Game state synchronization and restoration across multiple devices

• US 8,775,449 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• 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): VO, TRUONG V
• Application Number:
  US14/173,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 153 Days
• Field of Search: 707/617
• US Class Current: 707/757
• 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 mobile game application state across multiple devices is disclosed herein. The method includes running an instance of a game application at a first electronic device, determining a backup event that occurs in the first electronic device, wherein the backup event suggests a backup of application state data and the application state data represent an application state of the game application at the backup event, and transmitting the application state data of the game application to a remote storage service, in response to the backup event. A second electronic device can retrieve the application state data from the remote storage service and restore the game application state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a plurality of electronic devices capable of synchronizing game save of an game application with a cloud storage system, wherein the game application is a mobile game application;

running a first instance of the game application at a first electronic device of the plurality of the electronic devices, wherein the first electronic device is a smart phone, wherein the first electronic device includes a memory device;

generating a game save by the first instance of the game application at the first electronic device, wherein the game save includes a game progress, a game score, and a game rank for a player of the game application;

saving the game save at the first electronic device, wherein the game save is stored at the memory device, wherein the game save further includes information of volume level and screen brightness of the first electronic device;

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

transmitting, in response to the backup event, the game save of the game application to a remote storage service, wherein the first electronic device is capable of transmitting the game save to the remote storage service via a network, wherein the network includes Internet, a WiFi network, or a cellular phone network;

analyzing a user profile for a user who runs the game application at the first electronic device and at least a second electronic device of the plurality of the electronic devices;

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

transmitting the game save to the target electronic device by the network and

running a second instance of the game application at the target device by resuming game save received from the remote storage service.

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

identifying an electronic device other than the first electronic device, the electronic device having established a user account of the user who runs the game application at the first electronic device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing includes:

identifying an electronic device other than the first electronic device, wherein the user has used the electronic device for a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing includes:

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

5. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a processor;

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

running a first instance of a game application at the mobile electronic device, wherein the mobile electronic device includes a memory device;

generating a game save by the first instance of the game application at the mobile electronic device, wherein the game save includes a game progress, a game score, and a game rank for a player of the game application;

saving the game save at the mobile electronic device, wherein the game save is stored at the memory device, wherein the game save further includes information of volume level and screen brightness of the mobile electronic device;

automatically determining a sync event that occurs in the mobile 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 mobile electronic device being below a preconfigured value, the mobile electronic device turning off, the mobile electronic device switching to standby mode, a clock of the mobile electronic device reaching a preconfigured time of day, and the mobile electronic device being a preconfigured location;

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

a network component configured to transmit the game save 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.

6. The mobile electronic device of claim 5, wherein the state data of the game application includes game save data for the game application.

7. The mobile electronic device of claim 5, wherein the step of determining includes:

automatically determining a sync event that occurs in the mobile 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.