User-driven spectator channel for live game play in multi-player games

• US 10,471,360 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Trombetta, Steven, Fairbairn, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Ross A
• Application Number:
  US15/450,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20180250600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• 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: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

A multi-user system hosts a game session over a communication network. The game session includes a plurality of media streams that show one or more views of live game play for the game session. The multi-user system further assigns a spectator value to each media stream, updates one or more spectator values based on user inputs received during the game session, selects, for one or more time periods of the game session, one media stream to broadcast based on the spectator value assigned to the one media stream for the one or more time periods, and broadcasts the one media stream over the communication network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a multi-user platform for hosting a game session over a communication network, the game session including a plurality of media streams that show one or more views of live game play for the game session;

assigning each media stream as one of a primary media stream showing a first view of a player or a secondary media stream showing a second view of the player;

assigning a spectator value to each media stream for one or more time periods of the live game play, wherein the spectator value includes a weight that favors the primary media stream showing the first view of the player;

updating one or more spectator values for the plurality of media streams based on user inputs received during the live game play;

selecting one media stream to broadcast over a spectator channel for each time period based on the spectator values assigned to the plurality of media streams for the time period of the live game play; and

broadcasting the spectator channel over the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one media stream selected to broadcast over the spectator channel is a selected media stream, the method further comprising:

integrating the selected media stream for each of the one or more time periods of the game session into the spectator channel, and

wherein broadcasting the spectator channel further comprises broadcasting the selected media stream for each of the one or more time periods over the communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a voting interface for the multi-user platform to receive the user inputs during the live game play.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a change in spectator values assigned to each media stream for the one or more time periods of the live game play, and

wherein selecting the one media stream to broadcast further comprises selecting the one media stream to broadcast based on the change in the spectator value for one of the one or more time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the spectator value to a threshold value, and

wherein selecting the one media stream to broadcast further comprises, selecting the one media stream to broadcast when the spectator value assigned to the one media stream meets or exceeds the threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the one media stream to broadcast further comprises, selecting a default media stream to broadcast when the spectator value assigned to the one media stream is less than the threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification that indicates a change between media streams selected for broadcast over the spectator channel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating one or more of the plurality of media streams with a player participating in the game session, and

wherein, the spectator value for each media stream associated with the player includes at least one of a number of users that follow the player, a change in the number of users that follow the player, a number of points awarded to the player, a change in the number of points awarded to the player, a proximity between the player and potential point awards, or a game event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the spectator value for one or more media streams includes at least one of a number of users accessing the one or more media streams, a change in the number of users accessing the one or more media streams, a number of users that follow a player associated with the one or more media streams, a change in the number of users that follow the player, a number of points awarded to the player, a change in the number of points awarded to the player, a proximity between the player and potential point awards, or a game event.

10. A multi-user system, comprising:

a network interface to communicate in a communication network;

a processor coupled to the network interface and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

host a game session over the communication network, the game session including a plurality of media streams that show one or more views of live game play for the game session;

assign each media stream as one of a primary media stream showing a first view of a player or a secondary media stream showing a second view of the player;

assign a spectator value to each media stream for one or more time periods of the live game play, wherein the spectator value includes a weight that favors the primary media stream showing the first view of the player;

update one or more spectator values for the plurality of media streams based on user inputs received during the live game play;

select one media stream to broadcast over a spectator channel for each time period based on the spectator values assigned to the plurality of media streams for the time period of the live game play; and

broadcast the spectator channel over the communication network.

11. The multi-user system of claim 10, wherein the one media stream selected to broadcast over the spectator channel is a selected media stream, wherein the process, when executed, is further operable to:

integrate the selected media stream for each of the one or more time periods of the game session into the spectator channel, and

wherein the process, when executed to broadcast the spectator channel is further operable to broadcast the selected media stream for each of the one or more time periods over the communication network.

12. The multi-user system of claim 10, wherein the network interface includes a voting interface, wherein the process, when executed, is further operable to:

receive user votes by the voting interface.

13. The multi-user system of claim 10, wherein the process, when executed, is further operable to:

monitor a change in spectator values assigned to each media stream for the one or more time periods of the live game play, and

wherein the process, when executed to select the one media stream, is further operable to select the one media stream to broadcast based on the change in the spectator value for one of the one or more time periods.

14. The multi-user system of claim 10, wherein the process, when executed, is further operable to:

compare the spectator value to a threshold value, and

wherein the process, when executed to select the one media stream, is further operable to select the one media stream to broadcast when the spectator value assigned to the one media stream meets or exceeds the threshold value.

15. The multi-user system of claim 14, wherein the process, when executed to select the one media stream, is further operable to select a default media stream to broadcast when the spectator value assigned to the one media stream is less than the threshold value.

16. The multi-user system of claim 10, wherein the process, when executed, is further operable to:

provide a notification over the network that indicates a change between media streams selected for broadcast over the spectator channel.

17. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software, when executed by a processor, is operable to:

host a game session over a communication network, the game session including a plurality of media streams that show one or more views of live game play for the game session;

assign each media stream as one of a primary media stream showing a first view of a player or a secondary media stream showing a second view of the player;

assign a spectator value to each media stream for one or more time periods of the live game play, wherein the spectator value includes a weight that favors the primary media stream showing the first view of the player;

update one or more spectator values for the plurality of media streams based on user inputs received during the live game play;

select one media stream to broadcast over a spectator channel for each time period based on the spectator values assigned to the plurality of media streams for the time period of the live game play; and

broadcast the spectator channel over the communication network.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the one media stream selected to broadcast over the spectator channel is a selected media stream, wherein the software, when executed by the processor, is further operable to:

integrate the selected media stream for each of the one or more time periods of the game session into the spectator channel, and

wherein the software, when executed by the processor to broadcast the spectator channel is further operable to broadcast the selected media stream for each of the one or more time periods over the communication network.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the software, when executed by the processor, is further operable to:

monitor a change in spectator values assigned to each media stream for the one or more time periods of the live game play, and

wherein the software, when executed by the processor to select the one media stream to broadcast is further operable to select the one media stream to broadcast based on the change in the spectator value for one of the one or more time periods.