Add-on Management Systems

• US 20120064975A1
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gault, Andrew Buchanan, Pereira, Rui Filipe Andrade, Perry, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,039,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• 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 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• 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: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/241 Operating system [OS] processes, e.g. server setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

A computing system is configured to execute a computer program on a server and to provide a video stream of the program output to a geographically remote client over a communication network. An add-on manager is provided to facilitate the use of add-ons to extend the functionality of the computer program. The add-on manager is responsive to commands received from the client and is configured to associate individual add-ons and add-on data with specific user accounts. The add-ons can be located on the server or some other location remote from the client.

Claims

1. A game server system comprising:

a video source configured to use game logic to generate video frames and to encode the video frames to a video stream, the video stream being based on a game environment of a video game, the game logic being augmented by an add-on;

an I/O device configured to communicate the video stream to a geographically remote client and to receive game commands from the client;

add-on storage configured to store the add-on in a location accessible to the video game, and to store add-on data of the add-on in a location accessible to the add-on;

an add-on manager configured to

create an add-on environment configured for use of the add-on by the video game,

associate the add-on with a user account, and

associate the add-on data of the add-on with the user account; and

a processor configured to execute the game logic or the add-on manager.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the video stream includes video data resulting from the add-on.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the video source includes a dynamic encoding pipeline allocated in response to a request to play the video game.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on storage is local to the video source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein creating the add-on environment includes creating a directory and further comprising installing the add-on in the directory.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the directory is on the same computing device as the game logic.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein creating the add-on environment includes installing computing instructions configured to redirect communications between the game logic and the add-on, the redirection being through the internet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on manager is configured to associate a plurality of add-ons with the user account.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on manager is further configured to install add-ons in response to commands received from the client via a computing network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on manager is further configured to execute, activate or deactivate add-ons in response to commands received from the client via a computing network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on data includes locations of objects within a game environment.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on manager is further configured to automatically update add-ons by retrieving add-on code from third party storage sites.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on manager is further configured to store a list of allowed add-ons.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least part of the add-on environment is separated from the game logic by a computing network.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the add-on is installed on the geographically remote client.

16. A system comprising:

a video source configured to use game logic to generate video frames and to encode the video frames to a video stream, the video stream being based on a state video game and game commands received from a geographically remote client, the game logic being augmented by an add-on;

an I/O device configured to communicate the video stream to the geographically remote client and to receive the game commands from the client;

an add-on manager configured to automatically update the add-on in response to receiving a new version of the game logic; and

a processor configured to execute the game logic or the add-on manager.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the add-on manager is further configured to

create an add-on environment configured for use of the add-on by the video game,

associate the add-on with a user account, and

associate the add-on data of the add-on with the user account.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the add-on is installed on the same computing device as the game logic.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising API filters configured to redirect communications between the game logic and the add-on via the internet.

20. A system comprising:

game logic installed on a first computing device and configured to generate video frames and to present the video frames on a display;

an first API filter installed on the first computing device and configured to redirect commands between the game logic and an add-on, the add-on being installed on a second computing device geographically remote from the first computing device and being configured to augment the functionality of the game logic;

an I/O device configured to communicate the commands between the first computing device and the second computing device; and

a processor configured to execute the game logic.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a second API filter installed on the second computing device and configured to redirect commands between the game logic and the add-on via the internet.