JP2003531703A - Embed your own audio into video games in real time - Google Patents

Abstract

SUMMARY The present invention provides a computer method and system for incorporating user-specific music and / or sound into a video game. In part, the present invention relates to a music engine that interfaces with a video game to provide a plurality of user-specific sound files to the video game. The invention further relates to an encoded tag text file that identifies a user-specific sound file to be played at a particular point in the program.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to computer methods and systems for incorporating user-specific music and / or sound into video games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Currently, most video game soundtrack architectures involve the use of conservative audio samples. Each video game has a predetermined set of sound files (samples or songs). The sound file defines all of the possibilities for the soundtrack in the game. The technical specifications and gameplay parameters of these sound files (e.g., file length and placement with respect to the gameplay stage) are preset by the game developer. Therefore, current systems require the user (ie, video game player) to hear the soundtrack selected by the game developer. this is,
It may either not be in line with the user's intent, and may eventually bore the user, or both.

Therefore, there is a need for a system that allows a user to modify a soundtrack to their tastes and / or keeps them tired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves current problems with video games by providing a system and method that allows users to incorporate their own songs and sounds into the video game.

In one aspect of the invention, a method of incorporating user-specific sound into a video game is provided. The method comprises: a) providing a music engine and an interface between the music engine and the video game, the music engine being capable of providing a plurality of sound files to the video game. And further, the interface is capable of obtaining a sound file from the music engine and presenting the sound file for playback to the video game, and b) a first signal from the video game. To the interface to play a first sound file from the music engine, thereby sending the first sound file played by the music engine to the video game.

In another aspect of the present invention, a video game device capable of incorporating a user's own sound is provided. The device comprises: a) a music engine means capable of accessing a plurality of sound files; b) an interface means capable of obtaining a sound file from the music engine and presenting the sound file for playback. c) It includes a trigger means for transmitting a signal to the interface to play a sound file from the music engine, and d) a playing means for playing a sound file.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a sound file is provided. The sound file includes a) data encoding a song or sample, and b) a first encoded tag associated with the data that includes information regarding usage of the data.

In a further aspect of the invention, an encoded tag text file is provided that identifies the sound file to be played. The text file comprises a) first data encoding the position of the sound file, b) second data encoding the duration of the sound file, and c) triggering the reproduction of the sound file. Includes third data encoding instructions and d) fourth data encoding information about the sound file.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a computer program is provided that incorporates the playback of a sound file by means of an encoded tag text file associated with the sound file. The program includes: a) an instruction corresponding to an instruction in the encoded tag text file that triggers the reproduction of the sound file; and b) the position data of the sound file from the encoded tag text file. Sound file extracting means including means for acquiring, c
) Sound file playback means including means for obtaining data regarding where the playback start and end points are from the encoded tag text file.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of user-specific sound reproduction associated with a computer program. The method comprises: a) generating a list of one or more events included in the program and associated with a sound file selected by the user; and b) with respect to each sound file selected by the user, A step of prompting a user to generate an encoded tag text file associated with a sound file, the encoded tag text file including first data encoding a location of the sound file. Second data encoding the duration of the sound file, and third data encoding an instruction to trigger the reproduction of the sound file,
Including the fourth data encoding information about the sound file, and c) playing the sound file using the generated encoded tag text file.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Definitions “Music engine” as used herein refers to a media program, such as a video game or computer game, and an operating platform for the media program, such as a personal computer or video game console. A device that functions as an intermediate voice controller between. Music engines are most often software programs.

As used herein, “interface” refers to the part of the music engine that interacts with the outside world. A music engine has a media program, such as a video game or computer game, a set of sound files, and an interface that interacts with a game player.

As used herein, “user-specific” refers to aspects of a media program, such as a video game or computer game, that program (eg, a player of the video game or computer game) may personalize to suit its personal preferences. Refers to the ability to change. A particular aspect of a user's own program is the music and sounds associated with the program.

As used herein, “signal” refers to an electronic message sent by another part of a device. This part of the device is recognized and responded to by another part of the device.

As used herein, “sound file” refers to an electronically stored data file that can be read and played as a sound of a given type. A typical sound file encodes a sample or song. As used herein, "song" refers to a piece of music. As used herein, "sample" refers to a portion of a song.

As used herein, an “encoded tag” may be part of a sound file, or may be associated with a sound file, but which is a single electronically stored record that is not played as a sound. Refers to data. Instead, a tag is one or more characteristics of a sound file (eg, its title, function, etc.) that help the music engine determine when and how the sound file associated with the tag is played. Identifying the duration and components). The encoded tag may also include information regarding the relationship of the tag to other encoded tags, or to the program that retrieves the sound file (s) using the encoded tag.

As used herein, “streaming” refers to the playback mode of a sound file. The sound file is loaded into the memory area in more than one section, each subsequent section being loaded into the buffer before the previous section finishes playing. Streaming playback may be used with local (eg, on the same device) or remote (eg, network or Internet) sound file. For example, the sound file may be "streamed" directly from the hard drive, or it may be streamed from a server on the Internet.

In some types of internet or network based streaming, streaming playback is used to access “streaming voice”, which is essentially a “wireless station” on the internet or network. That is, a series of two or more songs are continuously "streamed" from one site or "channel." Often, as with airwave-based radio stations, songs on one channel are somehow associated with jazz, light rock, or classical music.

Music Engine The music engine of the present invention allows a media program, such as a video game, to access, for example, virtually any type of sound file, and define a defined spot or prearranged point in the program. A device that allows you to insert a sound file into a spot. In this manner, the music engine allows user-specific sounds or music to be incorporated into the media program. Suitably, the music engine is software or a computer program. Music engine software can be written in any type of programming language. Preferably, the music engine software is written in a programming language that can interact with many other languages. The music engine also needs to interact with the sound file. Preferably, the music engine software is MP3
, Liquid Audio, Red Book Audio, Realaud
It is programmed to be able to interact with multiple sound file formats such as io, Windows (R) Media and WAV.

The preferred use of the music engine of the present invention is with video games or computer games. In this embodiment, the music engine is a PC,
Macintosh, Sony Playstation 1, Sony Pl
alignment 2, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo
64, Nintendo Game Cube and Microsoft X-
It is designed to interact with gaming platforms such as Box. Also included are music engines compatible with browsers or the internet, or music engines interfaced to online games with one or more players. However, the music engine is also intended to be used with a variety of media programs. Both music engines are known but not yet used. Without limiting the invention, other predetermined media programs that can interact with the music engine are film, video, DVD and CD-ROM.

When a media program such as a video game uses a music engine, the music engine first executes the procedure of initialization 1 as shown in FIG. The initialization procedure sets up a sound playback system and multiple buffers, such as DirectSound, so that the sound file can be retrieved from a user source (eg, a computer hard drive) and played. The initialization procedure also gets all necessary user-defined scheme information from the central location. This scheme information includes the events that are sent, the sound files associated with these events, and the sound files associated with it in the soundtrack mode. Initialization also starts a worker thread that services the buffer when the sound file is played.

The music engine then determines from the acquired scheme information whether the music engine plays in event or soundtrack mode (2). In event mode, the engine gets the event number from the media program (
3) Take out the sound file of the appropriate event and play this file. The engine continues to receive (4) subsequent event signals and replay them, continuing until no events have been sent and a destroy signal is received (6). The destroy command shuts down the sound playback system and clears the buffer used to play the file. Any memory allocated to play music or store sound files is destroyed. The worker thread is also stopped as it is no longer needed.

In soundtrack mode (5), the sound file containing the “song” containing the soundtrack for the media program is retrieved by the engine and played until a destroy command (6) is received.

[0024]   The music engine also uses the following method.

DisplayPreferences (): This method creates a window dialog that is used to modify the sound file associated with a particular event and soundtrack. This method, when called, retrieves all the information stored in the central location. If the user confirms the preference by selecting "OK" in the dialog, the DisplayPreference
s () adopts the changed information and stores it at the central position.

GetEventCount (): Stores the total number of events registered for the game during initialization. GetEventCount () simply returns the number of events used.

GetEventName (): During initialization, each event is given the number and name associated with it. This method simply returns the event name for any given event number.

PlayEvent (): The method takes the event number that is played and uses this number to locate the sound file associated with this event, as shown in step 3 above. When the file and filename are located, the music engine plays the sound file.

PlayFile (): This method takes a file name, locates the file, and plays the sound file. This method is the same as PlayEvent () except that it uses a file name instead of an event number.

PlaySoundtrack (): This method is the first in the soundtrack.
Open the file and play the sound file. When the playback of the first file ends, the next file in the soundtrack list is opened and played. The engine follows a protocol as shown in FIG.

Stop (): This method terminates the open sound file and
Tell ctSound to stop playing the file.

The music engine of the present invention plays a sound file. Sound files can be played in various ways. A sample (usually a shorter piece of sound or music, or song) may be played once from beginning to end, or may be "looped" (played repeatedly, without interruption). Songs (longer music) may also be played once or “looped”. The song or sample may also be played starting from a point other than the beginning and then looped to repeat a portion shorter than the entire sound file. Such techniques can be achieved by using encoded tags.

(Encoded Tag) When the encoded tag is used in the sound file, the music engine recognizes the identity of the sound file, and the corresponding sound file playback command and the corresponding command issued by the media program are generated. Is helped. The tag may identify the beginning and end of the playback, and where the "loop" playback, in some cases, begins and ends. The tag may further specify the following information associated with the sound file. The following information is 1) the title of the game, 2) the platform and 3) the position in the media program where the file is played.

Basically, the encoded tags are text files containing data. The data in the text file may include one or more of the following. These are location data,
These are duration data, playback trigger data, and sound file data. Preferably the encoded tag comprises at least position data and playback trigger data.

Location data includes data regarding the location of the associated sound file. For example, location data may include a memory address on a local or network computer where the file resides, or a location on an internet website where the file resides. Further, the location data may include URLs or hyperlinks, if desired. The URL or hyperlink directs the user to an electronic commerce site where the user may automatically purchase or access the content described in the sound file. Hyperlinks to other related material may also be included. Location data may also include time-responsive URLs or hyperlinks. The time-responsive URL or hyperlink may serve as an "admission ticket" that directs the user to a time-limited event, such as a live concert or webcast.

Duration data includes data about where in the sound file playback begins and ends and how long it lasts. Therefore, the duration data is the start time (the point where the playback in the sound file starts), the end time (the point where the playback in the sound file ends), the duration (the distance from the start time to the end time) and the loop information. (A part of the sound file is played once or repeatedly played in a loop).

Play trigger data includes data that determines which type of program event triggers the play of the associated sound file. For example, the playback trigger data may include the name of a particular program event (eg, "introduction") or, in the case of a video game program, the name of a particular video game event (
For example, "monster attack" or "health low")
Can be included. The replay trigger data may also be based on the world position of the game. For example, the data may be a market, club, or home base of a player.
as)), etc., and may refer to a particular “virtual” position in the game world. In this embodiment, the playback trigger data triggers a particular sound file when the virtual player reaches a particular virtual position.

The sound file data includes data related to the sound file. For example,
Sound file data is the type of file (eg song, loop, sound)
, File program type (eg mp3, wav, etc.), file name (eg song title and author / performer data).

If desired, the encoded tag may also include effects processing data. The effect processing data includes one or more instructions for processing the sound encoded by the second file. Sound processing instructions include, for example, instructions that modify the sound envelope (homogenization or EQ), and instructions that add effects well known in the art, such as reverberation and tremolo. For example, the effects processing data may instruct the music engine to play the sound file with additional "hall reverberation" and "jazz-like EQ." Such processing may be accomplished by invoking custom-made or commercially available "effect plug-ins."

With the tag system, the music engine need only find a given point in the file and instead of playing the file until the end of the file, it plays the file for the duration specified by the tag. A sound file may be "tagged" in different sections as various "start" and "end" points for playback. In addition, a group of two or more encoded tags may be assembled into an encoded tag list, optionally including sound files associated with the encoded tags. Thus, the encoded tag list acts as a set of instructions for the game program and the music engine directs the playback of the user's own sound file to a particular game event or location.

Encoded Tag Generator The user may also use a computer program that assists in producing encoded tags. This computer program, "Encoded Tag Generator",
The first computer program is employed to generate a list of one or more events contained within the program that are associated with the sound file selected by the user. Then, for each such generated event, the encoded tag generator prompts the user to identify the sound file associated with the event. The generator then generates one or more encoded tags for each event. The tag includes position data, duration data, playback trigger data and sound file data. The generator then provides the generated encoded tags for execution by the first computer program, now with the user-selected sound file during playback.

A wide variety of original computer programs can be used to encode the tag generator. Such programs include video games, film, broadcast content such as TV or radio, DVDs, videos, VCDs, CD-ROMs, or any program that aligns or assembles the final media product. Elements of multiple content (sounds, images, text, etc.) are composed of editing instructions that play as a complete and consistent whole.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1]   FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a path for executing a music engine.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of playing a soundtrack or a sound file of an event.

[Figure 3]   FIG. 3 is a class diagram illustrating how a music engine is implemented.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, I T, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE, TR), CA, J P, KR, US (72) Inventor Daw, Bullet Tea.             United States North Carolina             27513, Carry, Hyde Park             Court 103-Y F term (reference) 2C001 BA07 BB08 BC09 CB01 CB08                       CC08                 5D044 AB05 BC08 CC09 DE49 FG18                       FG21 FG23 GK08 GK12 HL12

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. A coded tag text file for identifying a sound file to be played back, comprising: a) first data encoding a position of the sound file; and b) playback of the second file. And a second data encoding the instruction that triggers. 2. The encoded tag text file of claim 1, further comprising c) third data encoding a duration of the sound file. 3. The encoded tag text file of claim 2, further comprising: d) fourth data encoding information about the sound file. 4. The encoded tag text file of claim 2, wherein the third data includes a start time and an end time that are present in the sound file. 5. The encoded tag text file of claim 1, wherein the second data is an event. 6. The encoded tag text file of claim 3, wherein the fourth data includes one or more data selected from the group consisting of file type, file name and file author. . 7. A sound file comprising: a) data encoding a song or sample; and b) the encoded tag text file of claim 1 associated with the data. 8. A computer program that incorporates the reproduction of a sound file by means of an encoded tag text file associated with the sound file, wherein: a) the encoded tag which triggers the reproduction of the sound file. Instructions corresponding to the instructions in the text file; b) sound file retrieval means including means for obtaining position data of the sound file from the encoded tag text file; and c) the encoded tag text file. And a sound file playing means including means for obtaining data as to where the start and end points of playback are. 9. A method of user-specific sound reproduction associated with a computer program, comprising: a) generating a list of one or more events contained in the program and associated with a sound file selected by the user. B) for each sound file selected by the user, prompting the user to generate an encoded tag text file associated with the sound file, the encoded tag being The text file is a first data encoding a position of the sound file, a second data encoding a command for triggering the reproduction of the sound file, and a third data encoding a duration of the sound file. And fourth data encoding information about the sound file. , C) using said generated coded tag text file comprises the step of reproducing the sound file, the method. 10. In step b), the third data is used to specify a start point and an end point of reproduction by reproducing the sound file in real time and transmitting the end point in real time. The method of claim 9, generated by prompting a user. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sending is accomplished by pressing a key on the keyboard. 12. A method of incorporating user-specific sound into a video game, comprising the steps of: a) providing a music engine and an interface between the music engine and the video game, the music engine comprising: Multiple sound files can be provided to the video game, and further, the interface can obtain the sound file from the music engine and present the sound file for playback to the video game. A. B) sending a first signal from the video game to the interface to play a first sound file from the music engine, thereby causing the first sound to be played by the music engine. Sending a file to the video game. 13. c) Sending a second signal from the video game to the interface to play a second sound file from the music engine, thereby causing the second sound to be played by the music engine. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a file to the video game. 14. The first sound file comprises:   a) a first encoded tag text file,   b) with a song or sample 13. The method of claim 12, comprising: 15. The method of claim 12, wherein in step b) playing of the video game is accomplished by streaming audio. 16. A video game device capable of incorporating a user's own sound, comprising: a) music engine means capable of accessing a plurality of sound files; and b) obtaining a sound file from the music engine. Interface means capable of presenting the sound file to be played, c) trigger means for sending a signal to the interface to play the sound file from the music engine, and d) playing to play the sound file. A video game device including means. 17. The device of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of sound files. 18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said reproducing means is capable of reproducing a sound file by streaming audio. 19. The reproducing means is capable of reproducing a sound file by streaming audio from the Internet.
The device according to. 20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the reproducing means is capable of reproducing a sound file in a loop manner.