SYSTEMS AND METHODS THAT ENABLE A SPECTATOR'S EXPERIENCE FOR ONLINE ACTIVE GAMES

• US 20140113718A1
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riot Games, Inc. (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Riot Games, Inc. (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Kwoh, Carl, Norman, Christina, Sottosanti, Paul, Keenan, Victor, Skleres, George, Cohen, Jason, Bouchard, Brooks
• Granted Patent: US 9,403,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/358 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 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

The field of the invention relates to multi-user online gaming systems, and more particularly to systems and methods that enable a spectator'"'"'s experience for online active games. In an embodiment, an online multiuser game system includes an online game session server system communicatively coupled to a public network for access by a plurality of users to establish a plurality of real-time interactive games sessions. The online multiuser game system further includes a spectator server communicatively coupled to the online game session server system and configured to enable a user to view summary information of an active game session. In another embodiment, the spectator server enables the user to time shift the active game session and to view the summary information of the active game session. In another embodiment, the spectator server enables the user to view the summary information of the active game session while the user is playing the active game session.

Claims

1. An online multiuser game system, comprising:

an online game session server system communicatively coupled to a public network for access by a plurality of users to establish a plurality of real-time interactive game sessions;

a spectator server communicatively coupled to the online game session server system and configured to enable a user to view an active game session, wherein the spectator server is further configured to enable the user to view summary information of the active game session.

2. The online multiuser game system of claim 1, wherein the spectator server is further configured to buffer game data of the active game session and delay the user'"'"'s view by a certain period of time.

3. The online multiuser game system of claim 2, wherein the spectator server is further configured to monitor the buffer for certain activities and to focus the user'"'"'s view to said activities as they occur in the user'"'"'s computing device.

4. The online multiuser game system of claim 1, wherein the spectator server is further configured to enable a directed view.

5. The online multiuser game system of claim 1, wherein the spectator server is further configured to select one or more targets for the summary information.

6. The online multiuser game system of claim 1, wherein the spectator server is further configured to de-select one or more targets for the summary information.

7. The online multiuser game system of claim 1, wherein the spectator server is further configured to enable the user to time shift the active game session.

8. The online multiuser game system of claim 1, wherein the spectator server is further configured to present to the user active games most requested by other users and active games having most requested players.

9. The online multiuser game system of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s view is graphically rendered from game data provided by the spectator server.

10. An online multiuser game system, comprising:

an online game session server system communicatively coupled to a public network for access by a plurality of users to establish a plurality of real-time interactive game sessions;

a spectator server communicatively coupled to the online game session server system and configured to enable a user to view summary information of an active game session while the user plays the active game session.

11. A computer program product that includes a computer-usable medium having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes said one or more processors to execute a process for enabling a spectator'"'"'s view for a multi-user online game system over a public network, said process comprising:

enabling access over the public network by a plurality of players to establish a plurality of real-time active interactive game sessions with the multi-user online game system;

enabling a spectator to select and view at least one of the plurality of real-time active interactive game sessions; and

enabling the spectator to view summary information of the selected real-time active interactive game session.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process further comprising buffering game data of a selected real-time active interactive game session and delaying the spectator'"'"'s view by a certain period of time.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the process further comprising monitoring the buffer for certain activities and focusing the spectator'"'"'s view on said activities as they occur on the spectator'"'"'s computing device.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process further comprising enabling a directed view of the selected real-time active interactive game session.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process further comprising selecting one or more targets for the summary information.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process further comprising de-selecting one or more targets for the summary information.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process further comprises enabling the user to time shift the selected real-time active interactive game session.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the process further comprises presenting to the spectator active games most requested by other spectators and active games having most requested players.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the spectator'"'"'s view is graphically rendered from game data provided by the game system.

20. (canceled)