Multi-player game state backup and restoration across multiple devices

• US 8,747,232 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nextbit Systems, Inc. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Quan, Justin, Chan, Michael A., Moss, Tom, Fleming, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEN, JASON TAHAI
• Application Number:
  US14/167,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 132 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

Technology for a method for backing up and restoring multiplayer game state across multiple devices that are registered to multiple users is disclosed herein. The method includes running instances of a multiplayer game application at multiple electronic devices, determining a backup event that occurs in any of the multiple electronic devices, wherein the backup event suggests a backup of game state data and the game state data represent a game state of the game application at the backup event, and transmitting the game state data of the game application to a remote storage service, in response to the backup event. Other electronic devices registered to any of the multiple users can retrieve the application state data from the remote storage service and restore the game application state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

running an instance of a game application at a first electronic device and a second electronic device, wherein the game application is a multiplayer game application, wherein the first electronic device is registered to a first user, wherein the second electronic device is registered to a second user, wherein the first user plays against the second user;

automatically determining a sync event that occurs in the first electronic device or the second electronic device, wherein the sync event is an event from events including the instance of the game application being closed, the instance of the game application being paused, the instance of the game application has been continuously running for a preconfigured period of time, the instance of the game application being switched by another application;

transmitting state data of the game application to a storage server, in response to the sync event, wherein the electronic device is capable of transmitting the state data of the game application to the storage server via a network, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service cluster;

detecting a third device connected with the storage system, wherein the third device is registered to either the first user or the second user;

verifying existence of the game application at the third device;

sending the state data of the game application to the third device; and

running an instance of the game application at the third device by resuming game application state recorded in synchronized state data of the game application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting includes:

transmitting a difference between the state data of the game application and previously transmitted state data to a storage server, in response to the sync event.

3. A computer-implemented method comprising:

running an instance of a game application at a first electronic device and a second electronic device, wherein the game application is a multiplayer game application, wherein the first electronic device is registered to a first user, wherein the second electronic device is registered to a second user;

determining a backup event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the backup event is an event from events including at least three of the instance of the game application being closed, the instance of the game application being paused, the instance of the game application has been continuously running for a preconfigured period of time, the instance of the game application being switched by another application, a battery level of the first electronic device being below a preconfigured value, a battery level of the second electronic device being below a preconfigured value;

transmitting the application state data of the game application to a remote storage service, in response to the backup event, wherein the first electronic device is capable of transmitting the application state data to the remote storage service via a network, wherein the second electronic device is capable of transmitting the application state data to the remote storage service via the network;

analyzing a first user profile for the first user and a second user profile of the second user;

determining a target electronic device from the at least one third electronic device, based on the analyzing of the first user profile and the second user profile; and

transmitting the application state data to the target electronic device, wherein the application state data enable another instance of the game application to resume the application state at the sync event at the target electronic device;

running a second instance of the game application at the third electronic device by resuming game application state recorded in synchronized state data of the game application.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining includes:

determining another electronic device other than the target electronic device, the another electronic device having established a user account of the first user who runs the game application at the first electronic device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining includes:

determining another electronic device other than the target electronic device, the another electronic device having established a user account of the second user who runs the game application at the second electronic device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of analyzing includes:

identifying an electronic device being in proximity of the first electronic device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation that the game application has been restored to the application state using the application state data.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first user competes against the second user in the multi-player game.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first user and the second user plays in a team.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform a process including;

running a multiplayer game application at the electronic device, wherein the multiplayer game application also runs at a second electronic devices, wherein a first user plays the multiplayer game application at the electronic device, wherein a second user plays the multiplayer game application at the second electronic device,

automatically determining a sync event that occurs in the electronic device, wherein the sync event is an event from events including at least four of the instance of the game application being closed, the instance of the game application being paused, the instance of the game application has been continuously running for a preconfigured period of time, the instance of the game application being switched by another application, a battery level of the electronic device being below a preconfigured value, the electronic device turning off, the electronic device switching to standby mode, a clock of the electronic device reaching a preconfigured time of day, and the electronic device being a preconfigured location;

transmitting state data of the game application to a storage server, in response to the sync event, wherein the electronic device is capable of transmitting the state data of the game application to the storage server via a network, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service cluster, wherein the state data of the game application includes application memory data, application local storage data, hardware configuration data, or user account configuration data;

a network component configured to transmit the state data of the game application to a storage server, in response to the sync event, wherein the application state data of the game application enable another instance of the game application to resume the application state at the sync event at another electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the state data of the game application includes game save data for the game application.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the step of determining includes:

automatically determining a sync event that occurs in the electronic device without user intervention, wherein the sync event suggests a synchronization of the state data of the game application and the state data of the game application represents an application state of the game application at the sync event.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the storage server belongs to a cloud storage service that is capable of synchronizing the application state data with another electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the multiplayer game is only played by a mobile device.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

running an instance of a game application at a first electronic device, wherein the game application is a multiplayer game application;

determining a backup event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the backup event is an event from events including the instance of the game application being closed, the instance of the game application being paused, the instance of the game application has been continuously running for a preconfigured period of time, the instance of the game application being switched by another application, a battery level of the electronic device being below a preconfigured value, the electronic device turning off, the electronic device switching to standby mode, a clock of the electronic device reaching a preconfigured time of day, and the electronic device being a preconfigured location;

transmitting the application state data of the game application to a remote storage service via a network, in response to the backup event, wherein the remote storage service is a cloud computing service or the remote storage service belongs to a cloud storage service cluster;

determining a restore event that occurs in a second electronic device, wherein the restore event suggests a restore of the application state of the game application at the second electronic device;

instructing the remote storage service to transmit the application state data of the game application to the second electronic device, in response to the restore event, so that the second electronic device is capable of restoring the game application to the application state using the application state data;

determining a restore event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the restore event suggests a restore of the application state of the game application at the first electronic device; and

retrieving the application state data of the game application from the remote storage service, in response to the restore event, so that the first electronic device can restore the game application to the application state using the application state data;

receiving a confirmation that the game application has been restored to the application state using the application state data.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the network includes the Internet, a Wi-Fi network, or a cellular phone network.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the first electronic device is a smart phone.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the second electronic device is a tablet computer.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the confirmation is sent via an email.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the first electronic device belongs to a first user and the second electronic device belongs to a second user.