Interactive gaming utilizing a dispersed storage network

• US 8,357,048 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/789,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

Game data is received at a dispersed storage processing unit, the game data associated with at least one of a plurality of user devices. The game data is stored in a cache memory associated with the dispersed storage processing unit. Dispersed storage metadata associated with the cached game data is generated. A data block is generated based on the cached game data and further based on the dispersed storage metadata. The data block is stored in a dispersed storage network.

Claims

1. A method for use in conjunction with a dispersed storage processing unit coupled to a data network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a player to enter a game at the dispersed storage processing unit, the request associated with at least one of a plurality of user devices;

determine at the dispersed storage processing unit when the game requested is an existing game and, when the existing game is requested;

retrieving, via slices, from a plurality of storage devices at a corresponding plurality of different locations of a dispersed storage network, a game state associated with the existing game;

modifying the game state at the dispersed storage processing unit to include the player; and

storing the modified game state in the dispersed storage network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the modified game state to the player via the data network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the modified game state to at least one other player associated with the existing game, via the data network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determine at the dispersed storage processing unit when the game requested is not an existing game and when the game requested is not an existing game;

generating a new game state to include the player;

storing the new game state in the dispersed storage network.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

sending the new game state to the player via the data network.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining a plurality of dispersed storage units for use in storing the new game state;

wherein storing the new game state in the dispersed storage network includes storing slices formed from the new game state in the plurality of dispersed storage units.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

determining a location associated with the at least one of the plurality of user devices; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on proximity to the at least one of the plurality of user devices.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

associating at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units to the player; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on its association to the player.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

associating at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units to a new game; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on its association to the new game.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes a memory associated with the at least one of the plurality of user devices.