SIP based VoIP multiplayer network games
First Claim
1. A method for providing simultaneous context based audio interaction among a plurality of participants in a network based gaming environment, the method comprising:
- using a single centralized game server configured to host a single instance of a dynamic, multi-user, network based game to establish a network based game environment containing identifications for a plurality of game participants, the game comprising integrated voice over internet protocol communication capabilities;
maintaining a game state profile for each one of the game participant identifications at the game server, each game state profile comprising game specific context for a given game participant identification;
using solely the game server to send instructions to a conference server separate from the game server to establish a plurality of simultaneous and independent voice over internet protocol based audio conferences within the network based game environment, all of the audio conferences contained within the single network based game instance, each audio conference comprising a group of participant identifications, each group comprising a plurality of participant identifications having a shared game context within the game state profiles comprising parameters or attributes that permit audio communication among the game participants associated with those participant identifications and audio paths between a plurality of geographically distributed audio mixers and communication devices associated with each game participant identification in that group;
using the audio paths for the permitted audio communications among game participants; and
using the game server to switch participants among the audio conferences seamlessly and dynamically during the single network based game instance and non-disruptively to the single network based game instance and any of the audio conferences;
wherein the participant identifications in each group are selected by the game server based solely upon the maintained game state profiles the conference server used to establish audio paths between the plurality of geographically distributed audio mixers and communication devices associated with each game participant in one of the audio conferences solely in response to the instructions sent from the game server, each audio mixer separate from the communication devices associated with each game participant, game server and conference server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for the close coupling of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) with multiplayer network games. Game state dependent voice communications are used as another method of player interaction in the game environment. The system uses SIP enhanced game servers and conference servers with audio mixing capabilities, and the game server controls the creation, maintenance and changing of the voice conferences. Participation in a voice conference is determined by the game state features associated with each player including distance and direction to determine how the voices are mixed in a voice conference.
115 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for providing simultaneous context based audio interaction among a plurality of participants in a network based gaming environment, the method comprising:
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using a single centralized game server configured to host a single instance of a dynamic, multi-user, network based game to establish a network based game environment containing identifications for a plurality of game participants, the game comprising integrated voice over internet protocol communication capabilities; maintaining a game state profile for each one of the game participant identifications at the game server, each game state profile comprising game specific context for a given game participant identification; using solely the game server to send instructions to a conference server separate from the game server to establish a plurality of simultaneous and independent voice over internet protocol based audio conferences within the network based game environment, all of the audio conferences contained within the single network based game instance, each audio conference comprising a group of participant identifications, each group comprising a plurality of participant identifications having a shared game context within the game state profiles comprising parameters or attributes that permit audio communication among the game participants associated with those participant identifications and audio paths between a plurality of geographically distributed audio mixers and communication devices associated with each game participant identification in that group; using the audio paths for the permitted audio communications among game participants; and using the game server to switch participants among the audio conferences seamlessly and dynamically during the single network based game instance and non-disruptively to the single network based game instance and any of the audio conferences; wherein the participant identifications in each group are selected by the game server based solely upon the maintained game state profiles the conference server used to establish audio paths between the plurality of geographically distributed audio mixers and communication devices associated with each game participant in one of the audio conferences solely in response to the instructions sent from the game server, each audio mixer separate from the communication devices associated with each game participant, game server and conference server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a computer executable code that when read by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for providing simultaneous context based audio interaction among a plurality of participants in a network based gaming environment, the method comprising:
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using a single centralized game server configured to host a single instance of a dynamic, multi-user, network based game to establish a network based game environment containing identifications for a plurality of game participants, the game comprising integrated voice over internet protocol communication capabilities; maintaining a game state profile for each one of the game participant identifications at the game server, each game state profile comprising game specific context for a given game participant identification; using solely the game server to send instructions to a conference server separate from the game server to establish a plurality of simultaneous and independent voice over internet protocol based audio conferences within the network based game environment, all of the audio conferences contained within the single network based game instance, each audio conference comprising a group of participant identifications, each group comprising a plurality of participant identifications having a shared game context within the game state profiles comprising parameters or attributes that permit audio communication among the game participants associated with those participant identifications and audio paths between a plurality of geographically distributed audio mixers and communication devices associated with each game participant identification in that group; using the audio paths for the permitted audio communications among game participants; and using the game server to switch participants among the audio conferences seamlessly and dynamically during the single network based game instance and non-disruptively to the single network based game instance and any of the audio conferences; wherein the participant identifications in each group are selected by the game server based solely upon the maintained game state profiles the conference server used to establish audio paths between the plurality of geographically distributed audio mixers and communication devices associated with each game participant in one of the audio conferences solely in response to the instructions sent from the game server, each audio mixer separate from the communication devices associated with the game participants, game server and conference server, - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of clam 16, wherein the game specific context comprises a common communication medium, membership in a group, telepathic connections or a shared language.
Specification