Control circuit of client-side game console for enabling multiple video game consoles to together emulate same standalone multiplayer video game through networking connection

• US 10,252,157 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: Lin, Chun-Hao, Cheng, E-Cheng, Hung, Sheng-Kai, Cheng, Chien-Kuo
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US15/834,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20190030427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player

Abstract

A control circuit of a client-side game console includes: a processor and a storage circuit for storing a computer program product. The processor is arranged to operably execute the computer program product to perform following operations: establishing networking connection between the client-side game console and a master-side game console; receiving client-side input values generated by a user control device of the client-side game console; transmitting the client-side input values to the master-side game console; receiving a target instruction and a pseudo clock indicator value transmitted from the mater-side game console; executing the target instruction in a client-side emulating environment based on the pseudo clock indicator value; and rendering an updated client-side game screen according to execution results of the target instruction and displaying the updated client-side game screen on a display device.

Claims

1. A control circuit (135) of a client-side game console (130), wherein the client-side game console (130) comprises a transmission circuit (132), an user control device (133), and a communication circuit (134), the control circuit (135) comprising:

a processor (136); and

a storage circuit (137) arranged to operably store a computer program product (138);

wherein the processor (136) is arranged to operably execute the computer program product (138) to perform following operations;

establishing a networking connection between the client-side game console (130) and a remote master-side game console (110) through the communication circuit (134);

loading a target game image file into a client-side emulating environment created by the processor (136);

receiving one or more client-side input values generated by the user control device (133) based on an user'"'"'s manipulations;

utilizing the communication circuit (134) to transmit the one or more client-side input values to the master-side game console (110);

receiving a target instruction and a pseudo clock indicator value transmitted from the master-side game console (110) through a network;

executing the target instruction in the client-side emulating environment based on the pseudo clock indicator value; and

rendering an updated client-side game screen according to executing results of the target instruction and transmitting the updated client-side game screen to a client-side display device (140) for displaying through the transmission circuit (132).

2. The control circuit (135) of claim 1, wherein a target game contained in the target game image file is a standalone multiplayer video game, and the target game per se is designed to be incapable of supporting multiple users to play the target game together through networking connections.

3. The control circuit (135) of claim 2, wherein the processor (136) is arranged to operably utilize the communication circuit (134) to transmit a connection request to the master-side game console (110) through the network before establishing the networking connection between the client-side game console (130) and the master-side game console (110) through the communication circuit (134).

4. The control circuit (135) of claim 2, wherein the processor (136) is further arranged to operably execute the computer program product (138) to perform following operation:

receiving one or more updated master-side register values transmitted from the master-side game console (110) through the network; and

overwriting one or more client-side register values in the client-side emulating environment with the one or more updated master-side register values.

5. The control circuit (135) of claim 4, wherein the master-side game console (110) is arranged to operably generate the target instruction based on the one or more client-side input values and the one or more master-side input values, to operably update one or more master-side register values in a master-side emulating environment created by the master-side game console (110), and to operably utilize the communication circuit (114) to transmit one or more updated master-side register values to the client-side game console (130) through the network.

6. The control circuit (135) of claim 2, wherein the processor (136) is arranged to operably execute the computer program product (138) to perform following operations:

receiving an emulating environment initialization instruction transmitted from the master-side game console (110) through the network; and

conducting an initialization procedure on the client-side emulating environment to reset multiple client-side register values.

7. The control circuit (135) of claim 6, wherein the master-side game console (110) is arranged to operably load the target game image file into a master-side emulating environment created by the master-side game console (110), to operably generate the emulating environment initialization instruction, and to operably conduct an initialization procedure on the master-side emulating environment to reset multiple master-side register values.

8. The control circuit (135) of claim 2, wherein the master-side game console (110) is arranged to operably execute the target instruction in a master-side emulating environment created by the master-side game console (110) based on the pseudo clock indicator value, to operably render an updated master-side game screen according to executing results of the target instruction, and to operably transmit the updated master-side game screen to a master-side display device (120) for displaying.