Cooperative and guided game play

Abstract

Methods and systems for cooperative or guided game play in a virtual environment are disclosed. The memory may store a content control profile regarding a set of control inputs associated with actions in a virtual environment of a digital content title. Requests for cooperative gaming of digital content titles may be received from a set of one or more users associated with different source devices. In response to the request, at least one avatar may be generated for the interactive session of the digital content title. A plurality of control inputs may be received from a plurality of different source devices and combined into a set of control input combinations. Generating the control input combination set may be based on the content control profile. Virtual actions associated with the virtual avatar may be controlled within the virtual environment according to the set of control input combinations.

Description

Background Art 1. Technical Field

[0001] The present system generally relates to cooperative or guided navigation of virtual environments. More specifically, the present system relates to joint or shared control of various characters or perspectives by multiple users within a virtual environment.

[0002] 2. Related technical description

[0003] Many different types of individuals with different experiences can use entertainment systems to experience virtual environments associated with digital content titles. Video game consoles, handheld devices, computers, and virtual reality systems, as well as the associated digital content accessed and played by them, may be constantly updated or refreshed to new versions that provide new experiences and challenges in learning and adapting. For some people, learning to navigate new types of virtual environments and / or playing new video games on new hardware may be a frustrating process, not only because of unfamiliarity with specific game titles, but also because of unfamiliarity with how to use hardware to perform expected movements and other game interactions. In addition, certain types of hardware or hardware input (e.g., combos) may cause difficulties for players with physiological or mental illnesses that limit movement, flexibility, memory, etc. In addition, even experienced and professional players may encounter some difficulties or embarrassment during the transition to new or unfamiliar systems, devices, and game titles. Muscle memory and habitual strength associated with old or familiar systems and titles may not necessarily be converted, and such users may eventually make various input errors that can lead to unexpected in-game movement and interaction.

[0004] Many entertainment systems and new media content often provide only a cursory introduction to the user, such as a quick setup guide on a new console or an introductory tutorial in a video game. Depending on the user's experience level, abilities, and the scope of the material, such material and the experience of learning to navigate a new or unfamiliar virtual environment may still be daunting in amount and complexity for a user who does not frequently interact with such devices or content, thus only further confusing, frustrating, and / or overwhelming the user.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide improved systems and methods for conducting cooperative and / or instructional gaming within a virtual environment. Summary of the invention

[0006] A system and method for cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment may be provided. A memory may store a content control profile for a set of control inputs associated with actions in a virtual environment of a digital content title. A request for cooperative gameplay of a digital content title may be received from a group of one or more users associated with different source devices. In response to the request, at least one virtual avatar may be generated for an interactive session of the digital content title. A plurality of control inputs may be received from a plurality of different source devices and combined into a control input combination set. Generating the control input combination set may be based on the content control profile. Virtual actions associated with the virtual avatar may be controlled within the virtual environment according to the control input combination set. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 An exemplary network environment is shown in which a system for cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment may be implemented.

[0008] Figure 2 An exemplary unified data system (UDS) that may be used to provide data to a system for cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment.

[0010] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of cooperative or coached gameplay in a virtual environment.

[0011] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic entertainment system that may be used in embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment. A memory may store a content control profile for a set of control inputs associated with actions in a virtual environment of a digital content title. A request for cooperative gameplay of the digital content title may be received from a group of one or more users associated with different source devices. In response to the request, at least one virtual avatar may be generated for an interactive session of the digital content title. A plurality of control inputs may be received from a plurality of different source devices and combined into a control input combination set. Generating the control input combination set may be based on the content control profile. Virtual actions associated with the virtual avatar may be controlled within the virtual environment based on the control input combination set.

[0013] Figure 1An exemplary network environment in which a system for cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment may be implemented is shown. The network environment 100 may include: one or more content source servers 110 that provide digital content (e.g., games, other applications, and services) for distribution; one or more content provider server application programming interfaces (APIs) 120; a content distribution network server 130; a cooperative control server 140; and one or more user devices 150. The devices in the network environment 100 communicate with each other using one or more communication networks, which may include a local private network (e.g., an intranet) and / or may be part of a larger wide area network. The communication network may be a local area network (LAN) that is communicatively coupled to a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. The Internet is a wide network of interconnected computers and servers that allows the transmission and exchange of Internet Protocol (IP) data between users connected through a network service provider. Examples of network service providers are: a public switched telephone network, a cable service provider, a digital subscriber line (DSL) service provider, or a satellite service provider. One or more communication networks allow communication between various components in the network environment 100.

[0014] The servers described herein may include any type of server as known in the art, including standard hardware computing components, such as network and media interfaces, non-transitory computer-readable storage devices (memory), and a processor for executing instructions or accessing information that may be stored in the memory. The functionality of multiple servers may be integrated into a single server. Any of the above servers (or integrated servers) may have certain client-side, cache, or proxy server features. These features may depend on the specific network arrangement of the server or certain configurations of the server.

[0015] The content source server 110 may maintain and provide a variety of digital content and digital services that are available for distribution through a communication network. The content source server 110 may be associated with any content provider that makes its content available for access through a communication network. The content source server 110 may therefore host a variety of different content titles and / or associated interactive sessions, which may also be associated with object data (e.g., activity information, area information, character information, player information, other game media information, etc.) about digital or virtual objects displayed in a digital or virtual environment during an interactive session. The same content source server 110 or a different content source server 110 may host one or both of the content title itself and one or more associated interactive sessions during which a user may navigate virtual actions within a virtual environment generated by the execution of the digital content title, interact with virtual actions, initiate and control virtual actions (including actions performed by one or more virtual avatars), and / or play games.

[0016] Such content may include not only digital videos and games, but also other types of digital applications and services. Such applications and services may include any of a variety of different digital content and functionality that may be provided to user devices 150, including providing and supporting chat and other communication channels. Chat and communication services may include voice-based, text-based, and video-based messages. Thus, user devices 150 may participate in a gameplay session that is concurrent with one or more communication sessions, and the gameplay session and communication session may be hosted on one or more of the content source servers 110. Such chat or other communication services may be used between user devices 150 (including source devices) to verbally coordinate gameplay or convey coaching tips, hints, contextual data, coaching instructions, and the like.

[0017] Content from the content source servers 110 may be provided via a content provider server API 120 that allows various types of content source servers 110 to communicate with other servers (e.g., user devices 150) in the network environment 100. The content provider server API 120 may be specific to the particular operating language, system, platform, protocol, etc. of the content source server 110 providing the content, as well as the user device 150 and other devices of the network environment 100. In a network environment 100 that includes a variety of different types of content source servers 110, there may likewise be a corresponding number of content provider server APIs 120 that allow various formatting, conversion, and other cross-device and cross-platform communication processes for providing content and other services to different user devices 150, which may each use different operating systems, protocols, etc., respectively, to process such content. Thus, applications and services in different formats may be made available for compatibility with a variety of different user devices 150. In a network environment 100 that includes multiple different types of content source servers 110 , content distribution network servers 130 , cooperative control servers 140 , user devices 150 , and databases 160 , there may also be a corresponding number of APIs managed by the content provider server API 120 .

[0018] The content provider server API 120 may also facilitate each of the user devices 150 to access content hosted or services provided by the content source server 110, either directly or via the content distribution network server 130. Additional information about the accessed content or services, such as metadata, may also be provided to the user devices 150 by the content provider server API 120. As described below, the additional information (e.g., object data, metadata) may be useful for providing details about the content or services provided to the user devices 150. In some embodiments, the services provided from the content source server 110 to the user devices 150 via the content provider server API 120 may include supporting services associated with other content or services, such as chat services, ratings, and profiles associated with a particular game, team, community, etc. In such cases, the content source servers 110 may also communicate with each other via the content provider server API 120.

[0019] The content distribution network server 130 may include a server that provides resources, files, etc. (including various content and service configurations) related to content from the content source server 110 to the user device 150. The content distribution network server 130 may also be called by the user device 150 requesting access to specific content or services. The content distribution network server 130 may include a global management server, a game server, a streaming media server, a server that hosts downloadable content, and other content distribution servers known in the art.

[0020] As shown, the cooperative control server 140 may include any data server known in the art that is capable of communicating with the various content source servers 110, the content provider server API 120, the content distribution network server 130, the user device 150, and the database 160. Such a cooperative control server 140 may be implemented on one or more cloud servers that execute instructions associated with interactive content (e.g., games, activities, videos, podcasts, user-generated content ("UGC"), publisher content, etc.). In some implementations, the functionality of the cooperative control server 140 may be provided as a service based on instructions embodied in any combination of remote, cloud-based, or local applications that have been specifically configured and arranged to provide services to a particular user or group of users.

[0021] User devices 150 may include a variety of different types of computing devices known in the art. User devices 150 may be computing devices including any number of different game consoles and associated controllers and peripherals, mobile devices, laptops, and desktops. Such user devices 150 may also be configured to access data from other storage media, such as, but not limited to, memory cards or disk drives that may be appropriate in the case of downloaded services. Such user devices 150 may include standard hardware computing components, such as, but not limited to, network and media interfaces, non-transitory computer-readable storage devices (memory), and processors for executing instructions that may be stored in memory. These user devices 150 may also run using a variety of different operating systems (e.g., iOS, Android), applications, or computing languages ​​(e.g., C++, JavaScript). This article about Figure 5 Exemplary client devices 150 are described in detail. Each user device 150 may be associated with a session participant (eg, interactive player) or other type of user (eg, spectator) associated with one or more interactive sessions within a virtual environment associated with digital content.

[0022] Although depicted separately, database 160 may be stored on any of the servers and devices shown in network environment 100, on the same server, on a different server, or on any of user devices 150. Such database 160 may store or link to various sources and services for content control profiles (including specific gameplay or instructional profiles). Database 160 may store various different content profiles associated with different content titles, different hardware (e.g., controllers), different abilities and skills, different gameplay states or styles, etc., which may be specific to a particular user, user group or team, user category, game title, game type, etc. Content control profiles may be used to identify how a user typically plays a game at different points within a timeline of an interactive session associated with a digital content title, including different sets of control inputs associated with actions within the virtual environment of the digital content title (e.g., including combos corresponding to a predetermined set of control inputs having a specific order and timing). Content control profiles may be specific to a user, user group, content title, content type, gameplay style, or other parameters. Thus, one or more content control profiles may be stored in database 160 for each user, user pairing or other user group, user content match, or other parameter combination. A content control profile may include one or more intent mappings that associate certain virtual (e.g., in-game) conditions with sets of control inputs typically used to take virtual actions in response to those conditions. Such intent mappings may be based on ongoing analysis of user gameplay data (e.g., as determined by the user's game context). Figure 2The data captured by the UGC system described in further detail) is developed and refined over time. By referencing the content control profile and the associated intent mapping, the collaborative control server 140 can therefore identify that an incomplete or erroneous set of control inputs is still associated with a particular virtual action that the user wants to perform in the current interactive session.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the cooperative control server 140 may receive a request for a cooperative game that supports a specific digital content title. The request may specify or otherwise indicate a group of one or more source devices (e.g., user devices 150), which may be associated with one or more users (e.g., a designated player, a designated coach, including a virtual coach based on artificial intelligence (AI)). In some implementations, the request may be received from a single user device that specifies the need to match another user device. In response, the cooperative control server 140 may identify a suitable match with another user device that may be used for cooperative game play. Such matching identification may be based on analysis of user status, ability and disability, skill, experience level, associated hardware and hardware capabilities, historical game play data, game play style, and other parameters associated with the requesting user and the matching user identified as complementary. In some embodiments, additional user input may be requested to identify a match. Such additional user input may be requested in the form of a questionnaire, a test, a skill assessment or a demonstration, or any combination of the foregoing.

[0024] Thus, players who, for any reason, are unable to successfully play a game or otherwise navigate a virtual environment on their own can still have a successful and enjoyable user experience within the virtual environment based on matched users identified as complementary and available to engage in cooperative gameplay. In addition to improving accessibility for players of varying experience, skills, and abilities, cooperative gameplay can also allow players with varying hardware (including hardware specifically configured or modified for varying abilities and disabilities) to fully participate in the latest content titles that might otherwise require stringent hardware requirements to perform certain virtual actions. In the event that no other suitable matched players are available or upon specific request, the cooperative control server 140 can match the requesting user to an AI-controlled source device that can be specifically configured to complement the requesting user (e.g., based on a content control profile and other user data).

[0025] In communication with one or more hosted content source servers 110, the cooperative control server 140 may generate at least one virtual avatar within a virtual environment of a requested content title and configure the virtual avatar for cooperative gameplay control by a source device. Cooperative gameplay allows a group of source devices to jointly and / or cooperatively provide control inputs together to simulate single player control. In this way, control inputs from a group of source devices may be combined to control a single avatar (or other virtual character or perspective typically controlled by a single player) within a virtual environment and to control a group of multiple virtual characters (e.g., an army, a fleet, a squadron) in a content title that allows a single player to control multiple virtual characters. The cooperative control server 140 may combine control inputs received from a specified group of source devices into a single set of control inputs, identify any title-specific control input order and timing from one or more applicable content configuration files, and apply the identified order and timing before using the resulting combined set of control inputs to perform one or more actions (e.g., via one or more virtual avatars) in the virtual environment. By referring to the applicable content control profile, the collaborative control server 140 can predict what virtual actions correspond to events during a certain scene (e.g., or layer or level) within the timeline of the interactive session. For example, the content control profile may specify that virtual combat actions typically occur in response to a virtual monster or opponent appearing in a scene.

[0026] Thus, the collaborative control server 140 can analyze the combined control inputs received from the one or more source devices in this context to identify what virtual actions may be intended to be performed. One source device may provide a set of control inputs corresponding to a portion of a combo, while another source device may provide another set of control inputs corresponding to the remainder of the combo. The collaborative control server 140 can not only combine sets of control inputs from different source devices, but can also combine specific control inputs in a specific order and timing, and then provide a combined set of control inputs to control virtual actions in an interactive session (e.g., which may be hosted by one or more content source servers 110). In some implementations, the source devices may further specify how to prioritize control inputs, for example, for certain scenes or virtual action types, so that specific control responsibilities can be delegated between source devices, or control can be completely switched between source devices.

[0027] One type of cooperative gameplay may include coached gameplay, in which one or more users (and associated source devices) are designated as coaches. Different levels of coaching control may be designated, whereby a coach may be able to exert different levels of control over an avatar during a session. For example, prioritizing inputs may specify that inputs from non-coach source devices are prioritized in control of the avatar unless and until certain triggers or triggering conditions occur, such as certain combos or hardware input types. In this way, the coached player may play the game as independently as possible while being able to rely on coach control inputs as a fallback in response to particularly difficult or other designated conditions. Thus, control inputs from a coach source device may be processed differently than control inputs from a source device not associated with the designated coach.

[0028] During the coaching mode, the cooperative control server 140 can provide a preview or prediction of upcoming events to the designated coach or coached player, which also provides additional time to prepare to implement a certain virtual action. The designated coach source device can provide a set of control inputs associated with the predicted virtual action, which can be used to generate audio-visual (e.g., on-screen, sound, overlay, illuminated button) and / or tactile (e.g., associated with a specific button) notifications to the coached player. The coaching notifications may include automatic or coach-provided prompts or reminders about what control inputs are needed to perform the virtual action, or other information that may be helpful to the coached player. Such notifications may be automatically triggered when it is determined that the coached player deviates from the set of control inputs usually required to perform the virtual action as indicated by the content control profile. For example, the coached player may have difficulty remembering how to complete a specific combo, thereby deviating from the typical timing indicated by the associated content control profile. The cooperative control server 140 can detect timing deviations and automatically generate coaching notifications. In some cases, the timing of the interactive session can be modified to pause, slow down, or reverse events to allow the coached player to try to correctly input the control inputs for the combo. Thus, the coached player may be given time to follow one or more prompts provided in the coaching notification before taking corrective or other coaching actions. In some cases, the interactive session may be paused while the player is provided with a virtual review or training session, and may be restarted when the player is ready to try again.

[0029] In some embodiments, one or more content control profiles may be part of or used as a training model for an artificial intelligence (AI) based virtual coach. The AI ​​based coaching model may also be customized for a specific user based on their specific profile data and expressed or discerned preferences. Figure 2As discussed, data about a user's gameplay under different conditions can be captured and used to generate metrics corresponding thereto. An AI-based virtual coach can use these metrics to adapt to the user, including adjusting when and how different coaching actions are implemented (e.g., notification type and timing, difficulty adjustment, timing adjustment).

[0030] Figure 2 An exemplary unified data system (UDS) that can be used to provide data to a system for cooperative or guided game play in a virtual environment is shown. Based on the data provided by the UDS 200, the cooperative control server 140 can be informed of the current session conditions, such as the digital content title, what virtual (e.g., in-game) objects, entities, activities, and events the user has participated in, thereby supporting the analysis of cooperative control input by the cooperative control server 140 and its coordination with the current virtual interaction and / or in-game activities. Each user interaction within the virtual environment can be associated with the type of virtual interaction, the location within the virtual environment, the time point within the virtual world timeline, and the metadata of other players, objects, entities, etc. involved. Therefore, metadata can be tracked for any of the various user interactions that may occur during the current interactive session, including associated virtual activities, entities, settings, results, actions, effects, locations, and character statistics. Such data can also be aggregated, applied to data models, and analyzed. Such UDS data models can be used to distribute context information to each part of the information in a unified manner across digital content and / or game titles.

[0031] For example, various content titles may depict one or more objects (e.g., those involved in in-game activities) with which a user may interact and / or UGC (e.g., screenshots, videos, narrations, aggregated applications, etc.) created by peers, publishers of media content titles, and / or third-party publishers. Such UGC may include metadata by which such UGC is searched. Such UGC may also include information about media and / or peers. Such peer information may be obtained from data collected during peer interactions with objects of interactive content titles (e.g., video games, interactive books, etc.), and may be "bound" to the UGC and stored with it. Such binding enhances the UGC because the UGC may be deeply linked (e.g., directly launched) to the object, may provide information about the object and / or peers of the UGC, and / or may allow the user to interact with the UGC.

[0032] like Figure 2, an exemplary console 228 (e.g., user device 150) and exemplary servers 218 (e.g., streaming server 220, activity feed server 224, user generated content (UGC) server 232, and object server 226) are shown. In one example, console 228 may be implemented on platform server 120, cloud server, or on any of server 218. In the exemplary example, content recorder 202 may be implemented on platform server 120, cloud server, or on any of server 218. Such content recorder 202 receives content (e.g., media) from interactive content title 230 and records the content on content ring buffer 208. Such ring buffer 208 may store multiple content segments (e.g., v1, v2, and v3), the start time of each segment (e.g., V1_START_TS, V2_START_TS, V3_START_TS), and the end time of each segment (e.g., V1_END_TS, V2_END_TS, V3_END_TS). Such segments may be stored by the console 228 as a media file 212 (e.g., MP4, WebM, etc.). Such media files 212 may be uploaded to the streaming server 220 for storage and subsequent streaming or use, but the media files 212 may be stored on any server, cloud server, any console 228, or any user device 150. Such start time and end time of each segment may be stored by the console 228 as a content timestamp file 214. Such content timestamp files 214 may also include a streaming ID that matches the streaming ID of the media file 212, thereby associating the content timestamp file 214 to the media file 212. Such content timestamp files 214 may be uploaded and stored to the activity feed server 224 and / or the UGC server 232, but the content timestamp files 214 may be stored on any server, cloud server, any console 228, or any user device 150.

[0033] Concurrently with the content recorder 202 receiving and recording content from the interactive content title 230, the object library 204 receives data from the interactive content title 230, and the object recorder 206 tracks the data to determine when an object starts and ends. The object library 204 and the object recorder 206 may be implemented on the platform server 120, the cloud server, or on any of the servers 218. When the object recorder 206 detects the start of an object, the object recorder 206 receives object data (e.g., whether the object is an activity, user interaction with the activity, activity ID, activity start time, activity end time, activity results, activity type, etc.) from the object library 204 and records the activity data on the object ring buffer 210 (e.g., ActivityID1, START_TS; ActivityID2, START_TS; ActivityID3, START_TS). Such activity data recorded on the object ring buffer 210 may be stored in the object file 216. Such object files 216 may also include the activity start time, activity end time, activity ID, activity results, activity type (e.g., competition, exploration, mission, etc.), user or companion data related to the activity. For example, object files 216 may store data about items used during the activity. The object files 216 may be stored on object server 226, but object files 216 may be stored on any server, cloud server, any console 228, or any user device 150.

[0034] Such object data (e.g., object files 216) may be associated with content data (e.g., media files 212 and / or content timestamp files 214). In one example, the UGC server 232 stores the content timestamp file 214 and associates the content timestamp file with the object file 216 based on a match between the streaming ID of the content timestamp file 214 and the corresponding activity ID of the object file 216. In another example, the object server 226 may store the object file 216 and may receive a query for the object file 216 from the UGC server 232. Such a query may be performed by searching for the activity ID of the object file 216 that matches the streaming ID of the content timestamp file 214 transmitted with the query. In another example, the query may be performed by matching the start time and end time of the content timestamp file 214 with the start time and end time of the corresponding object file 216 transmitted with the query for the stored content timestamp file 214. Such object files 216 may also be associated with matching content timestamp files 214 by the UGC server 232, but the association may also be performed by any server, cloud server, any console 228, or any user device 150. In another example, the object files 216 and content timestamp files 214 may be associated by the console 228 during creation of each file 216, 214.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, media files 212 and activity files 216 can provide cooperative control server 140 with information about current session conditions, which can also be used to evaluate a particular user (e.g., a user requesting cooperative gameplay), match the user with one or more complementary users or coaches, trigger different coaching actions, and make coaching adjustments (including improving the AI-based coaching model for a particular user or similar users). Thus, cooperative control server 140 can use such media files 212 and activity files 216 to identify specific conditions of the current interactive session, including the performance of players, characters, and objects at specific locations and during specific events within the virtual environment.

[0036] Based on such files 212 and 216, for example, the cooperative control server 140 can identify relevant content control profiles associated with the current interactive session, which profiles can be specific to one or more of content titles, virtual environments, virtual scenes or in-game events (e.g., a major battle with a big boss), game play style, etc., which can be used to identify what intent is associated with incoming possible control input combinations from multiple source devices. Such virtual environments or other conditions can drive how incoming control inputs are grouped and combined together into sets with specific sequences or timings, resulting in joint or shared control of virtual actions by virtual characters that are usually controlled by a single player.

[0037] When receiving incoming inputs, the cooperative control server 140 may identify portions of combos or moves that typically occur at the current virtual location and time at which the avatar is located or during a current event. The cooperative control server 140 may select a group of incoming inputs to combine into a single set of control inputs having a particular order and / or timing that may correspond to the identified combos. In addition, the cooperative control server 140 may select different portions of the incoming control inputs to apply or not apply according to a prioritization setting that specifies how and under what conditions conflicting or overlapping control inputs are applied.

[0038] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment. Figure 3 The method 300 may be embodied as executable instructions in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, including but not limited to a CD, a DVD, or a non-volatile memory such as a hard drive. The instructions of the storage medium may be executed by a processor (or multiple processors) to cause various hardware components of a computing device that hosts or otherwise accesses the storage medium to implement the method. Figure 3 The steps (and their order) identified in the description are exemplary and may include various alternatives, equivalents, or derivatives of the steps, including but not limited to the order of execution of the steps.

[0039] In step 310, content control profiles may be stored in a memory (e.g., of database 160). Each content control profile may identify a set of control inputs associated with virtual actions in a virtual environment of a digital content title. Content control profiles may be further customized for specific players based on historical data captured by UDS system 200 in files 212-216. Such customized control profiles may include player gameplay style, specific hardware, historical or habitual moves or combos performed at certain points during an interactive session of a digital content title, specific hardware, and other relevant historical or habitual actions taken by the player and / or its associated avatar.

[0040] In step 320, a request for cooperative gameplay of a specified digital content title may be received, the request may be associated with one of the content control profiles. The request may specify at least one user (associated with one source device) for cooperative gameplay. The request may further specify another user for co-directed or guided gameplay according to a specified prioritization scheme, but the request may also specify that the requesting user be matched to another source device (which may be associated with another user or may be controlled by an AI). In response to the request, the cooperative control server 140 may configure at least one avatar of the specified digital content title for joint or shared control by the plurality of source devices.

[0041] In step 330, control inputs may be received from the plurality of source devices. Using the content control profile associated with the digital content title and examining the current conditions, the cooperative control server 140 may analyze the combination of incoming control inputs together to identify an intended combo or move or other virtual action to be taken within the virtual environment. The cooperative control server 140 may also apply certain prioritization schemes to support or not support control inputs from one or more of the source devices, for example, to support the gameplay style of a coached player over that of a coach, or to switch primary control between different control devices depending on the type of combat or challenge (e.g., shooting versus hand-to-hand combat).

[0042] In step 340, a control input combination set may be generated based on the received incoming control inputs. Although the control inputs from the plurality of different source devices may be out of sync due to having been input by different users / AIs and transmitted using different source devices over different communication networks, the cooperative control server 140 may still identify the expected order and timing by referencing the content control profile for historical or habitual movements or actions at the current point in time within the game timeline during the interactive session. Thus, the cooperative control server 140 may apply the identified order and timing to the control input combination set before using the control input combination set to control the virtual avatar designated for cooperative gameplay. The generation of the control input combination set makes it possible to simulate what other players not participating in the cooperative gameplay would typically do to perform virtual actions in the virtual environment.

[0043] In step 350, the avatar configured in step 320 may be controlled according to the generated control input combination set. The collaborative control server 140 may provide the generated control input combination set to a device hosting the interactive session, which may be Figure 1When the request specifies guided gameplay, additional coaching content or instructions may also be provided or otherwise communicated to one or more of the source devices for presentation within the virtual environment of the interactive session. In some cases, the designated coach may initiate audiovisual or haptic notifications, implement a training wheels mode to prevent deviations from the in-game path (e.g., fatal errors, injuries, and / or deaths), adjust the timeline to pause, slow down, rewind, or reverse virtual actions or events, and apply adaptive corrections that may be different under different conditions.

[0044] Figure 4 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of cooperative or guided gameplay in a virtual environment. As shown, different user devices 150A-C (e.g., corresponding to different controllers) can participate in cooperative gameplay, which also includes a guidance AI 410. Both the guidance AI 410 and the cooperative control server 140 can refer to one or more applicable content control profiles 420 to evaluate the current state and conditions of the current interactive session and identify what moves or actions the users of the user devices 150A-B may want to take in this context.

[0045] As further shown, control input data may be provided from user devices 150A-B and guidance AI 410 to cooperative control server 140, which may interpret it according to applicable content control profiles to generate a set of control input combinations having a specific order and timing (e.g., to simulate a single player inputting control inputs for a specific move or combo). The generated set of control input combinations may be provided to control avatar 430 in different ways during avatar timeline 440 of an interactive session. As shown, avatar timeline 440 may include multiple time periods 450A-D during which different user devices 150A-B may exercise primary or prioritized control over avatar 430. For example, during time period 450A, cooperative control server 140 may identify conditions associated with prioritizing control inputs from user device 150A according to a prioritization scheme, while time period 450B may include conditions associated with prioritizing gesture inputs (associated with any user of user devices 150A-B) and different controller inputs from user device 150B. Similarly, time period 450C may be associated with prioritizing control inputs from user device 150A, while time period 450D may be associated with prioritizing control inputs from user device 150B.

[0046] When the user devices 150A-B and combinations thereof are unable to complete the expected combo moves or other virtual actions in the virtual environment, the control input from the guidance AI 410 can play a supplementary role or provide a backup option. The guidance AI 410 can also provide instructional and other relevant guidance content and notifications to assist the users of the user devices 150A-B in providing the correct control inputs. The same or different guidance content can be provided to each user device 150A-B according to the respective needs of the users.

[0047] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic entertainment system that may be used in embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 The entertainment system 500 includes a main memory 505, a central processing unit (CPU) 510, a vector unit 515, a graphics processing unit 520, an input / output (I / O) processor 525, an I / O processor memory 530, a controller interface 535, a memory card 540, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 545, and an IEEE interface 550. The entertainment system 500 also includes an operating system read-only memory (OS ROM) 555 connected to the I / O processor 525 via a bus 575, a sound processing unit 560, an optical disk control unit 570, and a hard disk drive 565.

[0048] The entertainment system 500 may be an electronic game console. Alternatively, the entertainment system 500 may be implemented as a general purpose computer, a set-top box, a handheld gaming device, a tablet computing device, or a mobile computing device or a mobile phone. The entertainment system may include more or fewer operating components depending on the particular form factor, purpose, or design.

[0049] Figure 5 The CPU 510, vector unit 515, graphics processing unit 520 and I / O processor 525 communicate via the system bus 585. In addition, Figure 5 The CPU 510 communicates with the main memory 505 via a dedicated bus 580 , while the vector unit 515 and the graphics processing unit 520 may communicate via a dedicated bus 590 . Figure 5 The CPU 510 executes programs stored in the OS ROM 555 and the main memory 505 . Figure 5 The main memory 505 may contain pre-stored programs and programs transferred from a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical disk (not shown) via the I / O processor 525 using the optical disk control unit 570 . Figure 5 The I / O processor 525 may also allow for the introduction of content delivered via wireless or other communication networks (e.g., 4$, LTE, 3G, etc.). Figure 5The I / O processor 525 mainly controls data exchange between various devices of the entertainment system 500 , including the CPU 510 , the vector unit 515 , the graphics processing unit 520 , and the controller interface 535 .

[0050] Figure 5 The graphics processing unit 520 executes graphics instructions received from the CPU 510 and the vector unit 515 to generate images for display on a display device (not shown). For example, Figure 5 The vector unit 515 can transform the object from three-dimensional coordinates to two-dimensional coordinates and send the two-dimensional coordinates to the graphics processing unit 520. In addition, the sound processing unit 560 executes instructions to generate sound signals, which are output to an audio device such as a speaker (not shown). Other devices can be connected to the entertainment system 500 via the USB interface 545 and the IEEE 1394 interface 550 such as a wireless transceiver, which can also be embedded in the system 500 or as part of some other component such as a processor.

[0051] Figure 5 A user of the entertainment system 500 provides instructions to the CPU 510 via the controller interface 535. For example, the user may instruct the CPU 510 to store certain game information on the memory card 540 or other non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, or instruct a character in the game to perform a certain specified action.

[0052] The present invention may be implemented in an application program that can be operated by a variety of end-user devices. For example, the end-user device may be a personal computer, a home entertainment system (e.g., a Sony or Sony or Sony ), portable gaming devices (e.g., Sony or Sony ), or different lesser manufacturers' home entertainment systems. The inventive methods described herein are fully intended to be operable on a variety of devices. The present invention may also be implemented with cross-title neutrality, where embodiments of the present system may be utilized across a variety of titles from a variety of publishers.

[0053] The present invention may be implemented in applications that may be operated using a variety of devices. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media refers to any one or more media that participate in providing instructions to a central processing unit (CPU) for execution. Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile and volatile media, such as optical or magnetic disks and dynamic memory, respectively. Common forms of non-transitory computer-readable media include, for example, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, any other magnetic media, CD-ROM disks, digital video disks (DVDs), any other optical media, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASHEPROM, and any other memory chip or cassette.

[0054] Various forms of transmission media may be involved in transmitting one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the CPU for execution. The bus transmits the data to the system RAM, from which the CPU retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the system RAM may optionally be stored on a fixed disk before or after execution by the CPU. Various forms of storage devices and the necessary network interfaces and network topologies may likewise be implemented to achieve the same purpose.

[0055] The foregoing detailed description of the technology has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise form disclosed. In view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible. The described embodiments are selected in order to best explain the principles of the technology, its practical application, and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the technology in various embodiments and make various modifications suitable for the intended specific use. It is intended that the scope of the technology be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for cooperative or guided game play in a virtual environment, the method comprising: storing a content control profile in a memory, wherein the content control profile includes data regarding a set of control inputs associated with virtual actions in a virtual environment of a digital content title; receiving a request for cooperative gameplay of the digital content title from a group of one or more users, wherein the group of one or more users are associated with a plurality of different source devices; generating, in response to the request, at least one virtual avatar for an interactive session of the digital content title, wherein the at least one virtual avatar is provided within the virtual environment of the digital content title; receiving a plurality of control inputs from the plurality of different source devices; generating a control input combination set based on the received control input, wherein generating the control input combination set is based on the content control profile; as well as One or more virtual actions of the at least one virtual avatar within the virtual environment are controlled according to the set of control input combinations.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control input combination set corresponds to at least one combo associated with the digital content title, the combo is associated with a control input set of specified order and timing, and wherein generating the control input combination set includes identifying that the received control input corresponds to the at least one combo based on the content control profile, and applying the specified order and timing of the at least one combo to the received control input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooperative gameplay request designates one of the source devices as a coach, and the method further comprises generating a coaching notification within the virtual environment based on a set of the control inputs received from the source device designated as the coach.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising predicting that the at least one virtual avatar is about to deviate from the set of control inputs in the content control profile, wherein the coaching notification is generated based on the prediction.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the designated source device comprises an artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual coach, and wherein a set of control inputs from the AI-based virtual coach among the received control inputs is based on the content control profile.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising customizing the content control profile for at least one of the users associated with the request, wherein customizing the content control profile is based on performance data associated with the at least one user during the interactive session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the virtual actions of the at least one virtual avatar comprises preventing the at least one virtual avatar from deviating from the set of control inputs in the content control profile.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the virtual action of the at least one virtual avatar comprises modifying a timeline of the virtual environment, and wherein the virtual action is performed within the modified timeline.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more upcoming events within the virtual environment based on the content control profile and generating a notification to one or more of the source devices, wherein the received control input is responsive to the notification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the different source devices include a plurality of different controllers.

11. A system for cooperative or guided game play in a virtual environment, the system comprising: a memory storing a content control profile, wherein the content control profile includes data regarding a set of control inputs associated with actions in a virtual environment of a digital content title; a communication interface that communicates with a plurality of different source devices over a communication network, wherein the communication interface receives requests for cooperative gameplay of the digital content title from a group of one or more users, wherein the group of one or more users are associated with the source devices; as well as a processor that executes instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the instructions to: generating, in response to the request, at least one virtual avatar for an interactive session of the digital content title, wherein the at least one virtual avatar is provided within the virtual environment of the digital content title, wherein the communication interface receives a plurality of control inputs from the plurality of different source devices; generating a control input combination set based on the received control input, wherein generating the control input combination set is based on the content control profile; as well as One or more virtual actions of the at least one virtual avatar within the virtual environment are controlled according to the set of control input combinations.

12. A system as described in claim 11, wherein the control input combination set corresponds to at least one combo associated with the digital content title, the combo is associated with a control input set of specified order and timing, and wherein the processor generates the control input combination set by: identifying that the received control input corresponds to the at least one combo based on the content control profile, and applying the specified order and timing of the at least one combo to the received control input.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the cooperative gameplay request designates one of the source devices as a coach, and wherein the processor executes further instructions to generate a coaching notification within the virtual environment based on a set of the control inputs received from the source device designated as the coach.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor executes further instructions to predict that the at least one avatar is about to deviate from the set of control inputs in the content control profile, wherein the coaching notification is generated based on the prediction.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the designated source device comprises an artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual coach, and wherein a set of control inputs from the AI-based virtual coach among the received control inputs is based on the content control profile.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor executes further instructions to customize the content control profile for at least one of the users associated with the request, wherein customizing the content control profile is based on performance data associated with the at least one user during the interactive session.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor controls the virtual action of the at least one virtual avatar by preventing the at least one virtual avatar from deviating from the set of control inputs in the content control profile.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor controls the virtual actions of the at least one virtual avatar by modifying a timeline of the virtual environment, and wherein the virtual actions are performed within the modified timeline.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor executes further instructions to identify one or more upcoming events within the virtual environment based on the content control profile and generate a notification to one or more of the source devices, wherein the received control input is responsive to the notification.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the different source devices include a plurality of different controllers.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program embodied thereon, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for cooperative or coached gameplay in a virtual environment, the method comprising: storing a content control profile in a memory, wherein the content control profile includes data regarding a set of control inputs associated with actions in a virtual environment of a digital content title; receiving a request for cooperative gameplay of the digital content title from a group of one or more users, wherein the group of one or more users are associated with a plurality of different source devices; generating, in response to the request, at least one virtual avatar for an interactive session of the digital content title, wherein the at least one virtual avatar is provided within the virtual environment of the digital content title; receiving a plurality of control inputs from the plurality of different source devices; generating a control input combination set based on the received control input, wherein generating the control input combination set is based on the content control profile; as well as One or more virtual actions of the at least one virtual avatar within the virtual environment are controlled according to the set of control input combinations.

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