Response time-based scoring on DVD players

Abstract

A DVD player-readable medium bearing DVD player-executable instructions for carrying out a game on the DVD player is presented. The game, as implemented by the DVD player-executable instructions comprises selecting a puzzle from a plurality of puzzles stored on the DVD player-readable medium. Once a puzzle is selected, the puzzle is displayed to a player via an output device connected to the DVD player. A graduated timer is started/output. The graduated timer includes at least two gradations, and each gradation corresponds to a scoring value. A player's response is obtained. A response value is determined according to the current gradation of the graduated timer in which the player response is obtained. The player's score is incremented according to the determined response value.

1 . A DVD player-readable medium bearing DVD player-executable instructions which, when executed on a DVD player, carry out a game on the DVD player, comprising: 
 selecting a puzzle from a plurality of puzzles stored on the DVD player-readable medium;    displaying the puzzle to a player via an output device connected to the DVD player;    starting a graduated timer, wherein the graduated timer includes at least two gradations, each gradation corresponding to a scoring value;    obtaining the player's response;    determining a response value according to the current gradation of the graduated timer; and    incrementing the player's score according to the determined response value.    
   
   
       2 . The DVD player-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein determining a response value according to the current gradation of the graduated timer comprises determining whether the response was a correct response to the puzzle and determine the response value to be zero for an inaccurate response.  
   
   
       3 . The DVD player-readable medium of  claim 2  further comprising, if the response was an incorrect response, outputting via the output device an indicator that the response was incorrect.  
   
   
       4 . The DVD player-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the described elements of the game are repeated at least once for each player playing the game.  
   
   
       5 . The player-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the game further comprises monitoring for the expiration of the graduated timer, and if the graduated timer expires before the player responds to the puzzle, assigning the response value to zero.  
   
   
       6 . A method for implementing a response time-based scoring timer on a DVD player through instructions recorded on DVD player-readable media, the method comprising: 
 outputting, via the DVD player on a display device timer content, wherein the timer content is segmented into gradations, with each gradation corresponding to a particular scoring value;    obtaining user input on the DVD player via an input device during the output of the timer content;    determining the gradation of the timer content in which the user input was received; and    obtaining the scoring value associated with determined gradation.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the timer content is segmented into gradations by placing an I-Frame in the timer content at the location in the timer content corresponding to the start of each gradation.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the timer content is segmented into gradations by further placing a subpicture to the timer content at the start of each gradation.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each subpicture is authored such that the subpicture spans the length of its corresponding gradation segment.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each subpicture is encoded with a scoring value for its corresponding gradation.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each subpicture includes instructions to detect a user's input and determine whether the user's input is a valid user input.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each subpicture further includes instructions to award the encoded scoring value if the user input was valid.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein each subpicture further includes a link to other content on the DVD player-readable media according to the correctness of the player's response.  
   
   
       14 . A DVD player-readable media bearing DVD player-executable instructions which, when executed by on a DVD player, implement a response time-based scoring feature on the DVD player, the DVD player-readable media comprising: 
 content suitable for output by the DVD player to a display device; and    instructions suitable for controlling the output of content by the DVD player to the display device;    wherein at least one timer portion of the content and instructions on the DVD player-readable media when performed on the DVD player, implement a response time-based scoring algorithm for providing a score to a user's input.    
   
   
       15 . The DVD player-readable media of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one timer portion is segmented into a plurality of gradations, each gradation corresponding to a particular score if the user responds during that gradation.  
   
   
       16 . The DVD player-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one timer portion is segmented into gradations by placing an I-Frame in the content at the start of each gradation.  
   
   
       17 . The DVD player-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one timer portion is segmented into gradations by further placing a subpicture in content at the start of each gradation.  
   
   
       18 . The DVD player-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein each subpicture is authored such that the subpicture spans the length of its corresponding gradation segment.  
   
   
       19 . The DVD player-readable media of  claim 18 , wherein each subpicture is encoded with a scoring value for its corresponding gradation, and includes instructions that detect a user's input and determine whether the user's input is a valid user input.  
   
   
       20 . The DVD player-readable media of  claim 19 , wherein each subpicture further includes instructions to award the encoded scoring value if the user input was valid.