System for remote game access

• US 20110045913A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ELBO, Inc. (Gamestop Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Spawn Labs, Inc. (Gamestop Corporation)
• Inventors: Walker, Peter Anthony, Becca, Oswald Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,568,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• 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 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2488 Remotely playable
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/52 with a remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 : server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 : for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 : for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 : Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 : Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 : Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for allowing a user to remotely access a game includes: a game console; a remote console client configured to receive a game control signal; and a remote console server. The remote console server includes an audio and video encoder configured to receive an audio output and a video output from the game console and to convert the audio output and the video output to a network packet. The remote console server also includes: a game controller emulation unit and a network interface configured to send and receive the network packet. The game controller emulation unit is configured to receive a game controller signal from the game console and to send the game controller signal to the remote console client and to receive a game controller input from the remote console client and send the game controller input to the game console.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a user to remotely access a game, the system comprising:

a game console;

a remote console client configured to receive a game control signal; and

a remote console server comprising;

an audio and video encoder configured to;

receive an audio output and a video output from the game console; and

convert the audio output and the video output to a network packet;

a network interface configured to send and receive the network packet;

a game controller emulation unit configured to;

receive a game controller signal from the game console and send the game controller signal to the remote console client; and

receive a game controller input from the remote console client and send the game controller input to the game console.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote console server further comprises a memory card emulation unit configured to emulate a memory card for the game console.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the global server is configured to save and restore a game configuration to a remote console server; and

the remote console server is configured to relate the game configuration to the game console through the memory card emulation unit.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the global server is configured to allow an owner of a game console to expose and manage remote access to the remote console server.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the remote console server is configured to announce its presence by registering with other remote console servers or with the global server.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the global server is configured to keep track of a usage of remote console servers by a remote console client.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the global server is configured to bill a user or an owner of a remote console server.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote console client is configured to display a message in addition to the video output from the game console.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the message is an advertisement is targeted to a user based on a usage pattern of a set of games played or viewed.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the user may access to a plurality of real-time multimedia streams of live game play through a global web portal system.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a group of additional remote console servers comprising a proximal remote console server that is geographically closest to the remote console server, wherein the remote console server is configured to send a network packet that announces a presence of the remote console server to the group of additional remote console servers and the remote console client is configured to locate the proximal remote console server.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a portal that enables franchising of a set of remote console servers owned by the user, wherein the portal enables management of the set of remote console servers as a common pool.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote console server is configured to digitize an analog signal from the game console.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote console server is configured to automatically adjust a quality and a latency of a transmitted video depending on an available bandwidth or a type of image being transmitted.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote console server is configured to automatically load game help information.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote console server is configured for a plurality of audio-video encoding configurations wherein an image resolution, a frame rate, a compression rate, and a latency rate can be adjusted.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote console server incorporates a plurality of game console controllers and game save memory emulation systems.

19. A remote console server for providing remote access to a game console comprising:

an audio input unit configured to receive audio signals from the game console;

a video input unit configured to receive video signals from the game console;

a game controller emulation unit configured to;

receive a game controller signal from the game console and send the game controller signal to the remote console client; and

receive a game controller signal from the remote console client and send the game controller signal to the game console; and

a network interface configured to send and receive data.

20. The remote console server of claim 19, further comprising a memory card emulation unit.

21. A method for allowing a user to remotely access a game, comprising:

providing a game console;

providing a remote console client;

providing a remote console server;

receiving an audio output and a video output from the game console to the remote console server;

sending packet information from the remote console server via a network interface; and

sending a game controller input from the remote console client to the game controller emulation unit.