RICH AND CONCURRENT PC EXPERIENCES ON COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20080199834A1
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Taillefer, Martin, Silva, Bruno, Krossa, Kenneth Dwight
• Application Number:
  US11/675,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20080199834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/118
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• 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 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, users can have PC experiences on game consoles. For example, a game console can become a computing device dedicated to a server PC. PC capabilities, applications, programs, and even desktops can be remoted from the server PC to the game console, cached on the game console, and displayed on the game console display. Moreover, any devices native to either the server PC or the game console can be easily shared between the server PC and the console. Alternatively, a game console can be a concurrent computing device with a server PC, where only minimal content is stored on the gaming console, and minimal applications are remoted from the server PC to the game console. In either the dedicated or remoted case, various common features may be used, such as notifications sent from the server PC to the game console.

Claims

1. A system for providing users personal computer (PC) experiences on game consoles, comprising:

a server PC configured to provide content over a network;

a game console communicatively coupled to said server via said network; and

a software client residing on said game console, wherein said client allows users to experience PC content on said game console that is executed on said server, wherein said client receives remoted content from said server, caches said content, and traffics any devices between said server and said game console that apply to said content.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said content includes at least one (a) of an application residing on the PC and (b) a desktop of the PC.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communicative coupling between said server and said game console uses at least two channels, wherein a first channel is used for said content, and wherein a second channel is used for notifications.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said notifications are related to said content.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communicative coupling includes the sending at least one of (a) display updates, (b) user input, (c) device traffic, and (d) audio signals.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said content is one of (a) overlayed on a game console display and (b) configured to be switched between itself and said game console display.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said content is cached in reserved resources of said game console.

8. A method for providing users personal computer (PC) experiences on game consoles, comprising:

receiving content over a network sent from a server PC to a game console; and

using a software client residing on said game console, wherein said client allows users to experience PC content on said game console that is executed on said server, wherein said client receives remoted content from said server, caches said content, and traffics any devices between said server and said game console that apply to said content.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising including at least one (a) of an application residing on the PC and (b) a desktop of the PC as said content.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising communicatively coupling said server and said game console using at least two channels, wherein a first channel is used for said content, and wherein a second channel is used for notifications.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising relating said notifications to said content.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising sending at least one of (a) display updates, (b) user input, (c) device traffic, and (d) audio signals via said coupling.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising processing said content as one of (a) an overlay on a game console display and (b) a switchable content between itself and said game console display.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising caching said content in reserved resources of said game console.

15. A computer readable medium bearing computer executable instructions for providing users personal computer (PC) experiences on game consoles, comprising:

a first instruction for receiving content over a network sent from a server PC to a game console; and

a second instruction for using a software client residing on said game console, wherein said client allows users to experience PC content on said game console that is executed on said server, wherein said client receives remoted content from said server, caches said content, and traffics any devices between said server and said game console that apply to said content.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising a third instruction for including at least one (a) of an application residing on the PC and (b) a desktop of the PC as said content.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising a third instruction for communicatively coupling said server and said game console using at least two channels, wherein a first channel is used for said content, and wherein a second channel is used for notifications.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising a fourth instruction for relating said notifications to said content.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising a fourth instruction for sending at least one of (a) display updates, (b) user input, (c) device traffic, and (d) audio signals via said coupling.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, further comprising a third instruction for processing said content as one of (a) an overlay on a game console display and (b) a switchable content between itself and said game console display.