Method and apparatus for facilitating group musical interaction over a network

• US 6,482,087 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rigopulos, Alexander, Schmidt, Dan, Egozy, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US09/858,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 463/7, 463/1, 463/42, 844/70.R, 844/77.R, 846/00, 846/10, 846/45
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/141 Games on or about music, i.e. based on musical knowledge, e.g. musical multimedia quizzes teaching of music per se G09B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/145 Multiplayer musical games, e.g. karaoke-like multiplayer videogames

Abstract

A method for providing real-time musical interaction among a plurality of players connected via a network includes the steps of analyzing local player'"'"'s musical performance to extract emulation data that represents the musical performance; transmitting emulation data to remote players over a network; receiving emulation data from remote players over the network; and using the emulation data to emulate the remote player'"'"'s musical performance by locally generating approximations of the performances.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating real-time competition between players of a game, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving music performance input from a local player;

(b) generating audio output responsive to the received input;

(c) receiving emulation data extracted from a remote musical performance; and

(d) generating a local approximation of the remote musical performance using the emulation data, the local approximation synchronous with the local musical performance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises receiving music performance input from a local player via a game pad.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises receiving music performance input from a local player via a fake musical instrument.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises playing a note to indicate a successful input.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises playing an error message to indicate unsuccessful input.

6. A method for facilitating musical interaction over a network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving emulation data representing a remote user'"'"'s musical performance; and

(b) locally generating an approximation of the remote user'"'"'s musical performance using the received emulation data, the approximation synchronous with a local musical performance.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step (a) comprises receiving emulation data, the emulation data comprising a moving average of recent remote musical performance events.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein step (a) comprises receiving emulation data, the emulation data comprising a moving average of timing deltas between recent remote musical performance events.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein step (a) comprises receiving emulation data, the emulation data comprising an identification of recent remote musical performance events.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising extracting local emulation data representing a local musical performance.

11. A means for facilitating musical interaction over a network, comprising:

(a) means for receiving emulation data representing a remote user'"'"'s musical performance; and

(b) means for locally generating an approximation of the remote user'"'"'s musical performance using the received emulation data, the approximation synchronous with a local musical performance.

12. The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 11 further comprising means for receiving music performance input from a local player.

13. The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 12 wherein the means for receiving music performance input from a local player further comprises means for receiving music performance input from a local player via a game pad.

14. The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 12 wherein the means for receiving music performance input from a local player further comprises means for receiving music performance input from a local player via a fake musical instrument.

15. The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 11 further comprising means for extracting local emulation data representing a local musical performance.

16. The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 11 further comprising means for generating audio output responsive to the received input.

17. The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 16 wherein the means for generating audio output responsive to the received input further comprises means for playing a note to indicate a successful input.

18. The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 16 wherein the means for generating audio output responsive to the received input further comprises means for playing an error message to indicate unsuccessful input.