USING A PORTABLE GAMING DEVICE TO RECORD OR MODIFY A GAME OR APPLICATION IN REAL-TIME RUNNING ON A HOME GAMING SYSTEM

• US 20120086630A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Yunpeng, Stafford, Jeffrey Roger, Osman, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/903,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20120086630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• 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 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• 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 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

Methods and systems for enabling a user to interface with an interactive application using a handheld device are provided. According to embodiments of the invention, a primary video stream of an interactive application is rendered on a display. Simultaneously, a data feed of the interactive application is transmitted to a handheld device. The data feed is processed on the handheld device to produce an ancillary video stream which is rendered on the handheld device. Interactive input is received at the handheld device while rendering the ancillary video stream. The interactive input is applied to set a virtual tag which defines an event to be rendered on the display when the state of the interactive application reaches a predetermined configuration so as to trigger execution of the virtual tag by the interactive application.

Claims

1. A method for providing an interface to an interactive application using a handheld device, comprising:

rendering a state of an interactive application to a primary display by transmitting a primary video stream of the interactive application from a primary processing interface to the primary display;

detecting the presence of a handheld device in a vicinity of the primary processing interface;

transmitting a data feed of the interactive application from the primary processing interface to the handheld device;

processing the data feed to render an ancillary video stream of the interactive application on a display of the handheld device;

receiving interactive input at the handheld device while rendering the ancillary video stream on the display of the handheld device;

applying the interactive input to set a virtual tag, the virtual tag defining an event to be rendered to the primary display; and

rendering the event defined by the virtual tag to the primary display when the state of the interactive application reaches a predetermined configuration so as to trigger execution of the virtual tag by the interactive application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendered ancillary video stream produces a same image, during a period of time, as the rendered primary video stream of the interactive application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ancillary video stream is a compressed version of the primary video stream.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein subsequent to the period of time, the rendered ancillary video stream produces a different image from the rendered primary video stream based on the received interactive input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the virtual tag includes setting an object having a position within a virtual space of the interactive application;

and

wherein the rendering of the event includes rendering the object at the position when the state of the interactive application renders a region including the position of the object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the object specified by the virtual tag is selected from the group consisting of text, audio, video, an item, or a character.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the virtual tag includes setting an object having a temporal stamp within a virtual timeline of the interactive application;

and

wherein the rendering of the event includes rendering the object when the state of the interactive application reaches a time point proximate or equivalent to the temporal stamp of the virtual tag.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendered primary video stream indicates a first position within a virtual space of the interactive application;

and

wherein the rendered ancillary video stream indicates a second position within the virtual space of the interactive application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendered primary video stream indicates a first position within a virtual timeline of the interactive application;

and

wherein the rendered ancillary video stream indicates a second position within the virtual timeline of the interactive application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendered ancillary video stream provides a map of a virtual space of the interactive application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selection of a location in the map enables access to a view of the selected location rendered on the handheld device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the map includes representations of one or more objects in the virtual space, the interactive input enabling control of the objects.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more objects include characters of the interactive application, the interactive input enabling determination of an action to be performed by the characters.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of a movement, an attack maneuver, and a defensive maneuver.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the interactive input includes gesture input drawn on the map when rendered on the handheld device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

receiving controller input from a controller device at the console device;

applying the controller input to modify the state of the interactive application.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive input is received via a touchscreen interface of the handheld device.

18. A method for interfacing with an interactive application, comprising:

initiating a primary session of an interactive application, the primary session configured to receive controller input from an associated controller device and apply the controller input so as to modify a current state of the primary session;

rendering a video output of the primary session from a primary processing interface to a display;

detecting the presence of a handheld device in the vicinity of the primary processing interface;

initiating an ancillary session of the interactive application on the handheld device, the ancillary session configured to receive a data feed of the primary session from the primary processing interface;

rendering the data feed on the handheld device;

wherein the ancillary session receives interactive input from the handheld device resulting from interactivity with the rendered data feed, the interactive input enabling modification or control of a future state of the interactive application;

applying the interactive input to modify or control the future state of the interactive application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data feed is dependent upon the state of the primary session.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data feed includes data based upon the video output of the primary session.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the data feed is independent of the state of the primary session.

22. The method of claim 18,

wherein the primary session defines a first location within a virtual environment of the interactive application;

and

wherein the ancillary session defines a second location within the virtual environment.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the applying the interactive input to modify or control the future state of the interactive application includes,

determining a modification event based on the interactive input, the modification event specifying a spatial or temporal location of a modification activity;

storing the modification event in a modification event storage;

retrieving the modification event and performing the modification activity when the future state of the interactive application reaches the spatial or temporal location specified by the modification event.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the modification activity is selected from the group consisting of placement of a marker providing access to additional information, placement of an item, or introduction of a character.

25. A system for providing an interface to an interactive application, comprising:

(a) a primary processing interface, the primary processing interface including,

(i) a rendering module for rendering a state of an interactive application to a primary display by transmitting a primary video stream of the interactive application to the primary display,

(ii) a detection module for detecting the presence of a handheld device in a vicinity of the primary processing interface, and

(iii) a data feed module for transmitting a data feed of the interactive application from the primary processing interface to the handheld device; and

(b) a handheld device, the handheld device including,

(i) a processing module for processing the data feed to render an ancillary video stream of the interactive application on a display of the handheld device,

(ii) an input module for receiving interactive input while rendering the ancillary video stream on the display of the handheld device;

(iii) a tag module for applying the interactive input to set a virtual tag, the virtual tag defining an event to be rendered to the primary display;

wherein the rendering module renders the event defined by the virtual tag to the primary display when the state of the interactive application reaches a predetermined configuration so as to trigger execution of the virtual tag by the interactive application.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the rendered ancillary video stream produces a same image, during a period of time, as the rendered primary video stream of the interactive application.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein subsequent to the period of time, the rendered ancillary video stream produces a different image from the rendered primary video stream based on the received interactive input.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the setting of the virtual tag includes setting an object having a position within a virtual space of the interactive application;

and

wherein the rendering of the event includes rendering the object at the position when the state of the interactive application renders a region including the position of the object.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the object specified by the virtual tag is selected from the group consisting of text, audio, video, an item, or a character.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the setting of the virtual tag includes setting an object having a temporal stamp within a virtual timeline of the interactive application;

and

wherein the rendering of the event includes rendering the object when the state of the interactive application reaches a time point proximate or equivalent to the temporal stamp of the virtual tag.