Temporal control of a virtual environment

• US 9,009,605 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Don’t Nod Entertainment
• Original Assignee: Don’t Nod Entertainment
• Inventors: Guilbert, Oskar
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/069,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/720, 715/757
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game

Abstract

Temporal control of a virtual environment may be provided. Content may be provided for presentation to a user. The content may be provided in a forward sequence. The content may include views of the virtual environment. A signal may be received from a user input device responsive to a manipulation of the user input device by the user. The signal may include manipulation information related to the manipulation of the user input device by the user. A determination may be made as to whether the manipulation of the user input device satisfies a condition based on the manipulation information. The content may be provided for presentation to the user in a reverse sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to a determination that the manipulation of the user input device satisfies the condition.

Claims

1. A method for intuitive real-time temporal control of a videogame during gameplay such that progress in the videogame is rewound to an earlier point in the gameplay, the method comprising:

providing content associated with an instance of the videogame for presentation to a user, the content being provided during gameplay at a first presentation rate and in a forward sequence, the content comprising views of a virtual environment of the videogame;

receiving a first signal during gameplay from a user input device comprising an analog stick responsive to a first manipulation of the analog stick by the user, the first signal conveying first manipulation information related to the first manipulation of the analog stick by the user;

determining whether the first manipulation of the analog stick satisfies a first condition based on the first manipulation information, the first condition including the first manipulation of the analog stick being a circular movement in a counterclockwise direction; and

providing the content for presentation to the user during gameplay in a reverse sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to a determination that the first manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the first condition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording content information related to the content provided to the user, the content information being indicative of the content provided to the user and the sequence in which the content was provided to the user; and

wherein providing the content for presentation to the user in the reverse sequence is based on the recorded content information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second signal from the user input device responsive to a second manipulation of the analog stick by the user, the second signal including second manipulation information related to the second manipulation of the analog stick by the user;

determining whether the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies a second condition based on the second manipulation information, the second condition including the second manipulation of the analog stick being a circular movement in a clockwise direction; and

providing the content for presentation to the user in the forward sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to a determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the second condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content provided for presentation to the user in the forward sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to the determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the second condition is limited to content the has been previously provided to the user.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether the second manipulation of the analog stick breaches a second threshold based on the second manipulation information responsive to the determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the second condition; and

wherein the content provided for presentation to the user in the forward sequence starting with the most recently provided content is provided at a second presentation rate responsive to a determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick breaches the second threshold, the second presentation rate being different than the first presentation rate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the first manipulation of the analog stick breaches a first threshold based on the first manipulation information responsive to the determination that the first manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the first condition; and

wherein the content provided for presentation to the user in the reverse sequence starting with the most recently provided content is provided at a second presentation rate responsive to a determination that the first manipulation of the analog stick breaches the first threshold, the second presentation rate being different than the first presentation rate.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining whether a rotation rate of the counterclockwise circular movement of the analog stick breaches a rotation rate threshold;

and

wherein the content provided for presentation to the user in the reverse sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to the determination that the first manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the first condition is provided at a second presentation rate, the second presentation rate being different than the first presentation rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual environment includes an avatar controlled by the user, and wherein the content includes views of the avatar.

9. A system configured to provide intuitive real-time temporal control of a videogame during gameplay such that progress in the videogame is rewound to an earlier point in the gameplay, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured by computer-readable instructions to;

provide content associated with an instance of the videogame for presentation to a user, the content being provided during gameplay at a first presentation rate and in a forward sequence, the content comprising views of a virtual environment of the videogame;

receive a first signal during gameplay from a user input device comprising an analog stick responsive to a first manipulation of the analog stick by the user, the first signal conveying first manipulation information related to the first manipulation of the analog stick by the user;

determine whether the first manipulation of the analog stick satisfies a first condition based on the first manipulation information, the first condition including the first manipulation of the analog stick being a circular movement in a counterclockwise direction; and

provide the content for presentation to the user during gameplay in a reverse sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to a determination that the first manipulation of the user analog stick satisfies the first condition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to record content information related to the content provided to the user, the content information being indicative of the content provided to the user and the sequence in which the content was provided to the user;

wherein providing the content for presentation to the user in the reverse sequence based on the recorded content information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to:

receive a second signal from the user input device responsive to a second manipulation of the analog stick by the user, the second signal including second manipulation information related to the second manipulation of the analog stick by the user;

determine whether the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies a second condition based on the second manipulation information, the second condition including the second manipulation of the analog stick being a circular movement in a clockwise direction; and

provide the content for presentation to the user in the forward sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to a determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the second condition.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the content provided for presentation to the user in the forward sequence starting with the most recently provided content responsive to the determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the second condition is limited to content the has been previously provided to the user.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to:

determine whether the second manipulation of the analog stick breaches a second threshold based on the second manipulation information responsive to the determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the second condition; and

provide the content for presentation to the user in the forward sequence starting with the most recently provided content at a second presentation rate responsive to a determination that the second manipulation of the analog stick breaches the second threshold, the second presentation rate being different than the first presentation rate.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to:

determine whether the first manipulation of the analog stick breaches a first threshold based on the first manipulation information responsive to the determination that the first manipulation of the analog stick satisfies the first condition; and

provide the content for presentation to the user in the reverse sequence starting with the most recently provided content at a second presentation rate responsive to a determination that the first manipulation of the analog stick breaches the first threshold, the second presentation rate being different than the first presentation rate.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to:

determine whether a rotation rate of the counterclockwise circular movement of the analog stick breaches a rotation rate threshold; and

provide the content for presentation to the user in the reverse sequence starting with the most recently provided content at a second presentation rate responsive to a determination that the rotation rate of the counterclockwise circular movement of the analog stick breaches the rotation rate threshold, the second presentation rate being different than the first presentation rate.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the virtual environment includes an avatar controlled by the user, and wherein the content includes views of the avatar.