Multiple-player collaborative content editing

• US 8,202,166 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Tyson
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US12/114,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20090275412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

An arrangement is provided for multiplayer collaborative content editing which allows players to edit content and enjoy a social collaborative process. The arrangement provides a gameplay environment for custom or “honor rule” gametypes, and allows multiple users to participate in a full-featured game environment. The multiple user editing scenarios may be employed on, e.g., a single game console in a splitscreen version, over a LAN with multiple game consoles, or over the internet. Users may toggle between a “Player Mode”, with a similar appearance and capabilities as a player in a traditional multiplayer game, and an “Edit Mode”, which may have different appearance and capabilities. The Edit Mode presents the user with editing functionality and a suitable user interface, as well as a number of additional abilities beyond that of a user in Player Mode.

Claims

1. In a multiplayer game environment in which game content may be both edited and consumed, a method of game content editing, comprising:

placing a game server in signal communication with a network, the network accessible by a plurality of game clients, the game server and game clients defining a multiplayer environment;

transferring from the game server to the plurality of game clients a game playing application, the game playing application at least allowing a user to play a multiplayer game incorporating game items, game properties, or game maps in the multiplayer environment;

transferring from the game server to at least one of the plurality of game clients a game content editing application, the game content editing application at least enabling one user to edit game content in the multiplayer environment;

displaying user interfaces for the game content editing application and the game playing application on respective different display screens, wherein the enabling includes enabling the user to add, delete, or edit game items, properties, or maps using the game content editing application user interface;

displaying a toggle switch on the game playing application display screen for permitting the user to switch from the game playing application display screen to the game content editing application display screen while a game is being played; and

displaying a toggle switch on the game content editing application display screen for permitting the user to switch the user interface from the game content editing application display screen to the game playing application display screen after the user has made any additions, edits, or deletions of game items, properties, or maps using the game content editing application user interface, wherein the user can incorporate any said additions, edits, or deletions into the game being played.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the transferring from the game server to the plurality of game clients includes transferring from the game server to a plurality of game consoles.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the game playing application and the game content editing application are each part of a single application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining at least one client of the plurality of game clients as an administrator; and

providing a capability to the administrator game client, for each of the other game clients with the game content editing application, to enable or disable the game content editing application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display screen for the game content editing application includes two windows, a first content editing window occupying a first portion of the display screen and a second content editing window occupying a second portion of the display screen, such that two users are enabled to edit content using the same user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a chat channel between at least two users.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to a user a game budget with a predetermined number of points, wherein if a user adds, deletes, or edits game items, properties, or maps using the game content editing application, the number of points in the game budget is debited or credited accordingly.

8. In a multiplayer game environment in which game content may be both edited and consumed, a method of game content editing, comprising:

placing a game server in signal communication with a network, the network accessible by a plurality of game clients, the game server and game clients defining a multiplayer environment;

transferring from the game server to the plurality of game clients a game playing application, the game playing application at least allowing a user to play a multiplayer game incorporating game items, game properties, or game maps in the multiplayer environment;

transferring from the game server to at least one of the plurality of clients a game content editing application, the game content editing application at least enabling one user to edit game content in the multiplayer environment, in which the enabling includes enabling the user to add, delete, or edit game items, properties, or maps while a game is being played; and

displaying a user interface for the game playing application and the game content editing application while a game is being played, such that the user interface for the game playing application occupies a first portion of a display screen to display an area of the game and the user interface for the game content editing application occupies a second portion of the display screen and displays the same area of the game.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user can incorporate into the game being played any additions, edits, or deletions of game items, properties, or maps made using the game content editing application.

10. In a multi-user environment in which content may be both edited and consumed, a non-transitory computer-readable storage device encoded with computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a computer to perform the steps of:

arranging a server in signal communication with a network, the network accessible by a plurality of clients, the server and clients defining a multi-user environment;

transferring from the server to the plurality of clients a first application, the first application at least allowing a user to consume content in the multi-user environment;

transferring from the server to at least one of the plurality of clients a second application, the second application at least allowing a user to edit content being consumed using the first application in the multi-user environment;

displaying user interfaces for the first application and the second application on respective different display screens;

displaying a toggle switch on the first application display screen for permitting the user to switch from the first application display screen to the second application display screen while content is being consumed using the first application; and

displaying a toggle switch on the second application display screen for permitting the user to switch the user interface from the second application display screen to the first application display screen after the user has made any edits to the content using the second application user interface, wherein the user can incorporate any said edits into the content being consumed using the first application.

11. The storage device of claim 10, in which the first and second applications are combined into a single application, and in which the transfer of the first application and the transfer of the second application are combined into a transfer of the single application.

12. The storage device of claim 11, in which the instructions further cause a computer to define at least one of the plurality of clients as an administrator, in which the administrator client can enable or disable the second application on each of the other clients of the plurality.

13. The storage device of claim 10, in which the instructions further cause a computer to enable a chat channel between at least two users who are editing content in the multi-user environment.