Video game system using pre-encoded macro-blocks

• US 8,118,676 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Craig, Robert, Mercer, Clifford Wayne, Sigmund, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US11/178,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/40, 463/41, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• 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: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A method and related system of generating a frame of video is disclosed. In the method, a request is received. The frame of video is generated using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks. The frame of video is compatible with an MPEG compression standard. The plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to the request. In some embodiments, the request initiates a video game.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a video game system comprising one or more video game servers to provide interactive video game services to multiple user systems coupled to the video game system by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the video game system and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display;

for each respective user system of a plurality of the multiple user systems;

receiving from the respective user system a request to initiate a respective instance of a video game;

receiving from the respective user system a command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game;

in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, generating a frame of encoded video corresponding to the respective user action in the video game using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks, wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to receiving the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game; and

transmitting the frame of encoded video to the respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the frame of encoded video and the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective pre-encoded macro-block corresponds to a set of pixels, pre-encoding of the respective pre-encoded macro-block includes performing discrete cosine transformation, quantization and run-length encoding operations, and the generating includes inter-relating adjacent pre-encoded macro-blocks in the frame of video.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-encoding includes calculating a motion vector and correction data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the inter-relating includes determining a first DC-coefficient value for a first block including luminance information, a second DC-coefficient value for a second block including chrominance information and a third DC-coefficient value for a third block including chrominance information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining of a respective DC-coefficient value includes determining a difference with respect to another pre-encoded macro-block in the frame of encoded video.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the inter-relating includes determining a difference with respect to a quantization factor for another pre-encoded macro-block in the frame of encoded video.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are stored in a bank of individually addressable pre-encoded macro-blocks and a subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between two or more video games.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are stored in a bank of pre-encoded macro-blocks and a subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between two or more frames of encoded video.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks include un-compressed pixel information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising dynamically generating a plurality of macro-blocks, including blending un-compressed pixel information of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks and image information corresponding to an object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the blending includes forming a superposition of the image information corresponding to the object on a region of the frame of encoded video corresponding to at least a portion of the subset of the stored plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks that include un-compressed pixel information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective pre-encoded macro-block includes meta data, and wherein the meta data includes a quantization factor.

13. An apparatus for providing interactive video game services, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs including instructions for providing the interactive video game services to respective users at multiple user systems coupled to the apparatus by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the apparatus and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display, the instructions for providing the interactive video game services comprising;

instructions for receiving a request, from a respective user system at each of a plurality of the multiple user systems, to initiate a respective instance of a video game;

instructions for receiving a command from the respective user system at each of the plurality of the multiple user systems, the received command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game;

instructions for generating, in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, a respective frame of encoded video corresponding to the respective user action in the video game using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks, wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are pre-encoded prior to receiving the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game; and

instructions for transmitting the respective frame of encoded video to a respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the respective frame of video and the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.

14. A method, comprising:

at a video game system comprising one or more video game servers to provide interactive video game services to multiple user systems coupled to the video game system by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the video game system and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display;

for each respective user system of a plurality of the multiple user systems;

receiving from the respective user system a request to initiate a respective instance of a video game;

receiving from the respective user system a command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game; and

in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, generating a frame of encoded video corresponding to the respective user action in the video game using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks pre-encoded prior to the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game, a plurality of post-request-encoded macro-blocks encoded after the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game and prior to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, and a plurality of dynamically encoded macro-blocks encoded after the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game; and

transmitting the frame of encoded video to the respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.

15. An apparatus for providing interactive video game services, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs including instructions for providing the interactive video game services to respective users at multiple user systems coupled to the apparatus by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the apparatus and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display, the instructions for providing the interactive video game services comprising;

instructions for receiving a request, from a respective user at each of a plurality of the multiple user systems, to initiate a respective instance of a video game;

instructions for receiving a command from the respective user at each of the plurality of the multiple user systems, the received command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game;

instructions for generating, in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, a respective frame of encoded video corresponding to the respective user action in the video game using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks pre-encoded prior to the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game, a plurality of post-request-encoded macro-blocks encoded after the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game and prior to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, and a plurality of dynamically encoded macro-blocks encoded after the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game; and

instructions for transmitting the respective frame of encoded video to a respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.

16. A method, comprising:

at a video game system comprising one or more video game servers to provide interactive video game services to multiple user systems coupled to the video game system by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the video game system and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display;

for each respective user device of a plurality of the multiple user systems;

receiving from the respective user system a request to initiate a respective instance of a video game;

receiving from the respective user system a command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game;

in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, generating a frame of encoded video corresponding to the respective user action in the video game using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks pre-encoded prior to the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game and a plurality of post-request-encoded macro-blocks encoded after the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game and prior to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game; and

transmitting the frame of encoded video to the respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.

17. An apparatus for providing interactive video game services, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs including instructions for providing the interactive video game services to respective users at multiple user systems coupled to the apparatus by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the apparatus and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display, the instructions for providing the interactive video game services comprising;

instructions for receiving a request, from a respective user at each of a plurality of the multiple user systems, to initiate a respective instance of a video game;

instructions for receiving a command from the respective user at each of the plurality of the multiple user systems, the received command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game;

instructions for generating, in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, a respective frame of encoded video corresponding to the respective user action in the video game using a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks pre-encoded prior to the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game and a plurality of post-request-encoded macro-blocks encoded after the request to initiate the respective instance of the video game and prior to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game; and

instructions for transmitting the respective frame of encoded video to a respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.

18. A method, comprising:

at a video game system comprising one or more video game servers to provide interactive video game services to multiple user systems coupled to the video game system by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the video game system and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display;

prior to receiving requests to initiate instances of a video game, generating a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks compatible with an MPEG compression standard;

storing the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks in a bank of individually accessible pre-encoded macro-blocks, for use in generating multiple distinct frames of encoded video; and

for each respective user system of a plurality of the multiple user systems;

receiving from the respective user system a request to initiate a respective instance of a video game and a command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game;

in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, generating a frame of encoded video using a subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks stored in the bank; and

transmitting the frame of encoded video to the respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between two or more video games.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between two or more frames of encoded video.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks include un-compressed pixel information.

22. An apparatus for providing interactive video game services, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs including;

instructions for generating, prior to receiving requests to initiate instances of a video game, a plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks compatible with an MPEG compression standard;

instructions for storing the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks in a bank of pre-encoded macro-blocks; and

instructions for providing the interactive video game services to each of a plurality of users of the video game at respective user systems of a plurality of user systems coupled to the apparatus by one or more communication networks, the multiple user systems being distinct from the apparatus and wherein each of the multiple user systems comprises a video decoder and a respective display, the instructions for providing the interactive video game services comprising;

instructions for receiving, from a respective user at each respective user system of the plurality of user systems, a request to initiate a respective instance of the video game and a command corresponding to a respective user action in the video game;

instructions for generating, in response to the command corresponding to the respective user action in the video game, a frame of encoded video using a subset of the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks stored in the bank; and

instructions for transmitting the frame of encoded video to a respective user system for decoding by the respective user system and display on the display of the respective user system,

wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are compatible with an MPEG compression standard, and wherein the plurality of pre-encoded macro-blocks are shared between the respective instances of the video game.