System for remote game access

• US 8,894,494 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ELBO, Inc. (Gamestop Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ELBO, Inc. (Gamestop Corporation)
• Inventors: Walker, Peter Anthony, Becca, Oswald Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JEFFREY KEITH
• Application Number:
  US14/049,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20140038713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/1, 463 9- 13, 463/16, 463/22, 463/25, 273/274, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273292-294, 273/297, 273/303, 273/306, 273/307, 273/308, 434/192, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• 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 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2488 Remotely playable
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/52 with a remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• 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 2300/538 : for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 : for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 : Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 : Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 : Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for allowing a user to remotely access a game includes: a game console; a remote console client configured to receive a game control signal; and a remote console server. The remote console server includes an audio and video encoder configured to receive an audio output and a video output from the game console and to convert the audio output and the video output to a network packet. The remote console server also includes: a game controller emulation unit and a network interface configured to send and receive the network packet. The game controller emulation unit is configured to receive a game controller signal from the game console and to send the game controller signal to the remote console client and to receive a game controller input from the remote console client and send the game controller input to the game console.

Claims

1. A networked game system comprising:

a network interface configured to receive packetized information from a packet network;

a console server system comprising a console virtualization engine, including an audio and video encoder and a memory emulator, and a memory emulation unit, the console server system including a processor, the console server system configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first game selection of a first electronic game by the user;

providing the user with access to a first of a plurality of game consoles coupled to the console server system to play the first electronic game with the user;

establishing a first game session with the first game console;

receiving via the network interface a packetized game controller signal from a remote game controller;

converting the received packetized game controller signal to a corresponding controller input signal compatible with a game controller input of the first game console;

communicating the converted game controller signal to the first game console;

receiving audio and video data output from the first game console;

encoding and packetizing the audio and video output from the first game console;

transmitting over the packet network to a client associated with the user, at least a portion of the encoded and packetized audio and video data;

determining if the first game session with the first game console is ending;

uploading a game configuration corresponding to the first game session with the first game console to a repository;

determining if a second game session is initiated by the user;

downloading the uploaded game configuration from the repository to a second game console different than the first game console to preserve continuity of game play from the first game session with the first game console to the second game session with the second game console with respect to the first electronic game.

2. The networked game system as defined in claim 1, wherein downloading the uploaded game configuration from the repository to the second game console is preformed based at least in part in response to a user response to a query relating to whether the user wants the game configuration corresponding to the first game session to be accessed by the second game console.

3. The networked game system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising preventing further access to the game configuration uploaded from the first game console to the repository after the game configuration has been downloaded to the second game console.

4. The networked game system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising querying the user as to whether the user wants the game configuration corresponding to the first game session stored in the repository.

5. The networked game system as defined in claim 1, wherein the client comprises a personal computer, a mobile computer, a handheld device, or a television set top box, wherein the client is remote from the first game console and is connected to the first game console via the packetized network and the remote game controller generates a game controller signal configured to be interpreted as a game controller function, the console server system further comprising an input, separate from the game controller input of the first game console, configured to receive an audio signal.

6. The networked game system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first game console comprises a standard computer configured to perform a plurality of functions in addition to enabling the user to play games.

7. A method for enabling a user to remotely play an electronic game, the method comprising:

receiving at a first networked game system a first game selection of a first electronic game by the user;

providing, by the first networked game system, the user with access to a first of a plurality of game consoles coupled to a console server system to play the first electronic game with the user;

establishing a first game session with the first game console;

receiving at the first networked game system a packetized game controller signal from a remote game controller;

converting the received packetized game controller signal to a corresponding controller input signal compatible with a game controller input of the first game console;

communicating the converted game controller signal to the first game console;

receiving audio and video data output from the first game console;

encoding and packetizing the audio and video output from the first game console;

transmitting over the packet network to a client associated with the user, at least a portion of the encoded and packetized audio and video data;

determining if the first game session with the first game console is ending;

uploading a game configuration corresponding to the first game session with the first game console to a repository;

determining if a second game session is initiated by the user;

downloading the uploaded game configuration from the repository to a second game console different than the first game console to preserve continuity of game play from the first game session with the first game console to the second game session with the second game console with respect to the first electronic game.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein downloading the uploaded game configuration from the repository to the second game console is preformed based at least in part in response to a user response to a query relating to whether the user wants the game configuration corresponding to the first game session to be accessed by the second game console.

9. The method as defined in claim 7, the method further comprising preventing further access to the game configuration uploaded from the first game console to the repository after the game configuration has been downloaded to the second game console.

10. The method as defined in claim 7, the method further comprising querying the user as to whether the user wants the game configuration corresponding to the first game session stored in the repository.

11. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the client comprises a personal computer, a mobile computer, a handheld device, or a television set top box, wherein the client is remote from the first game console and is connected to the first game console via the packetized network and the remote game controller generates a game controller signal configured to be interpreted as a game controller function, the console server system further comprising an input, separate from the game controller input of the first game console, configured to receive an audio signal.

12. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the first game console comprises a standard computer configured to perform a plurality of functions in addition to enabling the user to play games.

13. A non-transitory storage medium storing program code that when executed by a computing system is configured cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first game selection of a first electronic game by the user;

providing the user with access to a first of a plurality of game consoles coupled to a console server system to play the first electronic game with the user;

establishing a first game session with the first game console;

receiving a packetized game controller signal from a remote game controller;

converting the received packetized game controller signal to a corresponding controller input signal compatible with a game controller input of the first game console;

communicating the converted game controller signal to the first game console;

receiving audio and video data output from the first game console;

encoding and packetizing the audio and video output from the first game console;

transmitting to a client associated with the user, at least a portion of the encoded and packetized audio and video data;

determining if the first game session with the first game console is ending;

uploading a game configuration corresponding to the first game session with the first game console to a repository;

determining if a second game session is initiated by the user;

downloading the uploaded game configuration from the repository to a second game console different than the first game console to preserve continuity of game play from the first game session with the first game console to the second game session with the second game console with respect to the first electronic game.

14. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein downloading the uploaded game configuration from the repository to the second game console is preformed based at least in part in response to a user response to a query relating to whether the user wants the game configuration corresponding to the first game session to be accessed by the second game console.

15. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising preventing further access to the game configuration uploaded from the first game console to the repository after the game configuration has been downloaded to the second game console.

16. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising querying the user as to whether the user wants the game configuration corresponding to the first game session stored in the repository.

17. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the client comprises a personal computer, a mobile computer, a handheld device, or a television set top box, wherein the client is remote from the first game console and the remote game controller generates a game controller signal configured to be interpreted as a game controller function, and the console server system an input, separate from the game controller input of the first game console, configured to receive an audio signal.

18. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the first game console comprises a standard computer configured to perform a plurality of functions in addition to enabling the user to play games.