USOO8686269B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,686,269 B2 Schmidt et al. (45) Date of Patent: * Apr. 1, 2014 (54) PROVIDING REALISTIC INTERACTION TO (56) References Cited A PLAYER OF A MUSIC-BASED VIDEO GAME U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: Daniel A. Schmidt, Somery ille, MA 3.430,530D211,666 AS 3/19697/1968 GrindingerMacGillavry (US); Gregory B. LoPiccolo, Brookline, 3,897,711 A 8/1975 Elledge MA (US); Eran Egozy, Brookline, MA D245,038 S 7, 1977 Ebata et al. (US) D247,795 S 4, 1978 Darrell 4,128,037 A 12, 1978 Montemurro (73) Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., E. 88: Sushida et al. Cambridge, MA (US) D262,017 S 11/1981 Frakes, Jr. D265,821 S 8, 1982 Okada et al. (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this D266,664 S 10, 1982 Hoshino et al. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (Continued) U.S.C. 154(b) by 823 days. This patent is Subject to a terminal dis- FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS claimer. AT 468071 T 6, 2010 AU T41239 B2 4f1999 (21) Appl. No.: 12/263,434 (Continued) (22) Filed: Oct. 31, 2008 OTHER PUBLICATIONS (65) Prior Publication Data Guitar Hero (video game) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia— US 2009/OO82O78A1 Mar. 26, 2009 (Publisher RedOctane) Release Date Nov. 2005.* Related U.S. Application Data (Continued) (63) Continuation of application No. 1 1/683,136, filed on Mar. 7, 2007, now Pat. No. 7,459,624. Primary Examiner — Marlon Fletcher (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Wilmer Cutler Pickering (60) Provisional application No. 60/743,938, filed on Mar. Hale and Dorr LLP 29, 2006. (51) Int. Cl. (57) ABSTRACT G09B I5/00 2006.O1 G09B I5/02 30: 8: A simulated musical instrument may be used to alter the audio GIOH L/00 (2006.015 ofa Video game, the video aspects of video game, or both. 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