Remote rendering server with broadcaster

• US 10,076,711 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Malenfant, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leichliter, Chase
• Application Number:
  US14/854,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1, 463 40, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• 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 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Methods, systems, devices, and media for broadcasting a network game to a plurality of game spectators are provided. Game players are connected to a game server for participating in the network game. The game server executes a game program and generates game information for progressing the network game. A rendering server receives the game information from the game server, generates a player game screen for each of the game players, and generates a spectator game screen for the game spectators. The player game screen is transmitted to each of the game players for display by the game players. The spectator game screen is transmitted to a broadcaster, and the broadcaster transmits the spectator game screen to a display interface via a network. The display interface is accessible by each of the game spectators for viewing the spectator game screen.

Claims

1. A system for broadcasting a network game to a plurality of game spectators, the system comprising:

a game server that executes a game program and generates game information for progressing the network game, a plurality of game players being connected to the game server for participating in the network game;

a rendering server that receives the game information from the game server, renders a player game screen for each of the plurality of game players, and renders a spectator game screen for the plurality of game spectators, the player game screen being transmitted to each of the plurality of game players for display by the plurality of game players, the spectator game screen not being directly or indirectly transmitted to any of the plurality of game players; and

software that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to receive the spectator game screen directly from the rendering server and transmit the spectator game screen to a display interface via a network, the display interface being accessible by each of the plurality of game spectators for viewing the spectator game screen without viewing any one player game screen,

wherein the player game screen is transmitted to first client devices corresponding to the plurality of game players, the display interface is accessible by second client devices corresponding to the plurality of game spectators, and the software is separate from the first client devices and the second client devices,

the spectator game screen, which is rendered by the rendering server, is different than each player game screen which is rendered for the plurality of game players, and

the game information includes information of a dummy player which is not controlled by a participant in the network game, and the rendering server renders the spectator game screen for the dummy player.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the spectator game screen is a global view different than the player game screen of each of the plurality of game players.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the player game screen is different for each of the plurality of game players.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the spectator game screen comprises player game screens of at least two of the plurality of game players.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the player game screens of the at least two of the plurality of game players are displayed consecutively.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the rendering server renders a plurality of spectator game screens for a frame of the network game and transmits the plurality of spectator game screens to the processor, and

the software, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to transmit the plurality of spectator game screens to the display interface, the display interface being accessible by each of the plurality of game spectators for simultaneously viewing the plurality of game screens of the frame of the network game.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the game server transmits game data to the processor, and

the processor receives the game data from the game server and transmits the game data to the display interface via the network for display with the spectator game screen.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the game data comprises controller inputs of at least one of the plurality of game players.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the software, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to transmit the game data for one of the plurality of game players to the display interface via the network for display with the spectator game screen, and

the software, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to transmit the game data for another of the plurality of game players to the display interface via the network for display with the spectator game screen in response to a predetermined event occurring in the network game.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the game data is accessible to less than all of the plurality of game spectators which view the spectator game screen.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the game data comprises audio data.

12. A method for broadcasting a network game to a plurality of game spectators, the method comprising:

executing, by a game server, a game program for progressing the network game, a plurality of game players being connected to the game server for participating in the network game;

generating, by the game server, game information on a progress of the network game and transmitting the game information to a rendering server;

receiving, by the rendering server, the game information and rendering a player game screen for each of the plurality of game players based on the game information, the player game screen being transmitted to each of the plurality of game players for display by the plurality of game players;

rendering, by the rendering server, a spectator game screen for the plurality of game spectators and transmitting the spectator game screen to a processor, the spectator game screen not being directly or indirectly transmitted to any of the plurality of game players; and

receiving, by the processor and directly from the rendering server, the spectator game screen and transmitting the spectator game screen to a display interface via a network, the display interface being accessible by each of the plurality of game spectators for viewing the spectator game screen without viewing any one player game screen,

wherein the player game screen is transmitted to first client devices corresponding to the plurality of game players, the display interface is accessible by second client devices corresponding to the plurality of game spectators, and the processor is separate from the first client devices and the second client devices,

the spectator game screen, which is rendered by the rendering server, is different than each player game screen which is rendered for the plurality of game players, and

the game information includes information of a dummy player which is not controlled by a participant in the network game, and the rendering server renders the spectator game screen for the dummy player.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the spectator game screen is a global view different than the player game screen of each of the plurality of game players.

14. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the spectator game screen comprises player game screens of at least two of the plurality of game players.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program for broadcasting a network game to a plurality of game spectators, the program, when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

executing, by a game server, a game program for progressing the network game, a plurality of game players being connected to the game server for participating in the network game;

generating, by the game server, game information on a progress of the network game and transmitting the game information to a rendering server;

receiving, by the rendering server, the game information and rendering a player game screen for each of the plurality of game players based on the game information, the player game screen being transmitted to each of the plurality of game players for display by the plurality of game players;

rendering, by the rendering server, a spectator game screen for the plurality of game spectators and transmitting the spectator game screen to a processor, the spectator game screen not being directly or indirectly transmitted to any of the plurality of game players; and

receiving, by the processor and directly from the rendering server, the spectator game screen and transmitting the spectator game screen to a display interface via a network, the display interface being accessible by each of the plurality of game spectators for viewing the spectator game screen without viewing any one player game screen,

wherein the player game screen is transmitted to first client devices corresponding to the plurality of game players, the display interface is accessible by second client devices corresponding to the plurality of game spectators, and the processor is separate from the first client devices and the second client devices,

the spectator game screen, which is rendered by the rendering server, is different than each player game screen which is rendered for the plurality of game players, and

the game information includes information of a dummy player which is not controlled by a participant in the network game, and the rendering server renders the spectator game screen for the dummy player.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the spectator game screen is a global view different than the player game screen of each of the plurality of game players.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15,

wherein the spectator game screen comprises player game screens of at least two of the plurality of game players.