System for synchronous and asynchronous gaming modes

• US 8,379,540 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blinn, Arnold, Gill, Timothy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US12/772,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/235, 370/252, 370/254, 370/431, 370/437, 709/203, 709/228, 463/1, 463/42
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system is disclosed for switching between synchronous and asynchronous network connections for implementing a turn-based multiplayer game. A network connection manager handles client device connections to set the connection to either an asynchronous network connection or a synchronous network connection. The connection manager may switch between the asynchronous and synchronous network connection modes based on a variety of triggering criteria.

Claims

1. In a gaming and media system having a user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing a network connection for clients to connect to the system to play a turn-based game session, the method comprising:

(a) setting the network connection for the gaming session to an asynchronous network connection if the latency between turns from two or more clients exceeds a first threshold; and

(b) setting the network connection to a synchronous network connection if the pace of play of the gaming session by the two or more clients in the gaming session exceeds a second threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating notifications regarding a state of the game session.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of storing the notifications for a client at times when the network connection is set to asynchronous mode.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of forwarding the notifications for a client directly from a server to the client at times when the network connection is set to synchronous mode.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of forwarding the notifications for a first client directly from a second client to the first client in a peer-to-peer network at times when the network connection is set to synchronous mode.

6. The method of claim 1, said step (b) comprising the step of receiving periodic queries from a client to determine whether other clients have left notifications, and changing the connection from asynchronous to synchronous upon the queries and notifications satisfying predefined criteria.

7. The method of claim 6, the interval between periodic queries being set by one of a server through which queries are routed and the client making the queries.

8. The method of claim 1, said step (b) comprising the step of setting the network connection for a first client to a synchronous network connection in the event the first client has a notification waiting a predefined percentage of times the first client connects to the system and/or in the event the first client and a second client take an action in the turn-based game session within a predefined period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, said step (b) comprising the step of setting the network connection for a first client to a synchronous network connection in the event the first client has a notification waiting a predefined number of times in a row upon the first client connecting to the system.

10. In a gaming and media system having a user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing a network connection for clients to connect to the system to play a turn-based game session, the method comprising:

(a) modifying the network connection for a first client from a synchronous network connection to an asynchronous network connection for the gaming session in the event a notification generated by actions from the first client are not successfully directly forwarded to at least one other client or if notification is successfully sent to at least one other client but a response from the at least one other client is not received within a predefined period of time; and

(b) modifying the network connection for the first client from an asynchronous network connection to a synchronous network connection for the gaming session if the first client has a notification awaiting them a predefined number of times upon the first client connecting to the system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing the notifications for the at least one other client at times when the network connection is set to asynchronous mode or at times when the notification is not successfully forwarded to the at least one other client.

12. The method of claim 10, said step (a) comprising the step of modifying the network connection for a first client from a synchronous network connection to an asynchronous network connection for the gaming session in the event a response from the at least one other client is not received within a time period ranging between ten seconds and five minutes.

13. The method of claim 10, said step (b) comprising the step of setting the network connection for a first client to a synchronous network connection in the event the first client has a notification waiting a predefined percentage of times the first client connects to the system.

14. The method of claim 10, said step (b) comprising the step of setting the network connection for a first client to a synchronous network connection in the event the first client has a notification waiting a predefined number of times in a row upon the first client connecting to the system.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of sensing if there is at least one other client connected to the system at a time when the first client connects to the system, and sending a message the first and second clients relating to whether the first and second clients wish to play the game session via a synchronous network connection.

16. A gaming and media system comprising:

at least one game server for processing game session information;

a database for storing game session information; and

a network connection manager, the network connection manager managing the network connection to change the network connection for the gaming session from a synchronous network connection to an asynchronous network connection if the latency between turns from two or more clients exceeds a threshold, and the network connection manager managing the network connection to change the network connection for the gaming session from an asynchronous network connection to a synchronous network connection if a first client has a notification waiting a predefined number of times upon the first client connecting to the system and/or in the event the first client and a second client take an action in the gaming session within a predefined period of time.

17. The gaming and media system of claim 16, the database storing a notification of changes in game state resulting from actions of the first client in the event the notification is not directly delivered via a synchronous network connection.

18. The gaming and media system of claim 16, the network manager setting the network connection for the first client to an asynchronous network connection in the event an action is required from a client which has not responded within the threshold period of time.

19. The gaming and media system of claim 16, the network manager setting the network connection for the first client to synchronous network connection in the event the first client has a notification waiting one of a predefined percentage of times the first client connects to the system, and a predefined number of times in a row that the first client connects to the system and/or in the event the first client and a second client take an action in the gaming session within a predefined period of time.

20. The gaming and media system of claim 16, the network manager setting the network connection for the first client to synchronous network connection in the event the first client and one other client playing the gaming session are connected to the system, and the first client and one other client indicate that they wish to play the gaming session via a synchronous network connection.