Peripheral device control and usage in a broadcaster mode for gaming environments

• US 8,834,268 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Red 5 Studios, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Red 5 Studios, Inc.
• Inventors: Kern, Mark, Rudi, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): LIM, SENG HENG
• Application Number:
  US13/549,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20140018165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• 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 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players

Abstract

A method for operating a broadcaster mode within a gaming environment of a video game is provided. The method includes receiving, via a networked gaming system, a request from a broadcaster for a video signal for a peripheral display, the broadcaster being a non-participant in the video game occurring within the gaming environment. The method also includes providing the video signal for the peripheral display. A system that facilitates broadcasting a gaming environment is provided and includes a broadcaster module and an interactivity module that provides the broadcaster with one or more options for displaying information. The broadcaster module also includes a display controller include a primary display controller and a secondary display controller. A primary view of the gaming environment displayed on a primary display of the broadcaster being broadcast to at least one spectator. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program is provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a broadcaster mode within a gaming environment of a video game, the method comprising:

providing a primary view of the gaming environment to a broadcaster for viewing on a primary display of the broadcaster using a primary display module, the broadcaster being a non-participating actor in the video game occurring within the gaming environment;

receiving, via a networked gaming system, a request from the broadcaster for a video signal of a secondary view of the gaming environment for viewing on a peripheral display of the broadcaster;

providing the video signal to the broadcaster for viewing on the peripheral display of the broadcaster using a secondary display module;

receiving a command, via a command sub-module, from the broadcaster to manipulate the secondary view on the peripheral display, and changing the secondary view in response to the received command;

receiving a command, via the command sub-module, to move the manipulated secondary view to the primary display;

moving the secondary view to the primary display to become the primary view; and

broadcasting the view on the primary display of the broadcaster to at least one spectator using a broadcaster module.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral display comprises at least one of a smartphone and a touch screen tablet computer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request for a user interface.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises at least one touch screen control.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user interface is configurable by the broadcaster.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a rewind command, a command to highlight an avatar of a game participant, a request to display data relating to a game player, and a request to display data relating to the video game.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises at least a game view and a drawing overlay command, the drawing overlay command for providing one of a manually input line and a preprogrammed line superimposed over the game view.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requested video signal comprises a request for a secondary view of the gaming environment, the primary view of the gaming environment being displayed on the primary display of the broadcaster.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the secondary view comprises a rewound view of the video game, a slow-motion view of the video game, an alternative perspective of the video game from a primary perspective displayed on the primary display, an alternative zoom quantity of the video game from a primary zoom quantity displayed on the primary display, and a view of the video game including a drawing overlay.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from the broadcaster to move the video signal displayed on the peripheral display of the broadcaster to the primary display, the command received via a command sub-module; and

moving the video signal to the primary display of the broadcaster before the view on the primary display is broadcast to the at least one spectator.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the networked gaming system, an additional request from the broadcaster for an additional video signal for an additional peripheral display of the broadcaster; and

providing the additional video signal to the broadcaster for viewing on the additional peripheral display.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program executable by a processor to perform a method providing a peripheral device control to a broadcaster mode within a gaming environment, the method comprising:

receiving, via a networked gaming system, a request from a broadcaster for a video signal for a peripheral display, the broadcaster being a non-participant in a video game occurring within the gaming environment;

providing the requested video signal to the broadcaster for viewing on the peripheral display of the broadcaster using a secondary display module;

receiving a single button command, via a command sub-module from the broadcaster to rewind the secondary view on the peripheral display a preset period of time;

rewinding the secondary view the preset period of time in response to the received single button command;

receiving a command, via the command sub-module, to move a video signal of the rewound secondary view to a primary display to become a primary view a to available to a plurality of spectators in a spectator mode;

moving the video signal of the rewound secondary view to the primary display; and

providing the video signal of the rewound secondary view on the primary display to the plurality of spectators for viewing in the spectator mode.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises providing a configurable user interface to the broadcaster, the configurable user interface comprising at least one of a touch screen interface, a rewind command, a command to highlight an avatar of a game participant, a request to display data relating to a game player, a request to display data relating to the video game, and a game view and a drawing overlay command.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises providing a secondary view of the gaming environment to the broadcaster, the secondary view comprising a rewound view of the video game, a slow-motion view of the video game, an alternative perspective of the video game from a primary perspective displayed on the primary display, an alternative zoom quantity of the video game from a primary zoom quantity displayed on the primary display, and a view of the video game including a drawing overlay.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

providing control of a peripheral display of the broadcaster to a broadcaster mode within a gaming environment;

providing a master view of the gaming environment to a broadcaster for viewing in broadcaster mode on a primary display of the broadcaster, the broadcaster being a non-participating actor in the video game occurring within the gaming environment;

providing to the broadcaster access in the broadcaster mode to a secondary view of the gaming environment for viewing on the peripheral display of the broadcaster;

receiving a command from the broadcaster to manipulate the secondary view on the secondary display;

changing the secondary view in response to the received command before moving the secondary to the primary display;

receiving a command from the broadcaster to move the manipulated secondary view on the peripheral display to the primary display;

moving the secondary view to the primary display; and

broadcasting the secondary view on the primary display of the broadcaster to a plurality of spectators for viewing in spectator mode.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the secondary view of the gaming environment provided to the broadcaster comprises at least one of a rewound view of the video game, a slow-motion view of the video game, an alternative perspective of the video game from a primary perspective displayed on the primary display, an alternative zoom quantity of the video game from a primary zoom quantity displayed on the primary display, and a view of the video game including a drawing overlay.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

manipulating the master view based on the secondary view; and

broadcasting the master view after the manipulation of the master view.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising providing to the broadcaster access in the broadcaster mode to information not available in the spectator mode.