Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2133875
METHOD OF SIMULATING COMPLEX INTERACTIONS IN
PRE-RECORDED ~Nl~lAINMENT
Technical Field
The invention relates to the field of interactive
electronic communications, such as interactive television and
films, and computer and video games. More particularly the
invention relates to a method of simulating complex inter-
activity in a computer interface.
Background Art
Human interactions are complex events which involve
various forms of com~l~n;cation incorporating information from
all the senses. Even simple verbal and visual communications
are complicated by the ambiguous meanings of words, emotional
overtones, suggestions, implications and hidden intentions.
For example, the answer "Yes" or "No" to the simple question,
"Can I buy you a drink?" made by one person to another in a
bar may be laden with complex overtones and uncertain mean-
ings. For purposes of entertainment, many persons like to
experience vicariously the complexities and indeterminacies
of human interaction through books or motion pictures. Those
situations which are predictable are generally less enter-
taining than those with an element of uncertainty or suspense.
Motion pictures for the most part involve no
interaction with the audience, which passively observes the
events recorded on the film or videotape. Experiments were
done in the 1960's wherein a film audience was able to
interact with the motion picture by selecting one of a number
of possible endings for a film. However that level of
interaction has not been sufficiently interesting to an
audience to be commercially successful. Video games and
computer games, even those of the "virtual reality" category,
are an interactive form of entert~;nment, but do not attempt
to simulate a complex human interaction between the viewer and
the game characters. Rather the viewer's input determines
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simple movements or actions. There is currently no method
for giving the viewer of a pre-recorded game or movie the
illusion that he or she is communicating with the actors and
thereby affecting the outcome of the movie. Such an illusion
is desirable in that it provides a more entertaining experi-
ence for the viewer.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention therefore provides a method of
simulating complex interaction between an audience and a pre-
recorded series of audio-visual events by providing, on a
computer display, a response element on which the user
selects a point on a continuum at various instants during the
sequence of events, and providing a finite number of stored
audio-visual events which are each associated with a range of
points on the continuum, so that a selection by the user of
a point within a given range causes the display of the
associated audio-visual event. The correlation between the
location of the point within the continuum and the particular
event selected can be varied in a random way to further
simulate complex interactions.
Brief Description of Drawinqs
In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the
invention,
Fig. 1 is an illustration of the display screen of a
computer monitor during the operation of the invention;
Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the method of the
invention in which segments of the response bar are
equal; and
Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the method of the
invention in which segments of the response bar are
unequal.
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Best Mode(s) For Carrying Out the Invention
With reference to Figure 1, the display screen of
a computer color monitor is designated as 10. The monitor is
connected to and controlled by a central processing unit (not
shown), which receives instructions from the user through one
or more input devices such as a keyboard and/or mouse. The
central processing unit is programmed by way of the appropri-
ate applications software to carry out the various steps in
the method, display the associated images to the user on the
screen 10, and provide audio output through a speaker. For
example the present method could be carried out on a personal
computer provided with a keyboard and mouse, a hard drive
memory on which the applications software is stored, a CD-
ROM drive for accessing the video images stored on a CD-ROM
compact disc, and sound and video cards for providing the
appropriate audio and video displays to a video color monitor
and speakers.
The upper area of screen 10 displays a moving video
image 12 accompanied by audio output. Along the lower portion
of the screen, a rectangular section 14 of the screen,
referred to herein as the "response bar", is delineated and
provided, when activated as described below, with a continu-
ously graduated band or spectrum of color, from a red area 16,
to a blue area 18 to a green area 20, with a continuous
variation in between, for example in shades of purple between
the red area 16 and blue area 20 and blue-green between 18 and
20. The user is able to provide input instructions to the
computer by use of the pointing device (mouse) or cursor, by
pointing to a particular location on the response bar with the
pointing device or cursor and selecting that location to be
input by clicking the mouse button or pressing a keyboard key.
Figure 2 illustrates how the invention is operated
to simulate a complex human interaction between the user and
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the recorded images. The moving video image and audio output
in Fig. 1 for example are portraying a nightclub scene with
two actors seated at a table across from the video recording
device, to give the illusion that the user is seated across
from the two actors. At various instants during the action,
a point, referred to as a "node" is reached where subsequent
action displayed by the video recording may take one of a
number of alternative paths, depending on the selections made
by the user on the response bar. The fact that a user has
reached a node is indicated to the user by a pause in the
action on the display screen and activation of the response
bar by displaying the color spectrum. The pause remains in
force until the user selects a point on the response bar.
The actual number of alternate paths available at
a node is variable at any given node, from 0 to any number of
alternatives. The user however is unaware of the number of
alternate paths available at any given node.
To provide input as to the future events to follow
a given node, the user selects a point on the continuum of
response bar 14. The location of the point selected by the
user is communicated to the central processing unit according
to standard methods. The point of selection on the response
bar determines the next video clip which is to be displayed
from among the alternatives available on the CD-ROM disc.
For example with reference to Fig. 2, four nodes
are shown at "0", "I", "A" and "B", followed by a number of
different video sequences "a" through "c" and "1" through "5".
Associated with each node or video sequence is shown a
representation of the response bar 14 with a portion shaded.
If the user selects a point on the response bar anywhere in
the shaded area at the previous node, then that particular
video sequence is selected. By way of example, at node 0, the
light haired actor in the video image 12 asks the user "How
are you". At that point, as shown by bar 30, wherever the
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user's selection is made in the range from red to green, the
same event follows, namely node I. At node I the light-
haired actor asks the user "What do you do for a living?".
If the user selects in the red (negative) range of the bar 32,
then the computer selects the next series of video images
leading to node A. If the user selects in the green range of
the bar as shown at 34, then the computer selects the next
series of video images leading to node B. Leading to node A,
for example, the user has selected a negative feeling to the
light-haired actor's question and so the video image shifts
attention to the dark-haired actor. Just prior to node A the
dark-haired actor says to the user "This place is a drag.
Let's go somewhere else." A selection by the user at node A
in the negative ("red") range 36 would cause the computer to
select a video image "a" showing the user's attention shifting
elsewhere in the night club. A selection by the user at that
point in the neutral ("blue") range 38 would cause the
computer to select a video image "b" showing the user's atten-
tion remaining on the dark-haired actor for further conversa-
tion. A selection by the user at that point in the positive("green") range 40 would cause the computer to select a video
image "c" showing the two actors and the user getting up from
the table to leave.
Similarly, at node I, if the user selected in the
green (positive) range of the bar 34, then the computer
selects the next series of video images leading to node B.
Leading to node B, for example, the user has selected a
positive feeling to the light-haired actor's question and so
the video image re~; n~ on that actor. Just prior to node B
the light-haired actor says to the user "Do you want to
dance?" A selection by the user at that point in the negative
("red") range 42 might cause the computer to select the video
image 1 showing the user's attention shifting elsewhere in the
night club. A selection by the user at that point in the
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purple range 44 might cause the computer to select a video
image 2 showing the user getting up to dance with the dark-
haired actor. A selection by the user at that point in the
neutral ("blue") range 38 might cause the computer to select
S a video image 3 showing the user's attention remaining on the
light-haired actor for further conversation. A selection by
the user at that point in the blue-green range 48 might cause
the computer to select a video image 4 showing the user's
attention shifting to a waiter to order drinks. A selection
by the user at that point in the positive t"green") range 50
might cause the computer to select a video image 5 showing the
light-haired actor and the user getting up from the table to
dance.
At any response node, it is imperceptible to the
user what the alternate outcomes are, how many alternate
outcomes are available for selection, or where on the spectrum
a particular outcome can be selected. While the areas of the
bar which result in a given selection are shown as approxi-
mately equal in Fig. 2, the widths of the different selection
areas on the bar can be made unequal. For example, as shown
in Fig. 3, the area shown in 32 could be narrower than that
shown in 34. Thus for any given response node, there may be
different response bar criteria that will be activated for
that node by a random selection by the computer. For example
during one play session the response bar at node A could have
selection areas of equal width as shown in Fig. 2, while
during another play session the selection areas could be of
unequal widths as shown in Fig. 3.
Since the user is unaware of the number or nature
of alternative choices available at any given node, or the
location on the continuum of the response bar where a particu-
lar choice can be selected, the user has the illusion that the
range of possible outcomes and the exact likelihood of any
particular outcome occurring at any given node is indetermi-
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nate. This perception is heightened after multiple playing
sessions as the user discovers there are multiple possible
outcomes and the likelihood of any particular outcome at any
particular node is influenced by the user's selection but is
not pre-determined or absolutely predictable. The result is
a heightened perception by the user that the interaction with
the actors approximates real human interaction and therefore
there is an increased level of entertainment for the user.
While it will be understood that the invention can
be utilized in conjunction with any screen displaying enter-
tainment, such as a television or movie screen, the preferred
embodiment is illustrated in conjunction with a personal
computer screen. Indeed one of the advantages of the present
invention is that it requires a small amount of computing
power, as compared to that required for "virtual reality"
programming, and so it can be readily handled by a personal
computer.
While the response bar 14 shown in Fig. 1 is shown
as a horizontal elongated bar, it clearly could take different
forms, for example a vertical bar, a line, or a circle, so
long as it provides the possibility of a spatial selection
along a continuum between two extremes. While a bar which is
continuously graduated in colour has been found to be most
effective, other methods of indicating gradation are possible
also, such as gray scale, alphanumeric indicators or verbal
or other indicators that show the relative position at any
point on the bar. The invention could also operate using a
simple line or bar with no scale indicators to show the
relative location on the line or bar. The user in that case
would simply assess the relative position of a point on the
line in relation to its distance from either end. Also while
reference is made to the reference bar providing a continuum
of possible choices, obviously in any actual application the
number of distinct points on the bar which can be selected
13~875
will be finite, and limited by the number of pixels on the
screen, for example.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in
- 5 the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and
modifications are possible in the practice of this invention
without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accord-
ingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accor-
dance with the substance defined by the following claims.
OYEN WIG~S (~ & l~lllJTA~A
480 THE STATION
601 WEST CORDOVA STREET
VANCOUVER, B.C. CANADA V6B lGl
