METHOD AND SYSTEM PROVIDING SPECTATOR INFORMATION FOR A MULTIMEDIA APPLICATION

• US 20100035691A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lim, Tian F., Hingne, Vipul V., Langan, Thomas A., Wild, Nicholas B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

A method and system for allowing spectators to experience multimedia information over a network generated by an online video game running on a participant'"'"'s device comprises a participant system and a universal spectator client system. A participant may utilize a device to experience game play. Each spectator may also have an associated device, which may allow the spectator to receive multimedia information generated by the participant system over a network. A spectator may experience multimedia information generated by a participant regardless of whether the spectator has the same title installed on an associated device and regardless of whether the associated spectator device provides the same capabilities and functionality as the participant device.

Claims

1. A method for providing media information generated by a participant of a multimedia game application to a remote network spectator:

(a) setting a timer;

(b) upon expiration of the timer, capturing current media information from the application;

(c) encoding the current media information for transmission over the network;

(d) transmitting the current media information over the network to at least one spectator; and

(e) repeating (a)-(d).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing current media information is performed by bypassing a rendering buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the participant with at least one spectator;

determining online status online status for each spectator; and

providing information to the participant indicating the online status for each spectator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving permission information for the participant for each of at least one user, the permission information indicating whether each user may act as a spectator for a particular multimedia game application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media information comprises video information and audio information captured respectively from a frame buffer and an audio buffer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding the current media information further comprises compressing the current media information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a GUI to the participant, the GUI indicating each of at least one multimedia game title installed on an associated participant device and for each game indicating either no allowed spectator or at least one allowed spectator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the GUI further indicates an online or offline status for each spectator.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving one of online and offline status for each spectator from a network server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network server stores one of online and offline status for each spectator and the participant.

11. A system for providing media information generated by a participant of a multimedia game application to a remote network spectator comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to perform a participant process, the participant process comprising;

(a) setting a timer;

(b) upon expiration of the timer, capturing current media information from the application;

(c) encoding the current media information for transmission over the network;

(d) transmitting the current media information over the network to at least one spectator; and

(e) repeating (a)-(d).

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to perform a participant interface process, the participant interface process comprising:

transmitting an online indicator to a server;

receiving an identifier of at least one allowed spectator;

displaying the identifier of each allowed spectator; and

receiving input regarding at least one selected spectator.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein capturing current media information is performed by bypassing a rendering buffer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

associate the participant with at least one spectator;

determine online status online status for each spectator; and

provide information to the participant indicating the online status for each spectator.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to receive permission information for the participant for each of at least one user, the permission information indicating whether each user may act as a spectator for a particular multimedia game application.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the media information comprises video information and audio information captured respectively from a frame buffer and an audio buffer.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further adapted to compress the current media information.

18. A computer readable medium bearing instructions for providing media information generated by a participant of a multimedia game application to a remote network spectator comprising:

(a) receiving a request from a spectator to receive multimedia information regarding a multimedia session;

(b) upon receiving a signal that the multimedia session is about to commence, determining whether the spectator is online;

(c) setting a timer;

(d) upon expiration of the timer, capturing current media information comprising audio and video information from the application;

(e) encoding the current media information for transmission over the network;

(f) if the spectator is online, transmitting the current media information over the network to the spectator;

(g) if the spectator is not online, storing the encoded current media information;

(h) repeating (c)-(f) until a completion of the session; and

(i) if the spectator was not online during the session, upon an event indicating that the spectator is currently online, initiating streaming the stored encoded current media information.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein capturing current media information is performed by bypassing a rendering buffer.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions for:

associating the participant with at least one spectator;

determining online status online status for each spectator; and

providing information to the participant indicating the online status for each spectator.