Method and system for remote game display

• US 9,573,057 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Vange, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US14/811,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

Various embodiment provide a method of interfacing an application controller with a remote display. The method can include the steps of providing an application on an application controller comprising a controller display; executing the application to retrieve a user input into the application controller; executing logic to render an output; and displaying the output on at least one of the controller display and the remote display.

Claims

1. A game application server comprising:

a data store configured to store computer-executable instructions for execution of a game application on a game application server;

a communication interface of the game application server configured to communicate electronically with a first network interface associated with a game application controller and a second network interface associated with a remote display via a network; and

a processor of the game application server configured to execute the game application, the game application configured to;

establish a first communication link between the communication interface and the second network interface associated with the remote display over at least one of;

a first wide area network or an Internet;

establish a second communication link between the communication interface and the first network interface associated with the game application controller over at least one of;

a second wide area network or the Internet, wherein the second communication link is independent of the first communication link;

receive user input configured to control an aspect of the game application from the game application controller via the second communication link;

perform game application logic based, at least in part, on the user input;

render a game application output based, at least in part, on the game application logic;

generate instructions configured to display the game application output on the remote display; and

transmit the instructions to the remote display via the first communication link.

2. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the user input is configured to control a virtual entity within the game application.

3. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the instructions comprise at least one video frame configured to display at least a portion of the game application output.

4. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the game application controller is a mobile computing device.

5. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the first wide area network and the second wide area network are the same network.

6. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the game application controller is configured to provide user controls for retrieving user input from a user.

7. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the game application server establishes the second communication link between the communication interface and the first network interface associated with the game application controller via an application installed on the game application controller.

8. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the user input is based on a motion of the game application controller.

9. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the remote display is a television.

10. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the game application establishes the first communication link between the communication interface and the second network interface associated with the remote display via a set-top box.

11. The game application server of claim 1, wherein the game application is further configured to match the game application controller with the remote display based, at least in part, on remote display identification information provided by the game application controller.

12. A computer-implemented method for remotely executing a game application, the method comprising:

executing, by a game application server, a game application;

establishing, by the game application server, a first communication link between the game application server and a remote display over at least one of;

a first wide area network or an Internet;

establishing, by the game application server, a second communication link between the game application server and a game application controller over at least one of;

a second wide area network or the Internet, wherein the second communication link is independent of the first communication link;

receiving, by the game application server, user input configured to control a first virtual entity within the game application from the game application controller via the second communication link;

performing, by the game application server, game application logic based, at least in part, on the user input;

rendering, by the game application server, a game application output based, at least in part, on the game application logic;

generating, by the game application server, at least one video frame configured to display at least a first portion of the game application output on the remote display; and

streaming, by the game application server, the at least one video frame to the remote display via the first communication link.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 further comprising matching the game application controller with the remote display based on identification information associated with the remote display provided by the game application controller.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 further comprising:

establishing, a third communication link with a second game application controller; and

receiving, by the game application server, user input from the second game application controller configured to control a second virtual entity within the game application from the second game application controller via the third communication link.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 further comprising:

establishing a fourth communication link with a second remote display;

generating at least one video frame configured to display at least a second portion of the game application output on the remote display; and

streaming the at least one video frame to the second remote display via the fourth communication link.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed in one or more processors, are configured to execute a game application, the game application configured to:

establish a communication link between a game application server and a game application controller over at least one of;

a wide area network or an Internet, wherein the game application server is configured execute a game application;

receive user input configured to control at least an aspect of the game application from the game application controller via the communication link;

perform game application logic based, at least in part, on the user input;

render a game application output based, at least in part, on the game application logic;

generate instructions configured to display the game application output on a remote display; and

transmit the instructions to the remote display.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions comprise at least one video frame configured to display at least a portion of the game application output.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the game application is further configured to establish another communication link with the remote display via a set-top box.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the remote display is a television.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the game application is further configured to match the game application controller with the remote display based, at least in part, on remote display identification information provided by the game application controller.