CLOUD STORAGE OF GAME STATE

• US 20130086114A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gill, Prabhdeep, Sakai, Haru, Wilson, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/278 Data partitioning, e.g. horizontal or vertical partitioning

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing game state for one or more games accessed by devices of a user. One method includes an operation for providing a database on a server. The database is accessible by the devices of the user and is structured to identify one or more applications of the user, each application being associated with a plurality of slots, and each slot including metadata and a map table. Further, an Application Programming Interface (API) is provided to enable access to the database. The method further includes an operation for receiving a request using the API from an application executed at one of the devices of the user. The request identifies a first slot associated with the application and an action to perform regarding one or both of the metadata and the map table. The request from the application is verified, including comparing a first version associated with the first slot and a second version provided in the request. The action is enabled if the comparing indicates that the second version is not stale, else the request is denied.

Claims

1. A method for managing game state for one or more games accessed by devices of a user, the method comprising:

providing a database on a server, the database being accessible by the devices of the user, the database being structured to identify one or more applications of the user and each application being associated with a plurality of slots, each slot including metadata and a map table;

providing an Application Programming Interface (API) that enables access to the database;

receiving a request using the API from an application executed at one of the devices of the user, the request identifying a first slot associated with the application and an action to perform regarding one or both of the metadata and the map table;

verifying the request from the application, wherein the verifying includes comparing a first version associated with the first slot and a second version provided in the request; and

enabling the action if the comparing indicates that the second version is not stale, else denying the request, wherein at least one operation of the method is executed through a processor.

2. A method for managing application data for a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

on a server, storing game data in at least one slot, the slot including slot version data;

receiving a request to update the game data and a corresponding action, the request including request version data;

determining whether the request to update is authorized based on a comparison of the slot version data and the request version data; and

updating the game data based on a result of the determining, wherein the method is performed on a processor.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further including:

providing an Application Programming Interface (API) to receive the request, wherein each application accesses slots that are associated with the each application, wherein each application is associated with one or more slots.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein updating the game data further includes:

updating the game data; and

incrementing a value of the slot version data.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, further including:

sending a write success message after updating the game data when the request is authorized;

or

sending an error message when the request is denied.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein each slot further includes metadata and a map table, wherein the map table includes one or more fields and data for each of the one or more fields.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein data stored in the one or more fields includes one or more of a level, a health value, a game thumbnail, or map coordinates.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the request includes data for all the fields associated with the at least one slot.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the request includes data for some of the fields associated with the at least one slot.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein data stored in the metadata includes one or more of bytes available in the slot, a game descriptor, a time game was last saved, or search tags.

11. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the request further includes an application identifier.

12. The method as recited in claim 2, further including:

providing a second API to retrieve statistical information about a plurality of users.

13. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein a maximum amount of data is stored in each slot.

14. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein an application maximum amount of data is stored for each application, wherein a user maximum amount of data is stored for each user.

15. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the request includes data for a plurality of fields associated with the at least one slot.

16. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein operations of the method are performed by a computer program when executed by one or more processors, the computer program being embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

17. A computer program embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, when executed by one or more processors, for managing application data for a plurality of applications, the computer program comprising:

program instructions for providing a database on a server, the database being structured to store data in a plurality of slots, each slot having a slot version and being associated with an application, wherein each application is associated with one or more slots;

program instructions for providing an Application Programming Interface (API) to store and retrieve application data in the database, wherein each application accesses slots that are associated with the each application;

program instructions for determining if a database operation request received via the API for a requested slot is authorized, the database operation request including a request version, the database operation request being authorized based on the request version and the slot version of the requested slot; and

program instructions for enabling the database operation request when the database operation request is authorized.

18. The computer program as recited in claim 17, wherein the database operation is a write operation, wherein enabling the database operation request further includes:

program instructions for writing data received in the database operation request; and

program instructions for incrementing a value of the slot version for the requested slot.

19. The computer program as recited in claim 17, further including:

program instructions for sending a write success message after writing data when the database operation request is authorized;

or

program instructions for sending an error message when the database operation request is denied.

20. The computer program as recited in claim 17, wherein each slot further includes metadata and a map table, wherein the map table includes one or more fields and data for each of the one or more fields.