the received player input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue; and

(c) altering an aspect of gameplay based on the evaluation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each cue directs the player to provide an input corresponding to a drum pad of a plurality of drum pads on a drum controller;

receiving player input comprises receiving input from the drum controller indicating which drum pad on the drum controller has been activated; and

evaluating whether the received player input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue comprises evaluating whether the activated drum pad corresponds to the drum pad directed by the displayed cue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each fill of the plurality of fills in the database is further associated with a different soundtrack; and

altering an aspect of gameplay based on the evaluation comprises;

when the received user input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue, playing at least a portion of the soundtrack associated with the fill that is associated with the set of cues of which the displayed cue is a part, and

when the received user input does not correspond to the input directed by the displayed cue, playing at least one of a muffled, muted, or distorted version of the soundtrack associated with the fill that is associated with the set of cues of which the displayed cue is a part.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

each soundtrack associated with each fill of the plurality of fills can be played according to a plurality of synthesizer settings; and

playing at least a portion of the soundtrack when the received user input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue comprises;

selecting a synthesizer setting, and

playing the at least a portion of the soundtrack using the selected synthesizer setting.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selection of the synthesizer setting is based at least in part on at least one characterizing parameter associated with at least one of the musical track, a variable fill section of the musical track, and a fill section selected by the at least one processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the playthrough is a first playthrough, the method further comprising:

for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track;

selecting, for a second playthrough of the musical track, by the at least one processor, a fill from the plurality of fills in the database,

wherein, for at least some of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the fill selected by the at least one processor for the first playthrough is different from the fill selected by the at least one processor for the second playthrough.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each fill of the plurality of fills in the database is further associated with a set of characterizing parameters; and

for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the selection of the fill from the plurality of fills is based at least in part on the set of characterizing parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of characterizing parameters includes at least one of a fill length, a style, a tempo, a beat type, and a difficulty level.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the selection of the fill from the plurality of fills is further based on one or more characterizing parameters associated with the musical track.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein, for a particular variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the selection of the fill from the plurality of fills is further based on one or more characterizing parameters associated with the particular variable fill section.

11. A computer system for varying a play experience of a player of a rhythm-action game, the computer system comprising:

a memory that stores;

a musical track, the musical track having at least one variable fill section, and

a database having a plurality of fills for the at least one variable fill section, each fill being associated with a different set of cues, wherein each cue directs the player to provide an input; and

at least one processor configured to, for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track;

(i) select, for a playthrough of the musical track a fill from the plurality of fills in the database;

(ii) transmit display data to a display, the display data comprising at least part of the set of cues associated with the selected fill; and

(iii) for each displayed cue;

(a) receive player input;

(b) evaluate whether the received player input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue; and

(c) alter an aspect of gameplay based on the evaluation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

each cue directs the player to provide an input corresponding to a drum pad of a plurality of drum pads on a drum controller;

the at least one processor is further configured to;

receive player input by receiving input from the drum controller indicating which drum pad on the drum controller has been activated; and

evaluate whether the received player input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue by evaluating whether the activated drum pad corresponds to the drum pad directed by the displayed cue.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

each fill of the plurality of fills in the database is further associated with a different soundtrack; and

the at least one processor is further configured to alter an aspect of gameplay based on the evaluation by;

when the received user input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue, playing at least a portion of the soundtrack associated with the fill that is associated with the set of cues of which the displayed cue is a part, and

when the received user input does not correspond to the input directed by the displayed cue, playing at least one of a muffled, muted, or distorted version of the soundtrack associated with the fill that is associated with the set of cues of which the displayed cue is a part.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

each soundtrack associated with each fill of the plurality of fills can be played according to a plurality of synthesizer settings; and

the at least one processor is further configured to play at least a portion of the soundtrack when the received user input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue by;

selecting a synthesizer setting, and

playing the at least a portion of the soundtrack using the selected synthesizer setting.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the selection of the synthesizer setting is based at least in part on at least one characterizing parameter associated with at least one of the musical track, a variable fill section of the musical track, and a fill section selected by the processor.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the playthrough is a first playthrough, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track;

select, for a second playthrough of the musical track a fill from the plurality of fills in the database,

wherein, for at least some of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the fill selected by processor for the first playthrough is different from the fill selected by the processor for the second playthrough.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

each fill of the plurality of fills in the database is further associated with a set of characterizing parameters; and

for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the selection of the fill from the plurality of fills is based at least in part on the set of characterizing parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of characterizing parameters includes at least one of a fill length, a style, a tempo, a beat type, and a difficulty level.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein, for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the selection of the fill from the plurality of fills is further based on one or more characterizing parameters associated with the musical track.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein, for a particular variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track, the selection of the fill from the plurality of fills is further based on one or more characterizing parameters associated with the particular variable fill section.

21. Non-transitory computer readable media storing machine-readable instructions that are configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

access from at least one memory;

a musical track, the musical track having at least one variable fill section, and

a database having a plurality of fills for the at least one variable fill section, each fill being associated with a different set of cues, wherein each cue directs the player to provide an input; and

for each variable fill section of the at least one variable fill section in the musical track;

(i) select, for a playthrough of the musical track, a fill from the plurality of fills in the database;

(ii) transmit display data to a display, the display data comprising at least part of the set of cues associated with the selected fill; and

(iii) for each displayed cue;

(a) receive player input;

(b) evaluate whether the received player input corresponds to the input directed by the displayed cue; and

(c) alter an aspect of gameplay based on the evaluation.