Gaming server providing on demand quality of service

• US 7,918,734 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gould, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiva; Frank M
• Application Number:
  US10/261,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20040063497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,109 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/236, 370/360, 370/447, 709/232, 709/205, 709/229, 719/318, 463/42, 463/40, 463/41
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions

Abstract

The present invention teaches methods and systems for providing a gaming server system (Gaming System) for enabling a quality-of-service on-demand (QoS) broadcast system to provide a gaming computer or game console with premium levels of quality-of-service. The gaming server provides premium network connection service levels based upon customer profile, current activity, account status or other criteria.

Claims

1. A method for providing enhanced quality-of-service to an online gaming user comprising:

connecting a game console to a gaming web server, wherein the gaming web server is connected to a cable network and wherein the game console is connected to the cable network via a cable modem;

selecting a game from the gaming web server;

matching the game selection to a set of quality-of-service parameters determined by the gaming agent from the game selection without further input from the online gaming user;

transmitting a request from the gaming agent to a cable modem termination system (CMTS) to provision the cable network with the set of quality-of-service parameters determined by the gaming agent from the game selection, wherein the CMTS comprises instructions for managing network resources associated with the cable network;

polling the cable network from the CMTS to determine whether the CMTS can grant the quality of service request; and

if the CMTS grants the quality of service request, then providing service over the cable network to the game console in accordance with the quality-of-service parameters determined from the game selection by the gaming agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the game console comprises a personal computer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting gaming user authentication information to the gaming web server from the game console.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the gaming web server restricts online gaming to authenticated gaming users.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting gaming user authentication information to the gaming agent from the gaming web server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the gaming agent restricts enhanced quality-of-service-game to authenticated gaming users.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording the time duration of enhanced quality-of-service game provisioning; and

charging a time-duration based fee for enhanced quality-of-service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is active.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is reserved.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the available quality-of-service parameters are selected from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a game identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the available quality-of-service parameters are selected from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a class-of-game identifier.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming agent receives data from the gaming web server and transmits data to the gaming web server over a secure communications network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the secure communications network is a data encrypted communications network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming agent is integrated with the gaming web server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaming agent further comprises parental controls.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced quality-of-service request further comprises an upstream enhanced quality-of-service request and a downstream enhanced quality-of-service request.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the gaming agent matches the upstream enhanced quality-of-service request and the downstream enhanced quality-of-service request by referring to a database comprising fields for game identification, upstream quality-of-service fields and downstream quality-of-service fields.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the upstream quality-of-service fields comprise poll-interval, poll-jitter, minimum-rate, maximum-rate, maximum-burst, maximum-concatenation-burst, request-transmission-policy, activity-timeout, admission-timeout, schedule-type and TOS-overwrite.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the downstream quality-of-service fields comprise priority, minimum-rate, maximum-rate, maximum-burst, activity-timeout and admission-timeout.

20. A method for providing enhanced quality-of-service to an online gaming user comprising:

connecting a game console to a cable network component of a gaming network;

connecting the cable network component to a cable management termination system (CMTS), wherein the CMTS is further connected to an Internet component of the gaming network;

selecting a game from a gaming web server, wherein the gaming web server is connected to the gaming network;

transmitting the game selection from the gaming web server to a gaming agent;

selecting enhanced quality-of-service parameters from available quality-of-service parameters determined by the gaming agent from the game selection without further input from the online gaming user;

transmitting a first request for enhanced quality-of-service network provisioning from the gaming agent to the CMTS, wherein the first request comprises a selected quality of service parameter determined from the game selection;

at the CMTS, determining whether cable network resources are available to grant the first request;

if the cable network resources are available to grant the first request, then reserving cable network resources consistent with the first request; and

providing game data to the game console from the gaming web server over the gaming network using the cable network resources.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

transmitting a second request for enhanced quality-of-service network provisioning from the gaming agent to a quality-of-service controller, wherein the quality of service controller comprises instructions for managing network resources associated with the Internet component and wherein the second request comprises a selected quality of service parameter determined from the game selection;

polling the Internet component to determine whether the quality-of-service controller can grant the second request; and

if the quality-of-service controller grants the second request, then reserving quality-of-service network resources consistent with the second request.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the second request comprises an enhanced quality-of-service request to an Integrated Service network carrier.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the second request comprises an enhanced quality-of-service request to a Differential Service network carrier.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the game console comprises a personal computer.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the game console transmits gaming user authentication information to the gaming web server.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the gaming web server restricts online gaming to authenticated gaming users.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the gaming web server transmits gaming user authentication information to the gaming agent.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the gaming agent restricts enhanced quality-of-service to authenticated gaming users.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

recording the time duration of enhanced quality-of-service provisioning; and

charging the gaming user a time-duration based fee for enhanced quality-of-service.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is active.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is reserved.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the available quality-of-service parameters are selected from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a game identifier.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the available quality-of-service parameters are selected from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a class-of-game identifier.

34. The method of claim 20 wherein the gaming agent receives data from the gaming web server and transmits data to the gaming web server over a secure communications network component of the gaming network.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the secure communications network component is a data encrypted communications network.

36. The method of claim 20 wherein the gaming agent is integrated with the gaming web server.

37. The method of claim 20 wherein the gaming agent further comprises parental controls.

38. The method of claim 20 wherein the first and second enhanced quality-of-service requests further comprise an upstream enhanced quality-of-service request and a downstream enhanced quality-of-service request.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the gaming agent selects the upstream enhanced quality-of-service request and the downstream enhanced quality-of-service request from a database comprising fields for game identification, upstream quality-of-service fields and downstream quality-of-service fields.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the upstream quality-of-service fields are selected from the group consisting of a poll-interval, a poll-jitter, a minimum-rate, a maximum-rate, a maximum-burst, a maximum-concatenation-burst, a request-transmission-policy, an activity-timeout, an admission-timeout, a schedule-type and a TOS-overwrite.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the downstream quality-of-service fields are selected from the group consisting of a priority, a minimum-rate, a maximum-rate, a maximum-burst, an activity-timeout and an admission-timeout.

42. A system for providing enhanced quality-of-service to an online gaming user comprising:

a game console connected to a gaming network;

a gaming web server connected to the gaming network so as to receive a gaming user selection for a game available for the game console; and

a gaming agent server comprising instructions for;

receiving the selected game selection transmitted from the gaming web server;

selecting enhanced quality-of-service parameters from available quality-of-service parameters determined by the gaming agent server from the game selection without further input from the online gaming user;

transmitting a request for enhanced quality-of-service-game network provisioning to a quality-of-service controller, wherein the request comprises a selected quality of service parameter determined from the game selection;

wherein the quality of service controller comprises instructions for;

managing network resources associated with the gaming network;

polling the gaming network to determine whether the quality-of-service controller can grant the request;

if the quality-of-service controller grants the request, then reserving quality-of-service network resources consistent with the request; and

wherein the gaming web server further comprises instructions for providing game data to the game console over the gaming network using the quality-of-service network resources.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the game console comprises instructions for transmitting gaming user authentication information to the gaming web server.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the gaming web server comprises instructions for restricting online gaming to authenticated gaming users.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the gaming web server further comprises instructions for transmitting gaming user authentication information to the gaming agent.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the gaming agent further comprises instructions for restricting enhanced quality-of-service-game to authenticated gaming users.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein gaming agent further comprises instructions for recording the time duration of enhanced quality-of-service game provisioning and wherein system further comprises a billing system adapted to charge the gaming user a time-duration based fee for enhanced quality-of-service.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is active.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is reserved.

50. The system of claim 42, wherein the available quality-of-service parameters are selected from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a game identifier.

51. The system of claim 42, wherein gaming agent further comprises instructions for selecting the available quality-of-service parameters from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a class-of-game identifier.

52. A gaming agent server for providing enhanced quality-of-service for an online gaming user, the gaming agent server comprising:

a processor; and

memory in addressable communication with the processor, the memory bearing software instructions adapted to enable the gaming agent server to perform the steps of;

receiving a game selection transmitted from a gaming web server;

selecting enhanced quality-of-service parameters from a database of quality-of-service parameters determined from the game selection by the gaming agent server without further input from the online gaming user;

transmitting a request for enhanced quality-of-service network provisioning to a quality of service controller, wherein the quality of service controller comprises instructions for managing network resources associated with the gaming network; and

if the quality-of-service controller grants the request, then reserving quality-of-service network resources consistent with the request;

recording the time-duration of enhanced quality-of-service network provisioning; and

releasing enhanced quality-of-service network provisioning upon completion of the game.

53. A method for providing enhanced quality-of-service to online gaming users comprising:

connecting a game console to a cable network component of a gaming network;

connecting the cable network component to a cable management termination system (CMTS), wherein the CMTS is further connected to an Internet component of the gaming network;

selecting a game from a gaming web server, wherein the gaming web server is connected to the gaming network;

selecting enhanced quality-of-service parameters from available quality-of-service parameters determined by the gaming web server from the game selection without further input from the online gaming user;

transmitting the selected quality-of service parameters from the gaming web server to a gaming agent;

transmitting a first request for enhanced quality-of-service network provisioning from the gaming agent to the CMTS, wherein the first request comprises a selected quality of service parameter determined from the game selection;

at the CMTS, determining whether cable network resources are available to grant the first request;

if the cable network resources are available to grant the first request, then reserving cable network resources consistent with the first request; and

providing game data to the game console from the gaming web server over the gaming network using the cable network resources.

54. The method of claim 53 further comprising:

transmitting a second request for enhanced quality-of-service network provisioning from the gaming agent to a quality-of-service controller, wherein the quality of service controller comprises instructions for managing network resources associated with the Internet component and wherein the second request comprises a selected quality of service parameter determined from the game selection without further input from the online gaming user;

polling the Internet component to determine whether the quality-of-service controller can grant the second request; and

if the quality-of-service controller grants the second request, then reserving quality-of-service network resources consistent with the second request.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the second request comprises an enhanced quality-of-service request to an Integrated Service network carrier.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein the second request comprises an enhanced quality-of-service request to a Differential Service network carrier.

57. The method of claim 53 wherein the game console comprises a personal computer.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein the game console transmits gaming user authentication information to the gaming web server.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the gaming web server restricts online gaming to authenticated gaming users.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the gaming web server transmits gaming user authentication information to the gaming agent.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the gaming agent restricts enhanced quality-of-service to authenticated gaming users.

62. The method of claim 53 further comprising:

recording the time duration of enhanced quality-of-service provisioning; and

charging the gaming user a time-duration based fee for enhanced quality-of-service.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is active.

64. The method of claim 62 wherein the time-duration based fee is charged for the time that enhanced quality-of-service is reserved.

65. The method of claim 53, wherein the available quality-of-service parameters are selected from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a game identifier.

66. The method of claim 53, wherein the available quality-of-service parameters are selected from a database of desired gaming quality-of-service parameters indexed to a class-of-game identifier.

67. The method of claim 53 wherein the gaming agent receives data from the gaming web server and transmits data to the gaming web server over a secure communications network component of the gaming network.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the secure communications network component is a data encrypted communications network.

69. The method of claim 53 wherein the gaming agent is integrated with the gaming web server.

70. The method of claim 53 wherein the gaming agent further comprises parental controls.

71. The method of claim 53 wherein the first and second enhanced quality-of-service requests further comprise an upstream enhanced quality-of-service request and a downstream enhanced quality-of-service request.

72. The method of claim 71 wherein the gaming agent selects the upstream enhanced quality-of-service request and the downstream enhanced quality-of-service request from a database comprising fields for game identification, upstream quality-of-service fields and downstream quality-of-service fields.

73. The method of claim 72 wherein the upstream quality-of-service fields are selected from the group consisting of a poll-interval, a poll-jitter, a minimum-rate, a maximum-rate, a maximum-burst, a maximum-concatenation-burst, a request-transmission-policy, an activity-timeout, an admission-timeout, a schedule-type and a TOS-overwrite.

74. The method of claim 72 wherein the downstream quality-of-service fields are selected from the group consisting of a priority, a minimum-rate, a maximum-rate, a maximum-burst, an activity-timeout and an admission-timeout.