DVD-enabling code server and loader for a console-based gaming system

• US 20030228911A1
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chanbai, Sakphong, Dernis, Mitchell S., Gordon, Gary L.
• Application Number:
  US10/163,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20030228911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/202 the game platform being a DVD player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images

Abstract

A peripheral dongle is attachable to a console-based gaming system to facilitate playback of DVD movies on the gaming system. The dongle stores the DVD playback code. The gaming system executes software that facilitates transfer of the code from the dongle to the gaming system. The software utilizes a high-level bus protocol to support the transfer over a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and exposes an application program interface to enable calls into the protocol.

Claims

1. A console-based gaming system, comprising:

a game console having a memory and an optical disk drive to read optical disks;

a dongle separate from, but operably couplable to the game console, the dongle storing DVD playback code to enable DVD playback of a DVD movie loaded in the optical disk drive of the game console; and

software that, when executed on the game console, retrieves the DVD playback code from the dongle and load the DVD playback code in the memory of the game console.

2. A console-based gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory comprises volatile memory, and the software is stored in the volatile memory.

3. A console-based gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the memory comprises non-volatile memory, and the software is permanently stored in the non-volatile memory.

4. A console-based gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the dongle couples to the game console via a Universal Serial Bus (USB), and the software facilitates transfer of the DVD playback code across the USB.

5. A console-based gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the software is configured to request individual portions of the DVD playback code.

6. A console-based gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the software comprises:

a code server to request the DVD playback code from the dongle and facilitate transfer of the DVD playback code across an interface between the dongle and the game console; and

a loader to decrypt the DVD playback code and store the DVD playback code into the memory.

7. A game console for playing games store on optical memory disks, comprising:

an optical disk drive to read optical memory disks;

non-volatile memory;

a processor coupled to the non-volatile memory and the optical disk drive; and

a code server program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the code server program being configured to request DVD playback code from a peripheral device, when the peripheral device is operably coupled to the game console, and to facilitate transfer of the DVD playback code from the peripheral device to the game console to enable DVD playback on the game console when DVD movies are read by the optical disk drive.

8. A game console as recited in claim 7, wherein the DVD playback code is encrypted, and further comprising a loader program to decrypt the DVD playback code.

9. A game console as recited in claim 7, wherein the DVD playback code is stored in the non-volatile memory.

10. A game console as recited in claim 7, further comprising volatile memory, wherein the DVD playback code is stored in the volatile memory.

11. A game console as recited in claim 7, wherein the code server program exposes an application program interface having methods for performing the following functions:

obtaining a size and version of the DVD playback code;

synchronously transferring the DVD playback code to the game console; and

asynchronously transferring the DVD playback code to the game console.

12. A game console as recited in claim 7, wherein the code server program is configured to request and transfer individual portions of the DVD playback code.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a console-based gaming system, direct the console-based gaming system to:

request DVD playback code from a peripheral attached to the gaming system; and

facilitate transfer of the DVD playback code across an interface between the peripheral and the gaming system.

14. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a console-based gaming system, direct the console-based gaming system to store the DVD playback code in non-volatile memory.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a console-based gaming system, direct the console-based gaming system to store the DVD playback code in volatile memory.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the DVD playback code is pre-encrypted, and further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a console-based gaming system, direct the console-based gaming system to decrypt the DVD playback code.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a console-based gaming system, direct the console-based gaming system to authenticate the peripheral.

18. A console-based gaming system comprising:

the computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13;

and

a processor to execute the computer-executable instructions.

19. A protocol for transferring code over a Universal Serial Bus (USB) from a peripheral to a host device, comprising:

a first command to retrieve a code version and a size of a code image stored in memory on the peripheral, the code image having pre-sized blocks of code; and

a second command to access one or more of the pre-sized blocks of code and facilitate transfer of the one or more pre-sized blocks of code to the host device.

20. A protocol as recited in claim 19, wherein the first command has a SETUP packet defined as follows:

COMMAND NAME

bmrequest=1100001b

bRequest=1

wValue=0

wIndex=bInterfacenumber

wLength=6

21. A protocol as recited in claim 19, wherein the second command has a SETUP packet defined as follows:

COMMAND NAME

bmRequest=1100001b

bRequest=2

wValue=block number to start transfer

wIndex=bInterfaceNumber

wLength=number of bytes to get

22. An application program interface for use in a console-based gaming system, the application program interface being embodied on a computer-readable medium and having methods for performing the following functions:

obtaining a size and version of DVD playback code stored on a peripheral device operably coupled to the console-based gaming system;

synchronously transferring the DVD playback code to the game console;

asynchronously transferring the DVD playback code to the game console; and

wherein when the DVD playback code is transferred and stored at the console-based gaming system, the console-based gaming system is enabled to perform DVD playback.

23. In a console-based gaming system having a game console and a peripheral device that can be alternatively attached to or detached from the game console, a method comprising:

requesting DVD playback code stored on the peripheral device; and

facilitating transfer of the DVD playback code stored on the peripheral device to the game console; and

executing the DVD playback code at the game console to enable DVD movie playback on the console-based gaming system.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising utilizing a high-level bus protocol to support the requesting and the facilitating.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the requesting comprises:

obtaining a size and version of the DVD playback code; and

requesting one or more blocks of the DVD playback code.

26. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising storing the DVD playback code in volatile memory on the game console.

27. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising authenticating A the peripheral device.

28. A method for operating a console-based gaming system, comprising:

obtaining a size and version of DVD playback code stored on a peripheral device that is operably coupled to the console-based gaming system, the DVD playback code being encrypted;

requesting one or more blocks of the DVD playback code;

receiving the one or more blocks of the DVD playback code;

decrypting the one or more blocks of the DVD playback code;

storing the one or more blocks of DVD playback code; and

executing the DVD playback code.

29. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the storing comprises storing the DVD playback code in volatile memory.

30. A method as recited in claim 28, further comprising authenticating the peripheral device.

31. In a console-based gaming system having a game console and a peripheral dongle that can be alternatively attached to or detached from the game console, a method comprising:

in response to the peripheral dongle being attached to the game console for a first time,

downloading DVD playback code from the peripheral dongle to the game console;

storing the DVD playback code in non-volatile memory;

executing the DVD playback code to enable playback of DVD movies on the console-based gaming system;

in response to the peripheral dongle being subsequently attached to the game console after the first time,

retrieving a portion of the DVD playback code stored on the peripheral dongle;

comparing the portion of the DVD playback code with a corresponding portion of the DVD playback code stored in the non-volatile memory; and

in an event that the two portions match, executing the DVD playback code to enable playback of DVD movies on the console-based gaming system.