Optimizing gaming applications accessed by electronic devices

• US 9,662,567 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Michael A., Quan, Justin, Fleming, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US14/271,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20150283456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 463 42
• 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 13/355 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

Techniques introduced here enable cloud-based file prefetching for gaming applications running on electronic devices. The electronic devices store certain gaming data files on a remote storage server and preload some of the files locally to include file access efficiency. Gaming data file access patterns on the electronic devices are analyzed, individually and collectively, using a cloud service to detect global access patterns and help determine which gaming data files to preload on each of the electronic devices.

Claims

1. A method for prefetching gaming application data for an electronic device, the method comprising:

tracking, by a processor of the electronic device, access data for one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by a user of the electronic device, wherein gaming data files associated with the one or more gaming applications are stored in a remote storage server, the access data including information associated with access of the gaming data files by the one or more gaming applications;

sending the access data to a server, wherein an analysis is performed by the server on the access data provided by the electronic device;

receiving a prefetching profile from the server, wherein the prefetching profile identifies, based on the analysis, the gaming data files that are likely to be accessed by the user of the electronic device, and further wherein the prefetching profile identifies a likelihood that each of the gaming data files are to be accessed and a timeframe for which the likelihood of access applies, the likelihood of access of the gaming data files being based on a first amount of time spent by the user playing one or more game levels of the one or more gaming applications compared to a second amount of time spent by one or more other users playing the one or more game levels;

storing the prefetching profile in a first storage of the electronic device;

for each gaming data file having a likelihood of access that is greater than a threshold likelihood, determining if the timeframe specified by the prefetching profile for the likelihood of access of the gaming data files applies at a time when the determination is made;

responsive to a determination that the timeframe for a specific gaming data file applies, prefetching a specific gaming data file if the specific gaming data file is not available in a memory of the electronic device;

storing the prefetched gaming data file in a second storage of the electronic device; and

serving the prefetched gaming data file upon request by the user of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server receives access data for gaming applications provided by one or more other electronic devices, and further wherein the analysis includes a collective analysis based on the access data provided by the electronic device and the access data provided by the one or more other electronic devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prefetching profile includes one or more conditions under which each of the identified gaming data files are likely to be accessed, and further wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the one or more conditions identified by the prefetching profile have been met by the electronic device, wherein prefetching of the specific gaming data file is further responsive to a determination that one or more of the conditions have been met, prior to prefetching the specific gaming data file if the specific gaming data file is not available in a memory of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access data include one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the access data include an access time and a duration spent on each of the one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the access data include other applications running concurrently on the electronic device with each of the one or more gaming applications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access data include a location of the electronic device at the time of access.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein prefetching of the specified gaming data files is performed in order of likelihood of access.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage is the same as the second storage.

10. A method for analyzing electronic device access data of gaming application, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a server, access data for one or more gaming applications for a plurality of electronic devices;

receiving a selection of one or more algorithms for analyzing the access data, wherein the one or more algorithms detect usage patterns of the gaming applications at each of the plurality of electronic devices;

based on the access data for the plurality of electronic devices, using the one or more algorithms to determine i) a likelihood that one or more gaming data files associated with the one or more gaming applications will be accessed within a specific timeframe for each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices, and ii) a timeframe for which the likelihood of access applies to the given electronic device, wherein the one or more algorithms are applied individually to the access data for each electronic device, and collectively to access data for the plurality of electronic devices;

generating a custom prefetching profile for each electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices, wherein the prefetching profile includes an identification of gaming data files, the determined likelihood that each of the gaming data files will be accessed, and the timeframe for which the likelihood of accessing each gaming data file applies, the likelihood of access of the gaming data files being based on a first amount of time spent by the user playing one or more game levels of the one or more gaming applications compared to a second amount of time spent by one or more other users playing the one or more game levels; and

transmitting the generated custom prefetching profiles to the respective electronic devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined likelihood that one or more gaming data files will be accessed is based on other applications that have run concurrently on the electronic device with the one or more gaming applications.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined likelihood that one or more gaming data files will be accessed is based on one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined likelihood that one or more gaming data files will be accessed is based on an access time for which the one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications have been accessed by the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined likelihood that one or more gaming data files will be accessed is based on a duration spent on each of the one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending the prefetching profile for each of the plurality of electronic devices to a respective one of the plurality of electronic devices.

16. 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;

tracking access data for one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by a user of the electronic device, wherein gaming data files associated with the one or more gaming applications are stored in a remote storage server, the access data including information associated with access of the gaming data files by the one or more gaming applications;

sending the access data to a server, wherein an analysis is performed by the server on the access data provided by the electronic device;

receiving a prefetching profile from the server, wherein the prefetching profile identifies, based on the analysis, gaming data files that are likely to be accessed by the user of the electronic device, and further wherein the prefetching profile identifies a likelihood that each of the gaming data files are to be accessed and a timeframe for which the likelihood of access applies, the likelihood of access of the gaming data files being based on a first amount of time spent by the user playing one or more game levels of the one or more gaming applications compared to a second amount of time spent by one or more other users playing the one or more game levels;

storing the prefetching profile in a first storage of the electronic device;

for each gaming data file having a likelihood of access that is greater than a threshold likelihood, determining if the timeframe specified by the prefetching profile for the likelihood of access of the gaming file data applies at a time when the determination is made;

responsive to a determination that the timeframe for a specific gaming data file applies, prefetching the specific gaming data file if the specific gaming data file is not available in a memory of the electronic device;

storing the prefetched gaming data file in a second storage of the electronic device; and

serving the prefetched gaming data file upon request by the user of the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the server receives access data for gaming applications provided by one or more other electronic devices, and further wherein the analysis is a collective analysis based on the access data provided by the electronic device and the access data provided by the one or more other electronic devices.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the prefetching profile includes one or more conditions under which each of the identified gaming data files are likely to be accessed, and further wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the one or more of the conditions identified by the prefetching profile have been met by the electronic device, wherein prefetching of the specific gaming data file is further responsive to a determination that one or more of the conditions have been met, prior to prefetching the specific gaming data file if the specific gaming data file is not available in a memory of the electronic device.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein prefetching of the specified gaming data file is performed in order of likelihood of access.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the access data include one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by the electronic device.

21. A method for prefetching gaming data files for an electronic device, the method comprising:

tracking, by a processor of the electronic device, access data for one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by a user of the electronic device, wherein gaming data files associated with the one or more gaming applications are stored in a remote storage server, the access data including information associated with access of the gaming data files by the one or more gaming applications;

sending the access data to a server, wherein an analysis is performed by the server individually on the access data provided by the electronic device and collectively on the access data provided by the electronic device and on access data for gaming applications provided by one or more other electronic devices;

receiving a prefetching profile from the server, wherein the prefetching profile identifies, based on the analysis, gaming data files having a first likelihood of being accessed by the user of the electronic device, and further wherein the first likelihood of being accessed is independent of time, the likelihood of access of the gaming data files being based on a first amount of time spent by the user playing one or more game levels of the one or more gaming applications compared to a second amount of time spent by one or more other users playing the one or more game levels;

storing the prefetching profile in a first storage of the electronic device;

for each gaming data file having a first likelihood of access that is greater than a first threshold likelihood, prefetching a specific gaming data file if the specific gaming data file is not available in a memory of the electronic device;

storing the prefetched gaming data file in a second storage of the electronic device; and

serving the prefetched gaming data file upon request by the user of the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the prefetching profile further identifies, based on the analysis, whether one or more of the gaming data files has a second likelihood of being accessed, wherein the second likelihood of being accessed is based on usage patterns of the user of the electronic device, and further wherein the prefetching profile specifies a timeframe for which the second likelihood of access applies, and wherein the method further comprises:

for each gaming data file having a second likelihood of access that is greater than a second threshold likelihood, determining if the timeframe specified by the prefetching profile for the second likelihood of access of the gaming data files applies at a time when the determination is made; and

responsive to a determination that the timeframe for a given gaming data file applies, prefetching the given gaming data file if the given gaming data file is not available in a memory of the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the prefetching profile includes one or more conditions under which each of the gaming data files are likely to be accessed, and further wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the one or more conditions identified by the prefetching profile have been met by the electronic device, wherein prefetching of the given gaming data file is further responsive to a determination that one or more of the conditions has been met, prior to prefetching the given gaming data file if the given gaming data file is not available in a memory of the electronic device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the access data include one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by the electronic device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the access data include an access time and a duration spent on each of the one or more levels of the one or more gaming applications that have been accessed by the electronic device.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the access data include other applications running concurrently on the electronic device with each of the one or more gaming applications.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the access data include a location of the electronic device at the time of access.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein prefetching of the specified gaming data files is performed in order of likelihood of access.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the first storage is the same as the second storage.