Management of streaming video data

• US 10,016,674 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skillz Platform, Inc. (Skillz Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Skillz Inc.
• Inventors: Paradise, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
• Application Number:
  US15/459,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20170266549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 463 20, 463 22, 463 25, 463 31, 463 39, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/51 Server architecture

Abstract

User action data characterizing action by a player in a game environment executing at a user client is received at a server. The game environment is created by the user client separate from the server. Data characterizing a selected viewing position is received. The selected viewing position is different than a player viewing position. The selected viewing position characterizes a viewing location within the game environment. A recreated game environment is generated from the user action data at the server. A video stream of the recreated game environment is generated. The video stream includes video from a perspective of the selected viewing position. The video stream is transmitted to a viewing client. Related apparatus, systems, articles, and techniques are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, user action data characterizing action by a player in a game environment executing at a user client, the game environment created by the user client separate from the server, the client rendering the game environment from a first spatial position within the game environment;

receiving, at a commentator client, data characterizing a selected viewing position including a second spatial position within the game environment, the second spatial position different than the first spatial position;

generating, from the user action data, a recreated game environment at the server;

generating a video stream of the recreated game environment, the video stream including video replay of past action by the player from a perspective of the selected viewing position; and

transmitting the video stream to a viewing client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user action data includes data characterizing user interface actions by the player with the game environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the recreated game environment includes executing a game engine using game state data and the user activity data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server includes the game engine that receives the selected viewing position and the user action data and renders the recreated game environment from the perspective of the selected viewing position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user activity data is retrieved from a database and the user activity data is associated with a historical game play.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user activity data is received from the user client or a game hosting server, the user activity data from an ongoing executing game environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the video stream includes capturing a rendered recreated game environment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an audio stream from the commentator client; and

combining the audio stream with the video stream prior to transmission of the video stream.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating statistics on the player using user action data; and

transmitting statistics to the viewing client.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the recreated game environment using the user action data to visualize the past action of the player over time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected viewing position is dynamic over time and the perspective of the video replay of past action by the player varies over time based on changes in the selected viewing position.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

simultaneously displaying the generated video stream and a live video stream of gameplay by the player within a user interface of the commentator client.

13. A system comprising:

at least one data processor;

memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to implement operations comprising;

receiving, at a server, user action data characterizing action by a player in a game environment executing at a user client, the game environment created by the user client separate from the server, the client rendering the game environment from a first spatial position within the game environment;

receiving, at a commentator client, data characterizing a selected viewing position including a second spatial position within the game environment, the second spatial position different than the first spatial position;

generating, from the user action data, a recreated game environment at the server;

generating a video stream of the recreated game environment, the video stream including video replay of past action by the player from a perspective of the selected viewing position; and

transmitting the video stream to a viewing client.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user action data includes data characterizing user interface actions by the player with the game environment.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein generating the recreated game environment includes executing a game engine using game state data and the user activity data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server includes the game engine that receives the selected viewing position and the user action data and renders the recreated game environment from the perspective of the selected viewing position.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the user activity data is retrieved from a database and the user activity data is associated with a historical game play.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the user activity data is received from the user client or a game hosting server, the user activity data from an ongoing executing game environment.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein generating the video stream includes capturing a rendered recreated game environment.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an audio stream from the commentator client; and

combining the audio stream with the video stream prior to transmission of the video stream.

21. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor of at least one computing system, implement operations comprising:

receiving, at a server, user action data characterizing action by a player in a game environment executing at a user client, the game environment created by the user client separate from the server, the client rendering the game environment from a first spatial position within the game environment;

receiving, at a commentator client, data characterizing a selected viewing position including a second spatial position within the game environment, the second spatial position different than the first spatial position;

generating, from the user action data, a recreated game environment at the server;

generating a video stream of the recreated game environment, the video stream including video replay of past action by the player from a perspective of the selected viewing position; and

transmitting the video stream to a viewing client.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein generating the recreated game environment includes executing a game engine using game state data and the user activity data.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the server includes the game engine that receives the selected viewing position and the user action data and renders the recreated game environment from the perspective of the selected viewing position.