Systems and methods for providing assistance to a user during gameplay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025058227-A1
Application number	US-202318449872-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Aug 15, 2023
Publication date	Feb 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing gameplay assistance are described. One of the methods includes monitoring gameplay of a user of a game. The monitoring occurs to identify interactive skills of gameplay by the user during a session of the game. The method further includes determining that the interactive skills of gameplay have fallen below a threshold level for progressing the game and initiating gameplay assistance responsive to the interactive skills falling below the threshold level. The gameplay assistance includes a blended bifurcation of user inputs to complete one or more interactive tasks of the game. The blended bifurcation of user inputs include an amount of assistance inputs that override selected ones of the user inputs. The amount of assistance inputs vary over time during the gameplay of the game to maintain the interactive skills of the gameplay above the threshold level of interactive skills for playing the game.

First claim

1 . A method for providing gameplay assistance, comprising:
monitoring gameplay of a user of a game, wherein the gameplay is monitored to identify interactive skills of the gameplay by the user during a session of the game; determining that the interactive skills of gameplay have fallen below a threshold level for progressing the game; and initiating gameplay assistance responsive to the interactive skills falling below the threshold level, the gameplay assistance includes a blended bifurcation of user inputs to complete one or more interactive tasks of the game, wherein the blended bifurcation of user inputs include an amount of assistance inputs that override selected ones of the user inputs, wherein the amount of assistance inputs are configured to vary over time during the gameplay of the game to maintain the interactive skills of the gameplay above the threshold level of interactive skills for playing the game.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interactive skills of gameplay include a level of the gameplay.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold level is a level for achieving a task during the session or a predetermined number of virtual points during the session or a combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gameplay assistance includes a hint to increase the interactive skills before the blended bifurcation is initiated.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the blended bifurcation is provided, generating an indicator indicating the provision of the blended bifurcation.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said varying the amount of assistance includes overriding input controls of a device used by the user.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the assistive inputs are generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) bot.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is a first user, wherein the assistive inputs are received from a second user having access to the session of the game.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when said initiating the gameplay assistance begins, an interactive cue is provided to the user to notify that the gameplay assistance is being provided via the blended bifurcation of inputs.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising enabling a cancel of the gameplay assistance by the user, responsive to the interactive cue being provided to the user.

11 . A system for providing gameplay assistance, comprising:
a processor configured to:
monitor gameplay of a user of a game to identify interactive skills of the gameplay by the user during a session of the game;
determine that the interactive skills of gameplay have fallen below a threshold level for progressing the game; and
initiate gameplay assistance responsive to the interactive skills falling below the threshold level, the gameplay assistance includes a blended bifurcation of user inputs to complete one or more interactive tasks of the game, wherein the blended bifurcation of user inputs include an amount of assistance inputs that override selected ones of the user inputs,
wherein the amount of assistance inputs are configured to vary over time during the gameplay of the game to maintain the interactive skills of the gameplay above the threshold level of interactive skills for playing the game; and
a memory device coupled to the processor.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the interactive skills of gameplay include a level of the gameplay.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the threshold level is a level for achieving a task during the session or a predetermined number of virtual points during the session or a combination thereof.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the gameplay assistance includes a hint to increase the interactive skills before the blended bifurcation is initiated.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein when the blended bifurcation is provided, generating an indicator indicating the provision of the blended bifurcation.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein to vary the amount of assistance, the processor is configured to override input controls of a device used by the user.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the assistive inputs are generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) bot.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the user is a first user, wherein the assistive inputs are received from a second user having access to the session of the game.

19 . A computer readable medium containing program instructions for providing gameplay assistance, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to carry out operations of:
monitoring gameplay of a user of a game, wherein the gameplay is monitored to identify interactive skills of the gameplay by the user during a session of the game; determining that the interactive skills of gameplay have fallen below a threshold level for progressing the game; and initiating gameplay assistance responsive to the interactive skills falling below the threshold level, the gameplay assistance includes a blended bifurcation of user inputs to complete one or more interactive tasks of the game, wherein the blended bifurcation of user inputs include an amount of assistance inputs that override selected ones of the user inputs, wherein the amount of assistance inputs are configured to vary over time during the gameplay of the game to maintain the interactive skills of the gameplay above the threshold level of interactive skills for playing the game.

20 . The computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the assistive inputs are generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) bot.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Bean Celeste
• Tinklenberg Bethany
• Ramirez Kristie

Classifications

• A63F13/5375

  for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game · CPC title

• A63F13/67 Primary

  adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use · CPC title

• A63F13/798

  for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame · CPC title

• A63F13/422 Primary

  automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game · CPC title