The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 01, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1995
Ronald P Crowley, Salem, MA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method practiced in connection with a computer game, video game or the like constantly evolves the game's music by permutting several basic themes and rhythms used. A harmonic pointer and rhythm pointer start the music so as to conform to a musical style desired in connection with a displayed scene or other event. Once the pointers have been set to a current musical style, the permutation process evolves the basic themes and rhythms and regenerates new music whose form is a stream of variations of the original themes thoughout the history of an individual game play experience, thus providing a large amount of musical content without having to store a large, complex, prerecorded musical score defined for each scene of the game. The amount of memory needed for musical passages is limited because a complex musical output is created from only a limited set of basic themes and rhythms. Initial musical themes are set during the game installation and musical themes evolve during the game. Playing the exact same sequence of musical notes is avoided, but the basic musical style is maintained, from one game play experience to another or even from product to another.