Multi-Player Game Data Via Multicast Transmission

• US 20100113157A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, Gregory, Raftelis, Michael, Chin, Jae-Sun
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,711 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• 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 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A server to host a multi-player game is disclosed. The server includes a network interface coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) network to send and receive data related to a multi-player game. The server includes a game play data module to receive multi-player game play data from a plurality of end user gaming devices via the network interface. The multi-player game play data is received via a plurality of unicast transmissions. The server includes an assembly module to assemble the multi-player game play data received from the plurality of end user gaming devices to generate aggregated game update data. The server also includes a transmission module to transmit the aggregated game update data as a single IP multicast transmission via the network interface.

Claims

1. A server to host a multi-player game, the server comprising:

a network interface coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) network to send and receive data related to a multi-player game;

a game play data module to receive multi-player game play data from a plurality of end user gaming devices via the network interface, wherein the multi-player game play data is received via a plurality of unicast transmissions;

an assembly module to assemble the multi-player game play data received from the plurality of end user gaming devices to generate aggregated game update data; and

a transmission module to transmit the aggregated game update data as a single IP multicast transmission via the network interface.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the aggregated game update data is transmitted to a multicast address associated with one or more gateways.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the aggregated game update data is transmitted to a multicast address associated with one or more end user gaming devices.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the one or more end user gaming devices include one or more of a personal computer (PC) gaming system, a game console system, and a set-top box.

5. The server of claim 1, further comprising:

a registration module to receive registration information via the network interface and to determine a method of transmission of the aggregated game update data based on the received registration information.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the aggregated game update data is transmitted to a first number of devices via one or more unicast transmissions when the received registration information indicates that each of the first number of devices are not multicast-enabled.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the IP network includes a fiber optic network.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising operational instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

assemble multi-player game play data received from a plurality of end user gaming devices to generate aggregated game update data;

determine a method of transmission of the aggregated game update data based on received registration information; and

when the received registration information indicates that a particular device is multicast-enabled, transmit the aggregated game update data as a single Internet Protocol (IP) multicast transmission to a multicast address associated with the particular device.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising operational instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit the aggregated game update data to a first number of devices via individual unicast transmissions to each of the first number of devices when the received registration information indicates that each of the first number of devices are not multicast-enabled.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the aggregated game update data includes information related to the multi-player game play data and one or more game events.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more game events include actions or outcomes resulting from end user input and one or more game rules.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising operational instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine the one or more game events based on the multi-player game play data.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the multi-player game play data includes information related to game player control input.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the multi-player game play data includes multi-player video game data.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the multicast address associated with the particular device is associated with one or more gateways.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the multicast address associated with the particular device is associated with one or more end user gaming devices.

17. A system, comprising:

a game controller interface to receive multi-player game play data from a first device;

a network interface coupled to an Internet Protocol (IP) network to send and receive data;

a game play module adapted to;

transmit the multi-player game play data received from the first device to a game server via the network interface; and

receive aggregated game update data from the game server via the network interface, wherein the aggregated game update data includes multi-player game play data from one or more devices other than the first device, and wherein the aggregated game update data is addressed to a multicast address associated with the system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first device includes an end user gaming device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the game play module transmits the aggregated game update data to the end user gaming device via the game controller interface, and wherein the aggregated game update data is transmitted from the game play module to the end user gaming device via a unicast transmission.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the end user gaming device includes one of a personal computer (PC) gaming system, a game console system, and a set-top box.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the first device includes a game play control device.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more devices other than the first device include one or more of a personal computer (PC) gaming system, a game console system, and a set-top box.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving multi-player game play data from a first device;

transmitting the multi-player game play data received from the first device to a game server; and

receiving aggregated game update data via a single multicast transmission from the game server, wherein the aggregated game update data includes multi-player game play data from one or more other devices.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first device includes an end user gaming device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting the aggregated game update data to the end user gaming device via a unicast transmission.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the multi-player game play data is received via a unicast transmission from the end user gaming device.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the first device includes a game play control device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the game play control device includes one of a joystick, a wired game controller, a wireless game controller, a remote control, a keyboard, and a mouse.