U.S. Patent No. 10,471,357: Systems and methods for simulating a particular user in an interactive computer system

Issued: November 12, 2019, to Take Two Interactive Software Inc.
Priority Date: April 13, 2005

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 10,471,357 (the ’357 Patent) relates to interactive computer systems that learn how users play a video game in order to simulate a particular user’s behavior in a video game. The ’357 Patent details an interactive computer program that simulates a particular user’s behavior by learning and recording the user’s behavior, and then simulating or playing back that behavior. The collected data is stored in a database attributed to the specific user’s profile. A second user can choose to interact with users’ profiles in-game, and compete against a simulated player using data recorded from a specific user’s behavior and strategy. In one embodiment, this may be used to compete against a superior player to learn how to beat them without actually having to play against that user in real-time. 

Abstract:
The field of the invention relates to interactive computer systems and more particularly to systems and methods for simulating a particular user’s behavior in an interactive computer system. In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a simulator configured to simulate a user interacting with a computer program. The simulator includes a learning mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation. During the learning mode, the simulator is configured to monitor the user’s interaction with the computer program for one or more events and analyze one or more current circumstances during the occurrence of the one or more events. The simulator is further configured to record one or more user inputs in response to the occurrence of the one or more events, store the one or more user inputs in one or more data fields, and associate the one or more data fields with the one or more events and the one or more current circumstances. During the simulation mode of operation, the simulator is configured to monitor the computer program for the one or more particular events, retrieve the one or more data fields associated with the one or more particular events, analyze one or more current circumstances upon the occurrence of the one or more particular events, and invoke one or more simulated inputs based on the value of the one or more data fields in response to the occurrence of the one or more events and the one or more current circumstances.

Illustrative Claim:
1. An interactive computer system for simulating a particular user’s behavior in a multi-user computer game comprising: an interactive computer program product; one or more local client computers generating network communication requests through said interactive computer program product, each local client computer coupled to a display for presenting a user interface of the multi-user computer game, the user interface being generated by said interactive computer program product; a server operatively coupled with the one or more local client computers through said interactive computer program product that is configured to simulate the particular user’s decisions and behavior for display on the user interface of each local client computer; and a relational database coupled with the server for maintaining one or more data fields, wherein said server monitors the interactive computer program product for at least one event, analyzes at least one current circumstance of the interactive computer program product upon the occurrence of the at least one event, retrieves at least one data field associated with the at least one event and the at least one current circumstance from the relational database, and invokes a response to a selected local client computer based on the value of the at least one data field subsequent to the occurrence of the at least one event and the at least one current circumstance, the value of the at least one data field representing a statistical occurrence of possible responses to determine a representation of the particular user’s response to the occurrence of the at least one event given the at least one current circumstance, said server invokes the response based on randomly generated number that corresponds to the value of a selected data field, said invoked response for stimulating the particular user’s decisions and behavior for display on the user interface of each local client computer.