Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.

Matthew C Boch

Kasson D Crooker

Dean N Tate

Isaac Adams

Adam Carriuolo

Marc A Flury

Eran B Egozy

Ryan William Challinor

Dare Matheson

Eitan Glinert

Daniel A Schmidt

Alexander Rigopulos

Jason Deling Booth

Ryan Lesser

Matthew Moore

Seth Goldstein

Michael Mandel

Joshua Randall

Jonathan Mintz

Matthew Perlot

Brian Hodges Gibson

James Gerard Toepel

Mark Sullivan

The invention includes methods, systems, computer program products and means for providing an intuitive user interface for interacting with a game console that obviates the need for, or use of, a typical game controller. In one embodiment, the user interface comprises an analog-like mechanism for manipulating a menu and icon system. The menu system allows the user to highlight a menu option or icon using movement along one axis and to activate the menu option or icon via movement on a different axis. In one embodiment, highlighting is associated with a vertical motion and activation is associated with a horizontal motion. The vertical motion can be tied to the vertical movement of a particular appendage, e.g., the up and down movement of the user's right arm, and the horizontal motion can be tied to the horizontal movement of that or another appendage, e.g., movement of the right arm or hand across the body from right to left.

Gesture-based user interface

Gesture-based user interface for navigating a menu

A method including displaying a multi-part visual cue that instructs a player to perform a gesture at a specified time, the multi-part visual cue including a first part indicating the gesture that is to be performed at the specified time, and a second part providing an indication of i) the specified time, and ii) a preparation period before the specified time, wherein the distance between the first and the second parts is variable over time, receiving, from a video camera, position information associated with positions of the player over time, determining a first displacement of the player using the position information, determining whether the first displacement of the player matches a first target displacement criterion associated with the multi-part visual cue, when the first displacement matches the first target displacement criterion within a timing window of the specified time, altering a gameplay characteristic of the video game.

Gesture-based music game

This disclosure relates generally to analysis of movement that is electronically captured and recognition of which movement was performed for purposes of evaluation. This type of motion capture, analysis and evaluation can have applicability across a number of fields, such as healthcare, entertainment, communication, and manufacturing. The recognition can occur once movement information collected from sensors is inputted into the system. The system can then analyze the movement information to determine what the movement is. In some games, such as sports games, movement recognition can provide feedback to a user about what they are doing. In other games, such as dance games, movement recognition can allow for users to dance a move from a set of moves providing for a more entertaining game.

Movement based recognition and evaluation

A computerized technique for use with a game console, the technique including providing, using the game console, a combat video game that includes a weapon, providing, using the game console and an audiovisual system, music as a player plays the video game, analyzing, using the game console, at least one of i) the music, and ii) metadata relating to the music, to determine a property, and controlling the operation of the weapon, using the game console, as a function of the property.

Musical combat game

Techniques for use with a game console and a camera system, the techniques include providing a first prompt to a first player to create and perform a dance move, receiving at the game console information from the camera system reflecting a position of the first player in response to the first prompt, generating, using the game console, a target frame using the received information relating to the first player, providing, using the audiovisual system connected to the game console, a second prompt to a second player to perform the dance move created by the first player, receiving at the game console information from the camera system reflecting a position of the second player in response to the second prompt, generating, using the game console, an input frame using the information relating to the second player, and comparing the input frame to the target frame to determine a comparison value.

Dance competition game

Presented herein are methods, apparatuses, programs, and systems for scoring a player performance comprising one or more poses in a dance-based video game. a performance 3D skeleton is received that indicates a pose of the player. A score is calculated by comparing a position, a timing, or both, associated with one or more joints of the performance 3D skeleton to a position, a timing, or both, associated with one or more joints of a target pose and altering one or more characteristics of the dance-based video game based on the score.

Dance game and tutorial

Presented herein are methods, apparatuses, programs, and systems for prompting a player to perform a series of dance moves. A player is prompted to perform a series of dance moves by providing a timeline comprising at least a first time interval associated with a first dance move, and a second time interval associated with a second dance move; displaying an icon representing the first dance move at a first location on the display for the duration of the first time interval; and displaying an icon representing the second dance move at the first location on the display for the duration of the second time interval, wherein the icon representing the first dance move includes one or more representations of a body and indicates on the one or more representations of the body at least one body part whose position is important during the performance of the first dance move.

Prompting a player of a dance game

Display screen or portion thereof with an icon for displaying dance moves

Display screen or portion thereof with boombox icon

Growing community of inventors

Somerville, MA, United States of America

Matthew C Boch