Method of synchronizing online game, and server device

• US 10,456,688 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GREE Inc.
• Original Assignee: GREE Inc.
• Inventors: Gould, Robert Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US16/116,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20180369697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• 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 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of synchronizing an online game, and a server device, that do not require centralized information management, reduce the processing burden on each device during online communication, and allow for continuation of processing in an offline environment. A method, according to the present disclosure, of synchronizing an online game that allows for transmission and reception of information related to game processing between a first client terminal and a second client terminal via a server includes: receiving, from the first client terminal connected online, first information related to game processing on the first client terminal; determining whether the first information is information that determines a game status; and storing the first information on the server and transmitting the first information to the second client terminal when the first information is determined to be information that determines the game status.

Claims

1. A method performed by a server for synchronizing game processing in an online game between a first client device and a second client device, the method comprising:

receiving, from the first client device connected online, first status change information related to a change in status of the online game in the first client device;

storing the first status change information received from the first client device;

transmitting the first status change information to the second client device;

in response to the second client device not being connected online, determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on the first status change information; and

in response to the second client device having returned to the online state, transmitting second status change information that is different from the stored first status change information to the second client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on importance of the first status change information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises, in response to the importance of the first status change information being greater than a predetermined threshold, causing the first client device not to advance progress of the online game.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises, in response to the importance of the first status change information being less than a predetermined threshold, causing the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on the first status change information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the second status change information to the second client device comprises:

receiving, from the second client device, a transmission request for the status change information;

in response to receiving the transmission request, reading the second status change information; and

transmitting the second status change information to the second client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first status change information received from the first client device comprises, in response to the first status change information being related to a change in status of the online game in the second client device, storing the first status change information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first status change information to the second client device comprises, in response to transmitting the first status change information to the second client terminal device not resulting in a loss of synchronization of the online game between the first client device and the second client device, transmitting the first status change information to the second client device comprises.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, in response to transmitting the first status change information to the second client terminal device resulting in a loss of synchronization of the online game between the first client device and the second client device, invalidating the first status change information and not transmitting the first status change information to the second client device.

9. A server configured to exchange information related to game processing in an online game between a first client device and a second client device, the server comprising:

circuitry configured to

receive, from the first client device connected online, first status change information related to a change in status of the online game in the first client device;

store the first status change information received from the first client device;

transmit the first status change information to the second client device;

in response to the second client device being not connected online, determine whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on the first status change information; and

in response to the second client device having returned to the online state, transmit second status change information that is different from the stored first status change information to the second client device.

10. The sever of claim 9, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on importance of the first status change information.

11. The sever of claim 10, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises, in response to the importance of the first status change information being greater than a predetermined threshold, causing the first client device not to advance progress of the online game.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises, in response to the importance of the first status change information being less than a predetermined threshold, cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on the first status change information.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein transmitting the second status change information to the second client device comprises:

receiving, from the second client device, a transmission request for the status change information;

in response to receiving the transmission request, reading the second status change information; and

transmitting the second status change information to the second client device.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein storing the first status change information received from the first client device comprises, in response to the first status change information being related to a change in status of the online game in the second client device, storing the first status change information.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer-program instructions, which when executed by a server configured to exchange information related to game processing in an online game between a first client device and a second client device, cause circuitry of the server to:

receive, from the first client device connected online, first status change information related to a change in status of the online game in the first client device;

store the first status change information received from the first client device;

transmit the first status change information to the second client device;

in response to the second client device being not connected online, determine whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on the first status change information; and

in response to the second client device having returned to the online state, transmit second status change information that is different from the stored first status change information to the second client device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on importance of the first status change information.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises, in response to the importance of the first status change information being greater than a predetermined threshold, causing the first client device not to advance progress of the online game.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether to cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game comprises, in response to the importance of the first status change information being less than a predetermined threshold, cause the first client device to advance progress of the online game based on the first status change information.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein transmitting the second status change information to the second client device comprises:

receiving, from the second client device, a transmission request for the status change information;

in response to receiving the transmission request, reading the second status change information; and

transmitting the second status change information to the second client device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein storing the first status change information received from the first client device comprises, in response to the first status change information being related to a change in status of the online game in the second client device, storing the first status change information.