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U.S. Patent No. 9,367,543: Game achievements system
Issued June 14, 2016 to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
Priority Date December 7, 2004



Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 9,367,543 (the '543 Patent) is for all the achievement hunters out there. Consoles with an online mode have the option for players to create a username and profile to give themselves a unique identity in the gaming community. Gaming profiles used to be nothing more than a way for friends to identify each other and did not convey much information about the individual.

The '543 Patent solves this by creating a method for providing a game achievements system where games reward players with achievements based on performing certain tasks. Every earned achievement is shown in the player’s gaming profile as a badge or trophy. Achievements helped prolong a game's life by pushing players to play the game in unusual ways that would not have been encouraged during a normal play through. Players may also receive points based on the number achievements earned, exemplified in Xbox’s gamerscore system. Xbox's gamerscore interface allows players to compare points and achievements. The points systems fuel friendly competition amongst friends to see who could earn more achievements.


Abstract:
Systems and method for providing a game achievements system where players are rewarded with game achievements based on mastering certain in-game facets of the games they play. Each game achievement may be conveyed in a profile as a badge or trophy, title, description, date, etc. Players may also accumulate points based on game achievements. A display interface may be made available such that a player may see his achievements and total points, as well as those of others.


Illustrative Claim:
1. A system comprising: a first computing device having a first processing unit and a first memory device storing first computer executable instructions; and a second computing device having a second processing unit and a second memory device storing second computer executable instructions; wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the first processing unit, cause the first processing unit to: receive inputs from a gamer for populating a gamer profile, the inputs identifying a gamer name of the gamer profile; receive further inputs from the gamer identifying specific other gamers that can receive the gamer profile; provide at least the gamer name of the gamer profile to a remote service on the second computing device that maintains the gamer profile; execute game code of a game; identify occurrences of a plurality of achievements, wherein the occurrences are achieved while the game is being played on the first computing device by the gamer and the occurrences include: an occurrence of a first individual achievement having a first title, wherein the gamer is credited a first number of points for the occurrence of the first individual achievement, and an occurrence of a second individual achievement having a second title, wherein the gamer is credited a second number of points for the occurrence of the second individual achievement, report the occurrence of the first individual achievement to the remote service on the second computing device, wherein the remote service updates the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the first individual achievement; and report the occurrence of the second individual achievement to the remote service on the second computing device, wherein the remote service updates the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the second individual achievement, and wherein the second computer executable instructions, when executed by the second processing unit, cause the second processing unit to: execute the remote service; obtain the gamer profile at the remote service via communicating with the first computing device; obtain identities of the specific other garners that can receive the gamer profile of the gamer; update the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the first individual achievement and the occurrence of the second individual achievement; and selectively provide the updated gamer profile to other computing devices associated with the specific other garners while preventing further computing devices associated with further garners from receiving the updated gamer profile.


Research By: Rachel Johns

Edited by: Andrew F. Thomas



U.S. Patent No. 7,628,688: Game apparatus, game control method, recording medium and program

Issued December 8, 2009, to Konami Holding Corp.

 

Summary:

Battling opponents is a quintessential part of gaming, and U.S. Patent No. 7,628,688 (the '688 Patent)helps these battles take place. The ‘688 patent describes an image generator used to display both a player and opponent in a state of combat, as well as showing the characters fighting in real time. The patent describes a detector that tracks the distance between a player and opponent. Using a game map, the player and opponent’s relation to each other results in the changing from a normal gameplay mode to combat mode. For example, if a player or opponent enters a certain area (usually within a distance sufficiently close to the opponent), either the opponent or player satisfies a preset condition to initiate a battle. Once the conditions for ending the combat are met (i.e. the player wins or loses), the battle would end and the game would continue on as usual. The patent describes that the game map has a number of geographic features that influence whether the elements are met for a battle to begin. For example, a character could hide behind a wall close to an opponent and avoid a battle which would otherwise take place. This helps to simulate sneaking around an enemy.


Abstract:

An image data generator of this game apparatus generates, in a combat state, combat image data to display player's combat elements that executes a combat and opponent's combat elements fighting with the player's combat elements on the display unit in real time. This game comprises a distance detector that detects a distance between the player's combat element and the opponent's combat element at the time of changing a normal state to the combat state, and displays an initial image at the beginning of the combat state in accordance with the distance therebetween.


Illustrative Claim:

1. A game apparatus for executing a war simulation game, comprising: a first generator for generating image data to display a normal state image on a preset display, which includes a map, at least one player's element, and at least one opponent's element, both elements being positioned on the map; a first controller for activating the first generator when operation data indicating an operation by a game player is sent to the first controller and controlling the first generator to generate the image data for the normal state image according to the operation data; a second generator for generating image data to display a combat state image on the preset display, which represents that one of the at least one player's element fights against one of the at least one opponent's element; a second controller for activating the second generator when the operation data is sent to the second controller and controlling the second generator to generate the image data in real time in response to the operation data, wherein the real time generation of image data is free of a turn-based generation of image data; and a selector for receiving the operation data, determining whether or not the operation data satisfies a preset condition, and sending the operation data to either the first controller or the second controller in accordance with the determination wherein the map of the normal state image comprises a plurality of areas, and each of the both elements is positioned in one of the plurality of areas respectively, wherein the second controller determines, according to the operation data, whether or not an area in which the desired player's element is positioned is adjacent to an area in which the desired opponent's element is positioned, and controls the second generator so that the displayed combat state image represents the desired player's element to fight the desired opponent's element in short-range circumstance when the area in which the desired player's element is positioned is adjacent to the area in which the desired opponent's element is positioned, while the display combat state image represents the desired player's element to fight the desired opponent's element in long-range circumstance when the area in which the desired player's element is positioned is not adjacent to the area in which the desired opponent's element is positioned, wherein the map comprises a matrix form having a plurality of geographic features that exert an influence upon a result of combat between the at least one player's element and the at least one opponent's element, wherein the preset condition is whether the operation data includes an instruction that desired one of the at least one player's element should fight against desired one of the at least one opponent's element, wherein the selector sends the operation data to the second controller when the operation data satisfies the preset condition, and wherein the movements of the at least one player's element and the at least one opponent's element are influenced by the plurality of geographic features of the map.



Research By: Rachel Johns
Edited By: Andrew F. Thomas
U.S. Patent No. 6,231,444: Operating device for game machine
Issued May 15, 2001, to Sony Interactive Entertainment, Inc.
Priority date: October 11, 1996


Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 6,231,444 (the ‘444 Patent) is the patent that relates Sony’s DualShock controller. The DualShock controller featured two analog sticks and two integrated vibration motors. The ‘444 Patent mainly relates to the two analog sticks and their functionality. Most developers build a game's control scheme around a dual analog controller. Computers use to dominate the first-person shooter genre because the mouse and keyboard provided better controls to the players. Dual analog sticks made consoles a more viable option for first-person shooters because developers could separate the aim and movement inputs. The aim could be on the left stick and player movement on the right stick. It took a while for developers to maximize the potential of the dual analog, but now every console uses a dual analog controller.


Abstract:
An operating device used in a game machine for playing a television game includes a main body portion of the operating device and first and second grip portions protruding from one side on respective end parts of the main body portion. A first operating unit is mounted on one end of the main body portion and a second operating unit is mounted on the opposite end of the main body portion. The first and second operating units are provided with a plurality of thrusting operators protruding from the upper surface of the main body portion and a plurality of signal input elements actuated by the thrusting operators. A third operating unit and a fourth operating unit are arranged facing each other on the proximal ends of the first and second grip portions. Each of the third and fourth operating units has a rotation member and a plurality of signal input devices actuated by the rotation member. When the first and second grip portions are gripped, the third and fourth operating units can be manipulated by a thumb finger of a hand gripping the first or second grip portion. The operating device further includes vibration imparting mechanism for imparting vibrations to the user's hands.

Illustrative Claim:
1. An operating device for a game machine, comprising: a main body having front and rear sides and upper and lower surfaces; first and second grips protruding at spaced positions from end parts; a first operating unit mounted in said main body adjacent one of said spaced positions, said first operating unit having a plurality of first thrusting operators protruding from said upper surface of said main body and a plurality of signal input elements each for generating a signal when a corresponding one of said first thrusting operators is depressed; a second operating unit mounted in said main body adjacent the other one of said spaced positions, said second operating unit having a plurality of second thrusting operators protruding from said upper surface of said main body and a plurality of signal input elements each for generating a signal when a corresponding one of said second thrusting operators is depressed; and third and fourth operating units arranged on said rear side of said main body, said third operating unit being positioned adjacent said first grip and said fourth operating unit being positioned adjacent said second grip so that said third and fourth operating units confront one another, said third and fourth operating units each having a rotation member and at least one signal input element for generating a signal in response to an operation of said rotation member.


Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas


U.S. Patent No. 4,445,187: Video games with voice dialog
Issued April 24, 1984, to Best, Robert M. 
Priority Date February 5, 1979


Summary:
Patent No. 4,445,187 (the '187 Patent) describes a video game in which the user can talk to a character in a video game. The '187 Patent is a continuation of U.S. Patent No. 4,305,131 (the '131 Patent), titled Dialog between TV movies and human viewers. Both patents utilize a hand-held speech-recognition device so the user can interact with the characters on screen. A major difference between the two patents is the '187 Patent relates to game characters or cartoon characters whereas the '187 only relates to human actors.

The game described in the '187 Patent has branching storylines. A player will be presented with an option at a given point in the game. Both possibilities link to different storylines saved in the game data. A player will encounter different dialogue and different scenarios based on which option was chosen. The player makes his choice by giving a verbal answer into the speech-recognition device. The hand-held device would display a menu with prompt words. A player could also ask the game character a question or make a side comment by pressing a button on the hand-held. The system would listen for select words to determine how the game character should respond. The game also allowed for multiplayer, but each player needed a hand-held unit so that they could each receive a different prompt.


Abstract:
A video game system by which human viewers conduct simulated voice conversations with game characters or cartoon characters in a branching story game shown on a television screen. The characters and cartoons reply responsively with lip-sync sound to words input by viewers. Different audio and video frames are generated from data memory and video disc to provide one of several alternative replies or alternative actions at each branch point in the game, depending on which words are selected by the viewer. A menu of prompting words is displayed to inform viewers of what words they can use at each branch point. Viewers can input questions or make other remarks by pressing a button next to one of the displayed sentences which causes a recording of the displayed sentence to be played or speech synthesized in lieu of a viewer speaking it. Viewers can chat with simulated images of famous people, call the plays in a ball game, make executive decisions as a king or general, and participate in simulated adventures with interesting game characters who respond to each viewer's words and answer back responsively.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A video apparatus for simulating a voice conversation between a human viewer of the apparatus and a talking video character, the apparatus comprising: first means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide a first video frame sequence associated with a plurality of alternative second video frame sequences; second means for reading video frames from a record carrier means to provide access to at least one of said alternative second video frame sequences before the end of said first video frame sequence; means for displaying said first and second video frame sequences including a simulated image of said talking character accompanied by corresponding voice sounds, thereby providing one side of a simulated voice conversation; means for communicating to said human viewer during said first video frame sequence a plurality of alternative verbal responses corresponding to said alternative second video frame sequences; means for receiving from said human viewer a response signal corresponding to a selected verbal response in said plurality of alternative verbal responses, thereby selecting a corresponding [second] video frame sequence; means for generating voice sounds electronically including words in said selected verbal response, thereby simulating the viewer's side of the voice conversation; and means for switching at the end of said first video frame sequence between the video frames from said first reading means to the video frames from said second reading means to provide said selected second video frame sequence accompanied by voice sounds corresponding to said selected second video frame sequence, thereby simulating a voice conversation between the talking character and the human viewer.





Researched by: Andrew F. Thomas
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