Time-segmented multimedia game playing and authoring system

• US 5,613,909 A
• Filed: 07/21/1994
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jan Stelovsky
• Original Assignee: Jan Stelovsky
• Inventors: Stelovsky, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/278,946
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 273/433, 273/434, 273/435, 273/436, 273/437, 273/439, 273/85 G, 273/DIG. 28, 273/460, 273/430, 273/432, 434/307 A, 434/307, 434/308, 434/309, 434/315, 434/316, 434/323, 434/327, 364/412
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/011 Lyrics displays, e.g. for karaoke applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/455 Camera input, e.g. analyzing pictures from a video camera and using the analysis results as control data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals

Abstract

An interactive system is provided for playing a game, educational or instructional sequence in conjunction with a prerecorded multimedia presentation consisting of at least motion video, sound and accompanying text. The multimedia presentation is partitioned into time segments. The game sequence is also partitioned into task units that are synchronized with the time segments. The time address markers for the beginning and ending of each of the time segments initialize, execute and close each task unit of a programmed game sequence. A corresponding authoring system allows an author to design and implement the time-segmentation of the multimedia presentation and its functional interface with the game sequence. This system can be used for motivating instructional games based on music video, movies, animated cartoons and karaoke that provide the player with the same excitement and challenge of the popular video games. The games can contain educational contents and be used for teaching and training reading comprehension and foreign language instruction. Similarly, motivating tests based on this concept can accompany training in other subjects. The provided multimedia games can be the basis of many products in the emerging "edutainment" industry that combines education and entertainment.

Claims

1. A multimedia game playing system comprising:

a multimedia presentation comprised of a plurality of recorded media tracks with at least a video track that is clocked in accordance with time address points of a given time axis;

a game player unit having user input means for entering user input for playing a game on said game player unit, game playing means including programmed game sequence means for playing a programmed game sequence on said game player unit incorporating video images therewith in conjunction with the user input received through said user input means, and output means including at least a video display screen for displaying video images of the programmed game sequence in conjunction with the user input,

wherein said game player unit has associated therewith multimedia handling means including at least video input means for receiving said video track of said multimedia presentation and video output means for displaying said video track on said video display screen,

wherein said video track of said multimedia presentation is divided into a plurality of presentation segments having respective start and end time address points with respect to the given time axis, and

wherein the programmed game sequence means of said game playing means includes a plurality of game sequence subunits each of which is operationally linked to the start and end time address points of a respective one of said video track presentation segments,

wherein each of the game sequence subunits includes game choices which are displayed in conjunction with display of the respective video track presentation segment during a time period delimited by the start and end time address points for the respective presentation segment, and

wherein said game playing means of said game player unit operates in a play mode to play said presentation segments of said video track of said multimedia presentation in a continuous sequence and to display the game choices of the respective game sequence subunits linked thereto, and said gate playing means receives a user input at any time during the time periods of the multimedia presentation segments played in the continuous sequence and enters the user input as a game choice for a respective game sequence subunit linked to the corresponding presentation segment played in the time period during which the user input is received,

whereby the programmed game sequence is played on the game player unit by user input of selections for the game choices in conjunction with the display of the game choices of the game sequence subunits together with the display of the video track presentation segments of the multimedia presentation.

2. A multimedia game playing system according to claim 1, wherein said game player unit is a computer terminal, and said multimedia presentation is input to said computer terminal through one or more devices of the group comprising a CD-ROM unit, a magnetic disk storage unit, a laser disk storage unit, and an audio/video input device providing the multimedia presentation in digital format or through a digital converter.

3. A multimedia game playing system according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia presentation includes a video motion track, an audio track, and a text track synchronized together with respect to the given time axis.

4. A multimedia game playing system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation segments of said video track are defined with contiguous start and end time address points, and the time segments are ordered for sequential presentation.

5. A multimedia game playing system according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia presentation is a movie presentation having synchronized motion video, sound audio, and dialog text tracks, the time segments are dialog sequence units, and said game game sequence subunits include means for inputting user choices for the dialog text and for providing feedback by comparison of the user'"'"'s choices for dialog text with the dialog text track.

6. A multimedia game playing system according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia presentation is a remote movie presentation, and said system further comprises a receiver unit for receiving said movie presentation remotely and downloading it to said game player unit.

7. A multimedia game playing system according to claim 1, wherein said game sequence subunits of said programmed game sequence includes user feedback associated with user selection of game choices for display on said video display screen.

8. A multimedia game playing system according to claim 7, wherein said user feedback includes means for evaluating a user input of selection of game choices and displaying a value or response associated with the user selection.

9. A multimedia game playing system comprising:

a multimedia presentation comprised of a plurality of recorded media tracks with at least a video track that is clocked in accordance with time address points of a given time axis;

a game player unit having user input means for entering user input for playing a game on said game player unit, game playing means including programmed game sequence means for playing a programmed game sequence on said game player unit incorporating video images therewith in conjunction with the user input received through said user input means, and output means including at least a video display screen for displaying video images of the programmed game sequence in conjunction with the user input,

wherein said game player unit has associated therewith multimedia handling means including, at least video input means for receiving said video track of said multimedia presentation and video output means for displaying said video track on said video display screen,

wherein said video track of said multimedia presentation is divided into a plurality of presentation segments having respective start and end time address points with respect to the given time axis, and

wherein the programmed game sequence means of said game playing means includes a plurality of game sequence subunits which are operationally linked to the start and end time address points of respective ones of said video track presentation segments, and wherein the game sequence subunits includes game choices which are displayed in conjunction with display of the respective video track presentation segments during a time period delimited by the start and end time address points for the respective presentation segments,

wherein the programmed game sequence is played on the game player unit by user input of selections for the game choices in conjunction with the display of the video track presentation segments of the multimedia presentation, and

wherein said multimedia presentation is a music video presentation having synchronized motion video, music audio, and lyric text tracks, the time segments are measures of a song, and said game sequence subunits include means for allowing the input of user choices for the lyrics for each measure of the song in conjunction with displaying of the motion video track and audio playing of the music audio track for the song and for providing feedback by comparison of the user'"'"'s choices for the lyrics with the lyric text track.

10. A multimedia game playing system comprising:

a multimedia presentation comprised of a plurality of recorded media tracks with at least a video track that is clocked in accordance with time address points of a given time axis;

a game player unit having user input means for entering user input for playing a game on said game player unit, game playing means including programmed game sequence means for playing a programmed game sequence on said game player unit incorporating video images therewith in conjunction with the user input received through said user input means, and output means including at least a video display screen for displaying video images of the programmed game sequence in conjunction with the user input,

wherein said game player unit has associated therewith multimedia handling means including at least video input means for receiving said video track of said multimedia presentation and video output means for displaying said video track on said video display screen,

wherein said video track of said multimedia presentation is divided into a plurality of presentation segments having respective start and end time address points with respect to the given time axis, and

wherein the programmed game sequence means of said game playing means includes a plurality of game sequence subunits which are operationally linked to the start and end time address points of respective ones of said track presentation segments, and wherein the game sequence subunits includes, game choices which are displayed in conjunction with display of the respective video track presentation segments during a time period delimited by the start and end time address points for the respective presentation segments,

wherein the programmed game sequence is played on the game player unit by user input of selections for the game choices in conjunction with the display of the video track presentation segments of the multimedia presentation, and

wherein said multimedia presentation is a karaoke presentation having synchronized motion video, music audio, and song lyrics tracks, the time segments are measures of a song, and said game game sequence subunits include means for inputting a user voice audio track in conjunction with displaying of the motion video track and audio playing of the music audio track for the song and for providing feedback by comparison of the user'"'"'s voice audio track to the music audio track.

11. A multimedia game authoring system comprising:

a multimedia presentation comprised of a plurality of recorded media tracks with at least a video track that is clocked in accordance with time address points of a given time axis;

a game player unit having at least video input means for receiving said video track of said multimedia presentation, user input means for entering user input for playing a programmed game sequence on said game player unit, game playing means for playing in a play mode said presentation segments of said video track of said multimedia presentation in a continuous sequence and a programmed game sequence incorporating video images therewith in conjunction with the user input received through said user input means, and output means including at least a video display screen for displaying the video track of the multimedia presentation in conjunction with the video images of the programmed game sequence and user input; and

an authoring system having user interface means for dividing at least said video track of said multimedia presentation into a plurality of presentation segments having respective start and end time address points on the time axis, for linking each of a plurality of game sequence subunits of said programmed game sequence to start and end time address points of a respective one of said video track presentation segments, for defining game choices for each of the game sequence subunits which are to be displayed in conjunction with display of the respective video track presentation segment during a time period delimited by the start and end time address points for the respective presentation segment, and for assigning a value or feedback response to each of the defined game choices which may be selected by a user,

said authoring system having time addressing means for defining the time when a user input is received by the game playing means during the time periods of the multimedia presentation segments played in the continuous sequence and for addressing a respective game sequence subunit linked to the corresponding presentation segment having the time period during which the user input is received.

12. A multimedia game authoring system according to claim 11, wherein said game player unit and said authoring tool are combined in a computer terminal, and said multimedia presentation is input to said computer terminal through one or more devices of the group comprising a CD-ROM unit, a magnetic disk storage unit, a laser disk storage unit, and an audio/video input device providing the multimedia presentation in digital format or through a digital converter.

13. A multimedia game authoring system according to claim 11, wherein said multimedia presentation includes a video motion track, an audio track, and a text track synchronized together with respect to the given time axis.

14. A multimedia game authoring system according to claim 11, wherein the presentation segments of said video track are defined with contiguous start and end time address points, and the presentation segments are ordered for sequential presentation.

15. A multimedia game authoring system according to claim 11, wherein said authoring tool includes means for defining user feedback associated with user selection of corresponding game choices for the game sequence subunits of said programmed game sequence.

16. A multimedia game authoring system according to claim 15, wherein said means for defining user feedback includes means for defining a value or response associated with the user selection for display on said video display screen.