SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DOWNLOADING AND UPDATING SAVE DATA TO A DATA CENTER

• US 20170216720A1
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Colenbrander, Roelof Roderick
• Granted Patent: US 10,742,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Systems and methods for downloading and updating save data to a data center are described. Save data is downloaded from a cloud storage to the data center before play of a game to cache the save data in the data center. Any updates to the save data that occur during a play of a game are stored in the data center and are uploaded to the cloud storage. Next time, a user desires to access the game, there is no need to transfer the updates to the data center from the cloud storage.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a caching layer of save data current for game play from a streaming service, comprising:

receiving a selection of a game title displayed on a client device via a computer network;

identifying a data center from a plurality of data centers for executing the game title, the execution of the game title configured to generate image frames to send to the client device, the image frames to be generated include additional information that is based on save data associated with the game title, wherein the identified data center includes one or more local storage devices for storing the save data;

determining whether the save data to be used when playing the game title is stored in one of the one or more local storage devices of the identified data center upon receiving the selection of the game title;

downloading the save data from a cloud storage in response to determining that the save data is not stored in the local storage devices;

generating the image frames during execution of the game title using the save data stored in the local storage devices;

transferring the image frames to the client device for display via the computer network during a game session;

receiving one or more game inputs from the client device via the computer network during the game session;

storing an update to the save data within the one or more local storage devices based on the one or more game inputs;

receiving an indication from the client device via the computer network that the game session has ended; and

transferring the update to the save data via the computer network to the cloud storage upon receiving the indication that the game session has ended.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an additional session from the client device via the computer network;

accessing the update to the save data from the one or more local storage devices;

generating an additional set of image frames from the update to the save data; and

transferring the additional set of image frames via the computer network to the client device upon receiving the indication of the additional session without transferring the update to the save data from the cloud storage to the local storage devices of the data center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the data center from the plurality of data centers is performed based on loads carried by the data centers, or distances between the data centers and the client device, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring save data for an additional title selected by a user via the client device from the cloud storage to the data center during the game session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the save data is metadata for creating a game scene used to play the game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the save data is used to generate a virtual object of the game title, or to generate a background of the game title, or a score of the game title, or a level of the game title, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the identified data center are configured to update the save data by applying a game code to a game input received from the client device via the computer network, wherein the cloud storage is not configured to process the game input by applying the game code, wherein the cloud storage does not store the game code.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, from the data center, via the computer network, a request for the save data to the cloud storage, wherein the request identifies the game title, wherein downloading the save data includes receiving, from the cloud storage, via the computer network, the save data in response to the request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more game inputs include signals representing gestures performed by a user or one or more selections made by the user via an input device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the game session ends when the client device indicates that the user has quit playing the game.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the update to the save data includes packetizing the update to generate one or more packets and sending the one or more packets via the computer network to the cloud storage.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud storage does not process one or more inputs received via the computer network from the client device, wherein the additional information includes a customization to a virtual object, or a customization to a background, or a representation of a score, or a representation of a level, or a representation of a trophy, or a combination of two or more thereof.

13. A system for maintaining a caching layer of save data current for game play from a streaming service, comprising:

a game hosting processor configured to receive via a computer network a selection of a game title displayed on a client device,

the game hosting processor connected to a plurality of data centers, the game hosting processor configured to identify a data center from the plurality of data centers for executing the game title, the game title executed to generate image frames to send the client device, the image frames to be generated include additional information that is generated based on save data associated with the game title,

the identified data center configured to determine whether the save data is stored in one or more local storage devices of the identified data center,

the identified data center configured to download the save data from a cloud storage in response to determining that the save data is not stored in the one or more local storage devices,

the identified data center configured to stream the image frames to the client device for display via the computer network during a game session,

the game hosting processor configured to receive one or more game inputs from the client device via the computer network during the game session,

the identified data center configured to receive the game inputs from the game hosting processor, the identified data center configured to update the save data stored within the local storage devices based on the one or more game inputs;

the game hosting processor configured to receive an indication from the client device via the computer network that the game session has ended and provide the indication to the identified data center,

the identified data center configured to transfer the update to the save data via the computer network to the cloud storage upon receiving the indication that the game session has ended.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the cloud storage is operated by an entity different from an entity operating the one or more local storage devices of the identified data center.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the selection of the game title is made by a user via an input device, wherein the game title is for a video game, wherein the client device includes a head mounted display or a game console and the head mounted display, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the data center is identified from the plurality of data centers based on loads carried by the data centers, or distances between the data centers and the client device, or a combination thereof.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the cloud storage is not configured to process the game inputs to update the save data.

18. A method for maintaining a caching layer of save data current for game play from a streaming service, comprising:

receiving a selection of a game title displayed on a head-mounted display via a computer network;

identifying a data center from a plurality of data centers for executing the game title, the execution of the game title configured to generate image frames to send to the head-mounted display, the image frames to be generated include additional information that is based on save data associated with the game title, wherein the identified data center includes one or more local storage devices for storing the save data;

determining whether the save data for playing the game is stored in one of the one or more local storage devices of the identified data center upon receiving the selection of the game title;

downloading the save data from a cloud storage in response to determining that the save data is not stored in the local storage devices;

generating the image frames using the save data;

transferring the image frames to the head-mounted display for display via the computer network to facilitate a play of the game title during a game session;

receiving one or more game inputs from the head-mounted display via the computer network during the game session;

providing an update to the save data within the local storage devices based on the one or more game inputs;

receiving an indication from the client device via the computer network that the game session has ended; and

transferring the update to the save data via the computer network to the cloud storage upon receiving the indication that the game session has ended.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the save data is used for creating a game scene to play the game.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the save data is used to generate a virtual object of the game title, or a background of the game title, or a score of the game title, or a level of the game title, or a combination thereof.