U.S. Pat. No. 8,961,309

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE EMBODIMENTS

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular preferred embodiment(s) disclosed.

Various embodiments of the invention provide a system and method of music-based gameplay which is carried out using a touchscreen device to “play” a simulated instrument. Embodiments may allow players to interact with an audio and/or visual musical display in a single, compact device, without the need for a highly specialized game controller. Embodiments also may help create an experience which more closely simulates the feel of playing a musical instrument (for example, “strumming” a guitar or beating a drum) than can be created with a keyboard or joystick-type peripheral. Embodiments may further allow for creation of a musical learning experience which may be focused mainly on sightreading, chord-key relationships, rhythm, or any combination of these and other areas.

Musical Targets

Embodiments of the invention generally involve a visual display configured to display an image of a musical target for the user to play. As used in this description, the term “musical target” can refer to any element of music, such as a note, chord, or (especially in an embodiment simulating one or more percussion instruments) a beat on a particular instrument or part of an instrument. The simulated instrument may be real (such as a guitar or keyboard) or fantastical. A series of musical targets may comprise all or part of a riff, track, or song. For example, a series of musical targets may collectively comprise a lead guitar harmony, a guitar chord progression, a bass line, or a rhythm portion of a song.

A musical target comprising a single note can be portrayed as an image of that note as represented in standard musical notation, in tablature, or simply as the letter of the note's name (e.g, “A” or “F#”). Alternatively, in an embodiment simulating a stringed instrument, a note can be portrayed as an image highlighting a specific string and/or a specific location on a fretboard or neck of the instrument. In an embodiment simulating a keyboard instrument, a musical target comprising a note can be portrayed as an image highlighting a specific key.

A musical target comprising a chord can similarly be portrayed in a number of ways. A chord can be portrayed as an image of the chord as represented in standard musical notation, in tablature, or simply as the chord symbol (e.g., “A,” “Amaj,” or “C#min”). Alternatively, in an embodiment simulating a stringed instrument, a chord can be portrayed as an image highlighting specific strings and/or specific locations on a fretboard or neck of the instrument. In an embodiment simulating a keyboard instrument, a musical target comprising a note can be portrayed as an image highlighting a specific set of keys. Similarly, a musical target comprising a beat can appear as an image of the beat as portrayed in standard percussion notation, or as highlighted portions of displayed images of percussion instruments.

An image of a musical target may additionally comprise an image of a user input device along with an indication of a specific user input corresponding to the target. Such an image may comprise, for example, an image of a directional pad (D-pad) with a particular leg of the D-pad highlighted (or with no legs highlighted) to indicate the appropriate input to the user. Where an image of a musical target comprises musical notation, tablature, or other symbols, without an image of a user input device (seeFIGS. 5A and 5B) the visual display may include a separate representation of the user input device providing a mapping between user input and a selection of musical target choices.

A musical target may also be a moving target. Where an image of a musical target comprises musical notation or tablature, for example, a moving target may scroll across a visual display of ledger lines. Where an image of a musical target comprises an image of a user input device, a moving target may scroll across or down a visual display. In an embodiment simulating a string instrument such as a guitar, such a target may move down the neck of the instrument toward the sound hole (or pickups, in the case of an electric guitar).

A musical target may have one or more attributes. Such attributes may include, for example, tonality, location, and timing. A tonality attribute may correspond to the tone or pitch of a musical target such as a note or a chord. A timing attribute may correspond to the proper timing of a musical target within the context of a musical track or riff. A timing attribute may be represented by standard musical notation or tablature, or simply by appearance of (or highlighting of) an image of a musical target. A timing attribute may also be indicated by the location of a moving target. For example, in an embodiment simulating a guitar, the proper timing of a musical target may be indicated by the target reaching the sound hole (or pickups, in the case of an electric guitar). A location attribute may correspond to a location on a simulated instrument. In an embodiment simulating a guitar, a location attribute may correspond to a particular string or set of strings on which the musical target must be “played.” In an embodiment simulating a drum set, a location attribute may correspond to the center of a particular drum or the edge of a particular cymbal.

A Basic System

With reference now toFIG. 1, a block diagram illustrates an exemplary system for playing a video game such as, e.g., a game machine. Another platform for gameplay could be a television set with internal or external software application execution capability. The device100generally includes a visual display102connected to a processor106. At least a portion of the visual display102is a touchscreen. The visual display102may be configured to display an image of a musical target (described in detail above). The touchscreen portion of the visual display102may be configured to receive user input in response to the displayed image of a musical target. The touchscreen may, for example, be configured to appear as a musical instrument or a portion of a musical instrument such as a guitar, bass guitar, piano, or drum set. For example, the touchscreen portion may include a display of one or more strings of a guitar or bass guitar, a section (such as the section near the sound hole) of a guitar or bass guitar, a portion (such as a bass or treble portion) of a piano keyboard, or a subset of a drum set (including, for example, a bass drum, a snare, and a cymbal, or portions thereof). The processor106may execute software configured to provide a positive indication to the user if the received user input matches the attributes of the musical target. The positive indication may comprise generating a sound corresponding to the musical target. The positive indication may also comprise a visual indication of a correct match. In an embodiment simulating a guitar, for example, the positive indication may comprise a moving image simulating vibration of the string or strings that were “played.” The positive indication may further comprise additional audio or visual signals (such as stars or “thumbs-up” symbols) indicating a correct match.

FIG. 2illustrates an alternative embodiment, in which a device200includes a visual display202, a processor206, and at least one user input device208. At least a portion of the visual display202is a touchscreen. The user input device208may comprise any device suitable for receiving user input, for example, a button or set of buttons, a keypad, or a directional pad (“D-pad”). The user input device208may be configured to control a selection of musical target choices. In an embodiment including a D-pad input device, for example, each leg of the D-pad may be configured to select a particular chord (or note) out of a set of four chord (or note) options, with a default selection of a fifth chord (or note) when none of the legs is depressed.

Embodiments of the invention may include a visual display having two or more visually separate portions. As illustrated inFIG. 3, a device300may include a visual display having a non-touchscreen portion302and a visually separate touchscreen portion304. The device300may further include speakers310and a source312of a music track. The music track may be pre-recorded (as indicated inFIG. 3) and pre-selected, or may be dynamically generated. The source312may comprise any digital music format, such as a MIDI file, for example.

FIGS. 4A and 4Billustrates a visual display of an embodiment as used in a game designed for a portable game machine such as the Nintendo DS™. This embodiment provides a simulated guitar-based gameplay experience in a portion of the overall game accessed via a command menu. The visual display has a non-touchscreen portion402and a touchscreen portion404. As can be seen in the figure, the non-touchscreen portion402shows a portion of the neck of a guitar, along with an image of a musical target420(a). The touchscreen portion404shows a portion of the body of a guitar along with images of musical targets420(b) and420(c). Each of the musical targets420(a)-(c) corresponds to a chord element of a—music track. In the illustrated embodiment, the track may be part of a theme song for a television series or movie. The touchscreen portion404includes arrows422which indicate the region of the touchscreen404that a user touches in order to “play” the simulated instrument. The musical targets420(a)-(c) may include one or more flags424which highlight the string or strings a user touches on the touchscreen portion404in order to “play” the target. Together, the arrows422and flags424may define a location attribute of a given musical target.

As can best be seen inFIG. 5, the musical targets420(a)-(c) each include a representation426of a D-pad user input device (not shown in the figure). Each leg of the D-pad user input device corresponds to one of a selection of chords that form part of the song. The representations426may include an image indicating which (if any) leg of the D-pad a user must depress while simultaneously interacting with the touchscreen in order to “play” the correct chord of the song. The representations426therefore may help define a tonality attribute of a given musical target.

In the illustrated embodiment, the musical targets420(a)-(c) appear first on the non-touchscreen portion402of the visual display, and then move down the neck of the simulated guitar and onto the touchscreen portion404. The appropriate timing of each of the musical targets420(a)-(c) may be indicated when the target reaches the area between the arrows422.

Also displayed in the touchscreen portion404are images of buttons430and432, which may be used, for example, to activate or deactivate a sound effect such as distortion. Buttons430and432may correspond to additional user input devices (not shown in the figure).

Gameplay

FIG. 6illustrates a basic gameplay process600according to an embodiment of the invention. Throughout gameplay, the process may play background music of a music track or song (seeFIG. 3). At block602, an image of a musical target is displayed. The musical target may have one or more attributes, such as a tonality, location, and/or timing attribute. The musical target may correspond to an element (such as a note, chord, or beat) of—a part of the music track, such as a lead guitar harmony, a guitar chord progression, a bass line, or a rhythm portion of the track. At block604, user input is received. The user input can comprise input to a touchscreen, as well as input to one or more additional user input devices. Touchscreen input can be achieved with a stylus, with an adapted stylus in the form of a pick or drumstick, or with a finger. At block606, the user input is evaluated against the attributes of the musical target displayed at block602. In the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 4A and 4B, for example, the user must contact the touchscreen generally between the arrows422across at least those strings highlighted by flags424in order to match the location attribute of each of the targets420(a)-(c). In order to match the timing attribute of one of the targets420(a)-(c), the user must contact the touchscreen when the target scrolls through the region between the arrows422. In order to match the tonality attribute of each of the targets420(a)-(c), the user must depress the leg of the D-pad which is highlighted (if any) in the target.

Referring again toFIG. 6, if the user input matches the attributes of the displayed target, the process moves to block610and a positive indication is provided to the user. The positive indication may comprise, for example, generating a sound corresponding to the musical target. The positive indication may further include displaying an image indicating a successful “hit” to the user. As shown at block608, the process600may also provide an error indication to the user if no user input is received or it the user input does not match the attributes of the displayed target. The error indication may comprise silence, or may comprise generating a sound indicative of an error. The error indication may further comprise generating a visual symbol indicative of an error, such as an “X” or “thumbs-down” image.

As can be seen in the figure, the process600may further include accumulating the user's score at block612. At block614, if the user has requested exit from the process600, the process may end. If not, the process may move to block616and determine whether a song (or track or riff) has completed or not. If a song is complete, the process600may end. If not, the process600may be repeated a number of times with a series of musical targets. For example, in the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 4A and 4B, a series of musical targets may appear on the non-touchscreen portion402of the visual display and scroll down the visual display into the touchscreen portion404. Each of the targets420(a)-(c) may correspond to a chord of the track or riff to be played, and the targets may be separated by spaces matching the rhythm of the track or riff being played. If the user input successfully matches the attributes of each musical target, the system will generate sounds corresponding to the track. Thus, these and other embodiments of the invention allow a user to “play” a song or track by successfully matching a series of displayed musical targets.

It will be understood that numerous and various modifications can be made from those previously described embodiments and that the forms of the invention described herein are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.