Silent sign-in for offline games

• US 7,857,701 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Murphy, Andrew M., Asmi, Yasser B., Steinglass, Alice P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoo; Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US10/800,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20050202875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 44
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed to silently sign-in a user of an offline game title onto an online service. The user is afforded access to select online services to facilitate future online gaming. In a described implementation, a method is disclosed. The method silently signs in a user of an offline game title onto an online gaming service. As a result, the signed-in user may receive one or more online services such as an in-game notification, a friend request (e.g., inviting a user to become a friend), a cross-title game invitation, and/or data corresponding to a friends list.

Claims

1. A method comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor of a dedicated game console, instruct the dedicated game console to perform acts comprising:

identifying at least one user account present on the dedicated game console for a user during use by the user of an offline game title on the dedicated game console;

determining that automatic sign-in is enabled on the dedicated game console for the at least one user account identified, wherein a most recently signed in user account is identified as a specific user account for signing in;

determining that a controller is coupled to the dedicated game console, the controller including a memory unit containing account information corresponding to the specific user account identified as being present on the dedicated game console; and

automatically silently signing in the specific user account onto an online service using the account information contained in the memory unit of the controller without requiring action by the user of the offline game title on the dedicated game console for effecting the signing in, wherein the silently signing in comprises;

opening a secure communication channel between the dedicated game console and a security gateway of a secure data center;

transmitting data packets between the dedicated game console and the secure data center via the security gateway;

registering a presence of the specific user account with a presence server inside the secure data center; and

responsive to registering the presence of the specific user account, providing the user of the offline game title on the dedicated game console with access to online services available from the secure data center during use of the offline game title;

wherein after the silently signing in, the user has access to an in-game notification or a cross-title game invitation, wherein the access to the in-game notification or cross-title game invitation enables the user to switch from the offline game title to an online game, wherein the offline game title is played by players with access to the dedicated game console and wherein the online game allows a player to play the online game against one or more other players online.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a menu generated by the offline game title running on the dedicated game console, wherein the menu includes a status of the signing in.

3. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein voice data and other data are communicated over the secure communication channel between the dedicated game console and the secure data center using the data packets,

wherein the data packets containing voice data are partially encrypted to comprise the voice data that is unencrypted and the other data that is encrypted.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a menu by the offline game title running on the dedicated game console, wherein the menu provides access to communicate with other users and a status of the other users as to whether the other users are online or offline.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a status of the signing in; and

next

returning a status message selected from a group comprising no user account present, automatic sign-in disabled, signing in, not signed in, and signed in, wherein the status message is displayed on a menu generated by the offline game title running on the dedicated game console.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the signing in, the user has access to a friends list comprising a name of friends, an online or offline status of each one of the friends, a game each one of the friends is playing, and a voice-enabled status of each one of the friends by displaying a menu generated by the offline game title running on the dedicated gaming console.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dedicated gaming console comprises:

a video processing pipeline for graphics processing, the video processing pipeline comprising a three-dimensional graphics processing unit, a video encoder, and a digital video bus configured to carry data from the three-dimensional graphics processing unit to the video encoder;

a plurality of controller support subassemblies, each controller support subassembly supporting a plurality of controllers; and

a one or more controllers.

8. A method comprising:

identifying, by a processor, at least one user account present on a gaming device for a user during use by the user of an offline game title on the gaming device;

determining, by the processor, that automatic sign-in is enabled for the at least one user account identified, wherein a most recently signed in user account is identified as a specific user account for signing in;

determining, by the processor, that a controller is coupled to the dedicated game console, the controller including a memory unit containing account information corresponding to the specific user account identified as being present on the dedicated game console; and

automatically signing in, by the processor, the specific user account onto an online service using the account information contained in the memory unit of the controller during use of the offline game title, wherein the signing in comprises;

opening a secure communication channel between the gaming device and a security gateway of a secure data center;

registering a presence of the specific user account with a presence server inside the secure data center; and

responsive to registering the presence of the specific user account, providing the user of the offline game title on the gaming device with access to an online service available from the secure data center during use of the offline game title;

wherein after the signing in, the user of the offline game title has access to one or more items selected from a group comprising a friends list and a notification by displaying a menu generated by the offline game title running on the gaming device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

displaying a menu generated by the offline game title running on the gaming device, wherein the menu includes a status of the signing in.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

following the signing in, transmitting voice data and other data in data packets between the gaming device and the secure data center,

wherein the data packets transmitting voice data are partially encrypted so that the voice data remains unencrypted and the other data is encrypted.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

generating a menu by the offline game title running on the gaming device, wherein the menu provides access to communicate with other users and a status of the other users as to whether the other users are online or offline.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising returning a status message selected from a group comprising no user account present, automatic sign-in disabled, signing in, not signed in, and signed in.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the notification is a cross-title game invitation, wherein the access to the cross-title game invitation enables the user to switch from the offline game title to an online game, wherein the offline game title is played by players with access to the dedicated game console and wherein the online game allows a player to play the online game against one or more other players online.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the friends list comprises a name of friends, an online or offline status of each one of the friends, a game each one of the friends is playing, and a voice-enabled status of each one of the friends.

15. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the gaming device comprises:

a video processing pipeline for graphics processing, the video processing pipeline comprising a three-dimensional graphics processing unit, a video encoder, and a digital video bus configured to carry data from the three-dimensional graphics processing unit to the video encoder;

a plurality of controller support subassemblies, each controller support subassembly supporting a plurality of controllers; and

one or more controllers.

16. A method comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor of a dedicated game console, instruct the dedicated game console to perform acts comprising:

coupling a controller to one of a plurality of controller support subassemblies of the dedicated game console, wherein the dedicated game console comprises;

a video processing pipeline for graphics processing, the video processing pipeline comprising a three-dimensional graphics processing unit, a video encoder, and a digital video bus configured to carry data from the three-dimensional graphics processing unit to the video encoder; and

the plurality of controller support subassemblies, each controller support subassembly supporting a plurality of controllers;

following coupling of the controller to one of the plurality of controller support subassemblies, determining, by the dedicated game console, that a memory unit of the controller includes specific user account information corresponding to a specific user account of a user of an offline game title;

as a result of determining that the memory unit of the controller includes specific user account information corresponding to the specific user account, silently signing in the specific user account onto an online service during use of the offline game title, wherein the silently signing in comprises;

opening a secure communication channel between the dedicated game console and a security gateway based on a security ticket obtained from a key distribution center;

establishing a security key configured to encrypt data transferred between the dedicated game console and the security gateway;

transmitting data packets between the dedicated game console and a secure data center, the data center accessible via the security gateway;

registering a presence of the specific user account by a presence server inside the secure data center;

responsive to registering the presence of the specific user account, providing a user of the dedicated gaming console with access to an online service available from the secure data center;

after the signing in, providing the user of the offline game title access to a friends list comprising a name of friends, an online or offline status of each one of the friends, a game each one of the friends is playing, and a voice-enabled status of each one of the friends by displaying a menu generated by the offline game title running on the dedicated gaming console; and

after the signing in, transmitting voice data and other data in data packets between the gaming device and the secure data center, wherein the data packets transmitting voice data are partially encrypted so that the voice data remains unencrypted and the other data is encrypted.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the memory unit of the controller is removable.

18. A method comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor of a dedicated game console, instruct the dedicated game console to perform acts comprising:

coupling a controller to the dedicated game console, the controller including a memory unit containing specific account information corresponding to a specific user account of a user of an offline game title;

following the coupling the controller to the dedicated game console, determining, by the dedicated game console, from the specific account information on the controller whether silent sign-in is enabled for the specific user account on the controller;

when automatic sign-in is enabled, silently signing-in the specific user account onto an online service without requiring action by the user of the offline game title during use by the user of the offline game title;

after the signing-in, receiving an in-game notification by the user of the offline game title, wherein after the silently signing in, the user has access to a friends list comprising a name of friends, an online or offline status of each one of the friends, a game each one of the friends is playing, and a voice-enabled status of each one of the friends by displaying a menu generated by the offline game title running on the dedicated game console; and

switching by the user of the offline game title from an offline game to an online game, wherein the offline game is played by players with access to the dedicated game console and wherein the online game is played against one or more other players online.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the silently signing-in comprises opening a secure communication channel between the dedicated game console and a data center providing the online service, and

after the signing in, transmitting voice data and other data between the dedicated game console and the data center using partially encrypted packets in which the voice data is unencrypted and other data in the partially encrypted packets is encrypted.